Billing Code: 4163-18-P
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Provision of Full Access Home-Based Confidential HIV Counseling and Testing and Basic Care Services in Apac District of the Republic of Uganda under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Announcement Type: New
Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-PS08-859
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.067
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: July 14, 2008
Authority: This program is authorized under Public Law 108-25 (United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003) [22 U.S.C. 7601).
Background:
President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has called for immediate, comprehensive and evidence-based action to turn the tide of global HIV/AIDS. The initiative aims to treat more than two million HIV-infected people with effective combination anti-retroviral therapy (ART) by 2008; care for ten million HIV-infected and affected persons, including those orphaned by HIV/AIDS, by 2008; and prevent seven million infections by 2010, with a focus on 15 priority countries, including 12 in sub-Saharan Africa. The Five-Year Strategy for the Emergency Plan is available at the following Internet address: http://www.state.gov/s/gac/plan/c11652.htm
Over the same time period, as part of a collective national response, the Emergency Plan goals specific to Uganda are to treat at least 60,000 HIV-infected individuals; and to care for 300,000 HIV-affected individuals, including orphans, and to prevent 165,000 new infections.
Purpose:
Under the leadership of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, as part of the President's Emergency Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS/CDC) works with host countries and other key partners to assess the needs of each country and design a customized program of assistance that fits within the host nation's strategic plan.
HHS/CDC focuses on two or three major program areas in each country. Goals and priorities include the following:
The purpose of this announcement is to provide 100% access for confidential, home-based HIV counseling and testing throughout the District of Apac in the Republic of Uganda. Apac district is located in the north-central region which has an HIV prevalence of 8.2%.
The program will ensure that the entire adult population of the district and their family members receive confidential HIV counseling and testing in their homes, as outlined in the Ugandan national policy guidelines on HIV counseling and testing. The successful applicant will establish a systematic approach to reach all households by using outreach teams composed of counselors, laboratory assistants, and community mobilizers. Following the Ugandan national rapid-testing algorithm, these teams will receive training and then work throughout the district, visiting each home to offer confidential HIV counseling and testing. The strategy developed must require funding and a written, documented plan for insuring access to HIV testing services, with participant voluntary consent, in collaboration with other Ministry of Health partners in the district for all children and infants at risk of HIV infection. To ensure the accuracy of this home-based testing, the grantee will develop a laboratory quality-assurance process, in collaboration with the Ugandan national reference laboratory.
The recipient of this cooperative agreement must establish a consistent supply chain for essential HIV testing commodities, and maintain it for sustainability after the end of the project period. In addition, the grantee will collect routine data to inform the implementation and management of the program, identify gaps in care, and address reporting requirements.
All clients who test HIV-positive will receive a comprehensive Basic Preventive Care Package that will include information on and provision of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis; a safe-water vessel and chlorine solution; long-lasting, insecticide-treated bednets; condoms, as appropriate, and instruction in their correct and consistent use; educational materials; and prevention-for-positives counseling. In addition, the program must establish an effective referral system for all HIV-positive individuals identified
including Ovulation Induction (OI) treatment and preventing mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services as appropriate. The program will facilitate technical assistance as to ensure that comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment and care is readily available at nearby health facilities. Community structures for HIV-prevention education, post-test clubs, and Person living with HIV/AIDS (PHA) peer-support groups to assist and follow-up on HIV-positive clients and their families must also be part of the program. Finally, the program must facilitate access to dedicated couples-counseling or support the establishment of such counseling if it is not already available in the targeted communities.
This program will closely collaborate with the Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) in Uganda, which is currently under the direction of the Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaria Control Program. The PMI is a $1.2 billion program that was announced in 2005 by the United States Government (USG) to rapidly scale up malaria prevention and treatment interventions in high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The goal of this Initiative is to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50% after three years of full implementation in each country. This is to be achieved by reaching 85% coverage of the most vulnerable groups including children under five years of age, pregnant women and people living with HIV/AIDS; with proven preventive and therapeutic interventions, including artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) of pregnant women, and indoor residual spraying (IRS).
Apac district is one of the districts currently being targeted by PMI because it has one of the highest malaria rates in the world, with an infectivity rate of 1564 bites/per person/per year. PMI has established a national electronic database to track and map the distribution of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITNs) and set up four sentinel surveillance sites to collect malaria indicators in Apac district. The PEPFAR-PMI collaboration will jointly support the implementation of the district-wide door-to-door counseling and testing program in the district. The PMI program will perform malaria diagnosis using the same blood draws from the HIV tests and later measure the district malaria prevalence rates to provide valuable information to the National Malaria Control program.
