Notice for subgrant funding opportunity (NOFO): Frequently asked questions

  1. Is the NOFO only in one language?

The Notice For Sub Grant Funding Opportunity is available only in English.

  1. How long is the Project? (Page 1)

Between 20 – 22 months.

  1. Submission of Applications (section 12, page 13):

Detailed Line Item Budget (budget template: link). Please keep in mind the information published on this website to fulfill the budget requirements: https://www.gsa.gov/travel-resources.

The budget template is a guide, the applicants may fill out the sums to make it reflect its internal coherence.

Indirect Rate 

Respect to the minimum rate of 10% that can be charged for indirect costs, it must be charged for the total modified direct cost (MTDC). the applicants can consult the definition of the MTDC below found in OMB 2CFR 200. Indicate this in your response to the frequent question of the request for proposal and provide the link to 2 CFR 200 that provides the rules and regulations for external assistance of United States.

§200.68 Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC).

MTDC means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

The link to the OMB 2 CFR 200 is listed below:

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=6214841a79953f26c5c230d72d6b70a1&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl

In regards to Other Direct Costs vs Indirect Costs the applicant has two choices either they charge the 10% de minis (J line) or they can break out each Individual Indirect Cost as line item cost under Other Direct Costs. They can do one or the other, but they cannot due both.

The language of the complete proposal can be in English or Spanish, both of them are accepted.

Be aware that recipients should be sufficient in English as well as in Spanish. Recipients will be required to submit monthly unofficial reports (both narrative and financial) and quarterly official progress and financial reports. NOTE: It is the U.S. Department of State’s policy that English is the official language of all documents in the terms of this sub-grant proposals. Reports must be provided in English.

  1. Minimum requirements of the organization to be hired and Eligibility Information (section 7, page 17).

The organization or leader organization of the consortium should comply with the experience required, more than five years in the design, implementation, evaluation, study, research or consulting processes of programs and/or projects related to the fight against corruption and strengthening of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Latin America and Caribbean.

A Non-governmental Organization established in a Latin American country is eligible to apply for the fund, an international non-governmental and national non-governmental part of a consortium can apply as well. At least the organization or leader organization of the consortium must comply with the requirements set up by the NOFO (page 10).

The consortium should be formed by at least four organizations. The consortium can be comprised for more than four organizations and have allied organizations.

  1. Purpose of the Subaward and General Aspects (sections 3 and 8, pages 4 and 11)

The general purpose of the Sub Award is to strengthen Citizen Forum of the Americas (CFA); the scope of the sub award is to provide technical support to REDLAD for the development of the second phase of PASCA project. Strengthen, through capacity building, training and follow up, the capacity of civil society organizations CFA members to monitor the agreements of the Lima Summit and corruption in Latin America and Caribbean countries.

The whole contractual process should be articulated with the participation, strengthening and political advocacy processes of the Citizen Forum of the Americas and the PASCA project, as well as with the recommendations given by REDLAD as Technical Secretariat of the CFA.

The Citizen Forum of the Americas in coordination with REDLAD will define the follow up mechanism on the work carried out by the organization or Consortium according to the work plan presented and approved.

In order to comply with the objectives and capacities included in this call, this sub-award must take the knowledge, needs, interests and capacities of the CFA member organizations into account.

Resources for CSO researchers and other local staff could be included in contracts as well with CFA member organizations and take into account their expertise and knowledge of the process. It is not necessary to develop actions in the 34 countries of LA, the minimum is 20.

  1. Other clarifications:

There are no supporting documents on follow-up to the Mandates of the Lima Summit 2018, this is part of the objectives of the creation of the Observatory.

There are no Diagnoses or Baselines by REDLAD or the CFA on corruption issues, nor related to the follow-up of compliance with the Mandates of the Lima Summit 2018. The elaboration of these documents is part of the objectives of the Creation of the Observatory.

Supporting documents from Phase I of the PASCA Project: monitoring and follow-up on the fulfillment of the Panamá Summit commitments: link.