FY 2009 PRM Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Addressing the Needs of DRC Refugees in Sudan

Funding Opportunity Announcement

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

July 27, 2009

Announcement issuance date: Monday, July 27, 2009

Proposal submission deadline: Monday, August 17, 2009 at 12:00 noon (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 start dates: September 1 – 15, 2009

Duration of Activity: No more than 12 months

Current Funding Priorities:

(1) Activities that support specifically the influx of DRC refugee arrivals in Western and/or Central Equatoria, southern Sudan. Proposals should specify refugee population numbers and/or projections in proposed locations. Priority sectors should include water and sanitation, emergency health and nutrition, and primary education. Target beneficiaries, sectors and proposed programs should be developed in full coordination with UNHCR.

(2) Organizations with an existing presence in the location and demonstrated capacity in the proposed sector of intervention. Organizations that are not already operational in the target areas are discouraged from submitting proposals.

(3) Interventions that are coordinated with UNHCR and designed to fill gaps in current efforts to provide basic assistance to newly arrived refugees. Interventions must target a minimum of 60% refugees while considering impact on hosting communities. All proposals must demonstrate a working relationship with UNHCR as well as UNHCR funding and/or support for the proposed activities.

(4) Interventions that are coordinated with the host government and other international and non-governmental organizations working in the area. Note: PRM shares project information with counterparts to identify most effective interventions and ensure complementarity of funding.

(5) Projects with an immediate impact and concrete plan for completion and/or transition to a longer-term funding source. All proposals must include an exit strategy or handover plan. Please note that in funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years should the current refugee situation in Western and Central Equatoria States continue.

PRM will accept proposals from any NGO that is able to satisfy these guidelines although priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

• 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 (please see FY2009 General PRM NGO guidelines for more on objective and indicators). Each proposed objective should be followed by a list of quantitative indicators of success.
• a budget that is appropriate for meeting the objectives, includes a budget summary, and demonstrates co-funding by non-PRM sources.

International Organizations (IOs) that are engaged in programs relevant to the assistance addressed by this PRM funding announcement should ensure that these programs are made known to PRM on or before the closing date of this funding announcement so that PRM can evaluate all IO and NGO programs for funding consideration.

Funding Limits: PRM will consider projects with funding requested from PRM in the range of $100,000 to $1,000,000; any submissions over this amount will automatically be disqualified. As stated in the FY 2009 General PRM NGO Guidelines, PRM looks favorably on cost-sharing efforts and seeks to support projects with a diverse donor base and/or resources from the submitting organization.

Proposal Submission Requirements:
See “How to Apply” section (at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp#applying) 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. 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 FY 2009 General PRM NGO Guidelines:

• PRM’s CFDA number for Refugee Assistance Programs for African refugees is 19.517.
• Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should sign up well in advance of the August 14, 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).
• 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 higher 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, received a case number and had a service request opened to research the problem(s), should contact PRM Program Officer Brennan Gilmore at (202) 663-1712 or gilmorebm@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 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) non-profit tax status under IRS 501 (c)(3); 3) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number; and 4) Employer ID number (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification Number.
• Focus on impact indicators as much 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; and baselines should be provided to the greatest extent possible.
• Any project involving the building or maintenance of physical infrastructure must include coordinates of site locations (place name, P-Code, latitude and longitude coordinates). This information will be shared with UNHCR, OCHA, and the Government of South Sudan.
• 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.
  

Reports and Reporting Requirements:

Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. It is highly suggested that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM-recommended program report template. To request the PRM-recommended program report template, send an email with the phrase “PRM NGO templates” in the subject line, to PRM's NGO Coordinator (PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov).

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.

• This announcement is designed to accompany the FY 2009 General PRM NGO Guidelines, 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 upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator. Please send an email, with the phrase “PRM NGO templates” in the subject line, to PRM's NGO Coordinator.

Proposal Review Process: PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel will 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:

Should NGOs have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. (Note: Responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.):

PRM Program Officer Brennan Gilmore (GilmoreBM@state.gov or 202-663-1712) in Washington, DC; or

Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Horn of Africa Inga Heemink (heeminki@state.gov) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; or

Deputy Office Director Mary Lange (LangeMM@state.gov or 202-663-1041) in Washington, DC