U.S. Bureau of Population Announces Funding for Refugee Assistance in Chad and Nigeria

Contact Information

Applicants with technical questions related to this announcement should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to submission.  Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.

• PRM Program Officer: James Manlowe, manlowejs@state.gov, Washington, D.C.
• Regional Refugee Coordinator: Melissa Sandoval, sandovalmm@state.gov U.S. Embassy Abuja, Nigeria.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

1. 1. Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education (U.S.-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of non-profit tax status).
   2. Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education (overseas-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of registration in country of domicile); and
   3. International Organizations.  International multilateral organizations, such as United Nations agencies, should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this NOFO.  Multilateral organizations that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the PRM contacts above before the closing date of the funding announcement.

Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for this funding announcement.  However, proposals should describe additional funding sources and amounts that may complement PRM funding.  These additional funds must:

• Not be paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award.
• Be verifiable from the non-Federal entity’s records.
• Not be included as contributions for any other Federal award; and
• Be necessary and reasonable for achieving project and program objectives.

Please include this information in the Budget Summary, Budget Detail, and Budget Narrative sections of the proposal, separate from the PRM share of the proposed budget.

Note: Including additional funding is viewed favorably but will not increase your competitive ranking during evaluation.

Number of Allowed Proposal Applications

Organizations can submit a maximum of one application per country.  Any additional submissions will be disqualified.  (Note: Submission as a part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit.

Program Description

Funding comes from the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account to carry out section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act (MRAA) of 1962.

Substantial Involvement

The Department of State will be substantially involved in carrying out aspects of this cooperative agreement.  Recipients should anticipate that PRM will undertake the following list of non-exhaustive activities:

• Provide overall policy guidance and program direction.
• Review and comment on proposed budgets, proposed changes or revisions to the project.
• Periodically monitor and evaluate the performance of the proposed project, including review of required program and financial reporting documents.

Geographic Regions / Populations

Proposed activities must primarily support refugees and asylum seekers in Chad and Nigeria.  Due to PRM’s mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and conflict victims, PRM will only consider those programs that target at least 50 percent of their participants as refugees and other populations of concern.

Program area (For PRM Use)

Proposals must align with one or more of the following program areas:

• Humanitarian Protection and Assistance

Program Sectors and Modalities

Proposals must focus on one or more of the following programmatic sectors (see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for sector descriptions):

• Education (Chad)
• Health (Nigeria)

Note: To ensure greater accountability for protection outcomes in all overseas assistance program proposals, applicants must include the following three indicators in all programs, regardless of design or sector.

• PRM-1.  Number of individuals directly reached through PRM funding.
• PRM-2.  Amount of humanitarian funding distributed to local, national, or refugee-led organizations (in USD) – This amount should include any sub-awards or contracts with local, national, or refugee-led organizations.  If the prime applicant is a local, national, or refugee-led organization, they should use the full proposal budget total as the target value.  Refer to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) working definition of “local” and “national” organizations .  If this indicator does not apply to you, set the target to zero; it will not affect your eligibility.
• PRM-3.  Percentage of participants who report that humanitarian assistance is delivered in a safe, accessible, accountable, and participatory manner – The Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) developed this protection mainstreaming indicator, and the Grand Bargain adopted it.   Research or coordination awards that don’t involve community implementation are exempt from this indicator.  Refer to the PRM Performance Indicator Reference & Definition Sheets (PIRS)  [2 MB] for a sample questionnaire and analysis guidance.

Recommended if applicable: Partners may consider using these indicators to monitor any related activities as they are aligned with humanitarian standards and best practices.  However, inclusion of recommended indicators is not mandatory and will not affect the proposal scoring.  Please note that in rare cases PRM may request for a partner to use a particular recommended indicator if there is a strong technical/thematic need to track information on that indicator, or if a similar custom indicator was proposed by the partner.

Country-specific Guidelines

Chad Country-Specific Guidance

General Guidance

Proposals should align with existing refugee response plans and coordinate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Chadian government (at national and sub-national levels) in planning, design, implementation, and reporting.

