U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
Notice of Funding Opportunity
Funding Opportunity Title: Building English Teaching Capacity in the Dominican Republic
Funding Opportunity Number: S-DR860-17-NOFO-002
Deadline for Applications: August 14, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. (EST)
CFDA Number: 19.040 – General Department of State Assistance
Total Amount Available: Up to U.S. $150,000.00 for each funded award
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
- The U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to engage English teachers in training programs that will strengthen English teaching quality and capacity in the Dominican Republic. Please follow all instructions below.
Priority Region: Dominican Republic
Project Objectives:
- Design and execute English teacher training programs to strengthen English teaching in the Dominican Republic
a. License at least five teachers or teacher trainers as TESOL Trainers
b. Train at least 80 English pre-service and/or in-service teachers in the communicative approach in support of the new English curriculum implemented by the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic in the northern, eastern, southern and/or capital region.
c. Train 40 teachers and/or supervisors from the Ministry of Higher Education’s English Immersion Program, the Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano and the Centro Cultural Dominico-Americano in the communicative approach and in evaluation and assessment.
d. Improve the English level of in-service public sector teachers so that they are able to provide higher quality English teaching to students across the Dominican Republic
The primary goal of the funding opportunity is to engage English teachers in training programs that will strengthen English teaching quality and capacity in the Dominican Republic. The target population for this training program will be public school teachers, teachers from the Ministry of Higher Education’s English Immersion Program and teachers from the binational centers (Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano and Centro Cultural Dominico-Americano). Institutions should include a description of the interview and selection procedures and assessment methods for the proposed training program(s).
Participants and Audiences:
a. License at least five teachers or teacher trainers as TESOL Trainers
Target audience: Teachers or Supervisors/Teacher Trainers from the Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano’s Teacher Training Center and/or English School
b. Train at least 80 English pre-service teachers and/or in-service teachers in the communicative approach in support of the new English curriculum implemented by the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic in the northern, eastern, southern and/or capital region.
Target audience: Pre-service teachers attending local universities, including UASD and ISFODOSU, and/or in-service teachers from the Ministry of Education
c. Train 40 teachers and/or supervisors from the Ministry of Higher Education’s English Immersion Program, the Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano and the Centro Cultural Dominico-Americano in evaluation and assessment and/or communicative approach.
Target Audience: 40 teachers and/or supervisors from the Ministry of Higher Education’s English Immersion Program, the Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano and the Centro Cultural Dominico-Americano
d. Improve the English level of in-service public sector teachers so that they are able to provide higher quality English teaching to students across the Dominican Republic
Target Audience: At least 30 teachers from the Ministry of Education
The goal of the grants program is to enhance relations between Dominicans and U.S. organizations and people in the priority areas described, and/or to allow Dominican audiences to better understand the United States, its culture, society, government, language, legal, economic and political systems, and values. To further these goals, proposals must include U.S. content. Examples of U.S. content include speakers who are U.S. citizens, use of U.S. training models or materials, exchanges with U.S. institutions, promotion of U.S. culture and arts, etc.
- Activities that are typically funded include, but are not limited to:
- Academic and professional lectures; public seminars and programs;
- Professional development workshops and training for youth and teachers;
- Cultural, professional and academic exchanges and projects;
- Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances and exhibitions;
- Activities that are not typically funded include, but are not limited to:
- Grants to individuals
- Scientific research
- Paying to complete activities begun with other funds;
- Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to individual or single party electoral campaigns;
- Speakers who are not U.S. citizens.
B, FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
Length of performance period: 6 to 15 months
Number of awards anticipated: 02 awards (dependent on amounts)
Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $150,000
Total available funding: up to $150,000 for each award
Type of Funding: FY17 Smith Mundt or Fulbright Hays Public Diplomacy Funds
Anticipated project start date: 09-30-2017
This notice is subject to availability of funding.
Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative agreement Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that bureau/embassy staff is more actively involved in the grant implementation.
Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 15 months or less.
C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION
- Eligible Applicants
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Public and private educational institutions
- Cost Sharing or Matching
No cost share is required for this award competition.
- Other Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.
D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
- Address to Request Application Package
Application forms required below are available at the U.S. Embassy website.
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.
Content of Application
Please ensure:
- The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity
- All documents are in English
- All budgets are in U.S. dollars
- All pages are numbered
- All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and
- All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.
The following documents are required:
- Mandatory application forms
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations)
- SF424A(Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)
- SF424B(Assurances for Non-Construction programs)
- Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, project title, project period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the project.
- Proposal (10 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, but it must include all the items below.
- Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project objectives and anticipated impact.
- Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the project, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.
- Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed project is needed
- Project Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the project is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.
- Project Activities: Describe the project activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.
- Program Methods and Design: A description of how the project is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate.
- Proposed Project Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the project activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.
- Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the project. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this project?
- Project Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.
- Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?
- Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.
- Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.
- Attachments:
- 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the project
- Letters of support from project partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner
- If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.
- Official permission letters, if required for project activities
- Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)
Required Registrations:
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.
All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:
- Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)
- NCAGE/CAGE code
- SAM.gov registration
Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)
DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform
NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx
Instructions for the NCAGE application process: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf
For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423
For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766
Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.
Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.
- Submission Dates and Times
Applications are due no later than 4:00 PM EST on August 14, 2017
- Other Submission Requirements
All application materials must be submitted by email to SantoDomingoGrants@state.gov
E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
- Criteria
Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below.
Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 25 points: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how project activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.
Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 25 points: 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.
Project Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 15 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.
Budget – 10 points: 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 – 15 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The project includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those will be measured.
Sustainability – 10 points: Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the project.
- Review and Selection Process
A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.
- Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)
For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:
i. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);
ii. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;
iii. That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.
F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
- Federal Award Notices
The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The 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: Please note that according to the U.S. government’s federal assistance policy, recipients do not receive advance payments in excess of their “immediate cash needs.” In general, up to 20% of the grant total is withheld as a final payment to ensure that final reports are submitted by grantees. All successful applicants will be provided with this information upon award of funds.
- Administrative and National Policy Requirements
- Request for Advance or Reimbursement SF-270[PDF, 192KB]
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: https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/271865.pdf
Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.
- Reporting
Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit program reports and may be required to submit financial reports depending on the type of award. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted. Please find links to the documents below.
- Narrative Report Instructions SF-PPR[PDF, 269 kB]
- Federal Financial Report SF-425[PDF, 575 kB]
- Instructions for the Federal Financial Report[PDF, 160 kB]}
G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS
If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: SantoDomingoGrants@state.gov.
H. 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 project, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the project.
Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this project, for both program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the project involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.
Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the project, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the project), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.
Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the project. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.
Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the project activities.
Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the project, 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 project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.
“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues. Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.
Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Small Grant Program.
[1] U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo Mission Statement: https://do.usembassy.gov/es/embassy-es/santo-domingo-es/
