FY 2014 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO programs benefiting refugees from Syria in Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq
Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-PRMOAPNE-14-001- 018728 / PRM-PRMOAPNE-14-001Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number:
19.519 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Near East and South Asia
Announcement issuance date: November 26, 2013
Proposal submission deadline: December 27, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
**ADVISORY: All applicants must submit proposals through the website Grants.gov. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise.
Proposed Program Start Dates: February 1, 2014 – March 1, 2014.
Duration of Activity: No more than 12 months. In funding a project, 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 funding possibilities.
Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; and (3) International Organizations. International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as stated below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.
Current Funding Priorities for Refugees from Syria in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq: PRM will prioritize funding for proposed NGO activities that fall within the UN Regional Response Plan or can demonstrate close alignment with the strategic priorities in the UN Regional Response Plan and meet the Bureau’s priorities for refugees from Syria as identified below.
NGOs submitting proposals in response to this funding announcement must be a part of or demonstrate that their priorities are in close alignment with the UN Regional Response Plan and be registered with the Government of Jordan, Government of Lebanon, and/or Government of Iraq to operate in each of the countries of the proposed activities by the program start date. Within the body of the proposal, NGOs should clearly state their coordination with the UN interagency process under the Regional Response Plan, including participation in relevant sector working groups, and demonstrate their capacity to operate in the proposed areas. NGOs should also include documentation providing verification of their registration status as an attachment to their proposal submission.
(a) Because of PRM’s mandate to provide protection, assistance, and durable solutions for refugees and conflict victims, PRM will only consider funding projects that include a direct beneficiary base of at least 50 percent refugees from Syria in Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq; however, PRM encourages NGOs to seek to meet the needs of all refugees in targeted communities, as well as vulnerable host community members. Organizations should encourage refugees to register with UNHCR, but registration is not required for beneficiaries to be eligible to receive assistance or services. PRM will consider proposals for activities in a single country. NGOs may submit an individual proposal for each country so long as the proposed activity meets the country criteria.
(b) Proposals for programs addressing the needs of refugees from Syria residing in host communities in Jordan and Lebanon should focus on addressing protection needs, particularly those of women, children, and other especially vulnerable populations, health including psychosocial support, information sharing/communications, and/or education. In Lebanon, proposals may also be submitted for shelter and special health activities (see below). Proposals for programs in UN-managed camps in Jordan are limited to information sharing/communications. Proposals for programs addressing needs of refugees from Syria residing in Iraqi host communities or camps should focus on addressing protection, health including psychosocial support, education, shelter, and WASH. Proposals should include detailed information on coordination and referral mechanisms with local and international organizations.
Programs for refugees living in host communities in Jordan and Lebanon must focus on one or more of the following sectors (not listed by priority):
1. Protection, including programs aimed at addressing the interrelated assistance and protection needs of vulnerable refugees, particularly women and children, through provision of direct services, referral networks, sharing information, and providing other emergency assistance to such vulnerable individuals. Proposals should reflect how the assistance is filling an identified gap, how the targeted beneficiaries were identified, how program activities will identify and mitigate protection risks, and how the activities will be made accessible to vulnerable groups such as women and children. PRM will consider the following protection-oriented programming:
- Gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response, including
- Responding to current, identified needs, such as provision of health and psychosocial care, livelihoods interventions, legal assistance or other activities that directly address GBV;
- Public information and rights awareness campaigns among returnees, refugees, health and social service workers and justice officials working with beneficiaries; and/or,
- Activities designed to create local capacity to respond to GBV in a competent and timely manner, such as training for local staff or beneficiaries themselves in prevention, recognition, and treatment of GBV (including victim counseling), or activities to enhance the timeliness of response to GBV.
- Child Protection / Youth Protection, to include activities that incorporate and address the needs of unaccompanied minors. Proposals should adhere to the International Child Protection Working Group’s Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and Sphere Standards for Protection.