The Full Access home based confidential HIV counseling and testing program will contribute to the goals and objectives of the PMI program by facilitating the identification of people living with HIV/AIDS for Malaria prevention and treatment services besides HIV/AIDS care and treatment services.
Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the following performance goal(s) for the Emergency Plan:
This announcement is intended for non-research activities supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within HHS (HHS/CDC). If an applicant proposes research activities, HHS/CDC will not review the application. For the definition of “research,” please see the HHS/CDC Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/regs/hrpp/researchdefinition.htm
Activities:
The recipient of these funds is responsible for activities in multiple program areas designed to target underserved populations in Uganda. Either the awardee will implement activities directly or will implement them through its subgrantees and/or subcontractors; the awardee will retain overall financial and programmatic management under the oversight of HHS/CDC and the strategic direction of the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. The awardee must show a measurable progressive reinforcement of the capacity of indigenous organizations and local communities to respond to the national HIV epidemic, as well as progress towards the sustainability of activities.
Applicants should describe activities in detail that reflect the policies and goals outlined in the Five-Year Strategy for the President’s Emergency Plan.
The grantee will produce an annual operational plan, which the U.S. Government Emergency Plan team on the ground in Uganda will review as part of the annual Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Country Operational Plan review-and-approval process, managed by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. The grantee may work on some of the activities listed below in the first year and in subsequent years, and then progressively add others from the list to achieve all of the Emergency Plan performance goals, as cited in the previous section. HHS/CDC, under the guidance of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, will approve funds for activities on an annual basis, based on documented performance toward achieving Emergency Plan goals, as part of the annual Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Country Operational Plan review-and-approval process.
Awardee activities for this program are as follows:
1.
Identify project staffing needs; hire and train staff.2.
Identify the procurement needs of the project and implementing partners for vehicles, furnishings, fittings, equipment, computers and other fixed assets procurement, and acquire from normal sources through competitive processes.3.
Establish suitable administrative and financial management structures, including a project office, if required.4.
Ensure district capacity to fully implement confidential HIV home-based counseling and testing to cover the district’s population in a progressive, predictable and comprehensive manner by reaching communities systematically to maximum efficient coverage to reach at least 90% of the population within 3 years.5.
Work with district public and private sector stakeholders to develop an effective referral system for appropriate and high-quality care and treatment providers for those testing positive.6.
Ensure that all persons testing positive are provided with a basic preventive care package and referrals to an effective care and treatment health care facility.7.
Establish community support and mobilization structures to facilitate community education and post-test care and support.8.
Support the development of a simple data-collection system, integrated within the general Ugandan government Health Management Information System (HMIS) that reflects useful information specifically related to confidential counseling and testing activities and Emergency Plan reporting requirements, consistent with the strategic information guidance provided by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.9.
Ensure the development and operation of a commodities supply and management system for test kits and other necessary laboratory items.10.
Implement a simple quality-assurance system for confidential HIV counseling and testing in a home-based setting.11.
Participate in working groups to produce guidelines and training manuals in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Health (MoH) and other public and private stakeholders relating to full-access confidential home-based HIV counseling and testing.12.
Undertake the above activities in a manner consistent with the Ugandan national HIV/AIDS strategy and the Five-Year Strategy and performance goals of the Emergency Plan.13.
Provide information on HIV prevention methods (or strategies) including abstinence, faithfulness and, for populations engaged in high-risk behaviors, correct and consistent condom use.14.
Work to link activities described here with related HIV care and other social services in the area, and promote coordination at all levels, including through bodies such as village, district, regional and national HIV coordination committees and networks of faith-based organizations.15.
Develop and implement a project-specific participatory monitoring and evaluation plan by drawing on national and U.S. Government requirements and tools, including the strategic information guidance provided by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.The selected applicant of this funding competition must comply with all HHS/CDC management requirements for meeting participation and progress and financial reporting for this cooperative agreement (See HHS/CDC Activities and Reporting sections below for details), and comply with all policy directives established by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
In a cooperative agreement, HHS/CDC staff is substantially involved in the program activities, above and beyond routine grant-monitoring.
