Notice of Funding Opportunity: HIV-Quick Impact to Local Communities

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. Embassy Mozambique
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
PEPFAR Community Grants Program
Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Title: HIV-Quick Impact to Local Communities
Funding Opportunity Number: MAPUTO-PCO-FY24-01
Type of Funding: Fixed Award Amount
Questions Deadline: August 15, 2023
Deadline for Applications: September 18, 2023
Assistance Listing Number: 19.029—The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Total Amount Available: $200,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) strategic direction for the Country Operational Plan for FY24 (COP23) states the commitment to continue supporting capacity building activities for CBOs to implement non-CLM program. In response to civil society recommendations during COP23 planning meeting in Johannesburg, PEPFAR/M has agreed to initiate direct funding to CBOs to accommodate programs other than CLM for innovative community-driven HIV interventions including those intended to improve health literacy and reduce HIV- and TB-related stigma and discrimination.

Towards this end, PEPFAR Coordination Office (PCO) announces an open competition for community-based organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to promote HIV prevention, testing, and treatment among one or more vulnerable populations. Applicants must show experience in implementing HIV/AIDS programs and must have a representation in the community where the activities will take place. Please follow all instructions below.

Priority Region: Maputo Province, Gaza Province, Inhambane Province, Manica Province, Sofala Province, Nampula Province.

Program Objectives:

U.S. Embassy Mozambique will partner with community-based organizations to complete small scale projects that contribute to the HIV epidemic control objectives defined under Mozambique´s National HIV Strategic Plan (PEN V) and the PEPFAR Mozambique´s Country Operational Plan 2023. Successful applicants will show a strong connection to the local community and a history of successful work.

Proposals should target beneficiaries belonging to one or more of the following groups:

People living with HIV (PLHIV).
Key Population which includes men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, people who inject drugs, people in prisons and other enclosed settings.
Pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Children (Boys and girls).
Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AYP).

Organizations funded through the PEPFAR Community Grants Program must be providing one or more of the following services:

HIV prevention that includes targeted evidence-based prevention programs. Evidence-based means that the program uses a specific curriculum, implementation is monitored and can be measured, and the program has been proven to yield positive results. Prevention programs may focus on one or more of the following categories:

HIV prevention and sexual violence
Norms and behavior change
Key and Priority Populations
Gender based violence (GBV) and post-GBV care services.

Examples of projects:

Reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination and promote adherence to ART services through implementation of innovative communication approaches to disseminate U=U and Viral Load messages.
Engage with established networks, clubs, and/or support groups of PLHIV and KP to distribute quality messaging on prevention, testing, and care.
Create demand for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms, and other forms of HIV prevention.

Targeted HIV Case Finding Services with the aim of identifying and newly testing, newly linking or re-linking individuals to anti-retroviral treatment (ART). These will include identification, linkage, retention in care, with a focus on reaching key and priority populations, children and Adolescents and Young People (AYP).

Examples of projects:

Promote life skills, sexual reproductive health, and HIV education for in-school and out of school youth.
Create demand for HIV testing through promotion of self-testing and other testing modalities.

Community-based Care and Support – Service delivery specifically for people living with HIV (PLHIV), including children and Adolescents and Young People affected by and living with HIV as well as key and priority populations.

Examples of projects:

Case management adherence clubs, psychological support services, tracking and tracing people who experience treatment interruption or are not virologically suppressed.
Engage local leaders on changing community and social norms that increase risk of HIV infections among vulnerable populations.
Address stigma, discrimination, violence based on gender, and marginalization toward members of vulnerable groups and people living with HIV/AIDS.

