Young Armenia/Young Turkey/Young America: Social and Economic Challenges for Future Leaders: Grassroots Development in a Modern Democracy

Request for Grant Proposals

Announcement Type: New Grant 

Application Deadline: July 1, 2010 

Executive Summary:  The U.S. Embassy-Ankara fhas received Economic Support Funds (ESF) for an exchange program involving young professionals and future leaders from Turkey, Armenia and the United States.  This exchange program, called “Social and Economic Challenges for Future Leaders: Grassroots Development in a Modern Democracy” will bring young leaders (ages 21-35) from the three countries together to develop grassroots initiatives that will positively impact people’s lives and will result in stronger ties between the three nations.

The Embassies are seeking proposals from qualified applicants for a single project in the amount of  $500,000.

The “Social and Economic Challenges for Future Leaders: Grassroots Development in a Modern Democracy” project seeks to  link young Armenian, Turkish and American leaders in an ongoing dialogue on social and economic issues of importance to all three countries, both face-to-face and via the full range of communication media to be followed by cooperation on community projects in both Turkey and Armenia. 

Purpose:

The initiative “Social and Economic Challenges for Future Leaders: Grassroots Development in a Modern Democracy” is a new exchange program that will bring emerging young leaders (ages 21-35) in Armenia, Turkey and the United States together to develop grassroots initiatives that will positively impact people’s lives and deepen ties between the future leaders of all three countries.  It will also reach beyond this new exchange to network with alumni of previous leadership exchange programs in all three countries to build a solid foundation of mutual understanding among the three.

Applicants must identify the U.S., Armenian and Turkish organizations and individuals with whom they are proposing to collaborate and describe previous cooperative activities, if any.  Information about the mission, activities, and accomplishments of partner organizations should be included in the submission.  Proposals should contain letters of commitment or support from partner organizations for the proposed project.  Applicants should clearly outline and describe the role and responsibilities of all partner organizations in terms of project logistics, management and oversight. 

Competitive proposals will include the following:  

• A brief description of the theme to be addressed and how it relates to Armenia, Turkey and the United States. (Proposals that request resources for an initial needs assessment will be deemed less competitive under the review criterion Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives, per item V.1 below.);
• A clear, succinct statement of program objectives and expected outcomes that responds to the goals as listed in this RFGP.  Desired outcomes should be described in qualitative and quantitative terms. (See the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section per item V.1 below, for more information on project objectives and outcomes.);
• A proposed timeline;
• A description of participant recruitment and selection processes;
• Letters of support from Armenian, Turkish and U.S. partners.   (Letters from prospective partner institutions should demonstrate a capacity to arrange and conduct U.S. and overseas activities.);
• An outline of the applicant organization’s relevant expertise in the project theme and working in Armenia and Turkey);
• An outline of relevant experience managing previous exchange programs;
• Resumes of experienced staff who have demonstrated a commitment to implement and monitor projects and ensure outcomes;
• A comprehensive plan to evaluate whether program outcomes will achieve the specific objectives described in the narrative.  (See the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section [IV.3d.3 below] for further guidance on evaluation.);
• A post-grant plan that demonstrates how the grantee plans to maintain contacts initiated through the program.  Applicants should discuss ways that U.S., Armenian and Turkish participants and host institutions will collaborate and communicate after the USG-funded grant has concluded. (See Review Criterion #5, per item V.1 below for more information on post-grant activities.)
• Successful projects will demonstrate the importance Americans place on community service as an element of active citizenship and may include ideas and projects to strengthen civil society through community service either during participants' stay in the U.S. or upon their return to Armenia and Turkey.
• In addition to addressing the specific themes described below, proposals should develop partner organizations’ capacity in such areas as strategic planning, performance management, fund raising, financial management, human resources management, and decision-making.

U.S. Embassy Involvement: Before submitting a proposal, all applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer in Ankara (Tom Leary, LearyTM@state.gov; tel: +90-312-457-7335), the Cultural Affairs Officer in Ankara (Craig Dicker, DickerCL@state.gov; tel +90-312-457-7438) and/or the Public Affairs Officer in Yerevan (Tom Mittnacht, mittnachtt@state.gov; tel: +374-10-49-4691).  Also, it is important that the proposal narrative clearly state the applicant's commitment to consult closely with the Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassies in Ankara and Yerevan to develop plans for project implementation and to select project participants.  Proposals should also acknowledge U.S. Embassy involvement in the final selection of all participants.  Applicants should state their willingness to invite representatives of the Embassy to participate in program sessions or site visits. 