HHS/CDC Activities for this program are as follows:
1. Organize an orientation meeting with the grantee for a briefing on applicable U.S. Government, HHS/CDC, and Emergency Plan expectations, regulations and key management requirements, as well as report formats and contents. The orientation could include meetings with staff from HHS agencies and the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. 2. Review and approve the process used by the grantee to select key personnel and/or post-award subcontractors and/or subgrantees to be involved in the activities performed under this agreement, as part of the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Country Operational Plan review and approval process, managed by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. 3. Review and approve the grantee’s annual work plan and detailed budget, as part of the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Country Operational Plan review-and-approval process, managed by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. 4. Review and approve the grantee’s monitoring-and-evaluation plan, including for compliance with the strategic-information guidance established by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. 5. Meet on a monthly basis with the grantee to assess monthly expenditures in relation to approved work plan and modify plans, as necessary. 6. Meet on a quarterly basis with the grantee to assess quarterly technical and financial progress reports and modify plans as necessary. 7. Meet on an annual basis with the grantee to review annual progress report for each U.S. Government Fiscal Year, and to review annual work plans and budgets for subsequent year, as part of the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief review and approval process for Country Operational Plans, managed by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. 8. Provide technical assistance, as mutually agreed upon, and revise annually during validation of the first and subsequent annual work plans. This could include expert technical assistance and targeted training activities in specialized areas, such as strategic information, project management, confidential counseling and testing, palliative care, treatment literacy, and adult-learning techniques. 9. Provide in-country administrative support to help grantee meet U.S. Government financial and reporting requirements approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under 0920-0428 (Public Health Service Form 5161). 10. Collaborate with the awardee on designing and implementing the activities listed above, including, but not limited to the provision of technical assistance to develop program activities, data management and analysis, quality assurance, the presentation and possibly publication of program results and findings, and the management and tracking of finances. 11. Provide consultation and scientific and technical assistance based on appropriate, HHS/CDC and Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator documents to promote the use of best practices known at the time. 12. Assist the recipient in developing and implementing quality-assurance criteriaand procedures. 13. Facilitate in-country planning and review meetings for technical assistance activities
Please note: Either HHS staff or staff from organizations that have successfully competed for funding under a separate HHS contract, cooperative agreement or grant will provide technical assistance and training.
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement
HHS\CDC involvement in this program appears in the Activities Section above.
Award Mechanism: U2G
Fiscal Year Funds: 2006
Approximate Current Fiscal Year Funding: $300,000
Approximate Total Project Period Funding: $900,000 (This amount is an estimate, and is subject to availability of funds.)
Approximate Number of Awards: One
Approximate Average Award: $300,000 (This amount is for the first 12-month budget period, and includes direct costs (and indirect costs in the case of domestic grantees.) )
Floor of Individual Award Range: $300,000
Ceiling of Individual Award Range: $300,000 (This ceiling is for the first 12-month budget period.)
Anticipated Award Date: September 30, 2008
Budget Period Length: 12 Months.
Project Period Length: Three Years.
Throughout the project period, HHS/CDC’s commitment to continuation of awards will be conditioned on the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports), and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the U.S. Government, through the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief review and approval process for Country Operational Plans, managed by the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
III.1. Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants that can apply for this funding opportunity appear below:
Additionally, the applicant must meet the following criteria:
One of the goals of PEPFAR is to “develop indigenous capacity to address HIV/AIDS to promote the sustainability of host nations’ efforts.” An indigenous organization is one that originated and is located in the geographic area it services, serves the population located in the geographic area, and has a majority of organizational staff (senior, mid-level, support) comprised of persons native to that area. Building, strengthening and sustaining institutional capacity of Ugandan organizations, specifically in the Apac District or other districts of northern Uganda, is a key strategy for achieving the prevention, care and treatment goals of the President’s Emergency Plan and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the President’s Emergency Plan Programs. Organizations indigenous to the Apac District or other districts of northern Uganda are more familiar with the target population and culture. Services provided by these organizations, specifically those in the Apac District or other districts of northern Uganda, are more acceptable to the target population because services are more culturally and linguistically appropriate. Activities are more effective in addressing the needs of the target population and services are more cost effective. Engaging local partners is a critical step towards achieving this strategy. To this extent, this program will provide 100% access for confidential, home-based HIV counseling and testing throughout the Apac District in the Republic of Uganda. Following the Ugandan national rapid-testing algorithm, the activities supported by the grant will strengthen the capacity of local teams comprised of counselors, laboratory assistants and community mobilizers in receiving training who will then provide outreach throughout the Apac District, visiting homes to offer confidential HIV counseling and testing.
