U.S. Mission to ASEAN

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. Mission to ASEAN — Public Affairs Section

Notice of Funding Opportunity

                                                        

Funding Opportunity Title          : 2021 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Women’s Leadership Academy

Funding Opportunity Number    : SUSMAS19CA0004

Deadline for Applications           : July 6, 2020

CFDA Number                              : 19.040

Total Amount Available               : $200,000

 

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to develop and implement a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Regional Workshop to empower emerging women leaders in the public health sector and help them advance their careers by providing access to advanced skills training and networking opportunities, pending the availability of funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Priority Region: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste.

Program Objectives:

YSEALI (yseali.state.gov) is the U.S. government’s signature initiative to engage emerging leaders in Southeast Asia.  The program aims to create a network of young Southeast Asian leaders who work across national borders to solve common problems. Through a variety of programs and engagements, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture a community of leaders who work across borders to solve shared issues.

YSEALI is open to young leaders ages 18-35 who are both citizens and residents of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) or Timor-Leste. Responding to priorities from youth in the ASEAN region, YSEALI programs focus on four themes (Economic Growth, Sustainable Development, Education, and Civic Engagement).

One component of YSEALI are the annual Regional Workshops held across Southeast Asia on strategic topics.

This YSEALI Women’s Leadership Academy will advance the YSEALI theme of civic engagement and the U.S. Mission to ASEAN’s strategic goals of enhancing people-to-people ties and engagement with young and emerging leaders by promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls, which is a key priority of both the U.S. Government and ASEAN. The Academy will also help advance the goals of the U.S.-ASEAN Health Futures Initiative, which aims to lay the groundwork for long-term partnership, targeted assistance, and a renewed focus on our most fundamental resource – the health and wellbeing of the combined one billion people in the United States and ASEAN Member States.

YSEALI Women’s Leadership Academy will consist of a three-to-five-day workshop with 44 young women leaders (ages 20-30) in the public health sector from all ten ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste. The academy will offer general leadership skill training along with dedicated break-out sessions for specific aspects of public health including how to build strong health systems, how to respond to and prevent a public health crisis, the importance of telemedicine and e-records, and how to foster the next generation of healthcare professionals.

The Academy will also include personal branding sessions, personal strength assessment, elevator pitch practices, and networking opportunities with public health and technology leaders from the region and the United States. In addition to focusing on health, sessions will be geared toward ASEAN fundamentals, understanding the role and benefit of working to address challenges regionally, an overview of key gender issues facing ASEAN, and a summary of the U.S.-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. The Academy will also facilitate teamwork to identify key public health challenges facing the region and develop innovative solutions.

The Academy will include a separate follow-on workshop which  gathers the Academy’s alumni network for training and skills development to help them implement more effective follow-on activities and strengthen the Academy’s alumni network within the larger YSEALI alumni network.

YSEALI Women’s Leadership Academy is an annual regional workshop hosted by the U.S. Mission to ASEAN since 2015. With more than 170 alumni in the Women’s Leadership Academy Network, the Mission has designed a strong board of alumni with a solid structure that will support and sustain post-Academy efforts moving forward. The YSEALI Women’s Leadership Academy Alumni Network will take part in the selection process of the 2021 cohort, and  encourage the active participation of the cohort to sustain and grow the network.

The proposal should include workshop follow-on activities such as virtual collaborative work, projects funded through small seed grants, or ongoing mentorship. The follow-on activity should be included in the monitoring and evaluation plan.

The proposal should include a pre and post workshop survey to measure the overall effectiveness of the workshop as well as any changes to the participants’ knowledge of the workshop topic.

The concepts of leadership, giving back, and strengthening a Southeast Asian/ASEAN identity based on shared values and shared challenges should be integrated into the program.

Workshop speakers/facilitators/mentors should be citizens of the United States, an ASEAN member country, or Timor-Leste.

The recipient is expected to develop syllabus materials and an event program with participant and speaker biographies, as well as design banners, backdrops, and other printed materials. The recipient is expected to design a digital engagement strategy for workshop participants and social media audiences, including live video or live online engagement during the program.

No new website specific to the event should be created or launched. Domain, hosting and build costs will not be covered.  

Participants and Audiences:

The recipient will coordinate with U.S. Mission to ASEAN and with the U.S. embassies in ASEAN and Timor-Leste to recruit and select 44 participants. Participants will be women ages 20-30 who have relevant experience in in the public health sector. Participants should also be passionate about building communities and have a keen interest in building a network through collaboration and partnership with other Southeast Asian countries. Participants must be citizens and residents of an ASEAN member country or Timor-Leste.

