U.S. Embassy Gaborone of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to promote greater social acceptance of LGBTQI+ persons, including among influential religious groups and traditional groups; and to advocate for protection against discrimination in the workplace, equal access to government services, an inclusive national identity registration policy, and improved law enforcement relations with the LGBTQI+ community. Program Objectives: To support LGBTQI+ groups to inform Botswana’s population of the landmark 2021 decision decriminalizing same-sex relations; to promote greater social acceptance, including among influential religious groups and traditional groups, using the decision as a catalyst; and to advocate for equal rights in areas such as the workplace, access to government services, national identity registration policy, and law enforcement relations with the LGBTQI+ community. The proposed project may include the following activities: Raise public awareness of the human rights implications of Botswana’s decriminalization of same sex relations while socializing ongoing challenges LGBTQI+ persons face in securing equal rights; Bolster LGBTQI+ community’s initiatives to build support networks and organizations across Botswana, including in cities beyond the capital; Build the capacity of LGBTQI+ organizations as they evolve from challenging Botswana’s legal restrictions to becoming more robust civil society organizations that can better advocate for LGBTQI+ persons on a wide range of issues. The role of the grantee will be the following: Organize logistics, present information, and host a series of events or educational/cultural sessions, each focused on at least one of the priority areas listed above; The award amount is inclusive of venue, travel, speaker, media, refreshments, or any other fees. No funding proposal above or beyond the $300,000 award ceiling will be considered; Applicants should consider that some of this work may occur outside of Botswana’s capital and major population centers, which will require budgeting for travel to rural areas outside of public transportation networks. Successful applicants will also detail a strategy for gaining access to traditional leaders, religious groups, Dikgosi, advocacy groups, LGBTQI+ communities, government officials, including the Police, and the general public; Given the ongoing constraints on public gathering and travel posed by COVID-19, grantees should be prepared to explain how their proposals could be conducted virtually as a contingency if in-person events are not possible. Participants and Audiences: Participants and audiences include: LGBTQI+ communities and advocates; Religious groups; Dikgosi; Parents and other family members of of LGBTQI+ persons; Government of Botswana officials, including the Police; Botswana’s Parliament and political parties; The general public; Human rights advocacy groups; Indigenous groups in Botswana FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION: Length of performance period: 18 months: Number of awards anticipated: 1 award: Award amounts: awards may: range to a maximum of $300,000: Total available funding: $300,000: Type of Funding: FY 2021 Economic Support Funds: Anticipated program start date: January 1, 2023 This notice is subject to availability of funding. Funding Instrument Type: Grant; Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 18 months or less. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: Eligible Applicants: The following organizations are eligible to apply: Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations; Public and private educational institutions; Individuals; Public International Organizations; Other Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (go to www.SAM.gov), and a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain the registration. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Application forms required below are available at grants.gov 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; 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: Mandatory application forms SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals) at Grants.gov SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at Grants.gov SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at Grants.gov (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals and for organizations not registered in SAM.gov) Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program. 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. 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. 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. Include a logic model as appropriate. Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: 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 time-frame 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? The performance indicators must include Future Funding or Sustainability: Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable. 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. 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; If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file; Official permission letters, if required for program activities Required Registrations: Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included. All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), formerly referred to as DUNS, and an active registration with SAM.gov before submitting an application. U.S. Embassy Gaborone may not review applications from or make awards to applicants that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub-grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before the award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee. Note: The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible. Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code and UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge: NCAGE/CAGE Code Unique Entity Identifier from SAM.gov SAM.gov registration Step 1: Apply for a NCAGE Code 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 NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423; For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 Email
[email protected] for any problems in getting an NCAGE code. Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. All prime organizations must, at all times during which they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by any Federal awarding agency, maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM.gov and to maintain that active registration. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, the applicant may be deemed technically ineligible to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. Submission Dates and Times: Applications are due no later than August 21, 2022 Funding Restrictions: Funding is intended for activities in Botswana All application materials must be submitted by email to
[email protected],
[email protected], and
[email protected] OTHER INFORMATION: See NOFO for more details and additional information.