III.2. Cost-Sharing or Matching
Matching funds are not required for this program. If applicants receive funding from other sources to underwrite the same or similar activities, or anticipate receiving such funding in the next 12 months, they must detail how the disparate streams of financing complement each other.
III.3. Other
If a funding amount greater than the ceiling of the award range is requested, the application will be considered non-responsive and will not be entered into the review process. The applicant will be notified that the application did not meet the submission requirements.
Special Requirements:
If the application is incomplete or non-responsive to the special requirements listed in this section, it will not be entered into the review process. The applicant will be notified the applicant the application did not meet submission requirements.
IV.1. Address to Request Application Package
To apply for this funding opportunity use the application forms package posted in Grants.gov.
Electronic Submission:
HHS/CDC strongly encourages applicants to submit applications electronically by utilizing the forms and instructions posted for this announcement on www.Grants.gov, the official Federal agency-wide E-grant Web site. Only applicants who apply on-line may forego submitting paper copies of all application forms.Registering an applicant organization through www.Grants.gov is the first step in submitting applications online. Registration information is located in the “Get Registered” screen of www.Grants.gov. While application submission through www.Grants.gov is optional, applicants are strongly encouraged to use this online tool. Please visit www.Grants.gov at least 30 days prior to filing an application to become familiar with the registration and submission processes. Under “Get Registered,” the one-time registration process will take three to five days to complete. Only the person who registers the organization on grants.gov can submit the application. This is important to remember if the person who originally registered an organization on grants.gov is no longer working for that particular organization. HHS/CDC suggests submitting electronic applications prior to the closing date so difficulties are encountered in Grants.gov, a hard copy of the application can be submitted prior to the deadline.
Foreign organizations must include a NATO Commercial and Governmental Entity (NCAGE) Code to complete their Grants.gov registration. Instructions for obtaining an NCAGE Code may be found at:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/NATO_Commercial_and_Governmental_Entity_12-18-06.doc.If you technical difficulties are encountered in Grants.gov, customer service may be reached by e-mail at support@grants.gov, or by phone 1-800-518-4726 (1-800-518-GRANTS). The Customer Support Center is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
Paper Submission:
Application forms and instructions are available on the HHS/CDC Web site, at the following Internet address: www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/grants/app_and_forms.shtm.
If access to the Internet is not available, or if there is difficulty in accessing the forms on-line, contact the HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section (PGO-TIM) staff at 770-488-2700, and the application forms can be mailed.
IV.2. Content and Form of Submission
Application:
A Project Abstract must be submitted with the application forms. All electronic project abstracts must be uploaded in a PDF file format when submitting via Grants.gov. The abstract must be submitted in the following format, if submitting a paper application:
The Project Abstract must contain a summary of the proposed activity suitable for dissemination to the public. It should be a self-contained description of the project and should contain a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and insofar as possible understandable to a technically literate lay reader. This Abstract must not include any proprietary/confidential information.
Applicants must submit a project narrative with the application forms in the following format:
● Maximum number of pages: 25 (If the narrative exceeds the page limit, only the first pages which are within the page limit will be reviewed.);
The narrative should address activities the applicant will conduct over the entire project period, and must include the following items, in the order listed:
Additional information may be included in the application appendices. The appendices will not count toward the narrative page limit. This additional information includes:
With staffing breakdown and justification, provide a line-item budget and a narrative with justification for all requested costs. Be sure to include, if any, in-kind support or other contributions provided by the national Government and its donors as part of the total project, but for which you are not requesting funding.
Budgets must be consistent with the purpose, objectives of the Emergency Plan and the program activities listed in this announcement and must include the following:
o
Line-item breakdown and justification for all personnel, i.e., name, position title, annual salary, percentage of time and effort, and amount requested.For each contract, list the following: (1) name of proposed contractor; (2) breakdown and justification for estimated costs; (3) description and scope of activities the contractor will perform; (4) period of performance; (5) method of contractor selection (e.g., competitive solicitation); and (6) methods of accountability. Applicants should, to the greatest extent possible, employ transparent and open competitive processes to choose contractors;
The agency or organization is required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the Federal government. The DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access the
Dun and Bradstreet website or call 1-866-705-5711.