2. Education, with a focus on remedial education, accelerated learning programs, and other non-formal education programs, as well as efforts to enroll and support children in school. Proposals should address how the educational activities will assist with integration into local educational structures. Education programs should adhere to the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) Minimum Standards.
3. Information management and mass communications, including provision of information to refugees and host communities about available services, data management, and other outreach activities, including through the development and use of information and communications technology (ICT).
4. Health activities related to protection needs, including sexual and reproductive health services and/or clinical management of rape and other forms of gender-based violence as well as mental health and psychosocial programs. Proposals should demonstrate how clinical services for survivors of gender-based violence, including men, boys, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals, are incorporated into the project. NGOs should also comment in detail on how, if at all, the fees they charge for their services differ from UNHCR’s healthcare rates. If medications are purchased by the NGO, the organization should specify that they will only use generic medications unless they are unavailable.
5. Mental health and psychosocial programs can include programs offering individual as well as family/group counseling and/or therapy. Proposals should adhere to the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings and articulate coordination with other mental health providers, including joint training; efforts to improve local capacity to provide adequate mental healthcare; the extent to which the NGO will utilize local organizations/resources to meet the mental healthcare needs of its beneficiaries; and an overview of the most prevalent mental health needs among the population that the NGO intends to address. Proposals should demonstrate how clinical services for survivors of gender-based violence are incorporated into the project, which should also adhere to the IASC Guidelines on Gender-Based Violence.
6. (In Lebanon only) Primary Health Care (PHC) for refugees and vulnerable Lebanese, with a focus on strengthening PHC services offered by primary health care clinics and Social Development Centers (SDCs). Activities should focus on support for additional staffing, provision of medication, equipment, and supplies, and capacity building including training for local service providers.
7. (In Lebanon only) Shelter support for refugees from Syria, including emergency cash assistance for rent and other emergency shelter support options.
Programs for assistance in UN-managed camps in Jordan must focus only on the following sector:
1. Information management and mass communications, including provision of information to refugees about available services, data management, and other outreach activities, including through the development and use of information and communications technology (ICT).
Programming in Iraq, whether in host communities or camps, must focus on one or more of the following sectors:
1. Protection (see above)
- Gender-based violence prevention and response programs (see above)
- Child/Youth Protection (see above)
2. Education (see above)
3. Health, including health education and preventative health care, sexual and reproductive health services, capacity building for local service providers, mainstreaming into local health care infrastructure, and clinical management of rape and other forms of gender-based violence. Proposals should demonstrate how clinical services for survivors of gender-based violence, including men, boys, and LGBTI individuals, are incorporated into the project. NGOs will be required to provide their health program/beneficiary information to UNHCR. NGOs should also comment in detail on how, if at all, the fees they charge for their services differ from UNHCR’s healthcare rates. If medications are purchased by the NGO, the organization should specify that they will only use generic medications unless they are unavailable.
4. Mental Health and psychosocial programs (see above)
5. Shelter, including emergency cash assistance for rent as well as renovations or repairs to existing structures. Programs for provision of shelter assistance should adhere to Sphere minimum standards.
6. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), with an emphasis on activities that will benefit the local WASH infrastructure so that interventions have a positive impact for both refugees and local populations.
(c) PRM Standardized Indicator Initiative:
Health: Proposals focusing on health in camp based/returnee settings must include a minimum of one of the four following indicators and should try to include as many of the other indicators as are relevant:
- Number of consultations/clinician/day (Target: Fewer than 50 patients per clinician per day).
- Measles vaccination rate for children under five (Target: 95% coverage).
- Percentage of deliveries attended by a skilled birth attendant in a health care facility (Target: 100%).
- Percentage of reporting rape survivors given post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with 72 hours (Target: 100%).
Proposals focusing on health in urban settings must include a minimum of one of the six following indicators as measured against an identified target and should try to include as many of the other indicators as are relevant:
- Capacity-building: # of health care professionals/administrators trained on providing health services to beneficiary populations.
