Issuance Date: 25 June 2018 Deadline for Questions: 12 September 2018 Closing Date: 30 September 2018 Closing Time: 4:00 pm Kabul Time RFA number: RFA-DAI-WIE-KBL-033 Subject: Reference: Request for Applications (RFA) Number DAI-Promote-Women in the Economy- KBL-033 DAI/Promote: Business Services Grants Program Issued Under Women in the Economy, USAID Contract No. AID-306-TO-I5-00062/AID-306-I-I4-00013 Dear Applicants; The USAID Women in the Economy (WIE) program is seeking grant applications from businesses that have previously participated in a WIE activity and that could benefit from professional business services and sector-specific technical services to increase their revenues and improve their profitability. Please refer to Section I Program Description for a complete statement of goals and expected results. All grants will be awarded and implemented in accordance with USAID and U.S. Government regulations governing grants under contract and Women in the Economy s internal grant management policies and procedures. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400(g) and 2 CFR 700. 13, it is USAID policy not to award profit under assistance instruments such as grant awards. However, all reasonable, allocable and allowable expenses, both direct and indirect, which are related to the grant program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 700, and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 31 (applicable to for-profit organizations only), may be paid under the grant. DAI/WIE anticipates awarding approximately 150 grants pursuant to the RFA. DAI/WIE reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted. Subject to the availability of funds, DAI anticipates awarding grants to one or more businesses up to a value of AFN 400,000 per grant application. The final award amount will be dependent on grant activities and cost discussions and, with Chief of Party approval, may be higher. An organization may submit more than one application in response to the RFA. Multiple awards may be made to the same organization at the discretion of DAI/WIE, but no organization will receive more than one award at the same time. For the purposes of this program, this RFA is being issued and consists of this cover letter and the following: Section I Section II Program Description Award Information
Section III Eligibility Information Section IV Application and Submission Information Section V Application Review Information Section VI Federal Award and Administration Information Annex 1: Mandatory Standard Provisions Annex 2: Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Provisions Applications must be received by DAI/WIE no later than the date and time indicated at the top of this cover letter. Applications shall be submitted in person to DAI/WIE Private Sector Development (PSD) Case Officers in DAI/WIE regional offices. They can be contacted at the following numbers in each region: Kabul: 0 711999644 Herat: 0 711997809 Mazar: 0 711997830 Jalalabad: 0 711997535 Kandahar: 0 711997505 Awards will be made based on the merit review process outlined in the RFA. Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of DAI, not does it commit DAI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission on an application. Further, DAI reserves the right to reject any or all applications received. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant s expense. Any questions concerning this RFA shall be posted on the Afghanbids.com website discussion board and will be publicly answered. Applicants should retain for their records all application materials submitted to DAI. Promote: Women in the Economy can assist applicants in understanding the application process, and at the request of the applicant, can provide coaching in application development. Thank you for your interest in Women in the Economy activities. Sincerely, DAI Promote: Women in the Economy
Women In the Economy (WIE) Business Services Grants Table of Contents Section I Program Description Section II Award Information Section III Eligibility Information Section IV Application and Submission Information Section V Application Review Information Section VI - Federal Award and Administration Information Annex 1: Mandatory Standard Provisions Annex 2: Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Provisions
