FY2009 PRM Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs in the Great Lakes/Central Africa Region Benefiting Refugees, Refugee Returnees, and Receiving Communities Beginning December 1, 2008 - February 1, 2009

Deadline: Wednesday October 15, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. (EDT)

Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

• Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should sign up well in advance of the October 15, 2008 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).
  
• PRM’s CFDA number for Refugee Assistance Programs for African refugees is 19.517.
  
• We encourage organizations to submit applications prior to the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in the proposal not being considered.
  
• Please contact the grants.gov help desk if you encounter technical difficulties with grants.gov (support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-4726). Applicants who are unable to submit via Grants.gov due to technical difficulties should contact Program Officer Wendy Henning (Henningwl@state.gov or call 202 663-1030) or Passy Pomeroy (PomeroyP@state.gov or call 202 663-3020) immediately and at least one week prior to submission, 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.
  
• Please e-mail Program Officer Wendy Henning (HenningWL@state.gov) and Passy Pomeroy (PomeroyP@state.gov) to confirm that the submission was received.

Proposed Start Dates: December 1, 2008 – February 1, 2009

Duration of Activity: no more than 12 months
Applicants with existing Cooperative Agreements must re-compete for PRM funding each year. Furthermore, in funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the 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.

Current FY 2009 funding Priorities for the Great Lakes/Central Africa:

(1) Proposed activities should support the repatriation and reintegration of Burundi and DRC refugees and/or necessary care and maintenance for refugees in camps/settlements (Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda). Priority sectors include: protection, shelter, health, water/sanitation, livelihood promotion, primary education, and gender-based violence prevention and response.

(2) For repatriation and reintegration proposals should focus on areas of high refugee return where new refugee returnees make up at least 50% of targeted beneficiaries. Proposals should specify refugee returnee population numbers and/or projections for 2009 in proposed locations.

(3) As part of our strategy to promote durable solutions, funding for projects to support repatriation to and reintegration in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be prioritized above other project proposals submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement.

(4) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO that is able to satisfy these guidelines although, given our budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

• a working relationship with UNHCR and 2008/2009 UNHCR funding and/or support for the proposed activities and/or overall country program;
  
• appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations;
  
• a proven track record in providing proposed assistance to Burundi and DRC refugees and/or returnees and in the specified sector;
  
• evidence of coordination with host government and other international and non-governmental organizations working in the area of activity. {Note: PRM shares project information with counterparts to identify most effective interventions and ensure complementarity of funding);
  
• evidence of coordination with development organizations and a well-developed transition strategy;
  
• 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;
  
• a budget that is appropriate for meeting the objectives and demonstrates co-funding by non-PRM sources.

Proposal Submission Requirements: See “How to Apply” section on Grants.gov for technical guidance and details on requirements, and note the following highlights below:

(1) Proposal formatting and content: Please refer to the FY2008 General PRM NGO guidelines available at http://www.state.gov/j/prm/fund/announcements/91668.htm. These general PRM NGO guidelines are also available on Grants.gov in the “How to Apply” section.

PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE GENERAL PRM NGO GUIDELINES:

• 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.
  
• Budgets for projects with multiple objectives should be broken down by objective.
  
• Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2008 for proposed activities must include your most recent quarterly report with cumulative progress against indicators as outlined in the cooperative agreement.
  
• Focus on impact indicators as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one impact indicator.
  
• PRM will not fund reintegration projects in Burundi or DRC 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.
  
• 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.

(2) Pre-submission preparation: Please read guidance in this announcement and the FY08 General PRM NGO Guidelines carefully 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.

NGOs may contact the PRM staff listed below with technical questions related to this announcement prior to proposal submission.

• PRM Program Officer Wendy Henning (HenningWL@state.gov 202-663-1030) in Washington, D.C. or
  
• Central Africa/Great Lakes Regional Refugee Coordinator Megan Larson Koné (LarsonKoneME@state.gov) in Kampala.

Proposal Review Process: PRM’s Office of Assistance for Africa conducts formal competitive reviews of all proposal submissions by convening proposal review teams to evaluate proposals based on specific evaluation criteria and PRM’s priorities in the context of available funding.

In order to provide NGOs with timely feedback, PRM will inform applicants of a 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.

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PRM funding opportunities for proposed activities in the Horn of Africa and Sudan, (beginning December 1, 2008 – February 1, 2009) are also currently posted on Grants.gov.