- Referrals: # of beneficiaries referred to appropriate services, and % of those referred who were able to get needed services.
- Community Outreach: # of beneficiaries who received targeted messages on their rights and health-related services available to them.
- Health Staffing: # of total consultations per health care provider, disaggregated by refugee/national, sex, and age.
- Patient Satisfaction: % of beneficiary patients receiving primary and emergency care who express satisfaction with services received.
- Post Exposure Prophylaxis: % of reporting beneficiary rape survivors given PEP within 72 hours (Target: 100%).
NGO proposals seeking to fund service provision may include the following indicators (measured against an identified target) as appropriate:
- Primary Care: # and % of beneficiary patients, by sex and age, receiving primary health care assistance.
- Emergency Care: # and % of beneficiary patients, by sex and age, receiving care for trauma or sudden illness.
Proposals should include custom health indicators in addition to the relevant standardized indicator(s).
(d) All program design should take into account the following guidance:
PRM focuses on meeting the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations and strongly encourages proposals that can demonstrate steps to ensure that within the target population, programs reach the following potentially vulnerable and underserved groups: women; children; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals; older persons; the sick; persons with disabilities; and other minorities. PRM strongly promotes women’s equal access to resources and their participation in managing those resources. Programs are also encouraged to target the needs of the most vulnerable groups among the Syrian refugee population (e.g., female-headed households; refugees with disabilities; isolated refugees; separated or unaccompanied children; older persons; those who have been displaced multiple times; GBV survivors; LGBTI individuals; etc.). Programs should address how they will train their staff to meet the specific protection and assistance needs of these vulnerable groups effectively.
PRM encourages applicants to include a gender analysis within the proposal narrative that briefly analyzes (1) gender dynamics within the target population (i.e., roles, power dynamics, and different needs of men and women, girls and boys); (2) associated risks and implementation challenges for the project posed by those dynamics; and (3) how program activities will mitigate these protection risks and be made accessible to vulnerable groups (particularly women and girls).
Programs should demonstrate how the proposed activities will consider the needs of host communities in an effort to maintain amicable relations between local populations and refugees, keeping in mind the above-mentioned stipulation that 50% of beneficiaries must be refugees from Syria.
NGOs should demonstrate the application of lessons learned in previous programming and changes necessitated by the dynamic social and economic situation of refugees from Syria in the region. NGOs should assess the continuing effectiveness of the humanitarian assistance they currently provide, highlighting best practices developed and any programmatic adjustments that should be made in follow-on activities.
Proposals should include a realistic assessment of the sustainability of the project after PRM funding ends. Wherever possible, NGOs should work closely with local organizations and local officials to ensure sustainability.
Organizations chosen to receive funding will be required to participate in UNHCR-designed and -managed refugee assistance information systems.
(e) PRM will give priority to proposals that demonstrate the capability to be operational immediately using PRM funding as well as:
Participation in RRP6, 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), as well as evidence of coordination with other international organizations (IOs) and NGOs working in the same area or sector and – where possible – local authorities;
A proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location, including reference to how long an organization has been implementing relevant activities in the specified location;
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; objectives should be clearly linked to the sectors in this Funding Opportunity Announcement;
Projects must include strong transition plans in their proposals that detail specific benchmarks and/or a timeline for turning over the project to local organizations, governmental authorities, or development organizations where feasible;
A budget that is appropriate for meeting the objectives and demonstrates co-funding by non-U.S. government sources; and
Adherence to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance and, where applicable, adherence to PRM’s Principles for Refugee Protection in Urban Areas. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards.
Funding Limits
PRM will consider project proposals up to $2 million per country. Only project proposals with solid and compelling budget justifications will be considered. Budgets should be based on a realistic and well-articulated assessment of needs and expenses. As much as possible, all budgets should be broken down by objective, as per PRM’s recommended budget template.