Section I Program Description Promote: WIE is a USAID-funded program that partners with Afghan women to increase their participation in the economy by securing employment or advancing in their careers, and to increase revenues of women-owned businesses, or businesses that employ women as 30% or more of their staff. In order to achieve this goal, WIE relies on two components: Private Sector Development (PSD) and Workforce Development (WFD). The PSD component is issuing this Request for Applications (RFA) to invite eligible businesses (as defined in Section III) that could benefit from business and technical services assistance on a cost-sharing basis. WIE will fund up to 70% of the total cost of such services, to a maximum of AFN 400,000; on the condition the business pays the remaining cost. The grant is only available to businesses that have already participated in another WIE PSD activity. Applicants must apply through and be recommended by their regional WIE office. Many businesses are currently run traditionally, operating below full capacity, have inefficient operations or production systems, don t understand their costs, and the goods or services they produce are not of sufficient quality to be competitive in the marketplace. WIE is currently offering Business Services Mini Grants to eligible businesses in order to assist them to overcome these and other major barriers to growth and profitability. WIE has no pre-defined set of services that clients can access via this grant; instead they are to be demand-driven and specific to the requirements of beneficiary businesses. Businesses must request specific services and demonstrate how they will assist the business in becoming more competitive and profitable. The following list represents some of the services that may be funded through mini grants; however, this list is not comprehensive, and businesses may request services not listed below. Development of systems to manage accounting, inventory, sales, etc.; Marketing, sales and promotional materials development (including logos and branding) printing costs for these materials cannot be funded by WIE, but may be considered a grantee contribution; New product/service development; Business legal services; Financial and taxation consultation; Practical training for employee technical skills development; Machinery setup, installation, or development of manuals for machinery or production processes
On an exception basis the mini grants may be used to fund equipment, but the financial analysis and documentation of existing and new production processes and capacity on these requests is significantly more comprehensive to that of services requests. Additional requirements are detailed in the application instructions. NOTE: Only businesses presently participating in WIE PSD activities or who have participated are eligible. Priority will be given to those participating in the MBA Corps, graduating from business incubators, or actively engaged in market access initiatives. DAI/WIE grant awards are made under the authority of the U.S. Foreign Affairs Act and USAID s Advanced Directive System (ADS) 302.3.5.6, Grants Under Contract. The awards will be subject to 2 CFR 700 and 2 CFR 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Specific agreement provisions, by grant type, are provided in Annex I. Funding Limitations The ceiling for each Business Services Grant will be AFN 400,000. WIE will assess applications for Business Services Grants on a case-by-case basis, with emphasis on the potential of the requested service(s) to significantly impact business growth and profitability, and the ratio of requested funding to overall investment in the business. Applications for grants that exceed the AFN 400,000 ceiling may be submitted, but they must meet the 70%/30% ratio and require a waiver from the Chief of Party (COP) in order to qualify for funding. Use of Business Services Grants Business Services Grants shall be utilized only for provision of technical and business services to businesses meeting the eligibility requirements listed in Section III. Eligible businesses in need of the types of assistance specified above, or in need of similar technical or business process related services, are encouraged to apply for assistance under the Business Services Grant Program. Businesses may receive up to three (3) grant awards for various services, which shall be implemented consecutively, upon approval of the COP. WIE will fully assess each business request for services to determine if the services requested are appropriate and have the potential to impact revenue growth and profitability. Section II Award Information Subject to the availability of funds, DAI anticipates awarding grants to one or more businesses, up to a value of AFN 400,000 per grant application. DAI/WIE reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.the final award amount will be dependent on grant activities and cost discussions and, with Chief of Party approval, may be higher. Multiple awards may be made to the same organization at the discretion of DAI/WIE. No more than three (3) grants will be awarded to any one business under the Business Services Grant Program.
