The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) Offers Grants to Promote Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

* Be a U.S. non-profit organization meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). Applicants in the process of registration must submit proof that they are seeking non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service at the time of SOI submission. Should the applicant be selected for a grant award, funding will be contingent upon 501(c)(3) status; or

* Be a U.S. university or research institution meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c) (3); and

* Have demonstrated experience administering successful projects, preferably targeting the requested country and/or region, or similarly challenging program environment. DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis; and

* Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with organization(s) in the target country and/or region.

* Organizations may form consortia and submit a combined SOI. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant.

Rule of Law and Human Rights – for projects that foster the rule of law by addressing the Constitutions, Laws and Legal Systems, Justice System, Judicial Independence, and Human Rights elements.

Civil Society – for programs that address both the Civic Participation and Media Freedom elements: working to strengthen civil society capacity and participation in governance; address civic participation and oversight; and address media freedom and freedom of information by increasing the professional and institutional capacity of those in the media sector.

Good Governance – to address the Local Government and Decentralization element, improve local government’s constructive ties and engagement with citizens, and for projects that address local government transparency and accountability.

Political Competition and Consensus Building – for programs that address the Elections and Political Processes element, including transparency and public awareness, and the Political Parties Element in Hong Kong.

Within these categories, projects should foster democracy, human rights, transparency, freedom of information and expression, religious freedom, minority rights, judicial independence, criminal and civil rule of law, civil society, freedom of the press, electoral reform, public participation, labor rights (including migrant rights), or media reform. DRL will consider funding for project components that address the long-term developmental and capacity building needs of indigenous non-governmental entities working in these thematic areas, including the use of participatory methodologies. The Bureau will also consider funding for projects that foster the development of a healthy charitable sector, including the improvement or establishment of underlying systems and institutions. Projects providing assistance for administrative litigation will also be considered. Issues of civil liability, alternatives to incarceration, and involuntary detention are additional topics of interest.

Funding for projects in Taiwan will only be considered to the extent that they are matched from sources other than the United States government. DRL seeks to fund projects that will have a direct and lasting impact in China by promoting reforms and structural changes.

For more information on the United States Government (USG) foreign assistance Standardized Program Structure and Definitions, please visit http://www.state.gov/f/c24132.htm

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Statements of Interest must be submitted as two-page Word documents, single-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 point font with a minimum of 1-inch margins. All documents must be formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper and all pages numbered. Each submission must include a header that indicates the SOI title and submitting organization. An organization may submit no more than two (2) SOIs of two pages each. SOIs that do not meet the requirements of the announcement may not be considered. SOIs that request less than the award floor or more than the award ceiling will be deemed technically ineligible.

SOIs must include:
1) Brief description of the organization, including the organization’s mission statement and previous work in China or other challenging programmatic environments. Due to page limitations, a general organizational history is not recommended. Information should clearly demonstrate an institution’s record and capacity and may include previous grant management experience, whether funded through private or USG resources.
2) Description of how the project meets the Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) mandate, including how the project is innovative, sustainable, and does not duplicate current efforts. See “Additional Information” below.
3) Project description, including project duration and objectives. Outputs and outcomes should also be provided. Outputs and outcomes should clearly link to project objectives and include target benchmarks. Please include the appropriate “Standardized Program Structure” Program Area(s) and Element(s) to be addressed. A list of the Structure and definitions can be found at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/136594.pdf.
4) Brief statement on the methodology to be used in project evaluation. Please see the “Program Monitoring and Evaluation” section of DRL’s Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI), http://www.state.gov/g/drl/p/c12302.htm, for general information.
5) An estimated budget. The budget should include 1) Program Costs 2) Administrative Costs (which include Indirect Costs) and 3) Cost sharing offered, if any.

Please see DRL’s PSI, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/p/c12302.htm, for general guidelines on budget categories and DRL standard budget definitions. Please note that while a detailed budget is not requested at this time, organizations invited to submit full proposals should not exceed the estimated SOI budget figure.

