Public Diplomacy Grants Program (U.S. Embassy Islamabad)

Public Diplomacy Grants Program (U.S. Embassy Islamabad) is sponsored by U.S. Embassy Islamabad, U.S. Department of State. The Public Diplomacy Grants Program seeks proposals for projects that strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and Pakistan, strengthen civil society and local organizations in Pakistan, and promote community cohesion through positive messages and inclusive per…

Department of State – Embassy of the United States, Islamabad, Pakistan Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Program Office: Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy, Islamabad Funding Opportunity Title : Information Office – Leveraging Press to Foster Understanding and Improve Reporting Announcement Type: Grant or Cooperative Agreement Funding Opportunity Number : SCAISB-19-AW-002-02082019 Deadline for Applications: April 9, 2019 (11:59 p.

m. U.S. Eastern time) CFDA Number : 19. 501 - Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan A) For questions relating to Grants.

gov, please call the Grants. gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726. B) For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact Ellen Delage , Program Specialist, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy at email: DelageEM@state.

gov . A) For questions relating to Grants. gov, please call the Grants.

gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726. B) For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact Ellen Delage , Program Specialist, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy at email: DelageEM@state. gov .

All application materials must be submitted electronically through Grants. gov. Applications materials submitted via other means such as email will not be accepted. Authorization to submit proposals through www.

Grants. gov is a multi-step process that requires prior successful registration with four separate sites including DUNS, NCAGE, SAM, and www. Grants.

gov . Please begin the registration process with each one immediately to ensure that the process is completed well in advance of the deadline for applications . The entire registration process can require up to six weeks for the registration to be validated and confirmed.

See Section D: Submission Requirements for further details. Due to the volume of applicants and inquiries, Public Affairs Section (PAS) does not accept letters of intent, concept papers, or requests for meetings or phone calls prior to application. Page 2 of 19 A.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................................ ........... 3 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................

...................... 3 B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION ................................................................................................

..................... 8 C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................

.. 9 D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION ................................................................

.................... 9 Technical Requirements ................................................................................................................................ .............

9 Content and Form of Application Submission ................................................................................................ .. 9 Application Deadline ................................................................................................................................

.................. 12 Submission Requirements ................................................................................................................................ ........

13 E. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS ................................................................................................ ................

15 F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION ................................................................ ........

17 G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS ................................................................ ..............................

18 H. OTHER INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................ .............

18 Page 3 of 19 The Information Office (IO) (hereinafter known as IO Islamabad), in the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy Islamabad of the U.S. Department of State, is pleased to announce a funding opportunity, contingent on funding availability, through the Public Diplomacy Grants program.

IO Islamabad invites all eligible organizations (see Eligibility Information, Section C) to submit proposals for grants to provide training to media professionals through two (2) projects specified in this NOFO. In response to this NOFO, organizations may submit multiple proposals, but ONLY ONE proposal per project outlined below.

The applicants must submit a separate Applicant Summary Coversheet (see Attachment 1) for each proposal that clearly outlines under which project the application is submitted for. Applicants who submit one (1) proposal covering more than one (1) project may not be considered for funding.

IO Islamabad’s programs are a key component of U.S. Government Public Diplomacy efforts in Pakistan, creating valuable opportunities for the Mission to engage key audiences, as well as lasting professional, educational, and personal opportunities for Pakistani program participants. Proposals funded under this NOFO will further the following U.S. Mission to Pakistan’s Public Diplomacy goals: 1.

Strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and Pakistan through shared information, experiences, exchanges, and/or expertise. 2. Strengthen civil society and local organizations to build long-term, self-sustaining relationships and linkages between U.S. and Pakistani organizations, including capacity building support for Pakistani organizations.

3. Promote community cohesion through positive messages and inclusive perspectives that increase social tolerance and counter extremist narratives. More information about the Public Affairs Section can be found at: https://pk.

usembassy. gov/education-culture/ Project 1: Reporting on Cross-Border Issues of Mutual Concern Background: This Track II project will bring together journalists from India and Pakistan to develop stories on cross-border issues of mutual concern to both countries.