The PEPFAR Coordination Office will fund programmatic costs associated with these categories. These include supplies/materials, transport, training related to program implementation, and/or administration.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Funding Flow: Lowest value: $15,000
Funding Ceiling Heights: Highest value: $20,000
Expected Number of Awards: Up to 12
Period of Performance: Up to 12 months
Cost Sharing or Matching: No

U.S. Embassy Mozambique expects to provide a fixed amount award. Fixed amount awards are generally used when the work to be performed can be priced with a reasonable degree of certainty, the grantee can reliably predict costs based on similar types of work, or the grantee can easily obtain bids or quotes. Appropriate activities for fixed amount awards generally include, but are not limited to conferences, workshops, surveys, studies, and technical assistance when costs can be separated by milestone. Fixed amount awards should be based upon milestones, which outline a verifiable product, task, deliverable, or goal. Milestones generally include three components: (1) a description of the product, task, deliverable, or goal to be accomplished; (2) a description of how the recipient will document the completion of the product, task, deliverable, or goal (e.g., survey submission, submitting training materials, toolkits, or reports); and (3) the amount that U.S. Embassy Mozambique will pay the recipient for the deliverable. Accountability is based primarily on performance and meeting milestones.

The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants

The following independent and local/community civil society organizations are eligible to apply:

Registered Non-profit Mozambican Community Based organizations (CBOs) including Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), Key Populations, group of persons living with HIV/AIDS or Affected by HIV and networks of Key Populations + people with disabilities.
Been in operation for at least two years.
Who serve HIV-affected, infected and/or high-risk populations.

The PEPFAR Coordination Office encourages partners to implement in regions/communities where they have a representation. No partner is allowed to implement the program in provinces/districts they do not belong to.

The following are NOT eligible to apply in response to this NOFO:

Individuals.
For-profit and commercial firms.
Government institutions or multilateral bodies.
Civil Society Organizations, which are not Community Based or are not representative of a community or significant segments of a community. For example: trade unions, professional associations, internationally affiliated organizations with branches in many different countries.
PEPFAR Implementing Partners (including those that may be civil society organizations themselves) currently working on service delivery at the site level. This includes organizations that are receiving other direct funding from the U.S. Government as a prime partner, a sub-recipient or an organization in consortium with another CBO currently receiving PEPFAR funds.

Other Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D. Application and submission information for more information.

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

Funding amounts to successful organizations will be dependent on the results of pre-award risk assessments conducted on all selected organizations. Applicants must provide recommendations from previous funding agencies indicating successful implementation of projects.

Applications submitted without all required documents will not be considered.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Application forms required below are available at this website page.

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.

D.1 Content of Application

Please ensure:

All documents are in English (Applicants must submit a proposal in English or English with a Portuguese attachment. You will be disqualified if you submit a Portuguese version only).
All budgets are in U.S. dollars.
All pages are numbered.
All documents are formatted to A4 paper.

The following documents are required:

Mandatory application forms

These application forms can be downloaded from US Embassy Mozambique website page or at www.grants.gov.

Summary Page (half page): Cover sheet stating the applicant’s name and organization, contact details, project title, project geographic area and funding amount.

Proposal (5 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format or download the Application template attached, but it must include all the items below:

Introduction to the Organization: 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 Mozambique and/or U.S. government agencies if any. (Half page)
Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. (Half page)
Proposal Summary: A brief narrative that outlines the proposed project. It should communicate a clear and concise problem statement and why the proposed project is needed. Also states the activities which will be performed to achieve the objective and explain the influence of the project both during and after the project period. (Two pages)
Timeline: How the period of implementation will be divided for on regards to the regular activities, the monitoring and reporting. (Half page)
Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how the activities outlined in proposal will be monitored, the indicators, data collection to make sure that it is meeting the goals and timeline proposed for the grant. (One page)

Narrative and detailed budget. Use the separate files indicated in this website page. See Section I. Other Information below for further information.

Attachments:

1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the project (the ones already in the frame of the organization and/or the ones to be recruited).
Recommendations from previous funding agencies indicating successful implementation of projects (it will be an additional).

D2. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually. U.S. Embassy Mozambique may not review applications from or make awards to applicants that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements.

Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

D3. Submission Dates and Times

All application materials must be submitted by email to PEPFAR Coordination Office in Maputo email address: MaputoPepfarCommunityGrants@state.gov no later than September 18, 2023, at 5:30PM.

E. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

The following activities and costs are not covered under this announcement.

