PLEASE NOTE: DRL strongly urges applicants to access immediately www.grants.gov in order to obtain a username and password. It may take up to a week to register with grants.gov. Please see the section titled “DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS” below for specific instructions.
Global Human Rights Defenders Background:
Defenders of human rights often risk their own and their families’ lives, safety, and jobs to advocate for universally recognized human rights. The Department of State places a high priority on defending these individuals. An emergency fund within the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) supports human rights defenders who promote human rights, democracy and good governance, women’s rights, fair labor practices, independent media and journalism, and other issues that may raise the risk of safety and/or life for their defenders.
Summary:
DRL seeks proposals for effective and immediate approaches to disburse small, short-term emergency financial support to human rights defenders and advocates of human rights globally or regionally when the repression or restriction of basic human rights may occur. DRL encourages applicants to submit proposals that include strategies to target all kinds of human rights activists, including those who promote the rights of marginalized populations, including the LGBT community, labor rights activists, and religious rights activists.
The U.S.-based grantee(s) will manage funding for legal representation; medical bills arising from abuse; trial monitoring; transportation costs for prison visitation; appeals; equipment damaged or confiscated by government authorities; day-to-day living expenses when the primary provider is detained, imprisoned or evicted; and other types of emergency needs. Emergency assistance cannot be provided as contingency funds. Proposals should provide at least 60% of requested funding as emergency assistance for human rights defenders. DRL staff would be the focal point for receiving and approving all requests via the grantee(s), and would coordinate vetting with relevant USG officials. The emergency support funds would be distributed to recipients though the grantee(s) local partners and/or networks. The grantee shall obtain receipts and/or reimbursement documentation for all expenditures over $5,000. Successful applicants are not guaranteed continued funding in future fiscal years.
Organizational Expertise: Applicants should propose to work in regions where they have requisite expertise and strong relationships with local NGOs and/or activists. DRL particularly seeks organizations that have a demonstrated track record of coordinating with other democracy and human rights organizations at the national and international levels in the particular region for which the organization seeks funding.
Organization Vetting: Successful proposal applicants and/or sub-grantees will need to be vetted before final grant agreements are awarded. Failure to meet vetting requirements will result in proposal disqualification.
Selecting Partner NGOs: Applicants should identify experienced, reliable indigenous partners in each region or country. DRL grantees should have an exceptionally strong, preferably long-term relationship with indigenous partner NGOs. Strategies to develop stronger contacts to improve the administration of the program can be included, but associated costs must be reasonable and kept to a minimum.
Activist Funding Process: When an activist has a funding need, he or she would contact a local indigenous NGO that partners with the DRL grantee or the U.S. Embassy, if such contact will not increase the activist's risk of harm. The indigenous NGO or activist network would then relay to the DRL grantee the need, justification, and level of funding. The DRL grantee would, in turn, transmit this information to the appropriate DRL officer who would then work with the relevant USG officers to vet and evaluate the legitimacy of the request.
Additional Information
The Bureau anticipates awarding grants in late 2009/early 2010. The bulk of funding activities should take place during a one- to two-year time frame. Projects that leverage resources from funds internal to the organization or other sources, such as public-private partnerships, will be highly considered. Projects that have a strong academic or research focus will not be highly considered. Cost sharing is strongly encouraged, and cost sharing contributions should be outlined in the proposal budget and budget narrative.
Pending availability of funds, up to USD $1,500,000 total is expected to be available for projects that address the parameters above. The Bureau anticipates granting one to six awards totaling approximately USD $1,500,000 to support the program and administrative costs required to implement these programs.
DRL will not consider proposals that reflect any type of support, for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization, whether or not they are elected members of government.
The information contained in this solicitation is binding and may not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information provided by the Bureau that contradicts this language will not be binding. Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program evaluation requirements.
This request for proposals will appear on www.grants.gov and DRL’s website, www.state.gov/g/drl.
APPLICANT/ORGANIZATION CRITERIA
Organizations submitting proposals must meet the following criteria:
- Be a U.S. non-profit organization meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c) (3) or a comparable organization headquartered internationally. Universities are allowable.
- Have demonstrated experience administering successful and preferably similar projects. DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.
- Be a registered user of grants.gov.
- Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with in-country entities and relevant stakeholders including industry and non-government organizations.
- Organizations may form consortia and submit a joint proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant.
