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).
· PRM’s CFDA number for Refugee Assistance Programs for Rohingya refugees is 19.519.
· 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 FY 2009 funding priorities for assistance to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh:
(1) Proposed activities in the two official refugee camps, Kutupalong and Nayapara, should support the following priority sectors:
a) Expand skills training to include 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;
b) Integrate and expand support to the disabled and psychosocial programming in ongoing health and education services;
c) Expand community mobilization programs, especially in support of the existing community-based counseling system for conflict resolution and to prevent gender-based violence; and
d) Improve physical infrastructure in the camps, including interior roads.
(2) Proposals that incorporate unregistered refugees living outside of the two official camps, Kutupalong and Nayapara, and at the Leda site should link the above priority sectors with the following activities:
a) Expand access to justice by strengthening law and order in the sub-districts where the camps are located, specifically to combat gender-based violence and support survivors; and
b) Expand access to education for refugee children that would serve both Rohingya and Bangladeshi students, where Rohingyas make up 50% of the targeted beneficiaries.
(3) Proposals that promote a holistic, district-wide approach to both registered refugees living inside the camps and unregistered refugees living outside of the camps will be prioritized above other project proposals submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement.
(4) 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 the following:
· 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 proposed assistance to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and in the specified sector(s);
· evidence of coordination with host government and synergic implementation strategies with 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 (FY2007) 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.
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PRM funding opportunities for proposed activities in Bangladesh (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
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