Additional requirements that may request submission of additional documentation with the application appear in Section “VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.”
Application Deadline Date: July 14, 2008
Explanation of Deadlines: The HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office must receive applications by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
Electronic Submission:
Applications may be submitted electronically at
www.Grants.gov. Applications completed on-line through Grants.gov are considered formally submitted when the applicant organization’s Authorizing Organization Representative (AOR) electronically submits the application to www.Grants.gov. Electronic applications will be considered as having met the deadline if the application has been successfully submitted electronically by the applicant organization’s AOR to Grants.gov on or before the deadline date and time.
When submission of the application is done electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), the application will be electronically time/date stamped and a tracking number will be assigned, which will serve as receipt of submission. The AOR will receive an e-mail notice of receipt when HHS/CDC receives the application.
Paper Submission:
If submittal of an application is by the United States Postal Service or commercial delivery service, the applicant must ensure the carrier will be able to guarantee delivery by the closing date and time. The applicant, will have the opportunity to submit documentation of the carrier’s guarantee if HHS/CDC receives the submission after the closing date due to: (1) carrier error, when the carrier accepted the package with a guarantee for delivery by the closing date and time; or (2) significant weather delays or natural disasters. If the documentation verifies a carrier problem, HHS/CDC will consider the submission as having been received by the deadline.
If a hard-copy application is submitted, HHS/CDC will not notify the applicant upon receipt of the submission. If questions arise on the receipt of the application, the applicant should first contact the carrier. If there still questions about delivery, it should contact the HHS/CDC staff at (770) 488-2700. Applicants should wait two to three days after the submission deadline before calling. This will allow time for submissions to be processed and logged.
This announcement is the definitive guide on application content, submission address, and deadline. It supersedes information provided in the application instructions. If the application submission does not meet the deadline above, it will not be eligible for review. The application face page will be returned by HHS/CDC with a written explanation of the reason for non-acceptance. The applicant will be notified the application did not meet the submission requirements.
IV.4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications
Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.
IV.5. Funding restrictions
Restrictions, which applicants must take into account while writing the budget, are as follows:
The U.S. Government is opposed to prostitution and related activities, which are inherently harmful and dehumanizing, and contribute to the phenomenon of trafficking in persons.
Any entity that receives, directly or indirectly, U.S. Government funds in connection with this document (“recipient”) cannot use such U.S. Government funds to promote or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution or sex trafficking. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to preclude the provision to individuals of palliative care, treatment, or post-exposure pharmaceutical prophylaxis, and necessary pharmaceuticals and commodities, including test kits, condoms, and, when proven effective, microbicides.
A recipient that is otherwise eligible to receive funds in connection with this document to prevent, treat, or monitor HIV/AIDS shall not be required to endorse or utilize a multisectoral approach to combating HIV/AIDS, or to endorse, utilize, or participate in a prevention method or treatment program to which the recipient has a religious or moral objection. Any information provided by recipients about the use of condoms as part of projects or activities that are funded in connection with this document shall be medically accurate and shall include the public health benefits and failure rates of such use.
In addition, any recipient must have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking. The preceding sentence shall not apply to any “exempt organizations” (defined as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Health Organization and its six Regional Offices, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative or any United Nations agency).
The following definition applies for purposes of this clause:
·
Sex trafficking means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. 22 U.S.C. § 7102(9).
All recipients must insert provisions implementing the applicable parts of this section, “Prostitution and Related Activities,” in all subagreements under this award. These provisions must be express terms and conditions of the subagreement, must acknowledge that compliance with this section, “Prostitution and Related Activities,” is a prerequisite to receipt and expenditure of U.S. Government funds in connection with this document, and must acknowledge that any violation of the provisions shall be grounds for unilateral termination of the agreement prior to the end of its term. Recipients must agree that HHS may, at any reasonable time, inspect the documents and materials maintained or prepared by the recipient in the usual course of its operations that relate to the organization’s compliance with this section, “Prostitution and Related Activities.”
