Notice of Funding Opportunity: U.S. Embassy Amman PAS Annual Program Statement.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY AMMAN, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION 

Notice of Funding Opportunity 

Funding Opportunity Title:  U.S. Embassy Amman PAS Annual Program Statement 

Funding Opportunity Number:  PAS-JOR-FY22-001 

Deadline for Applications: April 30, 2022, by 11:30 P.M ET 

CFDA Number:  19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs 

Total Amount Available: $500,000 

Maximum for Each Award: $500,000 

  1. A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
    The U.S. Embassy in Amman’s Public Affairs Section (PAS) is pleased to announce funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Annual Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining the Department of State’s funding priorities, its strategic themes, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding.  Awards to successful applicants are subject to the availability of appropriated funds.  (Please note that although the maximum amount that can be awarded is $500,000, cost effectiveness of proposed programs is a key factor in determining which applicants are funded.) Please carefully follow all instructions below. 

Purpose of Grants:  PAS invites proposals for programs that promote bilateral cooperation, shared values, and strengthen cultural and other ties between the United States and Jordan.  All programs must include an American cultural element, or a clear connection to (an) American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policies and perspectives. 

Examples of PAS Grant programs include, but are not limited to:  

  • Youth leadership programs;  
  • Participatory and/or problem-solving programs, e.g., “tech camps,” “hackathons,” and other hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs;  
  • Internships and career counseling; 
  • Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, master classes, and exhibitions; 
  • Professional and academic exchanges, seminars and speaker programs; and, 
  • Sports tournaments, programs, and workshops (including for trainers, referees, and/or players). 

 A Special Note on COVID-19:  Applicants are encouraged to make their projects flexible to allow for compliance with current and possible future local and international health restrictions in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.  This is especially important for projects proposing in-person interactions such as meetings, exchanges, travel, workshop, and others.  Applicants can propose such in-person activities but should include alternate activities, e.g., webinars, virtual meetings, and others, in the case that the former are prohibited or impractical at the time the program is proposed. 

Priority Program Areas:  

  • Career planning, soft-skill building and business start-up opportunities;  
  • Arts/creative economy projects that advance human rights, freedom of expression, active citizenship, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, and/or resilience to extremism and/or disinformation; 
  • Multi-sectoral engagement on global challenges such as climate, water, cultural heritage preservation, substance use, security, and others; and,    
  • Mentoring projects that focus on alumni of U.S. Embassy exchange programs.  

Participants and Audiences: 

Proposals must describe both the primary and secondary audiences for the program, including numbers anticipated to be reached.  Primary audiences are those who will participate directly in the program(s), while secondary audiences are those who will be reached by the project’s primary audiences, as a result of their participation, or through any follow-on activities build into the primary program.  For example, in a teacher training program, the primary audience would be the teachers who will be trained, while the secondary audience would be their students.  Audiences who are considered a priority for grants funded under this APS are: 

  • Jordanian youth (under 35), especially in areas outside of Amman or in traditionally underserved communities;  
  • Women and girls;  
  • The creative and performing arts communities; 
  • Local decision-makers, leaders, media professionals, and influencers;   
  • Teachers, academics, and opinion leaders;  
  • Young entrepreneurs and business innovators; and, 
  • Amateur or semi-professional sports organizers and practitioners with a focus on inclusion. 

Please note that proposals addressing audiences not listed above can still be eligible, but such proposals must clearly indicate why addressing the proposed audience is especially important for achieving the goals stated in Section A of this APS. 

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:  

  • Programs relating to partisan political activity; 
  • Charitable or development activities; 
  • Construction programs; 
  • Programs that support specific religious activities; 
  • Fund-raising campaigns; 
  • Lobbying for specific legislation or programs 
  • Scientific research; 
  • Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or 
  • Programs that duplicate existing programs. 

 Authorizing legislation, type and year of funding: 

Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt Act. The source of funding is FY2022 Public Diplomacy Funding.  

  1. B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: 3 to 24 months  

Number of awards anticipated: 6 awards (dependent on amounts) 

Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $500,000 

Total available funding: $500,000 

Type of Funding:  Fiscal Year 2022 Public Diplomacy Funding 

Anticipated program start date:  Projects should start sometime during calendar year 2022, and the proposed start date should make sense for the purposes of the project.  Keep in mind that costs incurred in preparing the application or prior to the award being made are not eligible for funding.   

This notice is subject to availability of funding. 

 Funding Instrument Type:  Grant, fixed amount award, or cooperative agreement, to be determined by the U.S. Embassy’s Grants Officer. Cooperative agreements are different from grants and fixed amount awards in that Embassy staff are actively involved in the grant implementation. 

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 24 months or less. 

  1. C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION
  1. Eligible Applicants 

The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from the United States and Jordan: 

  • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience; 
  • Individuals; and 
  • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions 
  • Governmental institutions 

*For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.   

**An individual person can apply for up to $150,000 in funding.  

  1. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is not required. 

  1. Other Eligibility Requirements and Special Considerations

Applicants are only allowed to submit two proposals per organization. If more than two proposals are submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. Special consideration will be given to proposals that address novel or emerging issues in innovative, non-duplicative ways.  Non-traditional partnerships across organizations and sectors are encouraged.  

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.  Individuals are not required to have a DUNS number or be registered in SAM.gov. 

  1. D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
  1. Address to Request Application Package 

 Application forms required below are available at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html 

  1. Content and Form of Application Submission 

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. 

