U.S. Embassy Havana: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

cu.usembassy.gov [original entry contains links]; see also.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY HAVANA, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy Havana PAS Annual Program Statement
Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-HAVANA-FY17-01
Deadline for Applications: August 15, 2017
CFDA Number: 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs
Total Amount Available: Dependent on Budget and Funding
Maximum for Each Award: $100,000
Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative agreement

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy Havana Public Affairs Section (PAS) is pleased to announce that funding
is available through its Public Diplomacy Grants Program.
Please carefully follow all instructions below.
Eligibility is limited to those who qualify to receive U.S. grants, and have the ability to
develop and implement their proposed programs in Cuba.
Priority Program Areas:
1. Proposals that will encourage the growth of small business in Cuba.
Proposals must demonstrate knowledge of Cuba’s economic and entrepreneurial ecosystem
and should detail existing partnerships in Cuba. Proposals should also outline activities that
prepare small business owners for growth and sustainability of their enterprises through
efficiency, creativity, customer service, and innovation, with preference for project models
that work in the Cuban small business environment.
Applicants may propose project activities in a variety of areas, but applications must describe
clearly and succinctly how proposed activities will improve the likelihood of success for
existing start-ups.
2. Proposals that support agriculture; protect plant and animal health; and advance the
understanding of scientific and environmental challenges, including but not limited to:
a. Agriculture / Plant and Animal Health --- Programs that address shared agricultural
concerns including plant and animal sanitation, agricultural trade, irrigation, soil
conservation, and prevent the spread of animal and plant pathogens in the U.S. and Cuba
through the exchange of information, best practices, scientific collaboration, research,
and monitoring.
b. Environment --- Programs that pertain to sustainable fisheries, marine pollution,
endangered marine life, coral reef resilience; wildlife conservation and terrestrial
protected areas; collection and exchange of information and joint research in the fields of
meteorology, oceanography, and air pollution;
c. Health --- Programs that increase cooperation in the battle against communicable and
non-communicable diseases affecting both U.S. and Cuban populations, including but not
limited to Zika, cancer, and diabetes.
3. Proposals that promote cultural exchange; enhance mutual understanding; contribute to
increased technical expertise in cultural professions and the arts; raise awareness for shared
history, traditions, and values; and help build arts management capacity.
Activities that are NOT eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:
a. Projects that support specific religious or political activities
b. Charitable or development activities
c. Construction projects
d. Projects that duplicate existing projects
e. Fees and travel cost to attend conferences
f. Ongoing salary costs
g. Paying to complete activities begun with other funds
Authorizing legislation, type, and year of funding:
Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt and the Mutual Educational and Cultural
Exchange Act of 1961, a congressional act commonly referred to as Fulbright-Hays. The
source of funding is FY2017 Public Diplomacy Funding.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
a. This notice is subject to availability of funding.
b. Award floor and ceiling: $1,000 - $100,000
c. Awards to organizations and individuals are anticipated.
d. Anticipated project start date: After 09/15/2017
e. Length of performance period: Most projects will be completed within one year, but
longer projects will be considered
f. Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2017 Public Diplomacy Funding
g. Funding instrument type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative Agreement (level
of substantial involvement will depend upon program).

