An official website of the United States government
An official website of the United States government
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Funding Opportunity Title: EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program 2023-2024
Funding Opportunity Number: PDS-LILONGWE-FY23-EOF02
Announcement type: Grant
CFDA Number: 19.432
Deadline for Applications: July 7, 2023
Total Amount Available: $13,250
Contact:
For any questions about the requirements of this funding opportunity, please write to LilongwePAS@state.gov and use the funding opportunity title as the subject line.
U.S. Embassy Malawi’s Public Diplomacy Section announces an open competition for organizations to submit proposals to carry out payment and other logistics related to promoting U.S. higher education opportunities for high-achieving, financially disadvantaged Malawian students. Please carefully follow all instructions below.
Priority Region: Project activities must take place in Malawi and the United States and be directed at Malawian audiences/participants.
Program Objectives:
This project supports the U.S. Mission to Malawi’s EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program (OFP) 2023-2024, which assists 10 highly qualified students wishing to pursue undergraduate studies at accredited post-secondary institutions in the United States, and who are likely to be awarded full financial aid but lack the financial resources to cover up-front costs. The OFP provides 10 qualified students with financial support for the costs of required standardized admission tests, university or college application fees, internet data, international and domestic airfare, visa fees, SEVIS fees, and settling-in allowances.
The grantee will be expected to work in close coordination with the Public Diplomacy Section’s Education Outreach Coordinator to facilitate payments associated with the two phases of the program as follows:
Phase One: Coordinate and pay for the required standardized U.S. admission tests (SAT, ACT, TOEFL and/or Duolingo) for selected Opportunity Funds recipients. If necessary, pay for domestic travel and per diem costs to enable them to get to the nearest testing site. The grantee will also arrange payments for university/college application fees and financial aid applications such as the CSS profile. Throughout this phase, the grantee will work closely with the Public Diplomacy Section.
Phase Two: Manage the pre-departure and travel logistics for the students whose applications to U.S. universities or colleges have been successful. This includes coordinating and paying U.S. student visa and SEVIS fees, domestic travel to visa interviews, pre-departure orientation, airport departure, airfare to U.S. institutions, and settling-in allowances or other expenses related to beginning their U.S. tertiary program.
Interested organizations are asked to submit a proposal to administer the 2023-2024 Opportunity Funds Program which consists of managing the two phases outlined above. The grantee should be able to demonstrate experience in project and financial management and accounting as well as monitoring and reporting. The grantee will have excellent communication skills and be expected to regularly share progress and financial updates with the Public Diplomacy Section.
Participants and Audiences:
The intended audience is 10 high achieving, low-income Malawian secondary school students.
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Length of performance period: 18 months
Number of awards anticipated: One
Award amount: $13,250
Total expected funding: $13,250
Type of expected funding: FY23 Fulbright Hays Funding
Anticipated program start date: August 1, 2023
This notice is subject to availability of funding
The U.S. Embassy will coordinate the Opportunity Funds Program, from selecting recipients, facilitating bootcamps, sharing testing timelines, and coordinating overall logistics. The grantee will be responsible for handling and facilitating payments for testing, transport, internet data, and fees.
Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 18 months or less.
The Department of State will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.
Due to the payment logistics involved, this Notice of Funding Opportunity is limited to applications from individuals and organizations based in Malawi.
For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
Cost sharing is not required.
Preference will be given to proposals submitted by alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs such as YALI, Fulbright, Humphrey, IVLP, Global UGRAD, PAYLP, SUSI, and Community Solutions.
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.
To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have the registrations required in section D6 below. Individuals are not required to be registered in SAM.gov.
Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.
Content of Application
Please ensure:
The following documents are required:
1.Mandatory application forms available at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html
Required Registrations:
All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these free registrations and include the registration numbers in their submission.
Register in SAM via https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.
Click on “Get Started” or “Renew Entity” and follow the instructions.
Note:
Upon completion of registration, the entity will receive a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
For full registration help see information here: Quick Start Guide for International Registrants.
Additional resources are available at the SAM.gov Help Desk, which is called the Federal Service Desk (FSD): https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp.
Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date of July 7, 2023. No applications will be accepted after that date.
Award funds cannot be used for construction or to purchase vehicles or large machinery.
Other Submission Requirements
All application materials must be submitted by email to LilongwePAS@state.gov using the Funding Opportunity Title as the subject line.
Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application.
A committee will evaluate all eligible proposals. Only successful applicants will be notified via email.
The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.
If a proposal is selected for funding, the U.S. Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the U.S. Department of State.
Issuance of this Annual Program Statement 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 proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.
Payment Method: Payments will be made in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the program activities. The final payment is a reimbursement after successful completion of the program and submission of final reports.
Terms and Conditions: Before applying, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply. These include: 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the U.S. Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at: https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/.
Note the U.S flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.
Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and performance progress reports. This is typically required on a quarterly basis, but monthly reports may be required in some instances. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.
If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact us at: LilongwePAS@state.gov.
Note: We do not provide any pre-consultation for application-related questions that are addressed in this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Once an application has been submitted, U.S. Department of State officials and staff, both in the United States and at embassies overseas, may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.
Guidelines for Budget Justification
Personnel: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.
Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.
Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.
Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item cost more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.
Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.
Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.
Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.
“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.
Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.
Please call: +265 887 384 109
24/7 emergency contact: +265 881 980 814
Outside of Office Hours, contact: +265 88 296 0178
Outside of Malawi: +265 887 384 109
Emergency Contact – All Locations Get Travel Alerts International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial Assistance