Content of Application 

Please ensure: 

  • The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity 
  • All documents are in English – proposals submitted in Arabic are ineligible 
  • All budgets are in U.S. dollars 
  • All pages are numbered 
  • All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and 
  • All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. 

The following documents are required: 

  1. a. Mandatory application forms
  1. b. Summary Coversheet: Cover sheet stating the applicant’s name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.
  1. c. Proposal (10 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. We strongly encourage applicants to use the PAS proposal template. (You may use another proposal format, but you must make sure it includes all the items below.) Using the PAS Proposal template is simplest and a link to it can be found here.
  • Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact. 
  • Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies. 
  • Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed 
  • Program Goals and Objectives:  The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve.  What aspect of the relationship between the U.S. and Jordan will be improved? The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. Program objectives should be “SMART”: 
  • Specific – What are the specific objectives of the program activities and how will those objectives achieve the intended program impact? 
  • Measurable – What are the quantifiable results that determine achievement of each objectives?
  • Achievable – Can the program meet the objectives within time and/or resource constraints?
  • Relevant – How will success of the objectives contribute to the program’s overarching goal?
  • Time-Bound – Is it clear how long the program has to achieve the objectives and the point at which success will be measured?
  • Program Activities:  Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.  
  • Program Methods and Design:  A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal.  
  • Proposed Program Schedule:  The proposed timeline for the program activities.  Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. 
  • Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program.  What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?   
  • Program Partners:  List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees. 
  • Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan:  This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant? 
  • Risk Analysis:  All programs inherently contain both internal and external risks. However, with proper identification and management, risks can be prepared for, minimized or mitigated.  The purpose of a risk analysis is to identify the internal and external risks associated with the proposed program in the application, rate the likelihood of the risks, rate the potential impact of the risks on the program, and identify actions that could help mitigate the risks.  Applicants should include all assumptions and external factors identified in the logic model in the risk analysis.  Applicants should rate the likelihood of a risk and potential impact of the risk as “High,” “Medium,” or “Low.” Note:  PAS requires organizations to conduct adequate risk analysis and remediation throughout the life of a program and provide revisions to risk analysis documents and processes as necessary.  
  • Future Funding or Sustainability:  Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable. 
  1. d. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail.  PAS encourages applicants to use PAS Amman’s Budget Templat See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.
  1. e.  Attachments 
  • 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program 
  • Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner 
  • Official permission letters, if required for program activities 
  • Documentation of non-profit or non-commercial status; applicants that don’t submit documentation for non-profit status will be considered ineligible  
  • Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) 
  1. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) 

Required Registrations: 

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations.  All are free of charge: 

  • Unique Identifier Number from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)  
  • NCAGE/CAGE code  
  • www.SAM.gov registration  

 Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)  

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, if your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do;jsessionid=81407B1F03F2BDB123DD47D19158B75F. http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform  

NCAGE application: Application page here https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx  

Instructions for the NCAGE application process:  

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf  

 For help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423  

For help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766  

Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.  

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov.  SAM registration must be renewed annually. 

  1. Submission Dates and Times 

 Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date of April 30, 2022.  No applications will be accepted after that date.

  1. Funding Restrictions 
  • Fees and travel cost to attend conferences in the United States, unless the travel is part of a larger-scope program/project and will tie directly to activities in Jordan  
  • Ongoing salary costs (e.g., standing up or maintaining the operation of an organization)  
  • Office equipment  
  • Paying to complete activities begun with other funds  
  • Refreshments (exception: expenses for coffee breaks and working lunches which are essential to the realization of the program might be funded)  
  • Costs of alcoholic beverages 

Furthermore award funds cannot be used for construction projects, vehicle purchases, real estate purchases or other similar purposes or for costs which are determined as unallowable in 2 CFR 200.  

  1. Other Submission Requirements 

All application materials must be submitted by email to AmmanGrants@state.gov.  

  1. E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
  1. Criteria 

Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application.  

Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in its stated field and PAS is confident of its ability to undertake the program.  This includes a financial management system and a bank account. 

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.  

Goals and objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.  Note that all listed objectives must be “S.M.A.R.T.”, i.e., specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-oriented. 

Embassy priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Amman’s priority areas or target audiences. 

Budget: The budget justification is detailed.  Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.  

Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured. 

Sustainability: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program. 

  1. Review and Selection Process 

 A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications. 

  1. FAPIIS

For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants: 

  1. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);
  1. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;

iii. That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. 

  1. F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
  1. Federal Award Notices 

The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer. 

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.  

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. 

Payment Method: Payments will be made in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the program activities.   

Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email. 

  1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply.  These include: 

2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:  https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/. Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.   

  1. Reporting 

Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports.  The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.     

  1. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact PAS at: AmmanGrants@state.gov. 

Note:  We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the NOFO. Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials and staff — both in the Department and at embassies overseas — may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed. 

  1. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification 

Personnel: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program. 

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel. 

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit. 

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment. In an effort to reduce waste and demonstrate our commitment to a greener, cleaner environment, project budgets should limit costs for giveaway items such as tote bags, water bottles, t-shirts and other items such as flash drives to only those items necessary for the project.   

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor.  Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.  

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained. 

Indirect Costs:  These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating.  If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.   

“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy.   It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues. 

Alcoholic Beverages:  Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages. 

 

 

 

By | 24 February, 2022 | Topics: News

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