Opportunity Information: Apply for DKR NOFO FY18 02
The Public Affairs Small Grant Opportunity (DKR-NOFO-FY18-02, CFDA 19.040) is a U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Dakar funding call for small, short-term public diplomacy projects designed to advance democratic values, strengthen peace and security, and expand opportunity and development outcomes in the Embassy's priority region of Senegal or Guinea-Bissau. The Embassy is looking to partner with local organizations on practical programs that align with its public affairs and engagement goals, with suggested themes that include promoting democratic values and good governance, countering violent extremism, countering trafficking in persons and forced child begging, increasing opportunities for youth, and promoting women's empowerment. Intended participants and audiences are broad and can include youth, rural populations, civil society organizations, local leaders, and journalists, among others.
Funding is limited and competitive. The total amount available is $50,000, with an expectation of roughly two awards depending on proposed budgets. Individual grants are expected to range from $10,000 to $25,000. Projects should run for six to twelve months and must be completed within 12 months or less. The anticipated start date is September 30, 2018, and continued funding beyond the initial period is possible only as a non-competitive continuation, contingent on funding availability, strong performance, and a determination that an extension is in the Department of State's interest. The award instrument is a grant under Smith-Mundt Public Diplomacy authorities, and payments are made by bank transfer in at least two tranches based on the project budget and timeline.
Eligible applicants are foreign not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks and civil society or non-governmental organizations) and foreign public or private educational institutions. Matching funds are not required, but proposals that include meaningful and sustainable cost sharing are viewed more favorably, including cash contributions or credible in-kind support such as volunteer time or donated venues. Beyond basic eligibility, applicants must be able to demonstrate operational readiness to manage U.S. federal funds, including having a bank account, a physical address, and an accounting system.
A key administrative requirement is that applicants must have the necessary registrations to receive a U.S. federal award. This includes a unique entity identifier (a DUNS number), an NCAGE/CAGE code, and an active registration in SAM.gov, which must be renewed annually. Organizations listed as excluded or debarred in SAM (formerly referenced as the Excluded Parties List System) are not eligible, and applicants are encouraged to verify that no ineligible entity is involved in the proposal.
Applications were due by May 16, 2018 at 5:30 PM GMT and had to be submitted by email to DakarNOFO@state.gov. The Embassy required a specific package of documents: SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance), SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction), SF-424B (Assurances), a project proposal, a line-item budget, and one-page CVs or resumes for key personnel. Formatting and submission details mattered: all documents had to be in English, all budgets in U.S. dollars, the proposal provided as a Word document, the line-item budget as an Excel file, and the SF-424 series as PDFs. Proposals also needed to clearly address the opportunity's objectives, include a concrete implementation plan, define a clear target audience, and provide indicators that are specific, measurable, and achievable.
The notice includes several important funding restrictions that shape what can and cannot be proposed. Funds cannot support military or paramilitary activities, and they are restricted from assisting police, prisons, other law enforcement forces, or internal intelligence or surveillance programs. Activities must comply with the Establishment Clause, meaning programming must have a secular purpose and effect and cannot primarily advance religion. The Embassy also states that funds cannot be used for projects focused on development assistance, cannot be used for construction projects or donations, and cannot be awarded to individuals (only organizations). Alcoholic beverages are explicitly unallowable. International travel to or from the United States cannot be funded, even if other travel may be allowable with justification.
Proposals are scored using a defined set of review criteria. The largest weights go to the quality and feasibility of the program idea (25 points) and organizational capacity and prior grants record (25 points), emphasizing both a strong concept and the ability to manage funds responsibly. Additional criteria include program planning and likelihood of achieving objectives (15 points), the monitoring and evaluation plan (15 points), the realism and justification of the budget (10 points), and sustainability beyond the grant period (10 points). Applications are first reviewed by a Grants Review Committee, with selected proposals recommended for further review by the U.S. Department of State. For larger awards that exceed certain thresholds, the agency may also review applicant integrity and performance information available through SAM systems such as FAPIIS as part of its risk assessment.
After selection, the official grant agreement is issued and administered by a Grants Officer, and recipients may only begin incurring costs on or after the start date shown on the signed award document. The U.S. government makes clear that publishing the notice is not a promise of funding, does not cover proposal preparation costs, and reserves the right to reject any or all applications. Recipients must comply with U.S. Department of State standard terms and conditions (including branding and marking requirements such as U.S. flag branding where required) and must submit financial reports in U.S. dollars and program reports in English at intervals specified in the award.
Finally, the notice provides practical guidance on building a defensible budget justification. Applicants are expected to explain personnel and fringe costs, travel and per diem, equipment purchases (generally items over $5,000 per unit with a useful life beyond one year), supplies, contractual costs and any sub-awards, and other direct costs with clear itemization rather than vague miscellaneous lines. Indirect costs can be charged using an approved negotiated indirect cost rate (with documentation) or, for organizations without a NICRA, a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs as allowed under federal rules.Apply for DKR NOFO FY18 02
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Senegal in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Public Affairs Small Grant Opportunity" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 20, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 16, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: Public Affairs Small Grant Opportunity (DKR-NOFO-FY18-02, CFDA 19.040)
1) What is this grant opportunity?
This is the Public Affairs Small Grant Opportunity (DKR-NOFO-FY18-02, CFDA 19.040) run by the U.S. Department of State through the U.S. Embassy Dakar. It supports small, short-term public diplomacy projects.
2) What countries or regions does the Embassy prioritize for projects?
Projects should advance outcomes in the Embassy's priority region of Senegal or Guinea-Bissau.
3) What kinds of goals should projects support?
Projects are intended to advance democratic values, strengthen peace and security, and expand opportunity and development outcomes (in the public diplomacy sense described in the notice).
4) What themes does the Embassy suggest applicants focus on?
Suggested themes include promoting democratic values and good governance; countering violent extremism; countering trafficking in persons and forced child begging; increasing opportunities for youth; and promoting women's empowerment.
5) Who are the intended participants or target audiences?
Target audiences can be broad and may include youth, rural populations, civil society organizations, local leaders, and journalists, among others.
6) How much total funding is available under this opportunity?
The notice states a total of $50,000 is available.
7) How many awards does the Embassy expect to make?
The Embassy expects roughly two awards, depending on proposed budgets.
8) What is the expected size of each individual grant?
Individual grants are expected to range from $10,000 to $25,000.
9) How long can a project last?
Projects should run for six to twelve months and must be completed within 12 months or less.
10) What is the anticipated project start date?
The anticipated start date is September 30, 2018.
11) Is continued funding possible after the initial grant period?
Yes, but only as a non-competitive continuation and only if funding is available, performance is strong, and the Department of State determines an extension is in its interest.
12) What type of award instrument will be used?
The award instrument is a grant under Smith-Mundt Public Diplomacy authorities.
13) How are grant payments made?
Payments are made by bank transfer in at least two tranches based on the project budget and timeline.
14) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include foreign not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks and civil society or non-governmental organizations) and foreign public or private educational institutions.
15) Are individuals eligible to receive awards?
No. The notice specifies that awards cannot be made to individuals; only organizations can receive awards.
16) Are matching funds required?
No. Matching funds are not required.
17) Can cost sharing improve an application's competitiveness?
Yes. Proposals that include meaningful and sustainable cost sharing are viewed more favorably. This can include cash contributions or credible in-kind support such as volunteer time or donated venues.
18) What operational readiness requirements must applicants be able to demonstrate?
Applicants should be able to demonstrate readiness to manage U.S. federal funds, including having a bank account, a physical address, and an accounting system.
19) What registrations are required to receive a U.S. federal award?
The notice requires a unique entity identifier (a DUNS number), an NCAGE/CAGE code, and an active SAM.gov registration. SAM registration must be renewed annually.
20) Can an excluded or debarred organization apply?
No. Organizations listed as excluded or debarred in SAM are not eligible.
21) Does the Embassy encourage applicants to check partner eligibility?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to verify that no ineligible entity is involved in the proposal.
22) When were applications due?
Applications were due May 16, 2018 at 5:30 PM GMT.
23) How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications had to be submitted by email to DakarNOFO@state.gov.
24) What required forms and documents had to be included in the application package?
The Embassy required SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, a project proposal, a line-item budget, and one-page CVs or resumes for key personnel.
25) What language and currency requirements applied to the application?
All documents had to be in English, and all budgets had to be in U.S. dollars.
26) What file formats were required for each component of the submission?
The proposal had to be submitted as a Word document, the line-item budget as an Excel file, and the SF-424 series as PDFs.
27) What content did the proposal need to clearly address?
Proposals needed to address the opportunity objectives, include a concrete implementation plan, define a clear target audience, and provide indicators that are specific, measurable, and achievable.
28) What activities are prohibited or restricted with grant funds?
The notice states funds cannot support military or paramilitary activities and are restricted from assisting police, prisons, other law enforcement forces, or internal intelligence or surveillance programs.
29) What are the Establishment Clause requirements mentioned in the notice?
Activities must comply with the Establishment Clause: programming must have a secular purpose and effect and cannot primarily advance religion.
30) Can the grant be used for development assistance projects?
No. The notice states funds cannot be used for projects focused on development assistance.
31) Can the grant pay for construction or donations?
No. The notice states funds cannot be used for construction projects or donations.
32) Are alcoholic beverages an allowable cost?
No. Alcoholic beverages are explicitly unallowable.
33) Can the grant pay for international travel to or from the United States?
No. The notice states international travel to or from the United States cannot be funded, even if other travel may be allowable with justification.
34) How are proposals reviewed and scored?
Proposals are scored using review criteria with weighted points: quality and feasibility of the program idea (25 points), organizational capacity and prior grants record (25 points), program planning and likelihood of achieving objectives (15 points), monitoring and evaluation plan (15 points), realism and justification of the budget (10 points), and sustainability beyond the grant period (10 points).
35) What criteria carry the most weight in scoring?
The highest-weighted criteria are the quality and feasibility of the program idea (25 points) and organizational capacity and prior grants record (25 points).
36) What is the application review process after submission?
Applications are first reviewed by a Grants Review Committee, with selected proposals recommended for further review by the U.S. Department of State.
37) Can the U.S. government conduct a risk review of applicants?
Yes. For larger awards that exceed certain thresholds, the agency may review applicant integrity and performance information available through SAM systems such as FAPIIS as part of its risk assessment.
38) Who issues and administers the official grant agreement?
The official grant agreement is issued and administered by a Grants Officer.
39) When can a selected recipient begin incurring project costs?
Recipients may only begin incurring costs on or after the start date shown on the signed award document.
40) Does the notice guarantee that funding will be awarded?
No. The U.S. government states that publishing the notice is not a promise of funding and reserves the right to reject any or all applications.
41) Are proposal preparation costs covered?
No. The notice states it does not cover proposal preparation costs.
42) What reporting requirements apply if an organization receives an award?
Recipients must submit financial reports in U.S. dollars and program reports in English at intervals specified in the award.
43) Are there branding and marking requirements?
Yes. Recipients must comply with U.S. Department of State standard terms and conditions, including branding and marking requirements such as U.S. flag branding where required.
44) What budget detail does the Embassy expect in the budget justification?
Applicants are expected to explain personnel and fringe costs; travel and per diem; equipment purchases; supplies; contractual costs and any sub-awards; and other direct costs with clear itemization rather than vague miscellaneous lines.
45) How does the notice define equipment for budgeting purposes?
The notice generally treats equipment as items over $5,000 per unit with a useful life beyond one year.
46) Can applicants include indirect costs in their budgets?
Yes. Indirect costs can be charged using an approved negotiated indirect cost rate (with documentation) or, for organizations without a NICRA, a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs as allowed under federal rules.
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