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: Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. Applicants may also refer to the “Applicant Resources” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp).
Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the 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 System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov which can take weeks and sometimes months. 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.
PRM partners must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency. See “Applicant FAQs” section on Grants.gov
(http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp) for complete details on registering.
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.
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 Sushil Narayanan at (202) 453-9294 or NarayananS@state.gov to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
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 )
Proposal Content, Formatting and Template: This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional administrative information on proposal content and formatting, and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your proposal submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities.
Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered.
PRM strongly 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. Single-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 20 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 15 pages in length. 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 however annexes cannot be relied upon as a key source of program information.
The proposal narrative must be able to stand on its own in the application process.
To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including:
- Proposal reflecting objectives and indicators for each year of the program period.
- Budget and budget narrative for each year of the program period.
- Signed completed SF-424.
In addition, proposal submissions to PRM should include the following information:
- 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 (GPS coordinates if possible).
- Proposals should outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of USG funding at the point of service delivery 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, as well as propose alternative measures to recognize U.S. support for the activity among beneficiaries as well as host communities.
- The budget should include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization. PRM strongly encourages multilateral support for humanitarian programs.
- In FY 2014, PRM will ask applicants whose proposals address gender-based violence (GBV) through their projects to estimate the total cost of these activities as a separate line item in their proposed budgets. PRM’s budget template document has been updated to reflect this new requirement.
- Copy of the organization’s Code of Conduct (required before an award can be made).
- Copy of the organization’s Security Plan (required before an award can be made).
- Proposals and budgets should include details of any sub-agreements associated with the program.
- Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable.
- 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) proof of non-profit tax status including under IRS 501 (c)(3), as applicable, 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number.
- Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2013 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.
Applicant Vetting as a Condition of Award: Applicants for funding for programs in Lebanon are advised that, that under the Department’s five country pilot, successful passing of vetting to evaluate the risk that funds may benefit terrorists or their supporters is a condition of award. Applicants may be asked to submit information required by DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis Information about their organization and its principal personnel. Vetting information is also required for all sub-award performance on assistance awards identified by DOS as presenting a risk of terrorist financing. When vetting information is requested by the Grants Officer, information may be submitted on the secure web portal at https://ramportal.state.gov, via Email to RAM@state.gov, or hardcopy to the Grants Officer. Questions about the form may be emailed to RAM@state.gov. Failure to submit information when requested, or failure to pass vetting, may be grounds for rejecting your proposal. The following clause shall be included in Section 9, Special Award Conditions, or as an addendum to the solicitation, whenever assistance is awarded after vetting:
- Recipient Vetting After Award: Recipients shall advise the Grants Officer of any changes in personnel listed in the DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis Information, and shall provide vetting information on new individuals. The government reserves the right to vet these personnel changes and to terminate assistance awards for convenience based on vetting results.
Branding and Marking Strategy: Unless exceptions have been approved by the designated bureau Authorizing Official as described in the proposal templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator, at a minimum, the following provision will be included whenever assistance is awarded:
- As a condition of receipt of this assistance award, all materials produced pursuant to the award, including training materials, materials for recipients or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event, project, or some other activity under this agreement, including but not limited to invitations to events, press materials, event backdrops, podium signs, etc. must be marked appropriately with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. Subrecipients and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the recipient shall include a provision in the subrecipient agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. In the event the recipient does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action.
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 Program Officer: Sushil Narayanan (NarayananS@state.gov, 202-453-9294), Washington, D.C.
For Jordan: Regional Refugee Assistance Coordinator, Peter Chisholm (ChisholmPT@state.gov), U.S. Embassy, Amman, Jordan.
For Lebanon: Senior Syria Program Officer, Jennifer Williams (WilliamsJL4@state.gov or WilliamsJL4B@state.gov), U.S. Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon.
For Iraq: Senior Advisor, RIDPA, Ned Nyman (NymanEE@state.gov), U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq.
iraq