Proposed activities must support refugees and asylum seekers in the regions of Wadi Fira, Ouaddai, and Sila Provinces in eastern Chad.  They may also include host community members.  PRM will only review proposals that target at least 50 percent refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants.  Programs should use a community-based approach that also benefits host communities.  PRM strongly encourages applicants to mainstream protection activities and climate activities in their programs, when applicable.  This includes:

• Gender-based violence (GBV) risk mitigation
• Climate risk mitigation or adaption
• Inclusion of marginalized groups
• Mental health and psychosocial support
• Measures to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (e.g., continuous training for all staff, volunteers and program participants)

PRM encourages joint proposals from two or more NGOs working in complementary sectors.  Strong proposals will include a defined localization plan that includes at least one of the following:

1. a transition plan with national or local-level government entities,
2. a local or refugee organization as a grantee or sub-grantee, or
3. an agreement to progressively strengthen the capacity of a local or refugee organization over the course of the award.

Localization strategies must show how they increase the project’s sustainability and the representation of local actors in Chad’s broader refugee response.

Proposals must focus on the following sector and are limited to activities in the regions of Wadi Fira, Ouaddai, and Sila Provinces in eastern Chad:

Education:  Activities should aim to restore and maintain access to safe and quality education during humanitarian crises and support out-of-school children to quickly enter or return to quality learning opportunities.  PRM considers education to be lifesaving and a critical component in a humanitarian response.  PRM will prioritize education programs that clearly link with child protection response.  PRM prioritizes programs that support refugee and migrant children through existing national education systems whenever possible.  If mainstreaming is not possible, stand-alone program curricula should comply with national curriculum standards issued by Chad’s relevant government ministry to promote future inclusion.  Activities should be accessible to and inclusive of children with different disabilities and be gender sensitive.  PRM considers education sector activities to include, but not limited to:

• Activities to improve girls’ and boys’ equitable access, enrollment and retention in early childhood, primary, and secondary education.
• Programs that facilitate mainstreaming into local schools including supporting teachers and/or supplies in those schools, school fees, transportation costs or other related fees to facilitate access to local schools.
• Activities to improve learning outcomes, including teacher training, access to examinations, community/caregiver engagement, catch up and/or remedial education.
• Alternative education, including accelerated learning for out of school and/or over age learners should conform to national standards and ensure clear pathways back to formal education or other vocational opportunities.
• Programs may include host-community participants if at least 50 percent of the participant population are refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants.
• For Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) behavior change and communication in school settings, refer to WASH Behavior Change and Communication (BCC) guidance under the WASH Sector and provide additional details on adapting programmatic approaches across age groups in school settings.
• For any school buildings or site infrastructure improvements –applicant should instead propose activities under the Shelter and Settlement Sector – and note how any schools built with PRM funding will conform to applicable national government guidelines regarding school infrastructure and comply with host country or regional standards for accessibility in construction.
• For any WASH infrastructure built in Schools –propose activities under the WASH Sector.

Duration of Activity

Program plans for two to three years will be considered.

Period of Performance

Programs period of performance of one-year (12 months) cycles for a period not to exceed three years (36 months) will be considered.

Funding limits

Program proposals must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $1,000,000
• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $3,400,000

Note:  Funding ceilings and floors pertain to the PRM cost per year.

Anticipated Number of Awards

PRM anticipates, but makes no guarantee, to fund as many as one award through this announcement.

Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

PRM anticipates, but makes no guarantee, to award up to approximately $3.4 million per year total through this NOFO for this country.  The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined once final FY 2025 appropriations have been made.  This NOFO will be cancelled if FY 2025 appropriations are insufficient to support new awards.

Nigeria Country-Specific Guidance

General Guidance

Proposals should align with existing refugee response plans and coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Nigerian government (at national and sub-national levels) in planning, design, implementation, and reporting.

Proposed health activities must support refugees and asylum seekers in the Taraba, Cross River, and Benue states of southeastern Nigeria.  They may also include host community members.  PRM will only review proposals that target at least 50 percent refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants.  Programs should use a community-based approach that also benefits host communities.  PRM strongly encourages applicants to mainstream protection activities and climate activities in their programs, when applicable.  This includes:

• Gender-based violence (GBV) risk mitigation
• Climate risk mitigation or adaption
• Inclusion of marginalized groups
• Mental health and psychosocial support
• Measures to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (e.g., continuous training for all staff, volunteers and program participants).

