U.S. Department of State

Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-AFR-12-CA-AF-031612-CHAD

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number:
19.517 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Africa

Announcement issuance date: March 16, 2012

Proposal submission deadline: Monday, April 16, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EDT. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

ADVISORY: PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise.

Proposed Program Start Dates: May 1, 2012 –September 15, 2012

Duration of Activity: PRM will consider proposals with durations ranging from 12-24 months from the proposed start date. However, actual awards will not exceed 12 months in duration. See guidance below.

Multi-year Proposals: PRM will consider multi-year proposals based on available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. Continued funding after the initial 12-month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application as detailed in the “Noncompeting Application Requirement” section. Fully developed programs with detailed budgets, objectives and clear, measurable results-based indicators are required for all years of activities. Further details are provided in the “Proposal Content, Formatting, and Templates” section. PRM looks favorably upon process evaluations, included as part of the proposed activities and budget, that determine whether program design during the initial 12 months was effective as well as activities that build on foundations developed during the initial 12-month phase (e.g. job placement activities in year two to build on vocational skills programs conducted in year one) or that create a transition out of ongoing assistance (e.g., capacity-building and handover). Please note that in funding a project for one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term and diverse funding sources.

NOTE: This will be the only Chad, CAR, and Cameroon funding round in FY2012, unless additional, new emergencies occur. Please note there will be no separate call for GBV programs for FY 2012.

Current Funding Priorities for Refugees in Chad, CAR, and Cameroon: PRM will prioritize currently available funding for proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities in Chad, Cameroon, and CAR as identified below:

(1) Chad

• Proposals should focus on Sudanese refugees in the 12 camps in eastern Chad and/or Central African refugees in the 9 camps in southern Chad. Proposals may include work in the following areas: Primary health care, including reproductive health; primary and secondary education; and prevention of and response to gender-based violence. Proposals should include a well-developed plan for training and building the capacity of local staff and service providers.

(2) Central African Republic

• Proposals should focus on Congolese refugees residing in southern CAR and/or Sudanese refugees in central CAR. Proposals may include work in the following: Primary health care, including reproductive health care; and prevention of and response to gender-based violence.

(3) Cameroon

• Proposals should focus on Central African refugees residing in eastern Cameroon. Proposals may include work in the following: Water and sanitation, primary health care, including reproductive health; prevention of and response to gender-based violence; and food security.

(d) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned sectors although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

• A working relationship with UNHCR, current UNHCR funding, and/or a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities and/or overall country program (this letter should highlight the gap in services the proposed program is designed to address);
• A proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location;
• Evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as – where possible – local authorities;
• A concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and include at least one outcome or impact indicator per objective;
• Projects in Protracted Refugee Situations, return/local integration contexts, and multi-year funding applications, where feasible, must include strong transition plans in their proposals.
• A budget that is appropriate for meeting the objectives and demonstrates co-funding by non-US government sources;
• Appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations. Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, PRM considers funding only those projects that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50% refugees;
• Adherence to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards and definitions for activities related to specific sectors, including gender-based violence.

International Organizations (IOs) that are engaged in programs relevant to the assistance addressed by this PRM funding announcement and that are seeking funding should ensure that these programs are made known to PRM on or before the closing date of this funding announcement so that PRM can evaluate all IO and NGO programs for funding consideration.

Funding Limits:

In FY 2011, PRM funded $14.95 million in NGO programs assisting refugees in Chad, the CAR, and Cameroon with funding amounts ranging from $250,000 to $3 million. In FY 2012, PRM anticipates a lower level of support given budgetary limitations. As stated in the General NGO Guidelines, PRM looks favorably on cost-sharing efforts and seeks to support projects with a diverse donor base and/or resources from the submitting organization.

Proposal Submission Requirements:

See “How to Apply” (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp#applying) on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements, and note the following highlights:

• Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the April 16 deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers). To register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number and register with the Central Contract Registry (CCR) which can take weeks and sometimes months. See “Applicant FAQs” section on Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp) for complete details on registering.
• Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Applicants who have done so in the past and experienced technical difficulties were not able to meet the deadline. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to avoid submission delays. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered.
• If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem(s) to the Grants.gov help desk and received a case number and had a service request opened to research the problem(s), should contact PRM Program Officer Kristen Frost at (202) 453-9383 or FrostKL@state.gov to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
• Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.
• Pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances can be found at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=161&menu_id=68 )
• NGOs that have not received PRM funding since the U.S. Government fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government by submitting copies of 1) the most recent external financial audit, 2) non-profit tax status under IRS 501 (c)(3), 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number.

Proposal Content, Formatting and Template:

Please refer to the “Proposal Submission and Review Process” section in PRM’s General NGO Guidelines. PRM strongly encourages organizations applying for PRM funding to use the PRM recommended proposal and budget templates. Templates can be requested by sending an email to PRM's NGO Coordinator. You must type “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line to receive an automated reply containing the template.

In addition to referencing the General NGO Guidelines, applicants proposing multi-year programs should adhere to the following guidance:

Applicants may submit proposals that include multi-year strategies presented in 12-month cycles for a period not to exceed 24 months from the proposed start date. Fully developed programs with detailed budgets, objectives and indicators are required for all years of activities. These can be updated yearly upon submission of continuation applications. Applicants should note that they may use PRM’s recommended multi-year proposal template, which is different from the single year template. Multi-year funding applicants may also use PRM’s standard budget template and should submit a separate budget sheet for each project year. Multi-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 30 pages in length. If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 25 pages in length. Single-year proposals using PRM’s recommended templates must be no longer than 20 pages in length (15 pages if not using the templates). Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total.

PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE PRM’s NGO GUIDELINES:

This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional administrative information and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities and that your proposal submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered. PRM recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator. Please send an email, with the phrase “PRM NGO templates” in the subject line, to PRM's NGO Coordinator.

• Proposals should outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of USG funding for a particular PRM-funded project could potentially endanger the lives of the beneficiaries and/or the organization staff, invite suspicion about the organization's motives, or alienate the organization from the population it is trying to help, it must provide a brief explanation in its proposal as to why it should be exempted from this requirement.
• Focus on outcome or impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one outcome or impact indicator. Wherever possible, baselines should be established before the start of the project.
• To increase PRM’s ability to track the impact of PRM funding, include specific information on locations of projects and beneficiaries. Any project involving the building or maintenance of physical infrastructure must include coordinates of site locations (place name, P-Code, latitude and longitude coordinates).
• Budgets must include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, any other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization. PRM strongly encourages multi-lateral support for humanitarian programs.
• Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2011 for activities that are being proposed for funding under this announcement must include the most recent quarterly progress report against indicators outlined in the cooperative agreement. If an organization’s last quarterly report was submitted more than six weeks prior to the submission of a proposal in response to this funding announcement, the organization must include, with its most recent quarterly report, updates that show any significant progress made on objectives since the last report.

Reports and Reporting Requirements:

Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. It is highly suggested that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM recommended program report template. To request this template, send an email with the phrase “PRM NGO templates” in the subject line to PRM's NGO Coordinator.

Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement; a final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement.

For more details regarding reporting requirements please see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines.

Proposal Review Process:

PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.

PRM may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will provide formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management.

PRM Points of Contact:

Should NGOs have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. (Note: Responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.):

PRM/AFR Program Officer Kristen Frost (FrostKL@state.gov; 202-453-9383) Washington, D.C.

PRM/AFR Deputy Office Director Mary Lange (LangeMM@state.gov; 202-453-9369) Washington, D.C.