All prime recipients that receive U.S. Government funds (“prime recipients”) in connection with this document must certify compliance prior to actual receipt of such funds in a written statement that makes reference to this document (e.g., “[Prime recipient's name] certifies compliance with the section, “Prostitution and Related Activities.”) addressed to the agency’s grants officer. Such certifications by prime recipients are prerequisites to the payment of any U.S. Government funds in connection with this document.
Recipients' compliance with this section, “Prostitution and Related Activities,” is an express term and condition of receiving U.S. Government funds in connection with this document, and any violation of it shall be grounds for unilateral termination by HHS of the agreement with HHS in connection with this document prior to the end of its term. The recipient shall refund to HHS the entire amount furnished in connection with this document in the event HHS determines the recipient has not complied with this section, “Prostitution and Related Activities.”
The recommended guidance for completing a detailed budget justification can be found on the HHS/CDC Web site, at the following Internet address:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/budgetguide.htm
IV.6. Other Submission Requirements
Application Submission Address:
Electronic Submission:
HHS/CDC strongly encourages applicants to submit applications electronically at www.Grants.gov. The application package can be downloaded from www.Grants.gov. Applicants are able to complete it off-line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov Web site. E-mail submissions will not be accepted. If an applicant has technical difficulties in Grants.gov, customer service can be reached by e-mail at support@grants.gov, or by phone at 1-800-518-4726 (1-800-518-GRANTS). The Customer Support Center is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
HHS/CDC recommends submittal of applicants to Grants.gov should be prior to the closing date to resolve any unanticipated difficulties prior to the deadline. Applicants may also submit a back-up paper submission of the application. Any such paper submission in must be in accordance with the requirements for timely submission detailed in Section IV.3. of this grant announcement. The paper submission must clearly marked: “BACK-UP FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION.” The paper submission must conform to all requirements for non-electronic submissions. If both electronic and back-up paper submissions are received by the deadline, the electronic version will be considered as the official submission.
HHS/CDC strongly recommends applicants submitting grant applications via Grants.gov use Microsoft Office products (e.g., Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, etc.). If the applicant does not have access to Microsoft Office products, a PDF file may be submitted. The applicant must submit all application attachments using a PDF format when submitting via Grants.gov. Directions for creating PDF files are available on the Grants.gov Web site. Use of file formats other than Microsoft Office or PDF may result in the file being unreadable by staff.
OR
Paper Submission:
Applicants should submit the original and two hard copies of the application by mail or express delivery service to:
2920 Brandywine Road, Mail Stop E-14
Atlanta, GA 30341
V.1. Criteria
Applicants are required to provide specific measures of effectiveness that will demonstrate the accomplishment of the various identified objectives of the cooperative agreement. Measures of effectiveness must relate to the performance goals stated in the “Purpose” section of this announcement. Measures must be objective and quantitative, and must measure the intended outcome. Applicants must submit the measures of effectiveness with the application, and they will be an element of evaluation.
The application will be evaluated against the following criteria:
Ability to Carry Out the Proposal (20 points)
Does the applicant demonstrate the local experience in Uganda and institutional capacity (both management and technical) to achieve the goals of the project with documented good-governance practices? Does the applicant have the ability to coordinate and collaborate with existing Emergency Plan partners and other donors, including the Global Fund and other U.S. Government Departments and agencies involved in implementing the Emergency Plan, including the U.S. Agency for International Development? Is there evidence of leadership support and evidence of current or past efforts to enhance HIV prevention? Does the applicant have the capacity to reach rural and other underserved populations in Uganda? Does the organization have the ability to target audiences that frequently fall outside the reach of the traditional media, and in local languages? To what extent does the applicant provide letters of support?
Technical and Programmatic Approach (20 points)
Does the application include an overall design strategy, including measurable time lines, clear monitoring-and-evaluation procedures, and specific activities for meeting the proposed objectives? Does the applicant display knowledge of the strategy, principles and goals of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and are the proposed activities consistent with and pertinent to that strategy and those principles and goals? Does the applicant describe activities that are evidence-based, realistic, achievable, measurable and culturally appropriate to achieve the goals of the Emergency Plan? Does the application propose to build on and complement the current national response in Uganda with evidence-based strategies designed to reach underserved populations and meet the goals of the Emergency Plan? Does the application include reasonable estimates of outcome targets? (For example, the numbers of sites to be supported, number of clients the program will reach.) To what extent does the applicant propose to work with other organizations? The reviewers will assess the feasibility of the applicant's plan to meet the target goals, whether the proposed use of funds is efficient, and the extent to which the specific methods described are sensitive to the local culture.