- An OMB policy directive published in the Federal Register on Friday, June 27, 2003, requires that all organizations applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements must provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for all Federal grants or cooperative agreements on or after October 1, 2003. Please reference: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/062703_grant_identifier.pdf for the complete OMB policy directive.
REVIEW PROCESS
The Bureau will review all proposals for eligibility. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance of Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements. Final technical authority for assistance awards resides with the Department’s Grants Division. DRL reserves the right to request any additional programmatic and/or financial information regarding the proposal.
Proposals will be funded based on an evaluation of how the proposal meets the solicitation review criteria, U.S. foreign policy objectives, and the priority needs of DRL. A Department of State Review Committee will evaluate proposals submitted under this request. Review criteria will include:
1) Quality of Program Idea
Proposals should be responsive to the solicitation and exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau's mission.
2) Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives
A relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity of the organization. The proposal should outline the extent of the network in the countries in which the applicant proposes to work and should detail the vetting process and mechanisms to provide assistance to human rights defenders. Objectives should be ambitious, yet measurable and achievable.
3) Multiplier Effect/Sustainability
Proposed programs should address the target countries/types of human rights defenders the program seeks to assist. It should also describe how the applicant will follow-up with human rights defenders after they receive assistance.
4) Program Evaluation Plan
Programs should demonstrate the capacity for engaging in impact assessments and providing objectives with measurable outputs and outcomes. Projects that propose an independent evaluation with a clear plan will be viewed favorably in this category.
5) Institution’s Record and Capacity
The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past grants. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's objectives. Roles and responsibilities of primary staff should be provided.
6) Cost Effectiveness
The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate. Submissions that provide a higher percentage of the overall budget request as emergency assistance will be deemed more competitive. Cost sharing is strongly encouraged and is viewed favorably by DRL reviewers.
DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Applicants must submit proposals using www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on November 24, 2009. DRL will not accept proposals submitted via email, the U.S. postal system, FedEx, UPS and similar delivery companies, or courier. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time.
Please note: In order to safeguard the security of applicants’ electronic information, www.grants.gov uses a credential provider. It is the process of determining, with certainty, that someone really is who they claim to be.
The credential provider for www.grants.gov is Operational Research Consultants (ORC). Applicants MUST register with ORC to receive a username and password which you will need to register with www.grants.gov as an authorized organization representative (AOR). Once your organization's E-Business point of contact has assigned these rights, you will be authorized to submit grant applications through Grants.gov on behalf of your organization.
Each organization will need to be registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) and you will need to have your organization's DUNS number available to complete this process. After your organization registers with the CCR, you must wait 3 business days before you can obtain a username and password.
PLEASE be advised that completing all the necessary steps for obtaining a username and password from www.grants.gov can take up to two full weeks. DRL strongly urges applicants to begin this process on www.grants.gov well in advance of the submission deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to post applications on www.grants.gov. Please access www.grants.gov for the all necessary information.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposals should not exceed 10 single-spaced pages in length using 12-point Times New Roman font in Microsoft Word with at least one-inch margins. Budgets should be provided separately in Excel or compatible spreadsheets. A narrative budget that provides detail on budget line items MUST accompany the Excel spreadsheet. Please refer to the October 2009 Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for more detail.
An organization may submit only one proposal. Proposals that do not meet the above requirements may not be considered.
Organizations must also complete and submit SF-424 and SF-424B forms as directed on www.grants.gov. Please fill out the highlighted yellow fields and use the following specific information for the below fields:
1. Type of Submission: Application
2. Type of Application: New
5b. Federal Award Identifier: Please enter zeros or leave blank.
17. Please enter approximate start/end dates for the project.
18. Please enter the estimated amount from the SOI under “Federal” and any-cost share under “Applicant.” Otherwise, use zeros.
19. Please enter “c”
TECHNICAL ELIGIBILITY
Technically eligible submissions are those that: 1) arrive electronically via www.grants.gov by the designated due date before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 2) have heeded all instructions contained in the solicitation document and October 2009 Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI), including length and completeness of submission. If there is a discrepancy between the PSI and this announcement, please note that this document takes precedence.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS
All proposals must be received at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on November 24, 2009. Please refer to the PSI for specific delivery instructions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Please specify Karen Chen, (202)-261-8020 or ChenKY@state.gov and/or Megan Oates, (202)-261-8030 or OatesML@state.gov on all inquiries and correspondence. Please read the complete announcement and PSI before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, Department of State officials – both in the Bureau and at overseas posts - may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.
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