“Leadership Program” Open Cooperative Agreement 2022

Notice of Funding Opportunity Funding Opportunity Title: “Leadership Program” Open Cooperative Agreement 2022 Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-MOROCCO-FY22-02 Application Deadline: April 30, 2022 CFDA Number: 19.040 Total Available Amount: No more than $150,000 STATEMENT OF INTEREST INFORMATION COMPETITION DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy in Morocco is pleased to announce an open call for organizations to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) to compete for a Cooperative Agreement (CA) award for a new youth leadership program. The submission of the SOI is the first step in a two-step process. Applicants must first submit a concise (1-3 pages only) SOI to [email protected] in English by April 30, 2022, that provides program ideas and objectives as well as information on the organization’s relevant experience. THIS IS NOT A FULL PROPOSAL. Use the following numbered statements below to guide you in writing a Statement of Interest no more than three pages in length. Please begin with a history of your organization, its mission, and prior work experience in leadership initiatives. 1. Write a brief description of proposed program activities for the Leadership Program. Include goals and objectives and how the activities will provide maximum impact in achieving these results. 2. Describe how you will identify and recruit a diverse and inclusive group of participants and trainers. 3. Explain how you will know whether you have achieved the desired impact. Additionally, explain how you will ensure that you can demonstrate evidence of success. 4. Tell us how long it will take to implement your project. Following a merit review, applicants will be selected and invited to expand on their program ideas by submitting a full proposal application (a second-tier submission). Applicants chosen to submit a full proposal will be notified by May 1 and asked to submit their full proposal by May 30. Full proposals will go through a second merit review before final funding decisions are made and a Grantee is selected. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT A FULL PROPOSAL UNLESS REQUESTED TO DO SO BY THE U.S. EMBASSY. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Leadership Program will offer in-person and on-line training to 60 young Moroccan leaders ages 18-30. The program will have a national scope and will consist of two tracks: civic engagement and entrepreneurship. This three-month program will provide leadership training and networking opportunities to emerging civic leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs from across Morocco to effectively undertake activities that will positively impact their communities. The main goals are to: · Select a diverse group of 60 future leaders in entrepreneurship and civic engagement from across Morocco who seek to have a positive impact on their communities · Build their leadership skills to help them succeed · Help them develop close ties to the U.S. Mission and its alumni network · Improve youth employability in Morocco Recruitment: The grantee will recruit 60 community leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs from across Morocco using both an on-line platform as well as through other means of publicity. The U.S. Embassy will assist in the review of the best applications as well as sit in on interviews. In-Person Events: The grantee will organize three in-person events in consultation with the Embassy: · A leadership training event that brings together the selected participants, Embassy representatives, select Alumni leaders/trainers, and an American expert in leadership. · An in-person training program following the online training sessions. · A pitch competition, where winners are provided seed funding and implementation support from the grantee. On-line training sessions: The grantee will design (in consultation with the U.S. Embassy) and organize a series of online trainings in specific skills for each track. Skills to be covered in Civic Engagement could include but are not limited to: NGO and association management, local government, funding, social media, etc. Skills to be covered in Entrepreneurship could include, but are not limited to design business plan, investors, management, brand, social media, etc. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION SOI submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria: · Quality and feasibility of the proposed program · Organizational capacity and relevant prior experience · Monitoring and evaluation plan · American component COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT INFORMATION The information below is only relevant for those applicants who have submitted a SOI and have been invited by the U.S. Embassy to submit a full application for a cooperative agreement. FUNDING INSTRUMENT TYPE: Cooperative Agreement (CA) The grantee will work closely with the U.S. Embassy to design and execute the program, with details to be determined between the two parties and documented in a Scope of Work. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 1. Criteria - Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the following evaluation criteria: · Quality and Feasibility of the Proposed Program: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline, including for recruitment of participants, trainers, and resident assistants/chaperones. Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and program outline is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. · Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants/Program Implementation: 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. · U.S. Component: There is strong participation of trainers with a connection to the United States, application of U.S. models, or leadership, advocacy, and communications approaches typically applied in the United States. · Budget: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the necessary and proposed activities and anticipated results. · Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates that they are able to 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 they will be measured. 2. Review and Selection Process The U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section will evaluate all eligible applications from organizations invited to participate in the competition for a Cooperative Agreement. The evaluation process will consist of two stages. First, a technical review will be completed to ensure that proposals and organizations meet the criteria set forth above. Second, a Grant Review Committee comprised of personnel from the U.S. Embassy will evaluate eligible proposals based on the criteria identified above. Please send your questions and your concise to [email protected] no later than April 30, 2022. For full details of this funding opportunity, please go to the Related Documents tab.