Notice of Funding Opportunity 

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY QUITO PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION 

Notice of Funding Opportunity 

 

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy Quito and U.S. Consulate Guayaquil, Public Affairs Sections (PAS)  Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) 

 

Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-SEC-FY20-04 

Deadline for Applications: April 30, 2020 

CFDA Number: 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs 

Maximum: $10,000 

 

  1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
     

The Public Affairs Sections (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy Quito and U.S. Consulate General Guayaquil of the U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission) are pleased to announce an open competition for organizations and individuals to submit applications to organize, plan, and work closely with the Board of Directors of the Fulbright Commission Ecuador to develop a strategic plan to cover the next five years. This will be funded through the Public Diplomacy Grants Program.   

 

Purpose of the Grant:   

The purpose of this grant is to work with the Fulbright Commission in Ecuador as the organization formulates a vision, mission, and a Strategic Plan for 2020-2025.  This would include working with the Board of Directors, the Fulbright Commission staff, and the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador to draft a mission statement for the Commission, and to adjust their work to meet the U.S. mission goals.   

Over the course of this program, the Fulbright Ecuador Board of Directors will be able to articulate the vision, mission, and values of the organization; create a job description for Board Members; and, identify potential skills gaps in the Board and launch a recruitment strategy.  Likewise, this program will help the Board and staff create a mission statement, a strategic plan, and job descriptions.  

This program supports the Mission ICS goal of strengthening institutions, democratic governance, and international collaboration.   

PAS invites proposals to design the Strategic Planning Process of the Fulbright Commission of Ecuador 2020- 2025:  

  • Conduct all the Strategic Planning workshops with all the members of the Board and when needed the Fulbright Commission staff. These workshops should follow a plan previously approved by PAS Quito; 
  • Draft the Strategic Plan 2020-2025 for the Fulbright Commission  and send it to the Board for comment and edits. Incorporate those observations into the final document; 
  • Help the Board construct a mission and vision this should be incorporated in the strategic planning process.  

Key Responsibilities  

The project grantee, with assistance and insight from the U.S. Embassy and the Fulbright Commission Board of Directors, will organize, oversee, and execute the following activities: 

  • Become familiar with Ecuador’s Fulbright Commission and with the Board of Directors.  
  • Develop a Strategic Planning process which should engage the Board in all matters and decisions, including the selective participation of the Staff, to be presented for approval and execution. 
  • Prepare all materials needed for proposing, communicating and conducting the Fulbright Commission 2020-2025 Strategic Planning process. 
  • Help the Board develop a clear mission and vision for the next five years. 
  • Identify key milestones that need to be achieved in order to keep track of the Strategic Plan. Integrate this into a calendar that will help keep track of how the plan is advancing over time.  
  • Detailed planning and execution of the Strategic Planning sessions in Quito. 
  • Facilitate the 2020-2025 Fulbright Commission Strategic Planning meetings. A plan on how to interact and incorporate the ideas of all the members of the Fulbright Commission Board and the Staff.   
  • Draft a Strategic Plan for the next five years. 
  • This plan should include all the conceptual framework (definitions, process, components, deliverables, and contents)  needed to outline a plan of action for the next five years.  
  • Integrate a calendar of activities and milestones that should be reached in order to keep in tract of the plan. 

 

Timeline:  

A prospective timeline for the delivery of the program is as follows: 

  • May: Grantee is selected, grant awarded. Strategic planning and workshop with the Board. 
  • June: Drafting the plan 
  • July: Present draft plan 
  • August: Receive and incorporate edits 
  • September: Present final plan 
  • October: Follow-up survey with participants 
  • November: Final reports  

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Given the current situation with COVID-19, it is important to remain flexible as the timeline  is likely to change as a result of the global pandemic.  

Participants and Audiences: 

The participants for this project will be the Board of Directors and staff members of the Fulbright Commission. 

Authorizing legislation, type and year of funding: 

Fulbright-Hays 

FY2020 Public Diplomacy Funding.   

 

 

  1. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
     

Length of performance period: up to 12 months 

Award amount: $10,000 

Type of Funding:  Fiscal Year 2020 Public Diplomacy Funding  

Funding Instrument Type:  Grant  

Project and Budget Periods: May 2020 to November 2020  

The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador, Public Affairs Section reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described in the absence of worthy proposals or under such other circumstances as it may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. government. 

 

  1. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

 

  1. Eligible Applicants

 

The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from U.S. and Ecuadorian: 

  • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
  • Individuals  
  • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions 
  • Governmental institutions 

For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.   

 

  1. Other Eligibility Requirements

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization/individual.  If more than one proposal is submitted, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.  

Experience: having conducted at least five SP processes in the last five years for small Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs), active in services activities, preferably in international/bi-country education involving scholarships, students local and abroad, teachers local and abroad, and funded with governmental and private sources.   

Preferably familiar with U.S. Government fiscal year administrative requirements as related to PVOs supported by U.S. Government /GOE. 

Languages: fluent English and Spanish speaking, writing, and reading. 

 

  1. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

 

Content and Form of Application Submission 

Please follow all instructions below carefully.  Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. 

 

  1. Content of Application 

Please ensure: 

  • The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity 
  • All documents are in English 
  • All budgets are in U.S. dollars 
  • All pages are numbered 
  • All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and 
  • All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. 

 

  1. Summary Coversheet:  Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, start and end date of program, and brief purpose of the program. 

 

  1. Proposal(threepages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do and what the program will accomplish.  You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.  
     
  • Proposal summary:  Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact. 
  • Introduction to the organization or individual applying:  A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies. 
  • Problem statement:  Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed. 
  • Program goals and objectives:  The goals describe what the program is intended to achieve.  What aspect of the relationship between the U.S. and Ecuador will be improved?  The objectives refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals.  These should be achievable and measurable. 
  • Program activities:  Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.  
  • Program methods and design:  A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal.  
  • Proposed program schedule:  The proposed timeline for the program activities.  Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. 
  • Key personnel:  Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program.  What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?  
  • Media plan:  All submissions must include a detailed press and social media plan that outlines how the implementer will publicize the activities and goals of the program. (If applicable)   
  • Program partners:  List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees. (If applicable) 
  • Program monitoring and evaluation plan:  This is an important part of successful grants.  Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant? 

 

  1. Budget Justification Narrative:  describe each of the budget expenses in detail. Please review Section H for additional information.
  1. Attachments(if applicable): 
  • 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program 
  • Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner 
  • Official permission letters, if required for program activities 

  

  1. 6. Submission Dates and Times:

Pending funds availability, applications should be submitted for consideration by close of business on Thursday, April 30, 2020. 

 

  1. 7. Funding Restrictions:

 

  • Infrastructure/construction 
  • Development projects/programs 
  • Individual scholarships 
  • Personal development 
  • Social travel/visits 
  • Gifts or prizes 
  • Alcohol 
  • Food and drink not directly related to the program outcome 
  • Venture capital  
  • For-profit endeavors 

 

All application materials must be submitted by email (.pdf or .doc formats only, not iCloud) to contactocultural@state.gov.  

 

  1. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

 

  1. Criteria

 

A grants panel will review and evaluate each application based on the criteria outlined below:  

U.S. Component:  The project has a clear U.S. component that incorporates U.S. expertise, processes, or personnel.   

Organizational capacity and record on previous grants:  The organization has expertise in its stated field and PAS is confident of its ability to undertake the program.  This includes a financial management system and a bank account. 

Quality and feasibility of the program idea:  The program idea is well developed, with details about how program activities will be carried out.  The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.  

Goals and objectives:  Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.  

Embassy priorities:  Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy priority areas and target audiences outlined in section A.  

Budget:  The budget justification is detailed.  Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results.  The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.   

Monitoring and evaluation plan:  Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal.  The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured.  

Sustainability:  Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program. 

 

  1. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

 

  1. Federal Award Notices 

 

A U.S. government Grants Officer will award, sign, and administer the grant award or cooperative agreement.  The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.  No actions or costs can be incurred before the grant is approved and signed by the Grants Officer.  

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding.  Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.  

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals.  Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.  

Payment Method:  Payments will be made in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the program activities.    

Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email. 

 

  1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 

 

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications that will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply.  These include: 

2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:  https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm. 

Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.   

 

  1. Reporting 

 

Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports.  The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.    

 

  1. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

 

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact : BurneoJI@state.gov  

Note:  We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the Program Statement.  Once an application has been submitted, U.S. government officials and staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is complete. 

 

  1. OTHER INFORMATION 

Guidelines for Budget Justification 

Personnel:  Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program. 

Travel:  Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel. 

Equipment:  Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit. 

Supplies:  List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment. 

Contractual:  Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor.  Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.   

Other Direct Costs:  Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained. 

Indirect Costs:  These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs and administration costs needed to help keep the organization operating.  If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA.  Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.   

 “Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy.  It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues. 

 Alcoholic Beverages:  Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.  

 

 

 

By | 8 April, 2020 | Topics: Culture, News, U.S. & Ecuador

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