American journalists who have expertise in the subject area will work with teams consisting of at least one (1) Pakistani and one (1) Indian journalist to help them develop story ideas. The teams of journalists will return to their home countries and develop news pieces that can be printed or shown on their respective television channels in each country, exposing audiences to the common issues.

Project Goals & Objectives: Goal: Create a professional, resilient press corps that provides Pakistani citizens with information they need to make the informed decisions about their lives, their communities, and public institutions while also promoting cross-border understanding between Pakistan and India. Page 4 of 19 Objective 1: Participants form relationships with colleagues who work on similar topics across the border.

Objective 2: Participants gain knowledge and skills in professional standards of journalism and in cross-border issues. Objective 3: Participants apply professional journalism standards when producing and reporting quality news stories.

Project Activities: There will be a minimum of three (3), three-day workshops over the course of 18-24 months in a third country, which is easily accessible by participants from both countries, such as UAE, Qatar, or Sri Lanka.

The topics should be common issues that are not the subject of political dispute between the two nations, including but not limited to ecology and the environment; science, technology, and entrepreneurship; agriculture and food production. Each workshop should only focus on one (1) subject, with the journalists working in that particular area, and the three workshops should each have a different subject.

Each workshop will be led American journalists or experts who will present latest trends in reporting on these subjects, and serve as mentors to the teams as they brainstorm and develop their projects.

As part of the workshops, teams consisting of both Indian and Pakistani participants will be formed, with the expectation that each team would develop a story idea and then work together after the workshop to jointly produce that story and develop them into news pieces that can be printed or shown on their respective television channels in each country, exposing audiences to the common issues.

Audience: Each workshop will train a minimum of ten (10) Pakistani journalists and ten (10) Indian journalists, co-selected by the U.S. Missions in each country. Participation by female journalists from each country is strongly encouraged. The grantee will also cover lodging, meals, airfare, visas and in-country transportation for Pakistani and Indian participants.

Similarly, the grantee will cover all the costs for the lodging, meals, airfare, visas, and honoraria for the American experts selected to provide instruction and mentorship. be used to create a virtual community between all of the participants and pave the way to future collaboration. Additionally, sub-grants can be provided to each team of participants to cover the cost of production of the stories.

Timeline: The workshops should be held between September 2019 and September 2021. Monitoring and Evaluation: Applicants shall include a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) workbook in their proposal, which should include: 1. Follow the instructions outlined in NOFO Part D, section 2.

Completing the suggested, auto-populated workbook in Attachment 3 for “Reporting on Cross-Border Issues of Mutual Concern”. Completing this workbook will constitute a complete M&E submission for the purposes of the NOFO. 2.

The Data Collection Methods listed below: a. Demographics: The selected grantee plans to collect demographic information on all participants to include: gender, age range, home district, level of formal education, profession, etc. b. Pre/Post Test: The selected grantee will administer a pre-test to determine the participants' base-line knowledge of the subject.

At the conclusion of the program, the grantee will then administer a post-test to determine what the participants learned as a direct result of the program. If needed, PAS M&E may assist the selected grantee to create the pre-/post- tests; however, collecting, data-entry, and reporting the data to IO Islamabad is the grantee's responsibility. c.

Grantee Interviews: The selected grantee plans to conduct interviews with a representative sample of journalist participants. The purpose of the interviews is to determine what the most significant change the beneficiaries experienced, in their opinion, from participation in the project. Interviewers must explain the purpose of the interview and protect the confidentiality of any beneficiaries who agree to be interviewed.

The applicant will translate summaries of key interviews in to English to be used as “success stories” in the final reports. d. Follow up survey: At the end of the program activity, the selected grantee will administer a survey to determine outcomes achieved as a result of the activity.

In addition, the applicant will send an additional survey six (6)-months after the program ends to determine any further results from the program. PAS M&E may help the selected applicant create the surveys; however, collecting, data-entry, and reporting the survey results is the applicant's responsibility. e.

The following statement: The selected grantee will work with the PAS M&E team to ensure a comprehensive M&E plan before the award is finalized. In addition, the grantee will work with the PAS M&E team if and when they need assistance with M&E aspects of the award and/or to adjust their M&E plan as their program adapts.

