We are no longer accepting applications for the 2019 Women’s Empowerment Small Grants Program.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY SARAJEVO, OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Funding Opportunity Title: WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

Funding Opportunity Number: 001-FY2019

Deadline for Application: Monday, January 21, 2019

CFDA Number: 19.900

Length of Performance Period: 12 months

Number of Awards Anticipated: Up to 15 depending on amount of each grant

Award Amounts: Awards may range from USD 1,000 to USD 25,000.

Total Available Funding: USD 300,000

Type of Funding: FY17/18 Assistance to Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia (AEECA) under the Foreign Assistance Act

Anticipated Award Date: May/June 2019

Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award (FAA)

The United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, acting through the Office of Public Affairs, is pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Women’s Empowerment Small Grants Program.

The U.S. Embassy receives hundreds of proposals and takes time to carefully review each application. We expect to inform applicants of the status of their proposals approximately 4-6 months from the date of closing this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Funding decisions are contingent on the availability of funds. The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to cancel this Notice of Funding Opportunity at any time without any commitment to any applicant.

For more information, please contact us by phone: + 387 33 704-344, 704-285, 704-300, fax: + 387 33 704-432 or an e-mail WomenBiH@state.gov

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

This program supports initiatives designed to promote women’s leadership and the political, economic, and social advancement of women across Bosnia and Herzegovina. We particularly welcome proposals for projects that equip women who have leadership potential with the skills and knowledge to advocate effectively for their rights and to become opinion leaders, successful communicators and business women.

PROJECT THEMES

Projects should deal with one of the following themes:

Economic empowerment of women and girls (proposals may not include vocational training)
Amplification of women’s voices and leadership on issues that affect all citizens of BiH
Empowerment of girls and young women to become leaders in their schools, communities and country
Prevention of gender-based violence
Public awareness of women’s health issues

PROJECT PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The budget for single project proposals for the Women’s Empowerment Small Grants Program should not exceed $25,000 and program activities should take place between April/May 2019 and April/May 2020.

ELIGIBILITY

C1. Who can apply: Non-profit organizations (including think tanks, civil societies and NGOs), educational institutions and independent media that are based and legally registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina are eligible to apply. American or other donor country organizations and individuals are not eligible for grants under this program. Grants are generally awarded only to organizations.

C2. Other eligibility requirements: All organizations must have a DUNS number unique entity identifier and a valid registration on www.SAM.gov before their project proposals can be considered for funding. Please see Section E for information on how to obtain these registrations.

C3. Proposals from prior grantees: Organizations may only submit one proposal per program. Organizations that have received a grant from the Women’s Empowerment Small Grants Program in a previous cycle and have not completed their projects are not eligible to apply for another Women’s Empowerment grant until they have submitted their final reports, but may still apply for grants from the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program or the Interethnic Reconciliation and Youth Small Grants Program.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D1. Mandatory application forms: Your application cannot be reviewed without all of the below elements. All forms and instructions are available on our web site, under Grant Opportunities.

Please note: Obtaining the DUNS number and registering in the SAM system can take up to one month. We strongly encourage you to start this process as soon as possible, since we cannot review any projects that do not include DUNS numbers and completed SAM.gov registrations.

SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations). Please make sure to include your DUNS number in the application.
SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)
SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)
Project Proposal (6 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do.
Screenshot of your SAM registration or a printout of your registration document from the SAM.gov web page.

D2. General Guidelines: Please read all instructions carefully – proposals that do not meet the requirements listed here will not be considered for funding.

All proposals must be written and submitted in English.
Proposals may not exceed 6 pages in length (including budget and checklist) in Times New Roman Size 12 font.
All fields in the grant application form and check-list must be completed and sent via email as one document.
Project duration may not exceed 12 months.
Grants are normally made on a one-time basis and reiterations of past programs usually do not receive funding. If you are requesting support to fund a repetition of a project you previously implemented, you must include a very strong justification as to why the repetition is necessary.
Please submit your filled-in application to the following e-mail address: WomenBiH@state.gov.

The deadline for submission of the Women’s Empowerment Small Grants proposals /supporting documentation is January 21, 2019 by 17:00.

Upon submission, please request a confirmation of the receipt of your application.

D3. Budget Guidelines: Any application not meeting the budget requirements below will not be considered for funding.