DOS Acknowledgement: Narratives should state that all material developed for the project will prominently acknowledge Department of State funding for the program.  They should also state that in any contact with the media (print, television, blogging, etc.) applicants will acknowledge Department of State funding for the program.

Alumni Outreach and Engagement: Proposals must include a plan outlining alumni outreach and engagement. Proposed programs should strengthen long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual linkages. Reviewers will assess ways in which proposals provide substantive plans to prepare exchange program participants for their role as active, effective alumni and how the grantee organization will continue to engage with alumni once they return home. Recipient organization (s) must outline how alumni activities will be sustained after the grant period.

All recipients of USG grants or cooperative agreements (here-after referred to as “recipients organization (s)”) will be expected to provide regular updates on alumni activities throughout the period of performance. Proposals should also include plans to use alumni in recruitment and orientation programming of future participants. Recipient organization (s) should connect alumni with local private sector partners such as NGOs and businesses to ensure sustainability of alumni activities.

The Department expects that all recipient organization (s) will encourage and assist participants in registering and using the State Alumni website (alumni.state.gov) at multiple points during their exchange experience, at a minimum during program orientations and pre-departure briefings. Proposals should detail how the State Alumni website will be promoted to exchange participants and how the recipient organization (s) will facilitate participant registration. The Department expects that all recipient organization (s) will place a link to State Alumni on their own websites.

State Alumni is an interactive global community where alumni from all over the world can stay connected with their exchange experience by sharing ideas, projects, and experiences.

On State Alumni, exchange participants can:

• Find the latest research in their field, plus career enhancing information
• Participate in live Q&A discussions with experts on a variety of current issues
• Find grant and job opportunities 
• Post résumés and academic articles
• Access 20,000 free journals, newspapers, and more 
• Find a local alumni association to join
• Share their experience with a global audience 
• Read alumni success stories, perspectives, and idea

All statistical information collected on USG funded program participant (s) should be transferable to databases maintained by the USG.

While applicant organizations may propose the use of websites for recruitment and selection, pre-departure and re-entry efforts/activities, the Department will not fund or support websites and/or website activities that are duplicative or run parallel to alumni opportunities on the State Alumni website.

Recipient organizations will be granted access to the password-protected State Alumni website to interact with program participants and alumni. USG funds can be used to support the recipient organization’s interaction with alumni via the State Alumni website

After awards have been finalized, all recipient organization (s) will be expected to work directly with the Office of Alumni Affairs and the Embassy-based alumni coordinators to provide regular updates on alumni activities, alumni follow-up and alumni participant data. Proposals should specifically acknowledge a commitment to this effort.

The embassies will provide general information on alumni outreach ideas as well as illustrative examples of State Alumni website pages on exchanges.state.gov that interested organizations can use in designing their alumni outreach strategies.

Project Details: Social and Economic Challenges for Future Leaders: Grassroots Development in a Modern Democracy

This project will work to expand the capacity of Turkish and Armenian grassroots organizations (NGOs), for example by  empowering women, improving job skills for young people in economically disadvantaged communities, raising environmental awareness and activism, etc.. The Embassies envision a “hands on” program where U.S., Armenian and Turkish grassroots organizations with similar missions will partner on joint projects (addressing women’s empowerment, job skills for young people, and environmental awareness) that will be developed and implemented over a series of exchanges and continued post-program engagement among the organizations. The Embassies seek competitive proposals that will build NGO capacity in practice, giving NGO leaders from the three countries opportunities to adopt best practices. Joint projects should be developed, implemented, monitored and evaluated by all three sides. The implementing U.S. grantee will be required to partner and involve one or more Turkish and one or more Armenian grassroots organizations in the program that have demonstrated a commitment to civil society development and the establishment of a dialogue between the government and non-governmental sectors in Turkey and in Armenia.  Proposals that do not involve joint projects by all three partners in both Turkey and Armenia will be deemed less competitive.  (See “Ideal Program Model” below for more details.)  Applicants should consult with the U.S. Embassies in Yerevan and Ankara when selecting these partners.

