FY 2009 PRM Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs in the Andes Region Benefiting Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Funding Announcement
February 18, 2009
Announcement issuance date: Wednesday, February 18, 2009
DEADLINE EXTENDED:
Proposal submission DEADLINE: April 2, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).
PROPOSED START DATES: July 1, 2009 – September 30, 2009
DURATION OF ACTIVITY: no more than 12 months.
Applicants interested in implementing multi-year programs will be required to re-compete for PRM funding each year. PRM makes no representation that it will continue to fund a 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. All project proposals should include a transition/phase-out plan to anticipate potential non-availability of funding from PRM in FY2010.
Current Funding Priorities for: Andes Region
FY 2009 FUNDING FOR THE ANDES REGION:
PRM currently has approximately $5 million available for projects in the Andes Region in FY 2009. Given continuing funding constraints and the uncertainty of future funding, PRM’s FY2009 priorities are only for activities in the Andes Region that fill critical emergency humanitarian gaps for refugee and/or IDP populations in Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama and Venezuela. If additional funding becomes available later in the fiscal year, we will fund rank-ordered prioritized submissions from this opportunity announcement that our committee has set aside pending potential future availability of funds.
FUNDING PRIORITIES:
PRM provides assistance to Colombian refugees in the Andean region as well as to IDPs in Colombia during the emergency phase of assistance (approximately the first 90 days) (mid and long-term assistance to IDPs is provided by USAID). Priority countries in the Andean region include Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. Each project will be funded for a period not to exceed 12 months. Project objectives should therefore be achievable within a 12-month time frame.Due to limited funding, proposal budgets should be prioritized and broken down by sector in the event that not all aspects of a proposal can be fully funded with PRM resources. If you propose to carry out a regional program in more than one country, please break the budget down by country and by sector. Proposals must list other sources from which you are seeking or have already obtained funding, such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the host government, other US government agencies, and international donors, including funding and in-kind contributions from your own organization.
Priority sectors for PRM’s assistance projects include the provision of the following emergency services and items:
1. shelter;
2. direct health care (including psycho-social support);
3. water and sanitation;
4. food and non-food items related to the emergency phase of displacement; and
5. emergency employment income generation and training for persons displaced by armed conflict in Colombia.
PRM encourages assistance be directed to areas with high expulsor and receptor rates that are underserved by other humanitarian assistance organizations and to populations disproportionately affected by displacement, including Afro-Colombians and indigenous. In Colombia, the border areas near Ecuador (Nariño and Putumayo) and Venezuela (Arauca), Montes de María and the geographic span stretching from Buenaventura east to La Macarena are a priority for PRM. Outside of Colombia, priority areas are the high refugee receptor communities along the borders with Colombia in Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. In addition, we will pay particular attention to proposals addressing health care needs. Projects that work with local governments to strengthen capacity to receive and meet the immediate emergency needs of IDPs, as well as projects that are part of a broader integrated approach will be considered favorably. PRM will accept proposals from any qualified international organization (IO) or non-governmental organization (NGO); however, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:
(a) proven track record in providing the assistance proposed;
(b) history of successful partnership with PRM;
(c) evidence of coordination with relevant governmental agencies, UNHCR, other relief organizations, and development organizations;
(d) appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations; and
(e) a significant percentage of cost-sharing or matching funds.
NGOs that have never received USG funding must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government by providing copies of the following: 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. Note that it may take some time to acquire these documents if your organization doesn’t already have them.
COORDINATION & COOPERATION:
Proposals should indicate the extent to which an organization coordinates and cooperates with relevant international organizations (IOs) and NGOs in Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, or Venezuela, as well as with relevant government agencies in that region. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Colombia, and the Government of Colombia’s IDP agency, “Accion Social,” provide major protection and assistance to IDPs in Colombia. USAID also provides major funding for mid and long term IDP assistance. PRM requires partners to coordinate with these organizations in order to complement their work. The proposal should document a track record of working cooperatively with relevant governmental agencies, UNHCR, other relief organizations, and development organizations or, for first time applicants, demonstrate evidence of consultations with these organizations to lay the groundwork for future cooperation. In particular, proposals for projects in Colombia, should demonstrate an organization’s coordination with the Interagency Standing Committee (IASC) and UN OCHA. Finally, proposals should flag activities that directly or indirectly prevent recruitment of child soldiers and should demonstrate coordination with organizations that work on this issue.
GAPS & UNMET NEEDS:
No organization can meet all the needs in a given community. For the first time this year, we are asking that proposals include one paragraph to identify the principal unmet needs in the target community/department/region. For example, if your organization will be targeting shelter or food assistance, but you have identified gaps in the areas of maternal and child health or domestic violence or psychosocial support services, please specify those needs which will not be met by your proposed project. If you are able to associate a programmatic cost with meeting those needs, that would also be appreciated.
SECURITY PLANS:
Work in Colombia and neighboring countries presents particular security challenges. Proposals should include information on security measures and plans to protect the safety of the organization’s personnel.
Proposal Submission Requirements:
See “How to Apply” section on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements, and note the following highlights below:
Proposal content, formatting and template: Please refer to the “Proposal Submission and Review Process” section in the FY 2009 General PRM NGO Guidelines at http://www.state.gov/g/prm/115597.htm. PRM strongly encourages organizations applying for PRM funding use the PRM recommended proposal and budget templates. Templates can be requested by sending an email to PRM'sNGO Coordinator. Please include “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line.
PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS IN THE GENERAL PRM NGO GUIDELINES:
- The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this funding opportunity is: 19.518 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Europe.
- Electronic submission via Grants.gov: NGO applicants who are not yet registered with Grants.gov should do so well in advance of the March 31 deadline as it can take at least two weeks for a registration to be finalized and longer for a foreign NGO. Some organizations that have waited to submit proposals at the last minute have experienced difficulties causing them to miss submission deadlines and as a result, their proposals were not considered for funding.
- APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT THEIR PROPOSALS AT LEAST ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE MARCH 31 DEADLINE IN ORDER TO RESOLVE ANY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
- APPLICANTS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO EMAIL PROGRAM OFFICER, KATE PONGONIS (Pongonisk@state.gov) and PROGRAM ASSISTANT, CLAUDIA SAMSON (SamsonCT@state.gov) TO CONFIRM THAT THE SUBMISSION WAS RECEIVED.
- 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 Kate Pongonis at (202) 663-1035 or PongonisK@state.gov immediately to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate. Please note that e-mail submissions will not be accepted in lieu of submission via Grants.gov!
- 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.
- Your 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. As noted above, PRM strongly suggests using the PRM-recommended budget templates. To request the templates send an email to PRM'sNGO Coordinator. Please include “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line.
- Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2008 for proposed activities should include an up-to-date cumulative progress report as of January 1, 2009 against indicators as outlined in the cooperative agreement.
- Focus on impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one impact indicator.
- Projects with a focus on Afro-Colombian and indigenous beneficiaries should include specific indicators to track assistance provided to these populations.
- NGOs that have not received PRM funding prior to 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) non-profit tax status under IRS 501 (c)(3), 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number.
- This announcement is designed to coordinate with the FY09 General PRM NGO guidelines, which explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please read both sets of guidance carefully to ensure that the activities proposed by your organization are in line with PRM’s priorities and are in full compliance with PRM requirements. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered. As mentioned above, PRM strongly encourages use of its recommended proposal and budget templates. To request templates, send an email to PRM'sNGO Coordinator. Please include “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line.
Proposal Review Process:
PRM’s Office of Assistance for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas (ECA) conducts formal competitive reviews of all proposal submissions by convening internal proposal review teams. The review teams will evaluate the proposals based on the above proposal evaluation criteria and PRM’s priorities in the context of available funding.Weighted scores will be assigned to each proposal in the following five areas:
- Responsiveness to NGO Guidelines;
- Demonstrated Capacity and Past Performance;
- Implementation Plan;
- Budget, including cost-sharing; and
- Coordination/Handover/Phase Out/Sustainability.
In order to provide NGOs with timely feedback, PRM staff will inform applicants of a panel’s decision to recommend or not recommend funding proposed activities by telephone, and may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will follow up with formal written notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management after proposal funding decisions are finalized.
PRM Points of Contact:
All applicants for new and follow-on funding are encouraged to contact the PRM staff listed below before submitting proposals:
- Program Officer Kate Pongonis (PongonisK@state.gov or 202-663-1035) in Washington, DC
(Note: Informal feedback from PRM does not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.)
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