Construction is not an allowable activity under this award.
Activities that appear partisan or that support individual or party electoral campaigns.
Direct support or the appearance of direct support for any religious organization, to include repair or building of structures used for religious purposes.
Military assistance of any kind, including weapons buy-back or rewards programs.
Purchase of firearms, ammunition, or removal of unexploded ordnances.
Para-police (i.e., militias, neighborhood watch, security guards) and prison-related projects. This restriction includes no funding of any secondary need in a law-enforcement organization.
Payments for any partner government, military, or civilian government employee salary or pension.
Duplication of services immediately available through municipal, provincial, or national government.
Funds for market research, advertising (unless public service related to grant program), or other promotional expenses.
Expenses made prior to the approval of a proposal or unreasonable expenditures will not be reimbursed.
Charitable or development activities.
Fund-raising campaigns.
Lobbying for specific legislation or projects.
Scientific research.
Costs related to travel, equipment (any machinery, automobiles or other personal property that costs at least $5,000 per unit) and contractual.
Projects intended exclusively for the growth or institutional development of the organization.
Projects seeking funds for personal use.
Projects that require a participation fee.

F. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Review and Selection Process

2 . Proposal Review Criteria

The Merit Review Panel will evaluate each application individually against the following criteria, listed below in order of importance, and not against competing applications.

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

Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants: 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.

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

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 its ability 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.

Support of Equity and Underserved Communities: Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

The Merit Review Panel will be composed by representatives of Civil Society, USG Agencies staff, Multilateral partners, and National AIDS Council.

The decision for the final award determination rests with the Grants Officer. PEPFAR Community Grants team will notify each successful applicant about the outcome of their proposal.

G. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

Federal Award Notices

U.S. Embassy Mozambique will provide a separate notification to applicants on the result of their applications. Successful applicants will receive a letter electronically via email requesting that the applicant respond to the Merit Review Panel’s conditions and recommendations. This notification is not an authorization to begin activities and does not constitute formal approval or a funding commitment.

Final approval is contingent on the applicant successfully responding to the review Merit Review Panel’s conditions and recommendations; being registered in required systems; and completing and providing any additional documentation requested by U.S. Embassy Mozambique. Final approval is also contingent on Congressional Notification requirements being met and final review and approval by the U.S. Department of State’s warranted Grants Officer.

The notice of Federal award signed by the U.S. Department of State’s warranted Grants Officer is the sole authorizing document. 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 awarded, the notice of Federal award will be provided to the applicant’s Authorizing Designated Official via email to be electronically countersigned.

The Recipient must request payment under this award by completing form SF-270—Request for Advance or Reimbursement and submitting the form to the Grants Officer. Unless otherwise stipulated, the Recipient may request payments on a reimbursement or advance basis.

Advance payments must be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the Recipient in carrying out the purpose of this award. The timing and amount of advance payments must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the Recipient for direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

U.S. Embassy Mozambique requires all recipients of foreign assistance funding to comply with all applicable Department and Federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to the following:

The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards set forth in 2 CFR Chapter 200 (Sub-Chapters A through F) shall apply to all non-Federal entities, except for assistance awards to Individuals and Foreign Public Entities. Sub-Chapters A through E shall apply to all foreign organizations, and Sub-Chapters A through D shall apply to all U.S. and foreign for-profit entities. The applicant/recipient of the award and any sub-recipient under the award must comply with all applicable terms and conditions, in addition to the assurance and certifications made part of the Notice of Award. The Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions can be viewed at https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/.

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:

In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department of State will review and consider applications for funding, as applicable to specific programs, pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity in accordance with the following:

Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020, particularly on:
- Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205),
- Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2 CFR part 200.216),
- Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O. 13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341),
- Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and
- Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

Reporting

Applicants should be aware that U.S. Embassy Mozambique awards will require that all reports (financial and performance progress) be submitted via email to the Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative on a quarterly basis. Monitoring site visits will be conducted by U.S. Embassy Mozambique when needed.

H. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact the PEPFAR Coordination Office email address: MaputoPepfarCommunityGrants@state.gov

I. 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.
Supplies: List List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program.
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.
Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.

Attachments

SF424 (PDF 102 KB) and SF424A (PDF 132 KB)
2023 Proposal Template (docx 74 KB)
Detailed Budget – (FY2023) Budget Guidance and Template for New Awards (xlsx 136 KB)
Budget Narrative – 2023 Budget Narrative Template (docx 34 KB)

By tajua | 26 July, 2023 | Topics: Education, Embassy, News, PEPFAR