Please see Annex I for a description of the applicable grant type and applicable provisions. Section III Eligibility Information This RFA is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested and qualified businesses have a fair opportunity to submit applications for funding. Eligibility requirements include the following: Must be registered in the WIE Businesses Directory and have participated in a WIE PSD activity; and must be registered as a business with the Government of Afghanistan and hold all government authorities required to function in their sector and type of business; and must be women-owned or women must make up at least 30% of their staff. Grant recipients must also be able to demonstrate their potential for revenue growth as a result of the grant investment. WIE has no sector specific requirements subject to the funding restrictions identified in Section IV(C). Upon approval of the COP, businesses may receive up to three (3) grant awards under this RFA for various services, which shall be implemented consecutively. Grant applicants must demonstrate their commitment toward the proposed project by sharing in the cost of the proposed grant activity. In addition to demonstrating commitment, cost sharing leverages additional resources toward achieving WIE s objectives and gives grant recipients a stake in the outcome of the activity. WIE will fund up to a maximum of 70% of the total cost of services, up to AFN 400,00, with the balance paid by applicant businesses. Note: Organizations included in the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs are not eligible for Federal awards. In addition, organizations are not eligible for awards if they have members who appear in the U.S. Department of Treasury s List of Specifically Designated Nationals (OFAC s Sanctions List) and Blocked Persons or who have been designated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions committee established under UNSC Resolution 1267 (1999) (the 1267 Committee) as an individual linked to Taliban, Osama bin Laden, or Al Qaeda organization. Section IV Application and Submission Information Businesses that meet the requirements defined above and interested in applying for mini grants should contact the PSD Case Officer in their region. Phone numbers for the WIE Regional Offices are as follows: Kabul 0093 (0) 711999644 Herat 0093 (0) 711997809 Mazar 0093 (0) 711997830 Jalalabad 0093 (0) 711997535
Kandahar 0093 (0) 711997505 Deadlines Applications must be submitted to the PSD Case Officer before the date and time indicated in the cover letter. Late Applications - All applications received by the deadline will be reviewed for responsiveness and programmatic merit according to the specifications outlined in these guidelines and the application format. Section V addresses the merit review process for the applications. Applications which are submitted after the closing date of this RFA or are incomplete may not be considered in the review process. Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Provisions. The applicant is required to submit a signed copy the Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Provisions located in Annex 2. Section V Application Review Information Upon receipt of an application the DAI/WIE PSD Activity Manager will complete an Application Checklist and review each application to ensure the Applicant meets the minimum eligibility requirements. If an Applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the RFA, the PSD Activity Manager will request the Grants team to reject the application and inform the Applicant of the rejection, providing the reason for the rejection. Those applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be subjected to a technical screening. The PSD Activity Manager will review eligible applications to ensure they are complete and ready for review by the Selection Committee. At a minimum, the technical reviewer will review the grant objectives and intended results to ensure that: (1) the grant will contribute to WIE objectives; (2) costs are reasonable and allocable; and (3) implementation plans and timeframes are realistic. Discussions may be held between the Applicant and DAI/WIE to amend the application, as necessary. If an application is rejected during the technical screening process, the Grants Officer will inform the Applicant of the rejection, providing reason for the rejection. On a rolling basis throughout the submission period, the Selection Committee (SC) will convene to conduct a Merit Review of all applications that meet the minimum eligibility requirements and have not been rejected during the technical screening process. At a minimum, the Selection Committee will include: The COP/DCOP Technical, or designee, the PSD Team Lead and one other member from the PSD HQ team, or in the case of the need for technical expertise (such as IT), someone appointed by the COP. A representative of the Grants team will attend the committee meeting as a nonvoting member.