Capacity-Building (15 points)
Does the applicant have a proven track-record of building the capacity of indigenous organizations and individuals? Does the applicant have relevant experience in using participatory methods and approaches, in project planning and implementation? Does the applicant describe an adequate and measurable plan to progressively build the capacity of local organizations and of target beneficiaries to respond to the epidemic? If not a local indigenous organization, does the applicant articulate a clear exit strategy, which will maximize the legacy of this project in the intervention communities? Does the capacity-building plan clearly describe how it will contribute to a) improved quality and geographic coverage of service delivery to achieve the "2,7,10" targets of the Emergency Plan, and b) (if not a local indigenous organization) an evolving role of the prime beneficiary with transfer of critical technical and management competence to local organizations/sites in support of a decentralized response?
Monitoring and Evaluation (15 points)
Does the applicant demonstrate the local experience and capability to implement rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the project? Does the applicant describe a system for reviewing and adjusting program activities based on monitoring information obtained by using innovative, participatory methods and standard approaches? Does the plan include indicators developed for each program milestone, and incorporated into the financial and programmatic reports? Are the indicators consistent with the Emergency Plan Indicator Guide? Is the system able to generate financial and program reports to show disbursement of funds, and progress towards achieving the numerical objectives of the President's Emergency Plan? Is the plan to measure outcomes of the intervention, and the manner in which they will be provided, adequate? Is the monitoring-and-evaluation plan consistent with the principles of the "Three Ones?" Applicants must define specific output and outcome indicators must be defined in the proposal, and must have realistic targets in line with the targets addressed in the Activities section of this announcement.
Understanding of the Problem (10 points)
Does the applicant demonstrate a clear and concise understanding of the current national HIV/AIDS response and the cultural and political context relevant to the programmatic areas targeted? Does the applicant display an understanding of the Five-Year Strategy and goals of the President's Emergency Plan? To what extent does the applicant justify the need for this program within the target community?
Personnel (10 points)
Does the organization employ staff fluent in local languages who will work on this project? Are the staff roles clearly defined? As described, will the staff be sufficient to meet the goals of the proposed project? If not an indigenous organization, does the staff plan adequately involve local individuals and organizations? Are staff involved in this project qualified to perform the tasks described? Curricula vitae provided should include information that they are qualified in the following: management of HIV/AIDS prevention activities, especially confidential, voluntary counseling and testing; and the development of capacity-building among and collaboration between Governmental and non-governmental partners.
Administration and Management (10 points)
Does the applicant provide a clear plan for the administration and management of the proposed activities, and to manage the resources of the program, prepare reports, monitor and evaluate activities, audit expenditures and produce collect and analyze performance data? Is the management structure for the project sufficient to ensure speedy implementation of the project? If appropriate, does the applicant have a proven track record in managing large laboratory budgets; running transparent and competitive procurement processes; supervising consultants and contractors; using subgrants or other systems of sharing resources with community-based organizations, faith-based organizations or smaller non-governmental organizations; and providing technical assistance in laboratory or pharmacy management? The grantee must demonstrate an ability to submit quarterly reports in a timely manner to the HHS/CDC office.
V.2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed for completeness by the Procurement and Grants Office (PGO) staff, and for responsiveness jointly by the HHS/CDC Global AIDS Program and PGO. Incomplete applications and applications that are non-responsive to the eligibility criteria will not advance through the review process. Applicants will be notified the application did not meet submission requirements.
An objective review panel will evaluate complete and responsive applications according to the criteria listed in the “V.1. Criteria” section above. All persons who serve on the panel will be external to the U.S. Government Country Program Office in Uganda. The panel may include both Federal and non-Federal participants.
In addition, the following factors could affect the funding decision:
Geographic location in Apac district.
VI.1. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award (NoA) from the HHS/CDC Procurement and Grants Office. The NoA shall be the only binding, authorizing document between the recipient and HHS/CDC. The NoA will be signed by an authorized Grants Management Officer and emailed to the program director, and a hard copy mailed to the recipient fiscal officer identified in the application.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application review by mail.
VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Successful applicants must comply with the administrative requirements outlined in 45 CFR Part 74 and Part 92 as Appropriate. The following additional requirements apply to this project: