American Leadership Academy” Open Cooperative Agreement 2020 – New deadline: April 5, 2020

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY RABAT

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Title:             “American Leadership Academy” Open Cooperative Agreement 2020” – 

Funding Opportunity Number:      PAS-MOROCCO-FY20-04

Deadline for Applications:               Sunday, April 05, 2020

CFDA Number:                                19.040

Total Amount Available:                 $60,000 – $75,000

 

  1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy in Morocco is pleased to announce the open grant competition to award a cooperative agreement for a new program, the “American Leadership Academy” (or “ALA”). The Public Affairs Office invites proposals from established Moroccan associations, committed and organized civil-society organizations and academic institutions, to design and implement an intensive, two-week summer institute to be held in July 2020 for 50 to 60 Moroccan youth between the ages of 20 and 24 years old. U.S. and third-country organizations or nationals are not eligible for grants under this program unless in partnership with a Moroccan NGO.
The ALA will identify emerging civic and community leaders from across Morocco to be members of a cohort and equip them with the necessary skills to more effectively undertake civic and economic projects; build coalitions; and better advocate for the needs of their communities. The institute will employ workshops, interactive sessions and local field work/site visits to share best practices in advocacy, collaborating effectively with others, and leading change. It will also provide participants with a community development toolkit to either launch or scale up their initiatives (including conducting needs and risks assessments, setting SMART goals, and using digital tools to reach wider audiences).  During the institute, participants will develop a capstone project to implement in their communities.
Community service will be a critical part of the institute program.  Each community service session will be designed to impart meaningful volunteer experiences that allow participants to get involved in local communities and illuminate the importance of civic engagement and not-for-profit organizing.
The relationship with the cohort of emerging leaders will continue after the institute via a follow-up training session held four to six months after the institute itself.  This is intended to provide additional targeted skills training with the goal of helping participants implement the capstone projects they develop during the institute itself.
All ALA activities should have a strong American focus.  Curriculum modules on leadership, coalition-building, advocacy, project management, and communications should include U.S. models, examples, and precepts.  The U.S. Embassy in collaboration with the awardee will identify and fund the participation of one or two on-site American trainers who will each lead one to two of the institute’s sessions or activities per day. Examples of topics of these sessions and activities are Conflict Transformation, Accountability, Civic Engagement, Leadership, etc. The Embassy will also work closely with the awardee to identify and secure the participation of Moroccan experts who are alumni of U.S. exchange programs, executives from the Moroccan branches of U.S. companies; and/or resident Americans with appropriate expertise to help ground the training in the context of the social, political, and cultural life of the United States.  The institute will be conducted in English.
Each proposal should meet the following objectives, in addition to strengthening understanding of U.S. values, institutions, and precepts:

  • Expand participant’s understanding of civic rights and responsibilities.
  • Enhance participants’ abilities and tools for effective and influential civic engagement, including advocacy, communications, project management, coalition-building, and conflict resolution.
  • Allow participants to develop and practice the soft and smart power skills required to lead others and for professional development, including assessing personal strengths and weaknesses, identifying needs and risks, setting SMART goals, and using digital tools to reach wider audiences.
  • Guide participants through the development of a capstone project to implement in their communities.

Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that use a mix of interactive activities, site visits, and other learning experiences to help participants develop their skills.  All proposals should contain a proposed syllabus covering the title and content of sessions and how each relate to the overall program objectives.  Proposals should also include a detailed explanation of how applicants will be recruited and a description of how institute activities will bring about the intended results. Proposals should include at least one follow-on activity approximately four to six months after the institute that allow all or select participants to deepen their leadership, advocacy, and communications skills and support them in implementing their capstone projects. This follow-on activity should target only a selected number of cohort participants (up to 35 participants) who have demonstrated dedication and commitment in developing and implementing their capstone project. The awardee will design and implement the process for selecting participants for the follow-on activity).The follow-on activity could be in the format of a two-day intensive training on the areas of interest chosen by participants. (Please note that this activity should be included in the budget proposal)

Only Moroccan associations, committed and organized civil-society organizations, and academic institutions with full SAM registration and experience executing youth programs will be eligible to receive funding.  

  1. GUIDELINES:
  • Awardees will work closely with the Embassy’s Public Affairs Office to design and execute a sleep-away institute for 50 to 60 Moroccans (age 20 – 24) that lasts 14 days. Activities should include workshops, mentoring, talks and site visits.  The activities should be innovative, interactive, and hands-on.
  • Awardees will work closely with the Embassy’s Public Affairs Office to design and execute a follow-on session for at least half of the institute’s participants to provide further training and mentorship.
  • The institute should target community leaders age 20 – 24 from across Morocco.  A clear methodology of participant recruitment and selection should be detailed in the proposal including efforts to ensure gender parity and geographic and socio-economic inclusion.
  • The cooperative agreement should cover the costs of a venue for the institute and travel, lodging, and full board for participants.
  • The cooperative agreement should cover the costs of a travel, lodging and full board for local trainers and resident assistants/chaperones.
  • The cooperative agreement should cover funding for any materials necessary for promotion of the institute/recruiting participants and other materials for use in institute activities.
  • Awardees should be prepared to design and implement surveys, polls, or other methods for evaluating the institute’s effectiveness before, during and after the institute’s completion.
  • The proposal should include information about how the awardee will identify and recruit local trainers and resident assistants to chaperone and support the participants.
  • The proposal should contain a detailed sample agenda of sessions and activities.
  • Awardees should be available to participate in weekly planning calls with the Embassy and/or the American trainer(s) until the launch of the institute.
  • Equipment cannot account for more than 10% of the total project cost.
  • The cooperative agreement will be only awarded to Moroccan associations, committed and organized civil-society organizations and academic institutions that already have a final registration receipt and an established bank account at the time that they apply.
  • Moroccan associations, civil-society organizations and academic institutions applying to this program should have organized at least one successful, large-scale, youth-focused event in Morocco, or plan to collaborate with an association that has extensive experience in managing such programs.
  • U.S. and third-country organizations or nationals are not eligible for awards under this program unless in partnership with a Moroccan NGO.
  • All proposals must be submitted to the U.S. Embassy by April 5, 2020. No late proposals will be considered.
  • All applicants will be notified of funding decisions by the end of April 2020, subject to the availability of funds.  
  1. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
  • Number of awards anticipated: one award.
  • Approximate award amount: The amount may range from a minimum of $60,000 to a maximum of $75,000. Projects for lesser or greater values will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Funding may be renewed for up to an additional two years on a non-competitive basis pending successful performance and availability of funds.
  • Type of Funding: FY20 Smith-Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds
  • The awardee should plan to start and end the project in July 2020 with dates to be set in coordination with the Embassy.

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

 Funding Instrument Type:  Cooperative Agreement. The Public Affairs Office will be actively involved in the award implementation. U.S. Embassy staff will:

  • Provide standardized logos/branding guidelines for ALA promotional materials
  • Initiate and participate in promotional activities, to include promotion of the ALA through the U.S. Mission to Morocco’s social media platforms and media engagements.
  • Assist in identifying possible institute venues. Approve the selection of the venue.
  • Approve participant and trainer recruitment and selection plans.
  • Assist in identifying and contacting alumni of U.S. government exchange program, representatives of U.S. companies, and U.S. Mission personnel as potential speakers or trainers.
  • Identify, recruit, and fund the travel and lodging of one or two American experts to participate in the institute.
  • Review and approve proposed institute speaker and trainer rosters and activity/workshop/site visit topics and formats.
  1. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
  • A copy of the final registration papers for the organization and a copy of RIB certificate should be included
  • Proposals must include a detailed syllabus of daily activities (Please use and attach your own form)
  • Budgets must follow the budget template and should be submitted in U.S. Dollars (please use $1 = 9.500 MAD as exchange rate)
  • If other partners are willing to support the proposed activity, please list them as well as their contribution.
  • The following documents must be submitted to Rabatgrants@state.gov  no later than Sunday April 5, 2020.

For any questions, please contact: Rabatgrants@state.gov

Eligibility Requirements:

All applicants must have the following registrations:

  • Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number;
  • NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code; and
  • System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (If you have applied and have not yet received the registration number, provide proof of application).