Project 2: Journalism Ethics for Television Broadcasters Background: Pakistan television news has grown exponentially since independent channels were first allowed less than two decades ago. As the number of television stations has Page 6 of 19 multiplied, stations have veered toward sensationalism, every story is a breaking news story and speed sometimes triumphs over accuracy.

Project Goals & Objectives: Goal: Create a professional, resilient press corps that provides Pakistani citizens with information they need to make informed decisions about their lives, their communities, and public institutions. Objective 1: Television media professionals learn about journalistic ethics with a focus on their application for terrorism and violence-related incidents.

Objective 2: Media professionals can identify practical changes they can make in their reporting, processes, etc. that will incorporate stronger journalistic ethics. Objective 3: Journalists apply the principles of journalism taught in the training.

Activities: A minimum of three (3), three-day workshops in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi, led by an American and Pakistani instructor or instructors that will cover the principals of journalistic ethics, with a focus on television journalism. Topics should include, but are not limited to, fairness and accountability; journalistic independence; truth and accuracy; freedom of the press; the editors role as gatekeeper; and others.

The workshops will focus on the role of ethics in reporting on terrorism and violence-related incidents, war reporting, and sensitive and taboo topics. The journalists will be given a pre-test on the first day of each workshop and a post-test on the last day, and the grantee will report changes in knowledge and attitudes toward the subject as a result of the workshops.

Audience: Workshops should have a minimum of twenty (20) to twenty five (25) television editors and journalists in each of the cities of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. The editors and journalists will be nominated by U.S. Mission Pakistan. Participation by female journalists is strongly encouraged.

The grantee will also be responsible for creating an online community for all participants, where they will be able to discuss the impact of the workshops on their work, upload examples of their reporting, and ask questions and receive feedback from fellow participants and the trainers. The grantee will report back in their final report the impact of the workshops on the journalists’ approach to their reporting.

Timeline: The workshops should be held between September 2019 and September 2020. Monitoring and Evaluation: Applicants shall include a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) workbook in their proposal, which should include: Page 7 of 19 1. Follow the instructions outlined in NOFO Part D, section 2.

Completing the suggested, auto-populated workbook in Attachment 3 for “Journalism Ethics for Television Broadcasters”. Completing this workbook will constitute a complete M&E submission for the purposes of the NOFO. 2.

Required data collection methods are listed below: a. Demographics: The selected grantee will collect demographic information on all participants to include: gender, age range, home district, level of formal education, profession, etc. b. Pre/Post Test: The selected grantee will administer a pre-test to determine the participants' base-line knowledge of the subject.

At the conclusion of the program, the grantee will administer a post-test to determine what the participants learned as a direct result of the program. If needed, PAS M&E may assist the selected grantee to create the pre-/post- tests; however, collecting, data-entry, and reporting the data to IO Islamabad is the selected grantee's responsibility. c.

Grantee Interviews: The selected grantee will include plans to conduct interviews with a representative sample of journalist participants. The purpose of the interviews is to determine what the most significant change the beneficiaries experienced, in their opinion, from participation in the project. Interviewers must explain the purpose of the interview and protect the confidentiality of any beneficiaries who agree to be interviewed.

The grantee will translate summaries of key interviews in to English to be used as “success stories” in the final reports. d. Follow up survey: At the end of the program activity, the selected grantee will administer a survey to determine outcomes achieved as a result of the activity.

In addition, the selected grantee will send an additional survey six (6)-months after the program ends to determine any further results from the program. PAS M&E may help the selected grantee create the surveys; however, collecting, data-entry, and reporting the survey results is the grantee's responsibility. e.

The following statement: The selected grantee will work with the PAS M&E team to ensure a comprehensive M&E plan before the award is finalized. In addition, the grantee will work with the PAS M&E team if and when they need assistance with M&E aspects of the award and/or to adjust their M&E plan as their program adapts.