PRM encourages joint proposals from two or more NGOs working in complementary sectors.  Strong proposals will include a defined localization plan that includes at least one of the following:

1) a transition plan with national or local-level government entities,

• a local or refugee organization as a grantee or sub-grantee, or
• an agreement to progressively strengthen the capacity of a local or refugee organization over the course of the award.

Localization strategies must show how they increase the project’s sustainability and the representation of local actors in Nigeria’s broader refugee response.

Proposals must focus on the following sector and are limited to activities in the states of Taraba, Benue, and Cross River in southeastern Nigeria:

Health:  Interventions and programs should be based on internationally recognized, evidence-based strategies, global guidance, and best practices that address the major causes of morbidity and mortality.  This does not include mental health and psychosocial support.

To avoid creating parallel, refugee-specific systems, health strategies should use national treatment and prevention protocols where possible and adhere to international standards where host government capacity is limited.  Interventions should generally be coordinated with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and other relevant partners.  Any health infrastructure built with PRM funding must conform to national MoH guidelines.  In refugee reintegration settings, PRM-funded NGOs providing health services should obtain a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with local or national MoH officials.  The MoU should acknowledge the NGO’s presence and work and include a plan detailing the process and timeline for eventually handing over of health services to the MoH and other relevant actors, including if/when health staff currently being paid by the NGO will be added to MoH payrolls.  This may be appropriate in refugee settings.  Finally, applicants should consider lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and review how hybrid technologies can be used to reach wider audiences, close access gaps, and safely deliver health services in the face of ongoing and future health emergencies.

NGO partners implementing tuberculosis (TB) programs with refugee populations should use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s TB Monitoring and Evaluation toolkit at least once per fiscal year in order to evaluate and improve program quality.

Health services or interventions that address the reproductive processes, functions, and system at all stages of life.

Note: Programs with a health and/or nutrition component are strongly encouraged to measure the Crude Mortality Rate (CMR) for the population and Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in children under age five – two core indicators of the impact of humanitarian assistance.  PRM requires that, in addition to required program reports, partners share survey data on CMR and GAM with the UNHCR Public Health and HIV Section, including through the UNHCR’s Health Information System (HIS) where available.

Health projects should include an integrated approach to sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention and treatment.

Duration of Activity

Program plans for two or three years will be considered.

Period of Performance

Programs period of performance of one-year (12 months) cycles for a period not to exceed three years (36 months) will be considered.

Funding limits

Program proposals must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $750,000
• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $1,500,000

Note:  Funding ceilings and floors pertain to the PRM cost per year.

Anticipated Number of Awards

PRM anticipates, but makes no guarantee, to fund as many as one award through this announcement.  The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined once final FY 2025 appropriations have been made.  This NOFO will be cancelled if FY 2025 appropriations are insufficient to support new awards.

Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

PRM anticipates, but makes no guarantee, to award up to approximately $1,500,000 per year total through this NOFO for this country.

Application and Submission Instructions

1. Where to Request Application Package:  Application packages may be downloaded from the website www.Grants.gov.
2. Content and Form of Application:  Organizations may submit a maximum of one (1) proposal per country only.  Any subsequent submissions received will be disqualified.  PRM recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are available on PRM’s website.

Multi-Year Proposals:

1. • • Applicants proposing multi-year programs should follow this guidance:
       • Submit proposals with multi-year strategies in one-year (12 month) cycles, not exceeding three years (36 months) from the start date.  Each year must have fully developed programs with detailed budgets, objectives, and indicators.  Use PRM’s recommended multi-year proposal template.  Use PRM’s recommended budget templates and disaggregate the budget by year.  Multi-year proposal narratives and budgets can be updated yearly upon submission of new noncompeting single year proposal narrative template with an updated budget.
     • Multi-year program proposal page limits:  Multi-year proposals using PRM’s recommended multi-year template must not exceed 17 pages (Times New Roman or Calibri 12-point font, letter-sized paper, one-inch margins).  If not using PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 15 pages.  Attachments like work plans, activity calendars, and logical frameworks do not count toward the page limit but should not be the main source of program information.  The proposal narrative must stand on its own.
       • PRM recommends submitting application narratives in Adobe PDF format.  Submit tables and budget documents as Excel files.
       • PRM strictly adheres to stated page limits and will not review pages beyond the stated limit, which may negatively impact the proposal’s score.
       • All documents must be in English, avoid jargon, and spell out all acronyms upon first use.
     • Multi-year applications selected for funding by PRM will be funded in one-year (12-month) increments based on the initial approved proposal.   Continued funding after the initial 12-month award requires a noncompeting single-year proposal narrative and depends on available funding, strong performance, and continuing need.  Follow-on applications are submitted annually for years two through three through non-competed directed announcements for continuation funding.

Application Package

To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package, including:

• Proposal Narrative not exceeding stated page limits.
• Indicator Table: Including all required PRM indicators and targets for each year (if multi-year).
  • Cash and voucher assistances (CVA) modality must report on CVA indicators
• Completed Budget table including summary and detail tabs disaggregated by year and for each year of the program period (for multi-year proposals).
  • Include total costs by objective and estimated costs by sector,
  • Total costs divided by country (if applicable)
• Budget Narrative disaggregated by year and for each year of the program period.
  • Completed and signed SF-424 andSF-424A.  PRM requires that Box 21 of the SF-424 be checked.
• If the applicant organization has an active registration in SAM.gov that was either created or updated on or after February 2, 2019, then the applicant does NOT need to submit the SF-424B as they will be prompted to complete the representations and certifications in SAM.gov.
• Risk Assessment and Security Plan.
• Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Code of Conduct and a country or regional implementation plan specific to the country of region of the application
  • Note: Codes of Conduct must be consistent with the updated 2019 IASC Task Force’s Six Core Principles. The country/regional implementation plan should explain:
    • How employees are trained and informed of the Code of Conduct.
    • Describe how violations of against program participants are reported and followed up on safely and confidentially.
    • Detail how program participants are informed about the Code of Conduct and how they can report any violations.
    • State whether there is a focal point in the country or regional office for the Code of Conduct.
• Key Personnel for award applicant and sub-recipient(s)
  • Applicants must provide the names, titles, and brief biographical information on the education and experience of key personnel who will implement the program and key supervisory personnel.  This includes members of the professional staff in supervisory positions assigned to duties under the award.
• A Market Analysis and a Participant Competency/Capacity Assessment for all proposals that include at least one livelihoods sector objective (or will be disqualified), if applicable.  Please see the General NGO Guidelines for more details.
• Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable, or a de minimis rate calculation of Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) if the applicant is eligible and elects to use the de minimis rate.
• Most recent external audit report is required prior to issuance of an award, if proposal is chosen for implementation.
• Information in support of any cost-sharing/cost-matching arrangements, if applicable.
• Information detailing the source of any in-kind contributions, if applicable.
• Details on any sub-agreements associated with the program including the budget detail (must be part of the budget submission as noted above), if applicable.
• Organizational Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) Framework (is required prior to issuance of an award, if proposal is chosen for implementation) 

Additionally, organizations must consider the following considerations as part of their proposal package:

• To be considered a competitive proposal, the Proposal Narrative, Indicator Table, and Budget Detail should include the following information:

• Focus on outcome or impact indicators as much as possible.  Each objective should have at least one outcome or impact indicator.
• Include specific information on program locations and participants (GPS coordinates are highly recommended) to help PRM track the impact of its funding.
• Outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding.  If publicly acknowledging USG funding could endanger lives, invite suspicion, or alienate the organization, you must provide a brief explanation in the proposal for the need of an exemption.
• Demonstrate protection mainstreaming by identifying potential protection risks associated with the program and how they will be mitigated.  Analyze protection risks in relation to each programming sector and design assistance to minimize risks and maximize protection.  Introduce gender-specific risks in this section but provide a full analysis in the gender analysis.
• Complete a gender analysis in the proposal narrative that explains:
  • Experiences of men, women, boys, and girls focusing on familial roles, community privileges, and gender dynamics within the target population.
  • Risks and threats experienced by women, girls, and other vulnerable populations based on their gender.
  • Power imbalances and needs arising from gender inequalities within the family or community.
  • Proposed responses to address and mitigate gender differences in access, participation, or decision-making for at-risk groups, particularly women and girls.  Specify and target at-risk sub-populations such as women and girls heads of households, out-of-school girls, women and girls with disabilities, women and girl survivors of violence, married girls, adolescent mothers, LGBTQI+ individuals, and those often excluded from programs and services.
• Include a specific breakdown of funds provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization in the budget.
• If addressing gender-based violence (GBV), estimate the total cost of these activities as a separate line item in their proposed budgets (see PRM’s budget template).  Include details of any sub-agreements associated with the programs.
• For consortia, include a description of how the partnership will be organized and how lines of authority and decision-making will be managed across all team members and between the lead applicant and associate awardees.

