FY 2009 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs in the North and South Caucasus benefiting Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Funding Announcement
April 1, 2009
Announcement issuance date: Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. (EDT).
Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
ADVISORY: Grants.gov is expected to experience higher than normal volume of activity in the near future. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address issues that may arise due to system delays.
Proposed Program Start Dates: July 1 – September 29, 2009
Duration of Activity: No more than 12 months.
Applicants with multi-year programs must re-compete for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM or the Bureau) funding each year. Furthermore, in funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities.
Current Funding Priorities for: Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan
In FY2009, PRM anticipates providing $2.6 million to fund NGO programs in the Caucasus. PRM will prioritize available funding for proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities in Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, as identified below:
To receive priority consideration, NGOs making proposals in FY 2009 should focus on projects that will deliver essential, life-sustaining services to underserved IDP and refugee populations or that will make a lasting impact on the most vulnerable elements of the refugee or IDP populations (e.g. shelter or school/kindergarten rehabilitation or construction, permanent water delivery systems).
PRM anticipates funding at least one NGO project in each of the countries listed below. Individual proposals for activities in Russia may not exceed $600,000 in PRM-requested funding; proposals for refugee assistance in Armenia may not exceed $400,000 in PRM-requested funding; and proposals for refugee and/or IDP assistance in Azerbaijan may not exceed $600,000 in PRM-requested funding.
Russia (North Caucasus):
(a) a working relationship with UNHCR and 2009 UNHCR funding and/or support for the proposed activities and/or overall country program;
(b) a proven track record in providing the assistance proposed;
(c) evidence of coordination with development organizations and local governments and a well-developed transition strategy; and
(d) appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations.
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: It may take some time to acquire these documents if an organization doesn’t already have them.)
Proposal Submission Requirements:
See “How to Apply” section at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp#applying of Grants.gov for complete details on requirements, and note the 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. PRM strongly encourages organizations applying for PRM funding to use the PRM recommended proposal and budget templates. Templates can be requested by sending an email to PRM's NGO Coordinator. Please include “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line.
PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE GENERAL PRM NGO GUIDELINES:
- Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement; a final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement.
For more details regarding PRM’s reporting requirements please see FY 2009 General PRM NGO Guidelines.
Proposal review process: PRM’s Regional Assistance Offices conduct formal competitive reviews of all submitted proposals by convening review teams. These teams evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.
In order to provide NGOs with timely feedback, PRM will inform applicants of the 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 Points of Contact:
All applicants for new and follow-on funding and/or those with technical questions are encouraged to contact the PRM staff listed below before submitting proposals:
- Program Officers Nancy Cohen (Cohenna@state.gov or 202-663-1064) and Matthew Johnson (Johnsonmr2@state.gov or 202-663-3068) in Washington, DC
- Refugee Coordinator Lisa Kierans (KieransL@state.gov) in Moscow, Russia
- PRM/ECA Deputy Office Director Nancy Iris (IrisNR@state.gov) in Washington, DC
Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. (EDT).
Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.
ADVISORY: Grants.gov is expected to experience higher than normal volume of activity in the near future. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address issues that may arise due to system delays.
Proposed Program Start Dates: July 1 – September 29, 2009
Duration of Activity: No more than 12 months.
Applicants with multi-year programs must re-compete for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM or the Bureau) funding each year. Furthermore, in funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities.
Current Funding Priorities for: Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan
In FY2009, PRM anticipates providing $2.6 million to fund NGO programs in the Caucasus. PRM will prioritize available funding for proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities in Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, as identified below:
To receive priority consideration, NGOs making proposals in FY 2009 should focus on projects that will deliver essential, life-sustaining services to underserved IDP and refugee populations or that will make a lasting impact on the most vulnerable elements of the refugee or IDP populations (e.g. shelter or school/kindergarten rehabilitation or construction, permanent water delivery systems).
PRM anticipates funding at least one NGO project in each of the countries listed below. Individual proposals for activities in Russia may not exceed $600,000 in PRM-requested funding; proposals for refugee assistance in Armenia may not exceed $400,000 in PRM-requested funding; and proposals for refugee and/or IDP assistance in Azerbaijan may not exceed $600,000 in PRM-requested funding.
Russia (North Caucasus):
· Shelter Assistance – Projects that will provide permanent housing for IDPs for whom it otherwise would not be available;
· Water/Sanitation – Provision of potable water (Proposals must include plans for coordinating activities with local authorities and transferring ongoing responsibility for the activities to those local authorities at the end of the project term.);
· Health Care/Psychosocial Support – Projects that will increase access to basic health care in underserved areas; provide health care and nutrition training to providers and beneficiaries; and psychosocial assistance to the most vulnerable;
· Education – Support of kindergartens or primary education for IDP and/or refugee children and vocational training for adolescents and adults in skills that could be linked to income-generating activities.
Armenia
- Acculturation Assistance and Livelihoods – Projects to aid Iraqi refugees and asylum-seekers with acculturation (e.g. after-school and stay-in-school programs, gender based violence (GBV) programs, and adult education courses) and livelihoods support. Priority will be given to projects that include vulnerable women and children.
Azerbaijan
- Shelter Assistance – Projects that will rehabilitate IDP housing or that will provide permanent housing for IDPs for whom it otherwise would not be available;
- Education – Support of kindergartens or primary education for refugee and IDP children and/or vocational training for adolescents in skills that could be linked to income-generating activities.
PRM will accept proposals from any NGO; however, given our budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:
(a) a working relationship with UNHCR and 2009 UNHCR funding and/or support for the proposed activities and/or overall country program;
(b) a proven track record in providing the assistance proposed;
(c) evidence of coordination with development organizations and local governments and a well-developed transition strategy; and
(d) appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations.
PRM anticipates continued limited funding for NGO projects in the North and South Caucasus benefiting Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). As a result, applicants are recommended to take seriously the 12-month program limit and to explain in their proposals how projects will be concluded, handed over to another organization and/or local government, and/or financed by other means after PRM funding ends.
NGOs that have never received U.S. Government 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: It may take some time to acquire these documents if an organization doesn’t already have them.)
Proposal Submission Requirements:
See “How to Apply” section at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp#applying of Grants.gov for complete details on requirements, and note the 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. PRM strongly encourages organizations applying for PRM funding to use the PRM recommended proposal and budget templates. Templates can be requested by sending an email to PRM's NGO Coordinator. Please include “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line.
PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE GENERAL PRM NGO GUIDELINES:
- PRM’s CFDA number for Refugee Assistance Programs for Europe is 19.520.
- Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should sign up well in advance of the May 1, 2009 deadline, as it can take up to two weeks for a registration to be finalized (and sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers).
- Please do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Applicants who have done so in the past and experienced technical difficulties were not able to meet the deadline. Please note: Grants.gov is expected to experience high than normal volume of activity in the near future. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to avoid submission delays. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov at least one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in your application not being considered.
- 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 Nancy Cohen at (202) 663-1064 or cohenna@state.gov or PRM Program Officer Matt Johnson at (202) 663-3068 or johnsonmr2@state.gov immediately 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.
- 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.
- Focus on impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one impact indicator.
- 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, to receive copies of PRM's recommended templates please send an email with "PRM NGO Templates" in the subject line to PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov.
- Reports and Reporting Requirements:
- Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement; a final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement.
For more details regarding PRM’s reporting requirements please see FY 2009 General PRM NGO Guidelines.
- Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2008 [previous year funding] for activities that are being proposed for funding again must include the most recent quarterly progress report against indicators outlined in the cooperative agreement. If an organization’s last quarterly report was submitted more than six weeks prior to the submission of a proposal in response to this funding announcement, the organization must include, with its most recent quarterly report, updates that show any significant progress made on objectives since the last report.
- This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for Overseas Assistance, which contain additional administrative information and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please use both the FY 2009 General PRM NGO Guidelines and this announcement 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. PRM recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are available on the Bureau’s website.
Proposal review process: PRM’s Regional Assistance Offices conduct formal competitive reviews of all submitted proposals by convening review teams. These teams evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.
In order to provide NGOs with timely feedback, PRM will inform applicants of the 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 Points of Contact:
All applicants for new and follow-on funding and/or those with technical questions are encouraged to contact the PRM staff listed below before submitting proposals:
- Program Officers Nancy Cohen (Cohenna@state.gov or 202-663-1064) and Matthew Johnson (Johnsonmr2@state.gov or 202-663-3068) in Washington, DC
- Refugee Coordinator Lisa Kierans (KieransL@state.gov) in Moscow, Russia
- PRM/ECA Deputy Office Director Nancy Iris (IrisNR@state.gov) in Washington, DC
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