 Address how the project will contribute to one or more of the objectives listed above;  Enumerate specific outputs and outcomes to be achieved by the end of the grant period, using a Grantee M&E workbook, preferably the template provided on www. grants.

gov (Attachment 3);  Describe involvement of American participants, expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s;  Clearly specify the audiences to be reached and the geographic locations of program activities. Programs proposed in multiple locations should explain how that will be accomplished.

The grantee must demonstrate capacity to implement activities in locations and with audiences proposed;  Provide surveys of participants, and information on when results will be reported to the Public Affairs Section; Page 8 of 19  Describe how elements of the project will have a multiplier effect or be sustainable beyond the life of the grant;  Demonstrate competency to manage all financial and oversight aspects of the project, including participant costs and transparent arrangements of sub-grant relationships with partner organizations, if applicable.

The Public Affairs Section will not support the following activities or expenses under this funding opportunity: • The purchase of space or buildings in support of program activities; • Individual travel to conferences; • Scholarships to support educational opportunities or study for individuals*; • Completion of activities begun with other funds; • Fundraising or fund development projects; • Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to an individual or single party in electoral campaigns; • Political party or lobbying activities in support of political parties; • Projects that support specific religious activities; • Cash prizes for competitions.

*Individuals interested in educational exchange or study opportunities in the United States should visit the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan website at: http://www. usefpakistan. org/ for more information on available programs.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Anticipated Award Amount : For Project 1, the award floor is $300,000; the award ceiling is $600,000. For Project 2, the award floor is $60,000; the award ceiling is $125,000.

Duration of Award : For Project 1, the project should be a minimum of one (1) year, and not exceed of a period of performance of two (2) years. For Project 2, the project’s period of performance should not exceed one (1) year. In response to this NOFO, organizations may submit multiple proposals, but ONLY ONE proposal per project outlined below.

The applicants must submit a separate Applicant Summary Coversheet (attached) for each proposal that clearly outlines under which project the application is submitted for. Applicants who submit one proposal covering more than one project may not be considered for funding.

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad reserves the right to award less or more than the amount of funds described in the absence of worthy applications or under such other circumstances as they may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. government. Page 9 of 19 Project and Budget Periods : Grant projects generally must be completed within the specified duration.

The Public Affairs Section will consider applications for continuation grants funded under these awards on a noncompetitive 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. C.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION All U.S. registered non-profit, accredited universities with requisite capacity and relevant programming experience are eligible to apply. This experience should be documented in the organization’s proposal. Organizations must provide proof of registration and non-profit status with their proposal application.

Organizations should submit a copy of their IRS determination letter. Cost sharing or matching is not required for this funding opportunity. Other Eligibility Requirements Applicants are allowed to submit only 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. In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. Applicants must also have a valid registration on www.

SAM. gov. Please see Section D for information on how to obtain these registrations. Previous federal award recipients who are not/were not in compliance with the terms of their financial and program reporting requirements are ineligible to apply.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable terms, conditions, and Office of Management and Budget guidance and requirements. Those organizations found to be in non-compliance may be found ineligible for funding or designated high risk if selected for funding. D.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 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 and Form of Application Submission 1.

The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity. 2. All documents are in English 3.

All budgets are in U.S. dollars Page 10 of 19 4. All pages are numbered 5. All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper; and 6.

All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins 7. All applicant authorized signatures are provided where indicated on the various, required forms When submitting a proposal, applicants are required to include the following documents and information, as applicable: Section 1– Organization Information A.

Application Summary Coversheet: Applicants must complete and submit the form provided (Attachment 1). B. Applicant Organizational Information Sheet: Applicants must complete and submit the form provided (Attachment 2).

An authorized signature by the applicant must be provided on this form. C. A copy of the organization’s registration should be provided with the proposal application.

U.S.-based organizations should submit a copy of their IRS determination letter. Pakistan-based organizations should submit a copy of their certificate of registration from the appropriate government organization. Section 2 – Technical Proposal: Applicants must submit a complete narrative proposal in a format of your choice.

The proposal shall not exceed twelve (12) pages. Refer to the evaluation criteria in Section E below for further detail about what makes a strong proposal.