All participants must be proficient in written and spoken English. All programs must include participants from all ten ASEAN member countries and Timor-Leste.

The workshop will be conducted in English.

The recipient will be responsible for arranging and using cooperative agreement funds to cover all elements related to participant and staff travel including international and domestic flights, visas, travel to and from airports, visas, accommodations, per diem, meals during the program, insurance, etc.

 

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period    : October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2021 (12 months)  

Number of awards anticipated    : One 

Award amounts                             : Up to $200,000

Total available funding                 : $200,000             

Type of Funding                            : FY19 Economic Support Funds                      

Anticipated program start date   : March 2021

This notice is subject to availability of funding. 

Funding Instrument Type: [Cooperative agreement]. The U.S. Mission to ASEAN will have substantial involvement in the development, content, and schedule of the workshop. In consultation with the coordinating U.S. Mission to ASEAN, the award recipient must actively engage all relevant U.S. embassies related to the recruitment and selection process as well as communication with the participants.

Working closely with U.S. Mission to ASEAN, the recipient of this cooperative agreement shall develop a robust program for the workshop; schedule the event at a mutually agreed upon location in Jakarta; manage the application and selection process through a secure portal; develop the agenda and content for the workshop; recruit speaker(s); manage all travel logistics for participants and speakers; and generate content for social media and other publicity. The recipient is expected to provide all design files, photos and video recorded, as well as a promotion-ready, U.S. Embassy-approved photo album and a video series of the workshop after completion.

Regular, transparent communication via email, phone and video conference calls and face-to-face meetings (as appropriate) with the Grants Officer, Grants Officer Representative, and Program Officer throughout the period of performance is critical to the success of this cooperative agreement.

All major elements of the program and its content require advance approval by U.S. Mission to ASEAN including, but not limited to:

• Choices of dates, venue, accommodations, and menus;
• Final selection of participants, mentors, and speakers (from the United States, an ASEAN member country, or Timor-Leste);
• Titles, format, and content of workshop sessions and other program activities;
• Design and content of all marketing materials, publicity, and media products.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less. The workshop must be a minimum of three full days not including travel days.

 

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 

1. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• U.S. public and private educational institutions
• U.S. not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks
• Foreign public and private educational institutions
• Foreign not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

The proposed budget should include cost-sharing for all direct costs (airfare, airport transfers, visa fees, travel insurance, lodging fees, and any stipends/seed funding/grants) for the participants from Singapore and Brunei for both the five-day Women’s Leadership Academy and the follow-on alumni workshop.

3. 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

1. Address to Request Application Package 

Application forms and templates are available at grants.gov, ‘Forms’ tab

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

3. 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: 

1. Mandatory application forms

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) [https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html]
• SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) [https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html]

2. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program. 
3. Proposal (15 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 program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.
• Introduction to the Organization Applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, 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 program is needed
• Program Goals and Objectives:  The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve.  The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.
• Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives (including post workshop follow-up).
• Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal.  Include a logic model as appropriate.
• Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program 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 program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?
• Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.
• Program 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:  Describe each of the budget expenses in detail.  The budget should not exceed [USD].  See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

4. Attachments:

• 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program
• Letters of support from program 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 program activities

5. 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
• www.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.

  

4.     Submission Dates and Times
   

Applications are due no later than July 5, 2020, at 23:59 PM Jakarta time.

 

5.     Funding Restrictions

Funds cannot be used to support the direct costs (airfare, airport transfers, visa fees, travel insurance, lodging fees, and any stipends/seed funding/grants) for the participants from Singapore and Brunei.

 

6.     Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by email to usasean@state.gov by July 5, 2020, at 23:59 PM Jakarta time with the subject “YSEALI WLA 2021 NOFO Application – [Organization Name]”. Late submissions will not be considered.

 

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 

1.     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 program 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.

• Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 15 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program 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 program includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those will be measured.
• Sustainability – 10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impacts after the end of the program. 

 

2. Review and Selection Process

A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.

 

3.   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:

1. 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);
2. 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;
3. 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 

1.     Federal Award Notices 

The 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 program 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: The recipient must request payment under this award by completing form SF-270—Request for Advance or Reimbursement and submitting the form to the Grants Officer. Unless otherwise stipulated, the recipient may request payments on a reimbursement or advance basis. 

2.     Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply.  These include:

• 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:

About Us – Office of the Procurement Executive

Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.
Additional branding requirements will be provided after award.

3.     Reporting

Reporting Requirements: The recipient will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted. Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports.  The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR 200 Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

 

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact:

Imma Suganda at sugandai@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 program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the program 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 program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), 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 program. 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 program activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, 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 program 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.