SAM.gov and Grants.gov Registration

Each applicant is required to:

• be registered in SAM before submitting its application.
• provide a valid UEI number in its application; and
• continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active PRM award or an application or plan under consideration by PRM.

No federal award will be made until the selected applicant complies with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements.  If an applicant has not complied by the time the PRM award is ready, PRM may determine that the applicant is not qualified and use that determination as a basis to award another applicant.

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov, which requires a UEI number and active SAM.gov registration.  If new to PRM funding, refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources.  PRM also encourages past recipients to read this section as a refresher.  Applicants may also refer to the “For Applicants” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements.

Do not wait until the deadline to attempt to submit your application on Grants.gov. Register well in advance of the deadline as it can take several weeks to finalize registration, especially for non-U.S. based NGOs.  First-time applicants should submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties.  PRM has extremely limited ability to correct or facilitate rapid resolution to technical difficulties associated with Grants.gov, SAM.gov or UEI number issues.

PRM partners must maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current and correct information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.

When registering with Grants.gov, organizations must designate points of contact and Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs).  As of December 2022, organizations based outside of the United States not applying for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards do not need a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities.  If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove an NCAGE code from their sam.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online to seek guidance on how to do so.  For technical difficulties with the SAM.gov registration process should contact the Federal Service Desk  online or at 1-866-606-8220 (U.S.) and 1-334-206-7828 (International).

Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative at the applicant organization.  Submitting proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726.

Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and.

• who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk.
• received a case number.
• have completed UEI and SAM.gov registrations.
• and had a documented service request opened to research the problem.

Applicants can contact the PRM NGO Coordinator before the submission deadline to determine if an alternative submission method is possible.  However, PRM does not guarantee acceptance of applications outside the grants.gov system.

Each applicant must ensure their registrations are in place and active.  Issues with registrations or discrepancies across platforms are not considered technical difficulties and do not justify an alternate submission method.

In accordance with 2 CFR §200.113, Mandatory disclosures, the non-Federal entity or applicant for a federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity whenever, in connection with the Federal award (including any activities or subawards thereunder), it has credible evidence of the commission of a violation of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award.  Non-Federal entities that have received a federal award including the term and condition outlined in Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to SAM.  Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR §200.338 Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment.  (See also 2 CFR part 180, 31 U.S.C.  3321, and 41 U.S.C.  2313.)

Submission Dates and Times

• Announcement issuance date: Friday, January 10, 2025
• Proposal submission deadline: Friday, February 28, 2025, at 11:59:59 p.m. (23:59:59) EDT.  Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

Intergovernmental Review: Not Applicable

Other Requirements

Branding and Marking Strategy

The following provisions will be included whenever assistance is awarded:

The Recipient shall recognize the U.S. Government’s funding for activities specified under this award at the project site with a graphic of the U.S. flag accompanied by one of the following two phrases based on the level of funding for the award:

• Fully funded by the award: “Gift of the United States Government”
• Partially funded by the award: “Funding provided by the United States Government”

PRM highly encourages recognition of U.S. Government funding on social media and website platforms to be included in proposals branding and marking strategy.  Recipients should tag PRM’s Twitter account @StatePRM and/or Facebook account @State.PRM (rather than using hashtags).  Additionally, the applicable U.S. Embassy should be tagged as well.

Updates of actions taken to fulfill this requirement must be included in quarterly program reports to PRM.

All programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications to foreign audiences, partially or fully funded by the Department, must be marked appropriately overseas with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity.  The requirement does not apply to the Recipient’s own corporate communications or in the United States.

The Recipient must appropriately ensure that all publicity and promotional materials underscore the sponsorship by or partnership with the U.S. Government or the U.S. Embassy.  The Recipient may continue to use existing logos or project materials; however, a standard rectangular U.S. flag must be used in conjunction with such logos.

Do not use the Department of State seal without the express written approval from
PRM.

Sub non-Federal entities (sub-awardees) and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the non-Federal entity shall include a provision in the sub non-Federal entity agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement.  Exemptions from this requirement may be allowable but must be agreed to in writing by the Grants Officer.  (Note: An exemption refers to the complete or partial cessation of branding, not use of alternative branding).  Requests should be initiated with the Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative.  Waivers issued are applied only to the exemptions requested through the Recipient’s proposal for funding and any subsequent negotiated revisions.

In the event the non-Federal entity does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action with the non-Federal entity.

Application Review Information

Criteria

PRM is committed to a competitive and standardized funding process.   Applications will first go through a Technical Eligibility Review to check if they meet eligibility requirements and include all required documents.  Applications that don’t meet these requirements will be deemed ineligible and won’t advance beyond this stage.

PRM may have all technically eligible applications undergo a Subject Matter Expert (SME) review before the Merit Review Panel.  This review checks if the application is responsive to the NOFO information.  Applications that don’t pass the SME review won’t proceed to the Merit Review Panel.

Eligible submissions must comply with the criteria and requirements in this announcement.  The review panel will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria unless otherwise stated:

• Gap/Analysis (10)
• Profile of Target Population (5)
• Program Description (25)
• Objectives & Indicators (10)
• Monitoring & Evaluation Plan (10)
• Accountability to Affected Populations (5)
  • (Note: The AAP section of a NOFO proposal narrative is specific to the program being proposed, is the criterion listed above being evaluated, and is distinct from the organization-level AAP framework.)
• Coordination (5)
• Sustainability and Capacity-Building (5)
• Management and Past Performance (5)
• Risk Management (10)
• Budget/Budget Narrative (10 points)

PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement.  A review panel of at least three people will evaluate submissions based on the programmatic criteria and PRM priorities mentioned above, considering the available funding.

Department of State review panels may provide conditions and recommendations on applications to improve the proposed program.  Applicants must address these conditions or recommendations before further consideration of the award.  To ensure effective use of limited PRM funds, these conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and program activities.

Before making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, PRM must review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the U.S. government-designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313).

Applicants can review and comment on any information about themselves that a Federal awarding agency previously entered.  Currently, federal agencies create integrity records in the integrity module of the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS) and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.

The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, along with other information in the designated integrity and performance system, when making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards.  This part of the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

Federal Award Information

1. Proposed program start dates:  September 1, 2025
2. Duration of Activity:  See country-specific guidelines above.  Applicants can submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets for up to three years from the proposed start date.  Actual awards will not exceed three years.  If selected for an award, activities and budgets can be revised/updated each year.  Continued funding after the initial [12 to 36] month period of performance requires a noncompeting single-year proposal.  This funding depends on available funds, strong performance, and continuing need.  Funding a program one year does not guarantee funding in successive years.  PRM encourages applicants to seek various donors for long-term funding.  Livelihoods programs are encouraged to be multi-year.   Livelihoods proposals must include a market analysis, or they will be disqualified.

Other Considerations

Proposals must include a concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, reliable, time-bound, and trackable (SMART).  They should also have established baselines and clearly link objectives to the sectors.

Proposals must follow relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance, especially Sphere Standards.  Refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards, including guidance on proposals for programs in urban areas.

PRM strongly encourages programs that target the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups among the program participants.  These groups may include women, children, adolescents, LGBTQI+ individuals, older persons, the sick, persons with disabilities, and members of minority communities.  Programs should demonstrate steps taken to meet the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of these vulnerable groups effectively.

PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the mentioned sectors.  However, due to budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

• A working relationship with UNHCR.
• A proven track record in providing the proposed assistance in both the sector and specified location.
• Evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other NGOs working in the same area or sector, as well as local authorities where possible.
• An emphasis on the outcome or impact of program activities.
• A strong sustainability plan, involving local capacity strengthening where feasible.
• Adherence to PRM’s Principles for Refugee Protection in Urban Areas , where applicable.
• An understanding of and sensitivity to conflict dynamics in the program location.