Audience: Emerging grassroots leaders (15-20 from the U.S. , 15-20 from Armenia and 15-20 from Turkey selected through merit-based competitions) age 21-35 involved with grassroots efforts in among other areas empowering women, improving job skills for young people in economically disadvantaged communities, and environmental awareness and activism.

A successful program will provide participants:

• Opportunities to develop leadership skills, including how to conceptualize and develop community-based projects to reach diverse citizenry, using clear objectives, solid management structures and evaluation feedback mechanisms at the local level;
• An understanding and review of the impact of public interest and government policies on the primary issues, as well as a comprehensive discussion of proposed solutions;
• An introduction to volunteerism and the ways in which different NGOs and charities give service to their communities. This includes knowledge of how the needs of a community are identified, how service organizations find their niches, how service projects are funded, and how they are organized;
• New links between emerging grassroots leaders and organizations in Armenia, Turkey and the United States;
• A review of new technologies, such as weblogs, online videos, and social networking sites, and how these new media can be used to effect positive change in their communities.
• A fuller understanding of American, Armenian and Turkish policies, political structures, societies, and cultures.

Ideal Program Model:

1. A two to three week U.S.-based program that would mainly focus on the development of a joint community-based project that Armenian,Turkish and U.S. participants would develop and implement for the rest of the program. This program could also include seminars; site visits; and individual mentoring for the Armenian and Turkish participants. Programs should also include a one- or two-day debriefing and evaluation session at the end of the program in Washington, D.C.
2. A one to two week program in Turkey for Armenia, Turkish and U.S. participants. This would mainly focus on the continued implementation of joint community-based project originally started during the U.S.-based program. This program could also include seminars; site visits; and on-site consultancies by U.S. and Armenian participants to Turkish organizations/workplaces. It should also include a one- or two-day debriefing and evaluation session at the end of the program.
3. A one to two week program in Armenia for Turkish, Armenian and U.S. participants. This would mainly focus on the continued implementation of joint community-based project originally started during the U.S. and Turkish-based program. This program could also include seminars; site visits; and on-site consultancies by U.S. and Turkish participants to Armenian organizations/workplaces. It should also include a one- or two-day debriefing and evaluation session at the end of the program.
4. The project should establish a plan for regular communication among participants through electronic and digital image communications. Also, the project should reach out to participants in other similar USG-funded exchange programs in Armenia and Turkey. Programs could also support materials translated into Turkish and Armenian, small grants for projects designed to expand the exchange experience and support for the development of alumni association.

Award Information:

Type of Award: Grant Agreement The embassies’ level of involvement in this program is listed under number I above.

Fiscal Year Funds: 2010

Approximate Total Funding: $500,000

Approximate Number of Awards: 1

Approximate Average Award: $500,000

Ceiling of Award Range: $500,000

Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September 1, 2010

Anticipated Project Completion Date: August 31, 2011

Eligibility Information:

Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).

Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Department encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.

When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23 - Cost Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's contribution will be reduced in like proportion.

Other Eligibility Requirements: DOS grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $60,000 in DOS funding. DOS anticipates making one award, in an amount up to $500,000 to support program and administrative costs required to implement this exchange program.   Therefore, organizations with less than four years experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.   DOS encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.

Application and Submission Information:

Note:  Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals.  Once the RFGP deadline has passed, DOS staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from Embassy Ankara’s website at http://turkey.usembassy.gov/cultural_educational_events.html or from the Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov.

Please read all information before downloading.

Content and Form of Submission:  Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package. The application should be submitted per the instructions under IV.3f. “Application Deadline and Methods of Submission” section below.

You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Government.  This number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities.  Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge.  To obtain a DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711.  Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the appropriate box of the SF – 424 which is part of the formal application package.

All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative and budget.

Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)( see  http://www.state.gov/g/drl/p/2009/index.htm ) document for additional formatting and technical requirements.

IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please note:  Effective January 7, 2009, all applicants for federal assistance awards must include in their application the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation).  In fulfilling this requirement, applicants must submit information in one of the following ways:

1. Those who file Internal Revenue Service Form 990, "Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax," must include a copy of relevant portions of this form. 
2. Those who do not file IRS Form 990 must submit information above in the format of their choice.