 Please apply for the D&B DUNS Number and NCAGE Code at the same time to reduce waiting time of information.  The Legal Business Name and Address must MATCH EXACTLY when entering it into the D&B DUNS, NCAGE, and SAM.gov websites – this includes spaces, parentheses, capitalization, small letters, punctuation, etc.  Self-registration in D&B DUNS, NCAGE, and SAM.gov is free of charge.

  1. DUN & BRADSTREET (D&B) DUNS/UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER (UEI) NUMBER

 The DUNS/UEI number is a nine-digit number established and assigned by Dun and Bradstreet, Inc. (D&B) to uniquely identify business entities.

Log onto the D&B website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/searchAction.do

For assistance, contact D&B at the following email address: SAMHelp@dnb.com

While acquiring the D&B DUNS/UEI Number, please register to receive an NCAGE Code Number with NCS at the same time.  See instructions below. Step by step information is also included here (Word – 567 KB).

  1. NATO COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT ENTITY (NCAGE) CODE

 NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) codes are required for all foreign entities to create an account in SAM.gov.  The Code is a five-character ID number, and can take, at a minimum, 4-5 business days to create.

Steps to register: (Please use the Internet Explorer web browser)

Foreign registrants must log into: CAGE Code Request at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

Once in the NATO Codification Tools website, scroll to the right-hand corner and click the “Magnifying Glass.” The magnifying glass will open a new page.

Scroll down the right-hand side until you see “Request New,” click on this link and it will take you to the next page to apply for an NCAGE Code Number.

When asked if the entity to be registered is a supranational organization please click “No” (if you are not part of a member state).

Validate the newly assigned NCAGE Code via the Business Identification Number Cross- Reference System (BINCS) at https://www.dlis.dla.mil/bincs/begin_search.aspx.

If the assigned NCAGE is not listed in BINCS, the recipient should call 001-269-961-4623 or send a message to NCAGE@NSPA.NATO.INT.

For assistance by telephone, please call: 1-888-227-2423 (inside the U.S.) OR 001-269-961-7766 (outside the U.S.).  E-mail NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in obtaining an NCAGE code.

  1. SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM.gov): (Please use either the Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browser)

 SAM is a U.S.-government wide registry of vendors doing business with the U.S. federal government and requires annual renewal.  The system centralizes information about grant applicants/recipients, and provides them with a central location to change their organizational information.  More information about SAM.gov and useful guides for setting-up a new account, updating an existing account, or renewing an expired account can be found at: https://statebuy.state.gov/fa/Pages/SAMInfo.aspx.

Please complete ALL of the above steps before attempting to register in SAM.

  • Log onto https://www.sam.gov
  • If you have had an active record in The Central Contractor Registration (CCR), you may already have an active record in SAM. To check for an active registration, please conduct a “search” for your record using the organization name and/or DUNS Number in SAM. If you are not registered, your organization or entity will not be found.
  • If your organization does not have an active registration, you must create a user account and input all information in the exact manner as you have for the IRS, D&B DUNS, and NCAGE.
  • Complete and submit the online form.

If the applying organization already has the necessary information on hand (see the SAM User Guide), the online form takes approximately one hour to complete, depending upon the size and complexity of the applying entity.  Because of the different steps in the process, it might take anywhere from three to fourteen business days to complete the process of creating an account with the system.

If you encounter any error, please contact the SAM Federal Service Desk to report problem at https://www.fsd.gov/clients.  There is a standard (not toll free) number that customers can use 334-206-7828.

  1. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
  1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below.

Quality and Feasibility of the Proposed Institute Program:  The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline, including for recruitment of participants, trainers, and resident assistants/chaperones.  Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program outline is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants/Program Implementation: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds.  This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

U.S. Component:  There is strong participation of trainers with a connection to the United States, application of U.S. models, or leadership, advocacy, and communications approaches typically applied in the United States.

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.

  1. Review and Selection Process

The Public Affairs Section will evaluate all eligible applications.  The evaluation process will consist of two stages.  First, a technical review will be completed to ensure that proposals and organizations meet the criteria set forth above.  Second, a Grant Review Committee comprised of personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Rabat and the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca will evaluate eligible proposals on the basis of the criteria identified above.

  1. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
  1. Federal Award Notices

The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. 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.

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.

  1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which 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.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

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. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel and Fringe Benefits: 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, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. 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 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.

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