: U.S. Embassy Conakry, Ambassador Special Self-Help Program Annual Program Statement

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy Conakry, Ambassador Special Self-Help Program Annual Program Statement Funding Opportunity Number: DOS-CONAK-FY23-01 Deadline for Applications: For proposals to be considered for funding in 2024, the deadline is October 13, 2023 Assistance Listing Number: 19.220 Total Amount Available: $50,000 A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy in Conakry, Guinea announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to support registered self-help groups, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and certain educational institutions to develop projects that improve living conditions in their communities. Please follow all instructions below. Per 7008 restrictions, the U.S. government is prohibited from providing assistance to the Government of Guinea (including local institutions, such as schools and local government representatives) until a democratically elected government is installed. Projects cannot involve the participation of government officials or employees serving in their official capacity or occur in government-owned facilities. Program Objectives: The program is designed to improve basic economic and social conditions in local communities and support high impact, quick implementation activities that benefit a large number of people. Participating communities provide a significant contribution in cash, labor, and materials. The demand for Small Grant funds is very high and well above our funding capacity, so priority is given to projects which best meet the program’s objectives and criteria. Possible examples of U.S. Embassy Community Small Grants Program projects include: • Small construction projects – school rooms, community centers, health facilities, foot bridges, housing for community-paid nurses or teachers, workshops, community slaughterhouses, grain storage, rural airstrips for hospitals, and school dormitories for distant students. • Water-related projects – wells, latrines, pumps, bore holes, shower stalls and sinks, and fishponds. • School equipment and supplies – desks, chairs, laboratory equipment, and library items. • Communal construction equipment – brick-making machines. • Miscellaneous durable goods – stoves or refrigerators for a community-owned school or hospital, or washing machines for a community-owned clinic. • Income generating equipment – weaving looms, tools for furniture making, and rice-milling machines and agricultural processing machines. Grant funds may not be used for the following expenses: personnel salaries; travel; fringe benefits; and alcoholic beverages. The budget may not exceed one page in length. You should also provide pro-forma invoices for proposed expenses, such as equipment, materials, and construction supplies. The program aims to impact a large number of beneficiaries per funded project: • A $10,000.00 project should benefit at least 500/700 people. • A $5,000.00 project should benefit at least 250/350 people. Participants and Audiences: The U.S. Embassy in Conakry, Guinea is soliciting proposals for small grants from registered self-help groups, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and certain educational institutions. B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Length of performance period: 6 to 12 months Number of awards anticipated: 5 awards (dependent on amounts) Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $10,000 Total available funding: $50,000 Type of Funding: FY22/23 Economic Support Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act Anticipated program start date: October 31, 2024 This notice is subject to availability of funding. Funding Instrument Type: Grant Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed within a period of 3 to 12 months. C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION 1. Eligible Applicants The following organizations are eligible to apply: Registered self-help groups, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and certain educational institutions. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching The Recipient must provide a cost sharing in cash and/or in-kind contributions. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. 3. Other Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information. 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 Application forms required below are available at [email protected]; https://gn.usembassy.gov/special-self-help-fund/; and grants.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: • 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 Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. 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) at [email protected] • SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at [email protected] • SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at [email protected] (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals and for organizations not registered in SAM.gov) 2. 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. 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. • 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? • 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 file to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information. 4. 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 3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Required Registrations: All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov. 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. Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications. 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 an award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee. Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible. • Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. • 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 UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. • Please note that as of November 2022 and February 2022 respectively, organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code or CAGE code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove a CAGE or NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain a CAGE or NCAGE code. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated.” Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions: Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually. Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions: Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE code by following the instructions on the NSPA NATO website linked below: NCAGE Homepage: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT): Exemptions An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if: • An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant. • For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a Federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date. Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review. 4. Submission Dates and Times Applications are due no later than October 13, 2023 at 16:30 GMT. No applications will be accepted after that date. 5. Funding Restrictions Per 7008 restrictions, the U.S. government is prohibited from providing assistance to the Government of Guinea (including local institutions, such as schools and local government representatives) until a democratically elected government is installed. Projects cannot involve the participation of government officials or employees serving in their official capacity or occur in government-owned facilities. Additional funding restrictions: • Remodeling or renovating an existing facility that is in disrepair as a result of neglect or lack of money (purchasing paint to repaint a school). • Activities with unmitigated and negative environmental consequences, such as dams, roads through relatively pristine forest lands; activities that contribute to commercial deforestation or conversion of land-use from forest to livestock; actions that are likely to jeopardize, threaten, or endanger species and/or their habitat, and actions that are likely to degrade protected areas significantly, such as introduction of exotic plants or animals. • Sports equipment or uniforms for a national sports team. • Musical instruments or uniforms for a national orchestra or dance company. • Salaries. • Ongoing needs for education/training. • Office supplies such as pencils, paper, forms, and folders. • Religious, military, or law enforcement/police/prison-related activities. • Vehicle purchases. 6. Other Submission Requirements All application materials must be submitted by email to [email protected]. E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 1. Criteria Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below. Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 20 points: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline. Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 20 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account. Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 15 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. Budget – 10 points: 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 – 15 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides 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 – 10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program. Support of Equity and Underserved Communities – 10 points: Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.