All proposals must address the following areas:  Organizational Description and Capacity  Project Justification, Sustainability, and Impact  Project Goals, Objectives and Activities  Implementation Timeline  Security (see note below)  Monitoring and Evaluation The safety and security of all participants and activities under this project are the sole responsibility of the award recipient.

Due to the security climate in Pakistan, we require all proposals to include a security package to accompany appropriate programmatic elements within their proposal.

The security package must include, but is not limited to, secure transportation, lodging, and emergency accountability and evacuation for any non-Pakistani personnel living or working in Pakistan, as well as a copy of your organization’s security operational procedures for high-risk environments. Reasonable costs for necessary security are allowable expenses and should be included in the proposed budget.

If a security company is engaged and funded under the award, it must be registered by the Government of Pakistan to operate in Pakistan. We also require award recipients to notify the Public Affairs Section in advance when U.S. citizens are traveling to Pakistan. Page 11 of 19 U.S. citizens who travel to Pakistan are encouraged to enroll in the Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) available at: https://step.

state. gov/step/ . Enrollment enables citizens to receive security-related messages from the Embassy and makes it easier for us to locate you in an emergency.

The Embassy also recommends that all travelers review the State Department's travel website at travel. state. gov for the Worldwide Caution , Travel Warnings , Travel Alerts , and Pakistan Country Specific Information .

Monitoring & Evaluation Workbook Proposals must include a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) workbook. Attachment 3 of this funding opportunity contains a preferred template that may be used to fulfill this requirement. The M&E workbook describes how applicants intend to measure and demonstrate progress towards the project’s objectives and goals.

An M&E workbook should include the following components: 1. Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative: Applicants should describes how they intend to monitor and evaluate the activities of their award and collect data that tracks award performance. For more information, please see the example in Attachment 3.

1. 2. Monitoring and Evaluation Outline At minimum, the applicant must include their proposed activities and their expected outputs and outcomes as well as the goals and objectives as written in the NOFO (please see Attachment 3).

The outline’s purpose is to explicitly illustrate how a project’s activities lead to tangible results (such as increased beneficiary skills, knowledge, or attitudes) that ultimately address a PAS objective. For more information, please see the example in Attachment 3. 1 and a list of definitions in Attachment 3.

2. The selected applicant(s) will be required to submit a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plan before an award is signed. An M&E plan will require qualitative and/or quantitative indicators that measure the outputs, outcomes, and objectives the applicant expects to achieve.

The proposed M&E plan is subject to PAS review and approval prior to finalizing the award. The selected applicant will be required to work with PAS Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists to ensure the M&E plan meets PAS objectives. A.

Budget and Budget Detail: Applicants must submit a detailed budget and budget narrative justification utilizing the template provided with the funding opportunity (Attachment 4). Line item expenditures should be listed in the greatest possible detail. Personnel salaries should include the level of effort and the rate of pay, which should cover the percentage of time each staff member will dedicate to grant-based activities.

Budgets that are not in the provided format will not be considered. Budgets shall be submitted in U.S. dollars and final grant agreements will be conducted in U.S. dollars. B.

Audit Requirements: Please note the audit requirements for Department of State awards in the Standard Terms and Conditions https://www. state. gov/m/a/ope/index.

htm and 2CFR200 , Subpart F – Audit Requirements. The cost of the required audits may be Page 12 of 19 charged either as an allowable direct cost to the award OR included in the organization’s established indirect costs in the award’s detailed budget. C.

Visa Fees: Include all visa application and related fees in your budget as applicable. Please note DS-2019s for post-funded programs must be submitted directly by the award recipient. If you anticipate your program will include the DS-2019 visa processing, your organization must be a registered Designated Sponsoring Organization.

For more information go to: https://j1visa. state. gov/sponsors/become-a-sponsor/ Section 4 – Key Personnel and Project Partners A.

Key Personnel – A résumé, not to exceed 1 page in length, must be included for the proposed key staff persons, such as the Project Director and Finance Officer, as well as any speakers or trainers (if applicable). If an individual for this type of position has not been identified, the applicant may submit a 1-page position description, identifying the qualifications and skills required for that position, in lieu of a résumé. B.