Post- Award Administration Information

Award Notices

Successful applicants will receive a separate notice from PRM stating that their application has been selected before PRM makes the federal award.  This notice is not an authorization to begin performance.  Only the notice of award signed by the Grants Officer authorizes performance.  Unsuccessful applicants will be notified after the selection and award process is complete.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

PRM awards are made consistent with the following provisions in the following order of precedence: (a) applicable laws and statutes of the United States, including any specific legislative provisions mandated in the statutory authority for the award; (b) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); (c) Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions of the award; (d) the award’s specific requirements; and (e) other documents and attachments to the award.

Reporting

Successful applicants will be required to submit:

1. Program Reports:  PRM requires program reports that describe and analyze the results of activities undertaken during the respective agreement period.  Submit a program report within 30 days after each three-month period of performance.  The final program report is due 120 days after the agreement ends.  Submission dates for program reports will be included in the cooperative agreement.  For multi-year awards, follow the same reporting schedule and submit a final program report at the end of each year summarizing the NGO’s performance during the previous year suggests using the PRM recommended program reporting template to ease reporting requirements while ensuring all required elements are addressed.
2. Financial Reports:  Submit financial reports within 30 days at the end of each calendar year quarter (January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, October 30th) during the agreement period.  The final financial report, covering the entire agreement period, is due120 days after the agreement ends.  For agreements with indirect costs, final financial reports are due within 60 days of finalizing the applicable negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).

Complete reports reflecting expenditures for the recipient’s overseas and United States offices should be completed in accordance with the Federal Financial Report (FFR SF-425) and submitted electronically in the Department of Health and Human Services’ Payment Management System (HHS/PMS) and in accordance with other award specific requirements.  Detailed information pertaining to the Federal Financial Report, including due dates, instruction manuals, and access forms, is available on the HHS/PMS website.

1. Audit Reports:  If the Federal award amount is less than $750,000 and a recipient-contracted audit is not required, the Department may still require an audit.  Submit the audit report to the responsible grants officer for review, dissemination, and resolution as appropriate.  The cost of required audits may be charged as an allowable direct cost to the award or included in the organization’s established indirect costs in the award’s detailed budget.

Funding Restrictions

• Federal awards will not allow reimbursement of Federal Award costs without prior authorization by PRM.
• Funding Restrictions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

None of the funds awarded resulting from this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be made available for subawards, direct financial support, or otherwise used to provide any payment or transfer to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Disclaimer

External websites linked above may not be supported or accessible by all web browsers.  If you are unable to link to a referenced website, please try using a different browser or update to a more recent one.  If you continue to experience difficulties to reach external resources, please contact PRM NGO Coordinator.

Section 508

1. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, charges the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (US Access Board) with developing and promulgating standards address that access to information and communication technology (ICT) Accessibility Standards (36 CFR part 1194).  Section 508 requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use ICT.  Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency.  Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency.  These standards are part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.  The complete text of the Section 508 Final Provisions can be accessed at https://www.access-board.gov/ict/.
2. The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this contract or order are identified in the following paragraph.  If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.
3. The Section 508 standards applicable to this contract are: 1194.

• 205 WCAG 2.0 Level A & AA Success Criteria
• 302 Functional Performance Criteria
• 502 Inoperability with Assistive Technology
• 504 Authoring Tools
• 602 Support Documentation
• 603 Support Services

1. In the event of a modification(s) to this contract or order, which adds new ICT supplies or services or revises the type of, or specifications for, supplies or services, the Contracting Officer may require that the contractor submit a completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) 2.4 or greater, 508 revision (Rev 508) or another format approved by the Department, and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the ICT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.  Information about VPAT can be accessed at https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat.
2. If this is an Indefinite Delivery contract, a Blanket Purchase Agreement or a Basic Ordering Agreement, the task/delivery order requests that include ICT supplies or services will define the specifications and accessibility standards for the order.  In those cases, the Contractor may be required to provide a completed VPAT and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the ICT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards.