USAID Kenya Electoral Assistance Program (KEAP) 2017 Grant

Applicants who are eligible to apply as the Prime Recipient are U.S, international or national organizations, faith-based and community organizations, or educational institutions, who are able to respond both in writing and in person through oral applications. U.S. and non-US organizations may participate under this NFO.

However, under certain components in the Program Description, USAID requests that applicants identify local partners and local organizations that are currently operating in Kenya to implement activities under the objectives. The incorporation of Kenyan organizations into the overall technical approach will be evaluated. USAID defines a local organization as one that:
• Is organized under the laws of the recipient country;
• Has its principal place of business in Kenya;
• Is majority-owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the recipient country or is managed by the governing body, the majority of whose members are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Kenya; and
• Is not controlled by a foreign entity or by an individual or individuals who are not citizens or permanent residents of Kenya.

The term “control” or controlled by” in the above definition means having a majority ownership or beneficially interest, or the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization’s managers or a majority of the organization’s governing body by any means, e.g., ownership, contract, or operation of law. The term “Foreign Entity” means an organization that fail to meet any part of the “local organization” definition.

USAID anticipates making one award to one prime offeror with sub-awardees as proposed in their application.

Please refer to the individual components in the Program Description to determine eligibility for each of the four components of the program.

USAID welcomes applications from organizations which have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.

Applicants must have established financial management systems, monitoring and evaluation processes, internal control systems, and policies and procedures that comply with established U.S. Government standards, laws, and regulations. The successful applicant will be subject to a responsibility determination assessment by the Agreement Officer (AO).

The Recipient must be a responsible entity. The AO may determine a pre-award survey is
required and may conduct an examination that will determine whether the prospective recipient has the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills – or ability to obtain them – in order to achieve the objectives of the program and comply with the terms and conditions of the award.

2. Other

In order to maximize the number of competitive applications, exclusivity agreements between prime recipients and sub-awardees are not required, and in fact are discouraged. Sub-awardees must be allowed to be listed on multiple applications by multiple applicants as they choose.

To be eligible for award of a Cooperative Agreement, in addition to other conditions of this NFO, organizations must have a politically neutral humanitarian mandate, a commitment to non-discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. Non-discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and political affiliation.

Program Title: Kenya Electoral Assistance Program (KEAP) 2017

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified U.S. and Non-U.S. organizations to fund a program entitled Kenya Electoral Assistance Program 2017 (KEAP 2017). Please see Section C of this NFO for eligibility requirements.

Subject to the availability of funds an award will be made to that responsible applicant whose application best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity and the selection criteria contained herein. While a single award is anticipated as a result of this notice of funding opportunity (NFO), USAID reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.

For the purposes of this NFO the term “Grant” is synonymous with “Cooperative Agreement”; “Grantee” is synonymous with “Recipient”; and “Grant Officer” is synonymous with “Agreement Officer”. Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this funding opportunity thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and evaluation process.

To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this NFO and meet eligibility standards in Section C of this NFO. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity. Applicants will need to have available or download Adobe program to their computers in order to view and save the Adobe forms properly. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the entire NFO has been received from the internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NFO, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

The successful Applicant will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of the program’s four components. Please read each section of the NFO.

The application process will be performed in two phases. There will be a written application phase and up to five successful applicants from this phase at the discretion of the Agreement Officer will be invited to present in person at USAID/Kenya and East Africa for the oral presentation phase.

Please send any questions to the point(s) of contact identified in Section D. The deadline for questions is shown above. Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity 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 any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs including costs for the oral presentations are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely,

Kathlyn Bryant
Agreement Officer