U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY NIAMEY, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SECTION
Notice of Funding Opportunity
Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy Niamey PDS Annual Program Statement
Funding Opportunity Number: PDS-Niamey-FY23-APS
Deadline for Applications: June 30, 2023
CFDA Number: 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs
Total Amount Available: $50,000.00
Maximum for Each Award: $1,000 to $25,000
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The U.S. Embassy Niamey Public Diplomacy Section (PDS Niamey) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below.
Purpose of Small Grants: PDS Niamey invites individuals or organizations interested in submitting a proposal to use the award as seed money to generate buy-in from other stakeholders. We will be looking for partnerships and cost-sharing with host country civil society organizations and the business community that can extend the impact of your proposals. Competitive proposals will also address the issue of sustainability — explaining how the project or program will continue beyond the initial support from the U.S. government. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.
Priority Program Areas:
All public diplomacy Small Grants Programs must include one or more of the below themes:
a. Countering Violent Extremism (Counterterrorism)
b. Muslim Engagement (including inter- and intra-religious dialogue)
c. Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment
d. Youth Engagement
e. Education (particularly English-language education)
f. Economic development (entrepreneurship, economic empowerment)
g. Development of the media ecosystem (including countering mis- and disinformation)
Participants and Audiences:
The target audience must be Nigerien. Priority Audiences include the following:
· a. Women and youth
· b. Businesspeople/entrepreneurs
· c. Academia/universities/think tanks (including students)
· d. Journalists
· e. Civil society activists
The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:
· Publishing of books
· Translation of books
· Conference attendance (i.e. participant travel to UN program conference, etc.)
· Programs relating to partisan political activities
· Charitable or development activities
· Construction programs
· Programs that support specific religious activities
· Fundraising 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 FY2023 and the CFDA number is: 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs.
B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
Length of performance period: 1 to 12 months
Number of awards anticipated: Up to 10 awards (dependent on amounts)
Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $25,000
Total available funding: $50,000.00
Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2023 Public Diplomacy Funding
Anticipated program start date: Program must begin prior to September 30, 2023
This notice is subject to availability of funding.
Funding Instrument Types: Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that PDS Niamey staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation.
Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less. PDS Niamey will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.
C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION
Criteria for Proposals:
For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
Eligible applicants include:
· Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience
· Individuals
· Non-profit or governmental educational institutions
· Governmental institutions
Cost Sharing or Matching
· Cost sharing is not required.
Other Eligibility Requirements
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization or per person. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.
In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and a valid registration on www.SAM.gov.
Public Diplomacy Section Niamey recommends registering for a UEI and SAM.gov account before submitting your application. Registering does not guarantee you will receive funding. Registering early will help your organization receive funding faster, if your proposal is selected.
Please see Section D for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.
D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
1. Address to Request Application Package
The Public Diplomacy Section will accept proposals throughout the year and will review proposals according to funding availability. Proposals with the content and forms listed below must be sent electronically to NiameyPD@state.gov.
2. 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:
- All documents are in English
- All budgets are in U.S. dollars
- The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity
· All pages are numbered
· To include your UEI number
· All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and
The following documents are required:
1. Mandatory application forms
· SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or
· SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance –individuals)
· SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)
· SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)
2. 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.
3. 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. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.
1. Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.
- Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A brief description of the organization 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 XXX will be improved? The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.
- 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?
- Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.
4. 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. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.
5. Attachments
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 Entity Identifier (previously DUNS Number)
· Apply for a UEI number. Please review frequently asked questions about this transition here: https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=14c7dfa81b9659d0c5c4dd39bc4bcb0f.
· www.SAM.gov registration
· A Quick Start Guide can be found here: https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=85bc6ab61b165954860e62cfe54bcbe0.
· SAM registration must be renewed annually.
Submission Dates and Times
The Public Diplomacy Section will accept proposals throughout the year and will review proposals according to the following schedule, or until funds have been expended:
· Proposals received between October 1 and December 31, 2022 will be reviewed by January 31, with responses going out by February 24, 2023.
· Proposals received between January 1 and March 15 will be reviewed by April 15, with responses going out by May 19, 2023.
· Proposals received between March 16 and June 1 will be reviewed by July 1, with responses going out by July 14, 2023.
Funding Restrictions
Please note page two for projects that are not eligible for funding.
Other Submission Requirements
All application materials must be submitted by email to NiameyPD@state.gov.
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 PDS 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.
Embassy priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Niger’s priority areas or target audiences and include an American cultural element.
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 can 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.
2. Review and Selection Process
A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.
F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
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.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Terms and Conditions: Before applying, 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.
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.
G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS
If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact PDS at NiameyPD@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.
H. 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 cost more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.
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.
