U.S. Embassy San Jose Grant: Enhancing Citizen Security through Economic and Social Opportunities

The U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica announces a Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to strengthen citizen security through economic and social opportunity. U.S. Embassy San Jose intends to issue five awards in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 in total funding. The anticipated start date for this activity is September 30, 2016, and project periods should not exceed two years.

This funding will support United States government objectives under the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). Within Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama), the United States works with partner nations to strengthen institutions to counter the effects of organized crime, uphold the rule of law, and protect human rights. Institution building is coupled with prevention projects that dissuade at-risk youth from turning to crime and gangs and community policing projects that engage local communities on citizen security issues.

U.S. Embassy San Jose invites qualified U.S. non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS or overseas-based NGOs, U.S. and overseas-based public and private institutions of higher education, and public international organizations to submit proposals that include an implementation strategy to address the following objective:

Objective: Provide workforce development, education, or entrepreneurship opportunities designed to reduce poverty, particularly among youth and women, in historically marginalized and economically-disadvantaged communities. Proposals should help create safe streets by providing economic opportunities as attractive alternatives for at-risk populations that might otherwise turn to crime and illicit drugs for their livelihood.

U.S. Embassy San Jose reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for the award. The authority for this NOFO is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.
Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and evaluation process.

For further information, please contact:
U.S. Embassy San Jose
E-mail SanJoseCarsiESF@state.gov
Telephone 2519-2483

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The United States Department of State U.S. Embassy San Jose is seeking applications from qualified U.S. non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS or overseas-based NGOs, U.S. and overseas-based public and private institutions of higher education, and public international organizations for a grant to implement a project entitled “Strengthen Citizen Security through Economic and Social Opportunity” The authority for this NOFO is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400g, it is U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under assistance instruments. All reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, however, both direct and indirect, which are related to the agreement and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (2 CFR 200 for US and overseas-based non-profit organizations, and universities; the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 31 48 CFR 31.2 for-profit organizations; and the Mandatory Standard Provision “Allowable Costs (APR 2011)” for public international organizations), may be paid under the grant agreement. NOTE: overseas-based nonprofit organizations are legally required to comply with the 2 CFR 200.

Subject to the availability of funds, Embassy San Jose intends to issue approximately five awards in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000. Each award will be for an amount between $100,000 and $500,000. The U.S. dollar amount will be funded from U.S. Embassy San Jose allocated funds, for a project period not to exceed two years. The anticipated start date for this activity is September 30, 2016. U.S. Embassy San Jose reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for the award.

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and evaluation process.

To be eligible for award, the applicant must submit all required information in its application through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), including the requirements found in any attachments to this Grants.gov opportunity. (Please contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 and support@grants.gov with any submission problems. If applicant has persistent problems submitting through Grants.gov and Grants.gov Applicant Support cannot solve the issue, please email your submission to SanJoseCarsiESF@state.gov and include a screen shot of the issue on Grants.gov with any additional details. Emailed submissions will be considered on a select basis depending on the Grants.gov submission issues noted.)

This NOFO consists of this cover letter plus the following Sections:

1. Section I – Funding Opportunity Description
2. Section II – Award Information
3. Section III – Eligibility information
4. Section IV – Application and Submission Instructions
5. Section V – Application and Review Information
6. Section VI – Agency Contacts

This funding opportunity is posted on Grants.gov and may be amended. See Section IV for further details. Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this NOFO. Applicants will need to have available or download Adobe software to their computers in order to view and save the Adobe forms properly. If you have difficulty registering on Grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the Grants.gov helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

It is the responsibility of the recipient of this NOFO document to ensure that it has been received from Grants.gov in its entirety. U.S. Embassy San Jose bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic submissions.

Any questions concerning this NOFO should be submitted in writing to SanJoseCarsiESF@state.gov. The deadline for submission of questions for this NOFO is March 31, 2016, 5:00 PM U.S. Embassy San Jose local time. Responses to questions will be made available to all potential applicants through an amendment to this NOFO and U.S. Embassy San Jose on Grants.gov.

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 an application. In addition, final award of any resultant grant agreement cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal U.S. Embassy San Jose procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.