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| 19.500 MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE (MEPI) |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| DEPARTMENT OF STATE |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as Amended. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| To support democracy in the Middle East and North Africa by encouraging political, economic & educational reform and the empowerment of women.. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements). |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| Grants and Cooperative agreements to support political, economic, and educational reform efforts and the empowerment of women in the Middle East and North Africa.. MEPI encourages applications from partnerships or consortia led by local organizations based in the Middle East and North Africa. Awards are designed to benefit principally the non-governmental organizations and citizens of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Preference will be given to countries in the region with less developed civil societies, and with limited experience in developing and implementing issue based campaigns on economic, democratic, or educational reforms, and advocacy for women's rights, aimed at increasing the number of active stakeholders and building effective local coalitions. MEPI has particular interest in supporting programs that are innovative and that meet needs and opportunities not already addressed by current donor funding, particularly through USAID bilateral agreements. Generally MEPI does not fund bricks and mortar type projects or stand-alone scholarships. Middle East Peace Process projects are generally funded out of the separate Department of State Multilateral Peace Process Account. Development projects in Egypt, Jordan, or Iraq are generally funded by USAID bilateral ESF funds. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| Non-profit, for-profit organizations or state and local governments interested in partnering with the Middle East Partnership Initiative to promote change in the Middle East. Applicants must have an established track record in conducting training programs and promoting reform through development projects. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| Country covered by the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, not currently subject to foreign assistance restrictions. Could include: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, West/Bank Gaza, Yemen. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| CVs of main program staff. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. |
| Application Procedure |
| Respond to a general MEPI Standing Program Announcement or specific Request for Application (RFA) posted on www.grants.gov and www.mepi.state.gov. SF 424 and full proposal required. Public Diplomacy and Alumni Outreach Plan must be incorporated in proposal. |
| Award Procedure |
| A technical review panel reviews proposals and scores them in accordance with published review criteria and determines priority program recommendations for final negotiation on the grant. |
| Deadlines |
| As announced on www.grants.gov and www.mepi.state.gov. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| 25 to 180 days. |
| Appeals |
| None. |
| Renewals |
| Based on program needs and availability of funding. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| No requirements, but applications that reflect cost sharing arrangements, especially for programs in the following Gulf countries (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and UAE) will be viewed more favorably. Cost-sharing arrangements between MEPI and the recipients are negotiated prior to award. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Varies. |
| Reports |
| Quarterly Programmatic Reports, including relation of progress to expenditures in the narrative, Financial Reports, and final report including program evaluation. One web-postable success story from program to be posted on www.mepi.state.gov. |
| Audits |
| As mandated in OMB circular A-133. |
| Records |
| Above reports will be retained for three years from the date of submission of the final financial report. |
| Account Identification |
| 19-1014-0-1-150. |
| Obligations |
| FY 07 $120,000; FY 08 est not available; FY 09 est not reported. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| See specific funding announcement for details. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| As a Presidential Initiative, the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) through Economic Support Funds (ESF) and has funded over 350 programs aimed at promoting political, economic, and education reform and women's empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa. Program descriptions can be found on www.mepi.state.gov. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| Guidelines for grants and cooperative agreements are distributed in conjunction with the request for applications or program announcements. Extensive background and program information is available on www.mepi.state.gov. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| MEPI has Regional Offices in Tunis, Tunisia, Abu Dhabi, and UAE. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs 2201 C Street N.W. Rm 5253A Washington D.C. 20520. |
| Web Site Address |
| www.mepi.state.gov |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| None. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| See www.mepi.state.gov for a complete listing of MEPI funded programs, including those awarded to non-US based institutions and through pre-existing USAID grant and contract mechanisms and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and Department of Commerce. Region-wide programs funded include: Middle East Judicial and Legal Reform Forum; Corporate Governance; Creating Child Centered Schools; Open and Pluralistic Media. Country-specific programs including Election Monitoring in Yemen; and Judicial Reform in Oman. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| MEPI is looking for new and innovative proposals to promote political, economic, and education reform and empower women in the Middle East and North Africa. Proposals that include cost-sharing, partnership with local NGOs or governments, a public outreach plan, and an alumni component will be viewed favorably. In addition, proposals should be responsiveness to the substantive provisions set forth in each Program Announcement or Request for Application posted www.grants.gov and www.mepi.state.gov. |
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General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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