In addition to final program reporting requirements, award recipients will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived from their program reports, listing and describing their grant activities.  For award recipients, the names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as the one- page description of grant activities, will be transmitted by the State Department to OMB, along with other information required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), and will be made available to the public by the Office of Management and Budget on its USASpending.gov website as part of DOS's FFATA reporting requirements.

If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not received a grant or cooperative agreement from DOS in the past three years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.

IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information when preparing your proposal narrative:

IV.3d.1 Adherence To All Regulations Governing The J Visa : The US Embassy in Ankara is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered by this RFGP, and an employee of the Embassy will be the "Responsible Officer" for the program under the terms of 22 CFR 62, which covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa program).   Under the terms of 22 CFR 62, organizations receiving awards (either a grant or cooperative agreement) under this RFGP will be third parties "cooperating with or assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program."  The actions of recipient organizations shall be "imputed to the sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with" 22 CFR 62.  Therefore, the Embassy expects that any organization receiving an award under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR 62 et seq.

The US Embassy places critically important emphases on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by recipient organizations and program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program status.  Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that the applicant is prepared to assist the Embassy in meeting all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62.  If your organization has experience as a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR 62 et. seq., including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.

The grantee be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.

A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov or from:

United States Department of State
Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation
ECA/EC/ECD - SA-44, Room 734
301 4th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20547
Telephone: (202) 203-5029
Fax: (202) 453-8640

IV.3d.2  Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines : Programs must maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and representative of the diversity of American political, social, and cultural life.  "Diversity" should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and disabilities.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle both in program administration and in program content.  Please refer to the review criteria under the 'Support for Diversity' section for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into your proposal.  Public Law 104-319 provides that "in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy," the USG "shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries."  Public Law 106 - 113 requires that the governments of the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection process.  Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.

IV.3d.3.  Program Monitoring and Evaluation : Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the project’s success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program.  The Department recommends that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original project objectives.  The Department expects that the recipient organization will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as well as substantive knowledge.  

Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation plan should include a description of your project’s objectives, your anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure these outcomes (performance indicators).  The more that outcomes are "smart" (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct the evaluation.  You should also show how your project objectives link to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.

Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish between program outputs and outcomes.  Outputs are products and services delivered, often stated as an amount.  Output information is important to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the results achieved.  Examples of outputs include the number of people trained or the number of seminars conducted.   Outcomes, in contrast, represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.

We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in increasing order of importance):

1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange experience.
2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, and changed understanding and attitude.  Learning includes both substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
3. Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community members, and others.
4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational improvements.

Please note:  Consideration should be given to the appropriate timing of data collection for each level of outcome.  For example, satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term outcomes.

Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be judged on how well it 1) specifies intended outcomes; 2) gives clear descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; 3) identifies when particular outcomes will be measured; and 4) provides a clear description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)

Recipient organizations will be required to provide reports analyzing their evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports.  All data collected, including survey responses and contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the Bureau upon request.

IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration when preparing your budget:

IV.3e.1.  Applicants must submit SF-424A – “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs” along with a comprehensive budget for the entire program.  Budget requests may not exceed $500,000. There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program budgets.  Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity to provide clarification

IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:

Travel. International and domestic airfare; airline baggage and seat fees; visas; transit costs; ground transportation costs. Please note that all air travel must be in compliance with the Fly America Act.  There is no charge for J-1 visas for participants in Bureau sponsored programs. 

Per Diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at:
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?
programId=9704&channelId=-
15943&ooid=16365&contentId=17943&pageTypeId=
8203&contentType
=GSA_BASIC&programPage=
%2Fep%2Fprogram%2FgsaBasic.jsp&P=MTT

ECA requests applicants to budget realistic costs that reflect the local economy and do not exceed Federal per diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can be accessed at:
http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

Interpreters. For U.S.-based activities, DOS strongly encourages applicants to hire their own locally based interpreters. One interpreter is typically needed for every four participants who require interpretation. Grant funds cannot support interpreters who accompany delegations from their home country or travel internationally.

Book and Cultural Allowances. Foreign participants are entitled to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book allowance of $50. Interpreters should be reimbursed up to $150 for expenses when they escort participants to cultural events. U.S. program staff, trainers or participants are not eligible to receive these benefits.

Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized expertise or to make presentations. Honoraria rates should not exceed $250 per day. Organizations are encouraged to cost-share rates that would exceed that figure. Subcontracting organizations may also be employed, in which case the written agreement between the prospective grantee and sub-grantee should be included in the proposal. Such sub-grants should detail the division of responsibilities and proposed costs, and subcontracts should be itemized in the budget.

Room rental.  The rental of meeting space should not exceed $250 per day.  Any rates that exceed this amount should be cost shared.

Materials. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, develop and translate materials for participants. Costs for high quality translation of materials should be anticipated and included in the budget. Grantee organizations should expect to submit a copy of all program materials to DOS, and DOS support should be acknowledged on all materials developed with its funding.

Equipment. Applicants may propose to use grant funds to purchase equipment, such as computers and printers; these costs should be justified in the budget narrative. Costs for furniture are not allowed.

Working meal. Normally, no more than one working meal may be provided during the program. Per capita costs may not exceed $15 - $25 for lunch and $20 - $35 for dinner, excluding room rental. The number of invited guests may not exceed participants by more than a factor of two-to-one. When setting up a budget, interpreters should be considered “participants.”

Return travel allowance. A return travel allowance of $70 for each foreign participant may be included in the budget. This allowance would cover incidental expenses incurred during international travel.

Health Insurance. Foreign participants for this program will NOT be covered during their participation in the program by the ECA-sponsored Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE).   Therefore, grantees are advised to make provisions to enroll foreign and US participants in an appropriate, short term health insurance plan for the duration of the exchange periods.

Wire transfer fees. When necessary, applicants may include costs to transfer funds to partner organizations overseas. Grantees are urged to research applicable taxes that may be imposed on these transfers by host governments.

In-country travel costs for visa processing purposes. Given the requirements associated with obtaining J-1 visas for DOS-supported participants, applicants should include costs for any travel associated with visa interviews or DS-2019 pick-up.

Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective administration of the program may include salaries for grantee organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs.  While there is no rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, proposals in which the administrative costs do not exceed 25% of the total requested USG grant funds will be more competitive under the cost effectiveness and cost sharing criterion, per item V.1 below. Proposals should show strong administrative cost sharing contributions from the applicant, the in-country.

For details, please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)( see  http://www.state.gov/g/drl/p/2009/index.htm) 

IV.3F. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:

Application Deadline Date: July 1, 2010

Methods of Submission:

Applications may be submitted in one of two ways:

In hard-copy, via an internationally recognized overnight delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express,),to:

Office of Public Affairs (attention: Cultural Affairs Section)
U.S. Embassy, Ankara
110 Ataturk Blvd
Kavaklidere 0640 Ankara
Turkey

or electronically to: Ankara-CrossBorderProjects-DL@state.gov

IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications: Applications must be shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles.  Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline but received at the US Embassy-Ankara more than 14 days after the deadline will be ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for consideration under this competition. The embassies will not notify you upon receipt of application.  It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to monitor/confirm delivery to the embassy via the Internet.  Delivery of proposal packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered. 

Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also submit the "Executive Summary" and "Proposal Narrative" sections of the proposal in text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format via the internet address noted above. 

IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications:  Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.

V. Application Review Information

Review Process: The Embassies in Ankara and Yerevan will review all proposals for technical eligibility.  Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein.  Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with Federal regulations and guidelines and forwarded to grant panels for advisory review.  Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements.    Final technical authority for assistance award grants resides with the designated Grants Officer.

Review Criteria: Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below.  These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:

Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives: Program objectives should be stated clearly and should reflect the applicant’s expertise in the subject area and region. Objectives should respond to the topics in this announcement and should relate to the current conditions in the target country/countries. A detailed agenda and relevant work plan should explain how objectives will be achieved and should include a timetable for completion of major tasks. The substance of workshops, internships, seminars and/or consulting should be described in detail. Sample schedules should be outlined. Responsibilities of proposed in-country partners should be clearly described.  A discussion of how the applicant intends to address language issues should be included, if needed.   

Institutional Capacity: Proposals should include 1) the institution’s mission and date of establishment; 2) detailed information about proposed in-country partner(s) and the history of the partnership; 3) an outline of prior awards—U.S. government and/or private support received for the target theme/country/region; and 4) descriptions of experienced staff members who will implement the program. The proposal should reflect the institution’s expertise in the subject area and knowledge of the conditions in the target country/countries. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past DOS grants as determined by Grants Staff.  The Department will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program’s goals. The Department strongly encourages applicants to submit letters of support from proposed in-country partners.

Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Overhead and administrative costs in the proposal budget, including salaries, honoraria and subcontracts for services, should be kept to a minimum. Proposals in which the administrative costs do not exceed 25% of the total requested USG grant funds will be more competitive (see IV.3e.2 #14 for clarification on this).  Applicants are strongly encouraged to cost share a portion of overhead and administrative expenses. Cost sharing, including contributions from the applicant, proposed in-country partner(s), and other sources should be included in the budget request. Proposal budgets that do not reflect cost sharing will be deemed not competitive on this criterion.

Support of Diversity:  Proposals should demonstrate substantive support of the Department's policy on diversity.  Achievable and relevant features should be cited in both program administration (selection of participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content (orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials and follow-up activities).  Applicants should refer to the Department’s Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) and the Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines section, Item IV.3d.2, above for additional guidance.

Post-Grant Activities: Applicants should provide a plan to conduct activities after the Bureau-funded project has concluded in order to ensure that Bureau-supported programs are not isolated events. Funds for all post-grant activities must be in the form of contributions from the applicant or sources outside of the Bureau. Costs for these activities must not appear in the proposal budget, but should be outlined in the narrative.

Program Monitoring and Evaluation:  Proposals should include a detailed plan to monitor and evaluate the program.  Program objectives should target clearly defined results in quantitative terms.  Competitive evaluation plans will describe how applicant organizations would measure these results, and proposals should include draft data collection instruments (surveys, questionnaires, etc) in Tab E.  Successful applicants (grantee institutions) will be expected to submit a report after each program component concludes or on a quarterly basis, whichever is less frequent.  The Department also requires that grantee institutions submit a final narrative and financial report no more than 90 days after the expiration of a grant.

VI.  Award Administration Information:

VI.1a. Award Notices:  Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal Deparmental procedures.  Successful applicants will receive a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from the Grants Office.  The FAA and the original proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government.  The FAA will be signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and mailed to the recipient’s responsible officer identified in the application. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this competition. 

VI.2  Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Terms and Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements include the following:

• Office of Management and Budget Circular A 122, "Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations.”
• Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, “Cost Principles for Educational Institutions.”  
• OMB Circular A-87, “Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian Governments”.
• OMB Circular No. A 110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
• OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
• OMB Circular No.  A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-profit Organizations

Please reference the following websites for additional information:

• http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.

• http://fa.statebuy.state.gov

VI.3. Reporting Requirements:  You must provide the Embassy with a hard copy original plus one electronic copy of the following reports:

1. A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award;
2. A concise, one-page final program report summarizing program outcomes no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award.  This one-page report will will be transmitted to OMB, and be made available to the public via OMB's USAspending.gov website - as part of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting requirements.  
3. A SF-PPR, “Performance Progress Report” Cover Sheet with all program reports.

Award recipients will be required to provide reports analyzing their evaluation findings to the Department  in their regular program reports. (Please refer to IV. Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.

All data collected, including survey responses and contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the Department upon request.

All reports must be sent to the Grants Officer and Embassy Program Officers listed in the final assistance award document.

VI.4. Optional Program Data Requirements: Award recipients will be required to maintain specific data on program participants and activities in an electronically accessible database format that can be shared with the Department as required. As a minimum, the data must include the following:

1. Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the agreement or who benefit from the award funding but do not travel.
2. Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take place. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be received by the ECA Program Officer at least three work days prior to the official opening of the activity.

Embassy Contacts

For questions about this announcement, contact. the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer in Ankara (Tom Leary, LearyTM@state.gov; tel: +90-312-457-7335), the Cultural Affairs Officer in Ankara (Craig Dicker  DickerCL@state.gov; tel: +90-312-457-7438)  and/or the Public Affairs Officer in Yerevan (Tom Mittnacht mittnachtt@state.gov; tel: +374-10-49-4691). 

All correspondence with the Embassies concerning this RFGP should reference the title “Young Armenia/Young Turkey/Young America:  Social and Economic Challenges for Future Leaders.  Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals.  Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Embassy staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

Other Information:

Notice:  The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may not be modified by any USG  representative.  Explanatory information provided by the Department that contradicts published language will not be binding.  Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government.  The Department reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.  Awards made will be subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3 above.