Throughout the merit review process, DAI/WIE shall take steps to ensure that members of the grants team, technical review team and SC do not have any conflicts of interest or the appearance of such with regard to the organizations whose applications are under review. An individual shall be considered to have the appearance of a conflict of interest if that person, or that person s spouse, partner, child, close friend or relative works for or is negotiating to work for, or has a financial interest (including being an unpaid member of a Board of Directors) in any organization that submitted an application currently under review by the grants team, technical review team or SC. Members of the grants team, technical review team, and the SC shall neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from parties to the awards. The applications will be reviewed by the SC according to the merit review criteria set forth below. To the extent necessary (if award is not made based on initial applications), discussions may be conducted with each applicant whose application has a reasonable chance of being selected for award. The SC will then conduct a cost review of the budget(s) proposed by apparent successful Applicant(s). When reviewing costs the SC will review the cost breakdown; evaluate and analyze specific elements of costs for reasonableness and allowability of costs in the budget; and determine the allowability of the costs under the applicable cost principles. Merit Review Criteria Rating (Points) Caliber of Business Management (Operations, Finance) 4 Quality of Sales and Marketing, Business Competitiveness 4 Business Impact of Grant Investment 4 Total 12 Section VI Federal Award and Administration Information Issuance of Grant Agreements Upon selection for award by DAI/WIE a Grant Agreement will be prepared. After DAI and the successful applicant have signed the Grant Agreement, reporting and contractual obligations will be explained to the grant recipient. All grants issued under this RFA will be in-kind grants. Grants will be administered in accordance 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 700, and with the provisions outlined in Annex I. Reporting A description of reporting requirements will be included in the Grant Agreements. The types of reporting required, along with the schedule of reporting, will depend on the grant type and project duration. Reporting forms will be provided to grant recipients. Types of reporting may include the following:
Program report to be submitted during project implementation according to a schedule determined by DAI. This report will include a description of project activities and progress towards meeting the project goal; problems in project implementation; actions taken to overcome them; and plans on how the next phase of the project will be implemented. Final program report will describe how the project objectives and goals were reached, results of the project, and problems and solutions during implementation. This information should be presented in a manner suitable for presentation to the public. Grant Activity Monitoring DAI staff will monitor projects in terms of both programmatic and, if applicable, financial aspects. Grant recipients will be expected to facilitate monitoring by making relevant information available to DAI staff. Permitted Uses of Program Income The Grantee will inform DAI of any program income generated under the grant and agrees to follow USAID s disposition requirements for such program income, which is in accordance with 2 CFR 200.307. Program income earned under this agreement shall be applied and used in the following descending order: 1. Added to funds committed by USAID and the recipient to the project or program, and used to further eligible project or program objectives; 2. Used to finance the non-federal share of the project or program; and 3. Deducted from the total project or program allowable cost in determining the net allowable costs on which the federal share of costs is based. If the terms and conditions of the award do not specify how program income is to be used, then number 2) shall apply automatically. Grantees who are commercial organizations may not apply Option 1) to their program income.
Annex 1: Mandatory Standard Provisions Mandatory Standard Provisions for in-kind grants are as follows: In-Kind Grant: Under an in-kind grant, goods and services are procured directly by DAI in close coordination with the grantee. Once purchased, goods and services are delivered immediately to the grantee or to the grant activity. All procurement is undertaken on the grantees behalf by DAI. Mandatory Standard Provisions: (https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/303mat). Annex 2: Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Provisions In accordance with ADS 303.3.8, DAI will require successful grant applicants to submit a signed copy of the following certifications and assurances, as applicable: 1. Assurance of Compliance with Laws and Regulations Governing Non-Discrimination in Federally Assisted Programs (Note: This certification applies to Non-U.S. organizations if any part of the program will be undertaken in the United States.) 2. Certification Regarding Lobbying (This certification applies to grants greater than $100,000.) 3. Prohibition on Assistance to Drug Traffickers for Covered Countries and Individuals (ADS 206) 4. Certification Regarding Terrorist Financing, Implementing Executive Order 13224 5. Certification Regarding Trafficking in Persons, Implementing Title XVII of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Note: This certification applies if grant for services required to be performaned outside of the United States is greater than $500,000. This certification must be submitted annually to the USAID Agreement Officer during the term of the grant.) 6. Certification of Recipient In addition, the following certifications will be included Part II Key Individual Certification Narcotics Offenses and Drug Trafficking (Note: Only as required per ADS 206 for Key Individuals or Covered Participants in covered countries.) Part III Participant Certification Narcotics Offenses and Drug Trafficking (Note: Only as required per ADS 206 for Key Individuals or Covered Participants in covered countries.) Part IV Representation by Organization Regarding a Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Criminal Conviction Part V Other Statements of Recipient Part VI Standard Provisions for Solicitations
(Note: Parts V & VI Are included in the grant file as part of the grant application.)