Detailed budget should be written in USD, with a maximum amount of $25,000.
Budget should NOT include VAT expenses.
Budget costs should be grouped into the following categories:
- Personnel costs (salaries for staff who already work for your organization, fees for project manager, project coordinator/assistant, and or accountant)
- Fringe (social and pension insurance contributions)
- Travel (transportation costs, lodging, meals and incidentals)
- Supplies (office supplies and other materials for project implementation)
- Contractual (fees for trainers, moderators, experts, and educators, who do NOT normally work for your organization but who are engaged to implement certain project activities, printing of promotional materials, renting of space/equipment, broadcasting of TV and radio shows, web site development, and other contractual services needed for project implementation.)
- Other direct costs: (office rent, utilities, phone/fax/internet, office supplies, bank charges, etc.)
The total of personnel costs, fringe and other direct costs should not exceed 30% of total award amount
Costs for food or drink should not exceed 5% of the total award amount. This includes expenses associated with individual per diems for grant-related activities.
The total costs of promotional materials (brochures, banners, T-shirts, posters, leaflets, etc.) should not exceed 5% of the total award amount.
Alcohol, entertainment, or “miscellaneous” expenses are not allowed.
Costs incurred before the grant period start date will not be reimbursed.

Grant funds may not be used for the following:·

Long-term infrastructure needs
Materials and equipment (unless purchased for the purpose of providing training to the participants)
Funds may not be used to pay for travel to the United States or for travel grants. Projects involving regional travel will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and must have a clear justification outlining why the travel is integral to the project.
Provision of direct social services to a population
Vocational training, for example teaching participants to sew, raises bees, knit, etc.
Partisan political activity (Note: non-partisan election education and public information activities are allowable.)
Funding of charitable activity and humanitarian aid, commercial projects, or fund-raising campaigns

D4. Review criteria: All proposals will be evaluated by the Women’s Empowerment review panel on the below criteria.

Compliance with proposal guidelines and inclusion of mandatory components
Clearly identified goals and target audiences
Well-developed plan of activities that clearly support the program goals
Concrete and logical budget
Project sustainability
Implementation capacity of applicant

D5. Application Instructions: Please read carefully and complete each question as instructed. Omitting any of the requested information will delay the review of your proposal and may result in it being eliminated from consideration.

Program Type: Please indicate which program you are applying for.

Applicant’s Contact Information:

Implementing organization: Specify the officially registered name of the organization.
Contact person and title: Name and the title of the Project Coordinator, or the person who is authorized to sign official documents, if different from the Project Coordinator.
Address/Postal Code and City
Phone number
E-mail: Please include both the general email address for your organization and the email address of the project coordinator.

Basic Information about the Proposal:

Project title:
Amount requested (USD)/Amount of cost share (USD)/Total cost (USD): Please list the amount of funding requested from the Embassy. If there is a cost share (another organization covering part of the total cost of the project), please list the amount here. Please list the total cost of the project.
Elevator pitch: In 50 words or less, describe what your project is about and why it should receive support from the U.S. Embassy.
Problem statement: Clearly identify the problem your project will address, including brief background information for context, if necessary. For example, “Women in my community are under-employed. Many make food products or handicrafts, but are unable to earn much from this pursuit because they only sell at local fairs.”
Project goals and objectives: Please explain how you want to solve this problem by explaining the goals and objectives of your project. Following the above example, the project goal might be “Reduce under-employment among women in my community by empowering women artisans to sell their products to a wider audience” and the objectives might be “Teach participants how to market their products and sell them through online marketplaces.”
Description of project activities: Explain the activities you plan to implement in the scope of your project and how those activities will achieve the project goals you described above. If you are planning workshops, please explain how many workshops, what will be taught and how many participants will take part. Example: “My project will create a series of three workshops for 25 women artisans where they will learn about marketing, pricing, and how to use existing digital marketplaces to sell their products.”
Activity locations: List the cities/towns/communities where the project activities will take place.
Project beneficiaries: Describe the anticipated beneficiaries of your project, including estimated number and age range, i.e., “approximately 50 unemployed women in Capljina, ages 25-40” or “about 100 high school students in Rogatica.”
Project schedule and timeline: Note your project duration in months and give an overview of the schedule. If you have a specific timeframe, please list the dates and explain why your project must take place within that timeframe.
Project partners: If you are implementing your project jointly with any other organizations, please list the names and type of involvement of those partner organizations. A partner organization is an organization with which you work to develop and implement the project. Partner organizations also need to obtain DUNS numbers. Please note: contractors you engage to deliver goods or services such as trainers, web developers or suppliers are NOT partner organizations.
Key personnel: List the names, titles and roles of key personnel involved in the project, including organization staff and any experts or trainers you will engage to implement the project. Give a brief overview (1-2 sentences) of their experience/qualifications.
Anticipated outcomes of project: Explain the outcomes you hope to achieve and how you will measure whether the project has succeeded. For example, “As a result of my project, women artisans and entrepreneurs will be equipped with the skills they need to sell their products online. To measure the success of the program, I will carry out a survey with the participants to see how much their knowledge has increased and I will also report on how many of the participants begin selling their products online or have concrete plans to do so in the near future.”
Project sustainability: Please explain your plans for follow-on activities after the grant period to ensure project impact continues. Example: “After the workshop series, the participants will continue to meet and serve as a support network to each other, as well as mentor other female artisans and entrepreneurs.”
Background of implementing organization: Briefly explain the mission of the organization, examples of past and current programs implemented, as well as its technical and management capacity.
Previous U.S. Government funding: Indicate whether the implementing organization has received previous funding from the U.S. Government. If so, please state the name of the project, the year and the amount of funding for each project.

Detailed budget:

Present the budget in the form of a spreadsheet, in USD amounts, dividing the budget into the categories delineated in the application. Cost sharing is not required. However, the Recipient may present cost-sharing on voluntary basis including in-kind contributions. The absence of cost sharing will not in any way impact evaluation of the project. If the Recipient includes cost sharing in the project proposal, then the Recipient is accountable for providing additional funds and justifying the costs.

Budget narrative:

Please explain your budget in narrative form, detail personnel duties, list names of trainers/moderators/experts and project staff and break down travel and lodging costs (i.e., how many people, how many overnights, cost per person per day).

HOW TO APPLY FOR REQUIRED REGISTRATIONS

E1. Who must apply? 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
www.SAM.gov registration

E2. First, get your DUNS Number

Please use the link to obtain your DUNS number.

This system is set up to be user-friendly and we encourage you to use it to obtain your DUNS number for yourself. However, if you experience problems, you may seek further assistance from:

Zlata Mulać

Bisnode BH Director

Bisnode BH, Skenderpašina br. 1, 71000 Sarajevo

zlata.mulac@bisnode.com

Tel: +387 61 896 753

www.bisnode.ba

Please be aware that Bisnode charges a fee for this service.

E3. Next, get your NCAGE/CAGE code

To apply, go to CAGE/NCAGE Code Request page
Instructions for the NCAGE application process are available here.
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.

E4. After you receive your NCAGE code, complete your SAM.gov registration

To register in the SAM system, go to their web site.
Please read the quick guide for grants registration attachment which is the part of the application package that is posted on the Embassy web site.
SAM registration must be renewed annually, so even if you are already registered in SAM from a previous grant, please check to see if your registration is still valid.
Entities registering in SAM must submit a letter appointing their authorized Entity Administrator. Please check the template of the letter which is the part of the application package.

However, if you experience any problem in registering in SAM.gov use the following link to register for live chat, so the SAM administrators can answer your questions. Working hours for this service are from Monday through Friday after 14:00.

All organizations must complete required registrations by the submission deadline. We cannot review projects that do not include a DUNS number and completed SAM.gov registration. Please allow ample time, as the process can take up to 30 days. However, if you are unable to complete your SAM.gov registration by the application deadline of January 21, 2019, you may submit the other required elements and continue with your SAM.gov registration. If you complete registration and notify the Office of Public Affairs prior to the meeting of the review committee, which will take place in February/March 2019, we may still be able to consider your application.

FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

F1. Federal Award Notices

The grant award will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer and the grants management team. The Recipient may only start incurring project expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grant Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email.

Funding decisions are contingent on the availability of funds. Total amount for this program may not exceed 300,000 USD. The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to cancel this Notice of Funding Opportunity at any time without any commitment to any applicant.

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: The payment of the award amount will be effected in two or three installments. Certain percentage of the total award amount up to 50 % of the total award amount will be paid immediately after signing the grant and submission of the valid bank account by Recipient. However, if the project implementation requires a higher percentage of advance payment than 50 %, the Office of Public Affairs will make a payment based on the Recipient’s justification. The rest will be paid upon submission of the interim and final program financial reports by Recipient. Each award document will contain detailed payment information. The USG holds the right to retain the last payment up to 10 % of the award amount until all project activities are completed and the final program and financial reports submitted by the Recipient and approved by the Grant Officer and the Grant Officer Representative.

F2. Terms and Conditions

Before submitting an application, applicants may wish to 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 here.

F.3. Reporting Requirements

Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify the forms and how often these reports must be submitted.

FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For more information, please contact us by phone: + 387 33 704-344, 704-285, 704-300, fax: + 387 33 704-432 or e-mail WomenBiH@state.gov