Project Partners – letters of support should be included for sub-recipients or other partners. The letters must identify the type of relationship to be entered into (formal or informal), the roles and responsibilities of each partner in relation to the proposed project activities, and the expected result of the partnership. The individual letters cannot exceed 1 page in length.

http://www. grants. gov/web/grants/forms.

html under the heading, “SF-424 Family”. An authorized signature by the applicant must be provided on this form. 1.

Other items NOT required/requested for submission, but which may be requested if your application is approved for funding include: a. Copies of an organization or program audit within the last two (2) years b. Copies of relevant human resources, financial, or procurement policies c.

Copies of other relevant organizational policies or documentation that would help the Department determine your organization’s capacity to manage a federal grant award overseas. 2. The Embassy reserves the right to request any additional programmatic and/or financial information regarding the proposal.

Applications are accepted in English only, and final grant agreements will be concluded in English. Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date of this opportunity, however, all submission must be received by April 9, 2019 at 11:59 p. m .

U.S. Eastern Daylight Time. For the purposes of determining if an award is submitted on time, officials will utilize the time-stamp provided by Grants. gov. Page 13 of 19 This deadline is firm.

If organizations fail to meet the deadline noted above, their application will not be considered for funding and will be considered ineligible. Applicants must submit all application materials electronically through Grants. gov. Authorization to submit proposals through www.

Grants. gov is a multi-step process that requires prior successful registration with DUNS, NCAGE, SAM, and www. Grants.

gov . Please begin the registration process immediately to ensure that the process is completed well in advance of the deadline for applications. The entire registration process can require up to six weeks for the registration to be validated and confirmed.

 Thorough instructions on the application process are available at https://eportal. nspa. nato.

int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%2 0NCAGE. pdf for the DUNS number application, NCAGE number application, and registration with SAM and at  http://www. grants.

gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration. html for registration with www. grants.

gov as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). For questions relating to Grants. gov, please call the Grants.

gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726. Please note: Only www. grants.

gov , DUNS, NCAGE, and SAM can assist with technical questions or problems applicants may experience during the registration process. Please refer to the contact information for these organizations listed in Section G of this NOFO and on the organization registration page of www. grants.

gov . Organizations must obtain the following:  AOR (Authorized Organization Representative) registration on www. Grants.

gov Apply for an UEI (DUNS) and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously) UEI (DUNS) application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, if your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov. dnb. com/webform/displayHomePage.

do;jsessionid=81407B1F03F2BDB123D D47D19158B75F . http://fedgov. dnb.

com/webform NCAGE application: Application page here (but need to click magnifying glass and then scroll down to click new registration) https://eportal. nspa. nato.

int/AC135Public/scage/CageList. aspx Page 14 of 19 Instructions for the NCAGE application process: https://eportal. nspa.

nato. int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20N CAGE. pdf For help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423 For help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 Email NCAGE@dlis.

dla. mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code. After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM by logging onto: https://www.

sam. gov/ Once DUNS and NCAGE are obtained, continue to SAM registration. www.

SAM. gov Once SAM registration is confirmed, continue to Grants. gov organization registration http://www.

grants. gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration. html organizations must maintain an active SAM registration ( www.

SAM. gov ) with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or an application under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

How to Submit an Application via Grants. gov Grants. gov applicants can apply online using Workspace.

Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), yo u can create individual instances of a workspace. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to https://www.

grants. gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants. html NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.

gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www. grants. gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.

html Special Characters in Submissions Grants. gov does not accept all UTF-8 special characters in file attachment names. Applicants are able to enter all special characters from the UTF-8 character set when submitting applications and information to Grants.

gov. However, if the grantor's system is not yet compatible with these special characters, the grantor system may produce garbled or missing text in the application. As a result, the application may be rejected. Review the application instructions provided by the award -making agency for their attachment restrictions.

You should also review the instructions on the form you are completing. If there are no special restrictions for file names iden tified by the agency or in the form, then the file name restrictions are as follows: Please limit file names to 50 or fewer characters Page 15