Deadline: Monday, December 29, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).
Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
· Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should sign up well in advance of the December 29, 2008 deadline as it can take two weeks and sometimes longer, to complete all the required steps for registration (Note: It can take even longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers).
· PRM’s CFDA number for Refugee Assistance Programs for Burmese refugees is 19.511.
· We encourage organizations to submit applications on Grants.gov prior to the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in the proposal not being considered.
· Please contact the Grants.gov help desk if you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov (support@grants.gov or call 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 Hoa Tran (TranHT3@state.gov or call 202-663-3104) immediately and at least one week prior to submission, to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
· 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.
· Once you have submitted your application via Grants.gov, please e-mail Program Officer Hoa Tran (TranHT3@state.gov) to confirm that the submission was received.
Proposed Start Dates: January 1, 2009 – March 1, 2009
Duration of Activity: No more than 12 months
Applicants with existing Cooperative Agreements must re-compete for PRM funding each year. Furthermore, in funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years. PRM encourages applicants to seek an array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities if pursuing a multi-year strategy.
Current funding priorities for assistance to Burmese refugees in Thailand:
(1) Ban Mae Nai Soi and Ban Mae Surin Refugee Camps in Mae Hong Son Province:
PRM will accept applications from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for continued humanitarian assistance in the following key areas for the period Jan. 1, 2009 – Dec. 31, 2009. Proposed activities should support the following priority sectors:
a) Improving or maintaining access to quality health care services, including the incorporation of training and capacity building of key responders to the provision of services;
b) Improving the quality of life of refugee populations by addressing their psychosocial needs and developing income-generating activities, with an emphasis on the development of skills and vocational training to achieve a measure of self-sufficiency and a reasonable livelihood; and
c) Strengthening the community’s capacity to respond to the health, psychosocial, safety and justice needs of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).
(2) Nutritional Assistance:
PRM will accept applications from NGOs for continued nutritional assistance in Ban Mae Na Soi, Ban Mae Surin, Mae La Oon, Mae Ra Ma Luang (additional camps only if funding permits) for the period March 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009.
Proposals to provide nutritional assistance to populations in Ban Mae Nai Soi, Ban Mae Surin, Mae La Oon, and Mae Ra Ma Luang camps should focus on both of the following:
a) Providing nutritionally complete rations containing at least 2100 KCals/person/day to camp residents; and
b) Ensuring malnutrition rates remain at or below current levels.
(3) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO that is able to satisfy these guidelines although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:
· a working relationship with UNHCR as demonstrated by UNHCR funding and/or support for the proposed activities and/or overall country program;
· appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations (PRM only considers funding NGO projects that include a target beneficiary base of 50% refugees);
· a proven track record in providing assistance to Burmese refugees and an established presence in Thailand;
· evidence of coordination with host government and other international and non-governmental organizations working in the area of activity. (Note: PRM shares project information with counterparts to identify most effective interventions and ensure complementarity of funding);
· evidence of coordination with development organizations and a well-developed transition strategy;
· a concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Reliable, and Time bound and Trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and at least one impact indicator per objective; and
· a budget that is appropriate for meeting the objectives and demonstrates co-funding by non-PRM sources.
Proposal Submission Requirements: See “How to Apply” section on Grants.gov for technical guidance and details on requirements, and note the following highlights below:
(1) Proposal formatting and content: Please refer to the current General PRM NGO guidelines and the recommended template for proposal submissions available at http://www.state.gov/g/prm/fund/announcements/91668.htm. These general PRM NGO guidelines are also available on Grants.gov in the “How to Apply” section.
PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE GENERAL PRM NGO GUIDELINES:
- Budget must include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization (where applicable). PRM places great value on multi-lateral support for humanitarian programs.
- Budgets for projects with multiple objectives should be broken down by objective.
- Organizations that received previous PRM funding (FY2008) must demonstrate how proposed new activities build upon previous achievements and/or challenges.
- Focus on impact indicators as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one impact indicator.
- PRM will not fund projects that require a period of time at the beginning of the project for community assessments or establishment of baselines. These activities must already have occurred and be incorporated into proposed indicators.
· NGOs that have not received PRM funding prior to the USG 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 providing 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) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number; and 4) Employer ID number (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification Number.
(2) Pre-submission preparation: Please read guidance in this announcement and the current General PRM NGO Guidelines carefully to ensure that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities and that your proposal submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered.
NGOs may contact the PRM staff listed below with technical questions related to this announcement prior to proposal submission.
· PRM Program Officer Hoa Tran (TranHT3@state.gov; 202-663-3104), Washington, D.C.
· Southeast Asia Regional Refugee Coordinator Tim Scherer (SchererTM@state.gov), U.S. Embassy, Refugee and Migration Affairs, Bangkok, Thailand.
· Deputy Refugee Coordinator Adam Zerbinopoulos (ZerbinopoulosA@state.gov), U.S. Embassy, Refugee and Migration Affairs, Bangkok, Thailand.
· Assistant Refugee Coordinator, Chie Opie (OpieC@state.gov), U.S. Embassy, Refugee and Migration Affairs, Bangkok, Thailand.
Proposal Review Process: PRM’s Office of Assistance for Asia and the Near East (PRM/ANE) conducts formal competitive reviews of all proposal submissions by convening proposal review teams to evaluate proposals based on specific evaluation criteria and PRM’s priorities in the context of available funding.
In order to provide NGOs with timely feedback, PRM will inform applicants of a panel’s decision to recommend or not recommend funding proposed activities, and may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will follow up with formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management.
************************************************************************************
PRM funding opportunities for proposed activities in Thailand (beginning January 1, 2009 – March 1, 2009) are currently posted on Grants.gov and PRM’s Website at http://www.state.gov/g/prm/c25773.htm
The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.