Organizations must also fill out and submit SF-424 and SF-424B forms as directed on www.grants.gov. Please fill out the highlighted yellow fields and use the following specific information for the below fields:

Please fill in the highlighted yellow fields and use the following guideline for the SF-424:
1. Type of Submission: Application
2. Type of Application: New
5b. Federal Award Identifier: Please enter zeros or leave blank
8a. Please enter name of applicant (organization)
8b. Please enter the organization’s EIN or TIN number
8c. Please enter the organization’s DUNS number
8d. Please enter the organization’s address
8f. Please enter the name, telephone number and e-mail address of the primary contact person for this proposal
9. Please select type of applicant from pull down list
11. The CFDA number is 19.345
12. Please enter the Funding Opportunity Number (similar to “DRL-07-GR-018-MW-010101”) and Title (similar to “Global Request for Statements of Interest”)
15. Please enter descriptive title of project
16a Please enter congressional district of applicant organization
16b.Please enter N/A or zeros
17. Please enter the approximate start and end dates of the proposed activities
18. Please enter the amount requested from the USG under “Federal,” any cost-share under “Applicant,” fill in the total, and otherwise use zeros.
19. Please enter “c”
20. Complete as indicated
21. Complete as indicated

Please fill in the highlighted yellow fields of the SF 424A with notional information from your proposed budget.

Please fill in the highlighted yellow fields of the SF-424B:
Page 2 – Complete applicant organization and title of authorized official sections.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor’s Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) supports innovative, “venture capital” programs that uphold democratic principles, support and strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights, and build civil society in countries and regions of the world that are geo-strategically important to the United States. HRDF funds projects that have the potential to have an immediate impact leading to long-term sustainable reforms. HRDF projects must not duplicate or simply add to efforts by other entities.

DRL will not consider projects that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization, whether or not elected members of government.

The bulk of project activities must take place in the requested country and last between 1 and 3 years. U.S.-based activities, study tours, scholarships or exchange projects will not be deemed competitive. Projects that have a strong academic, research, conference, or dialogue focus will not be deemed competitive. DRL strongly discourages health, technology, or scientific projects unless the project’s underlying objective relates to the requested program objectives listed above. Projects that focus on commercial law or economic development will also not be rated as competitive.

DRL will make available approximately $16.4 million total in HRDF funds for China programs. To support direct and indirect costs required for implementation, the Bureau anticipates making awards in amounts of $400,000 – $1,500,000 for human rights, rule of law, good governance, political participation and civil society programs. SOIs that request less than the award floor or more than the award ceiling will be deemed technically ineligible.

The Bureau will review all SOIs for eligibility. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance of Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements. Final technical authority for assistance awards resides with the Department’s Grants Division.

DRL will solicit for full proposals based on an evaluation of how the SOI meets the solicitation review criteria, U.S. foreign policy objectives, and the priority needs of DRL. A State Department Review Committee will evaluate proposals submitted under this request. Standard review criteria include:

1) Quality of Program Idea
Proposals should be responsive to the solicitation and exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureau’s mission.

2) Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives
A relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity of the organization. The work plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above. Objectives should be ambitious, yet measurable and achievable. For complete proposals, applicants will have to provide a monthly timeline of project activities.

3) Multiplier Effect/Sustainability
Proposed programs should address long-term institution building with an emphasis on moving towards sustainability, garnering other donor support, or demonstrating capacity-building results.

4) Program Evaluation Plan
Programs should demonstrate the capacity for engaging in impact assessments and providing objectives with measurable outputs and outcomes. Projects that propose an external evaluation with a clear plan will be viewed favorably in this category.

5) Institution’s Record and Capacity
The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful programs, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past grants. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project’s objectives.

6) Cost Effectiveness
The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be necessary and appropriate. Given that the majority of DRL-funded programs take place overseas, U.S.-based costs should be kept to a minimum. Cost sharing is strongly encouraged and is viewed favorably by DRL reviewers.

The information contained in this solicitation is binding and may not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information provided by the Bureau that contradicts this language will not be binding. Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program evaluation requirements.

This request for proposals will appear on www.grants.gov and DRL’s website, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/p/index.htm

For questions related to SOI submissions please contact Samuel Chang, changsm@state.gov, 202-261-8003, Kara Cumberland, cumberlandkc@state.gov, 202-261-8011, Christina Li, licq@state.gov, 202-663-2678, or Jennifer Mitchell, mitchelljx@state.gov, 202-261-8011.

Once the SOI deadline has passed, U.S. Government officials – including those in the Bureau, the Department and at embassies/missions overseas – must not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.