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION
1. Eligible Applicants
The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from United States and Cuban:
 Not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations with programming experience
 Individuals
For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing is not required, but may be considered by the review committee.
3. Other Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, as well as a valid registration
on www.SAM.gov.
DUNS, NCAGE, and SAM.gov instructions can be found here.
Individuals are not required to have a DUNS number or be registered in SAM.gov.
To be eligible for a grant award, in addition to other conditions of this request for
applications, organizations must have a commitment to non-discrimination with respect to
beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. Non-discrimination
includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation
and political affiliation.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
1. Address to Request Application Package
Application forms required below are available at grants.gov, and on Embassy Havana’s
website.
2. 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 may be ineligible.
Content of Application
Please ensure:
a. The project title should be included in the subject line of all email correspondence
b. The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity
c. All documents are in English
d. All budgets are in U.S. dollars
Required Documents
All required documents should be submitted as individual attachments.
a. Embassy Havana Cover Letter
 Include as an attachment
 Copy and paste into body of email
b. Embassy Havana Grant Proposal Application
 Application should be a standalone document
 Please do not modify the template
c. Embassy Havana Detailed Budget:
 In addition to the budget in the application that is specific to items covered by the
grant and the SF-424A budget, use the Embassy Detailed Budget spreadsheet to
describe the overall project budget. See the Guidelines for Budget Justification.
 The Embassy Detailed Budget template may be amended
 Please use formulas for all calculated data
 Please format the spreadsheet to be printed
d. Organizations:
 SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424 Instructions)
 SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction program (FS-424A, Instructions)
 SF-424B Assurances for Non-Construction programs (FS-424B Instructions)
e. Individuals:
 SF-424-I Application for Federal Assistance (FS-424I Instructions)
f. Other Attachments:
 1-3page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the project
 Information on Cuban partners, travel agents, and/or consultants
 Letters of support from project partners describing the roles and responsibilities of
each partner (optional)
 Official letters of support, if required for project activities (optional)
3. Required Registrations:
All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All
are free of charge.
If you are registering for the first time, please follow the instructions carefully.
a. Unique Identifier Number from Dun & Bradstreet: DUNS number
b. NATO Commercial and Government Entity Code: NCAGE/CAGE code
c. System for Award Management registration: SAM.gov registration
4. Submission Dates and Times
Proposals should be submitted via email to USEmbassyHavanaGrants@state.gov and will be
considered on a rolling basis until August 15, 2017, 18:00 EDT depending on funds
availability.
Applications received in the USEmbassyHavanaGrants@state.gov email box after August
15, 2017, 18:00 EDT will not be reviewed or considered.
Planning for all projects must begin before September 30, 2017.
Programs may extend into 2018.
5. Other Submission Requirements
All application materials must be submitted by email to
USEmbassyHavanaGrants@state.gov
Applications are accepted in English only, and final grant agreements will be concluded in
English.
Applicants will receive a confirmation email from U.S. Embassy Havana to indicate that we
have received the proposal.
6. Funding Restrictions
a. Indirect costs/overhead are limited to:
1) A current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) from a Federal agency
or
2) Up to 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC) 2 CFR §400.414. The MTDC base
excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition
remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of
each sub-award in excess of $25,000 2 CFR § 200.68.
b. The following are non-allowable expenses:
1) Pre-Award costs
2) Construction costs
3) Scientific research
4) Alcoholic beverages
c. Airfare is subject to the restricted to the “Fly America Act”, 49 USC §40118 (2015).
7. Other Submission Requirements
Application must include:
 Embassy Havana Cover Letter
 Embassy Havana Grant Application
 Embassy Havana Budget Template
 SF-424
 SF-424A
 SF-424B
Body of email should include the cover letter.
Subject line of email should be the name of the project.
Email application to USEmbassyHavanaGrants@state.gov by 18:00 EDT, August 15, 2017.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
1. Criteria
Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined
below. The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project, and to
determine the likelihood of its success. The criteria listed are closely related and are
considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Applications will be
reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail.
a. Quality of Program Idea: The program and stated goals are well developed, appropriate
for Cuba, feasible, and clearly connect to Embassy priorities.
b. Institution’s Record and Capacity: Organization in collaboration with partners has the
capacity to manage the grant and carry out the program. Resumes and/or bios are
included for key personnel and partners.
c. Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives: Program objectives and activities are
clear and well thought out. Time line is reasonable.
d. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposal includes a clear plan for monitoring
and evaluation.
e. Reach and Sustainability of Project: Proposal shows potential for continued impact and
sustainability beyond life of the grant.
f. Cost Effectiveness: Budget is detailed, appropriate, and justifiable. Overall cost of the
project is reasonable.
g. Cost share: Cost share is not required but will be used to break ties among applications
of equivalent scores.
2. Review and Selection Process
A Grants Review Committee comprised of American U.S. Embassy employees will evaluate
eligible applications on a rolling basis. Review and selection process may take up to two
months.
Funding determinations will be announced by September 30, 2017.
Successful applicants will receive official written notification by email and detailed
information on finalizing grant awards.
Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email.
Grant awards are contingent upon availability of U.S. Government funding and signing of
official grant documents. Verbal or other informal communications cannot be considered
official notification of an award, and applicants may not obligate expenses for a proposed
project until all required administrative procedures have been completed.
Applicants should review the Standard Terms and Conditions.

F. 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 Federal 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 project 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.
Payment Method: Payments will be made in at least two installments, as needed to carry out
the project activities.
2. 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 the Department of State Office of Budget Management webpage.
3. Reporting
Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award
document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS
If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact U.S. Embassy
Havana’s Public Affairs Section at: USEmbassyHavanaGrants@state.gov.
Note: We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions.
Frequently asked questions and answers will be posted to the Embassy’s webpage.
Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials and staff — both in the
Department and at embassies overseas — may not discuss this competition with applicants
until the entire proposal review process is completed.