U.S. Embassy to Papua New Guinea,
Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu

Notice of Funding Opportunity

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY PORT MORESBY PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Number:       DOSPNG–23-GR-001

Funding Opportunity Title:             U.S. Embassy Port Moresby PAS Annual Program Statement

Deadline for Applications:               Rolling until August 1, 2023

CFDA Number:                                19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs

Total Amount Available:                 $500,000

Maximum for Each Award:            Local nonprofits: $24,000, International nonprofits: $250,000

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
   The U.S. Embassy Port Moresby Public Affairs Section (PAS) 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: PAS Port Moresby invites proposals for programs that advance shared goals of the U.S. and Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, through programming that promotes the strategic goals of our countries. All programs must meet Mission goals, include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote the effective strengthening of economic, social, and environmental conditions in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and/or Vanuatu.

Our four program areas are listed below. Your proposal must fit into one of these four project areas to be eligible for funding:

• One World – Partnering to promote the ethical use of natural resources, helping to achieve sustainable businesses. This includes funding for biological conservation, workshops for business owners on how to use land and sea resources in a sustainable manner, and promoting the use of clean energy.
• Women Mean Business – Promoting women in business, women in politics. This includes creating workshops and training programs to promote women in government and politics, promoting women’s rights in the workplace and civil society, supporting women’s access to credit and other tools, and providing economic opportunities for women in STEM and aviation.
• Defending Freedom – Highlighting and encouraging free and fair elections, media freedom, human rights, and honoring our shared partnerships in war and peace.
• Partnerships for Life – Building sustainable international education and business partnerships, fostering city-to-city and legislative connections. This includes Sister Cities partnerships, university partnerships, linkages between business councils, and sustainable student exchanges.

Participants and Audiences:

American and Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu nonprofits, institutions of higher education, NGOs and civil society, museums, parks, reserves, and community organizations.  Corporate entries and individuals may only receive grant funding in limited circumstances. Please email us if you have questions about funding for corporations or individuals.

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

Programs relating to partisan political activity;

• Charitable donations or activities;
• Construction programs;
• Programs that support specific religious activities;
• Fund-raising campaigns;
• Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;
• Scientific research;
• Programs intended primarily for the economic benefit of one group or organization; or
• Programs that duplicate existing programs.

Authorizing legislation, type and year of funding:

FY23 Public Diplomacy Funding. 

1. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: 2 to 12 months

Number of awards anticipated: 20 awards (dependent on amounts)

Award amounts: For Papua New Guinean individuals and nonprofits, awards may range from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $24,000. For international nonprofits, awards may range from $5,000 to $250,000.

Total available funding: To be determined

Type of Funding:  Fiscal Year 2023 Public Diplomacy Funding

Anticipated program start date: No later than October 15, 2023

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type:  Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative Agreement. Cooperative Agreements are different from grants in that Public Affairs Section staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation. Examples of substantial involvement by PAS staff include the development of the grant program, final approval of grant activities, and participation in selection panels for program participants.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less.

Optional:  PAS will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to the 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.

1. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from the U.S. and Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu:

• 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

For-profit or commercial entities may only apply under strict conditions that program activities are performed in a non-for-profit nature. Please inquire for more details.   

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is not required.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

Applicants may submit multiple proposals at the same time.

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.  Individuals are not required to have a DUNS number or be registered in SAM.gov.

1. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms required below are available at Grants.gov or you can request from pdportmoresby@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:

• 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:

1. Mandatory application forms for selected candidates

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations)or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance –individuals) at Grants.gov or per request.

2. Summary Coversheet: 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 (you must use our template).

3. Proposal (you must use our template): 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.  What aspect of the relationship between the U.S. and Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu 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 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: 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 (suggested examples):

• 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
• Official permission letters, if required for program activities

3. 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:

• SAM.gov registration

4. Submission Dates and Times

For example:

The Public Affairs Section will accept proposals throughout the year.

Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date of August 1, 2023, midnight Port Moresby time.  No applications will be accepted after that date.

5. Funding Restrictions

Proposals may NOT:

• Solely benefit one Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu or single American entity, business, or university.
• Generate income for profit. All income generated from grant projects must be used to further the goals of the programs.  For example, income earned through a demonstration project must be used to extend the duration of the project or fund more participants.
• Should not primarily focus on academic or scientific research.
• Should not be used for construction projects, vehicle purchases, real estate purchases or similar purposes.

6. Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by email to pdportmoresby@state.gov  Please do not submit proposals via www.grants.gov.

1. 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.

List here the review criteria, with or without weighting or numerical scoring – examples include: 

10% Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in its stated field and PAS is confident of its ability to undertake the program.  This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

20% 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.

10% Goals and objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

30% Embassy priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy priority areas or target audiences as stated in program descriptions.

10% 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.

10% Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates it is 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 those will be measured.

5% Sustainability: Program activities will continue to have a positive impact after the end of the program.

5% Public Outreach: The program includes live or real-time social media products in local languages, or otherwise promotes the collaborative nature of the project to the public.

2. Review and Selection Process

A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.

3. FAPIIS

For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:

1. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

1. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;

iii. That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

1. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. 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 instalments, as needed to carry out the program activities.

Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, 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.

3. Reporting

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.

1. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact PAS at: pdportmoresby@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.

1. 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 costs 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.