Request for Applications for a capacity building organization -DI عودة إلى الفرص

GENERAL INFORMATION SYNOPSIS 

Request for Application (RFA) Number: NASSEEJ-RFA-2407A-CB  

Issuance Date: Friday, July 5th, 2024 

Closing Date: 23:59 pm Tunis Time on Monday, July 21, 2024 Deadline for Questions: 23:59 pm Tunis Time on Sunday, July 14, 2024 

Description: Request for Applications for a capacity building  organization  

For: NASSEEJ Project  

Grants Ceiling: 185, 000.00 TND  

Submission: infotun@democracyinternational.com 

Funded By: United States Agency for International Development  (USAID), Cooperative Agreement No. 72066423CA00001 

Implemented By: Democracy International, Inc. 

SECTION 1 – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 1A. INTRODUCTION 

The NASSEEJ project is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project  that aims to partner with and support Tunisian initiatives on priority issues of local concern to advance  Tunisia’s development in different sectors and effect change at the local, regional, and national levels.  As part of this, the project aims to build the capacity and sustainability of the development sector in  Tunisia to address issues of primary importance to citizens and build linkages across and within  sectors to foster better collaboration, cooperation, and unity. The multi-year project works to  empower Tunisian citizens to promote their own priorities in advancing Tunisia’s development through  three linked objectives: 

• Objective 1: Increase the engagement and agency of citizens to act and advocate for specific  issues of public interest.  
• Objective 2: Strengthen the institutional capacity of civil society organizations to promote  positive change on citizen and constituent priorities. 
• Objective 3: Promote effective partnerships (intra- inter- and multi-sectoral) at local,  regional, and national levels (e.g., government, civil society, citizens, private sector) to act and  advocate for specific issues of public interest. 

Under Objective 2, the NASSEEJ project is aiming to build the capacity of organizations and civic  actors to mobilize citizens around issues of public priority. 

1B. STATEMENT OF WORK 

Democracy International with its NASSEEJ project invite legal registered Local Non-Governmental  Organizations (CSOs, Academic institutions, Research Institutions, and Consultancy Firms) to submit  their RFA for the implementation of a specific capacity building program on at least one of the priority  themes mentioned below. The purpose of the RFA is to implement a CB program that supports 15  NASSEEJ grantees and local partners in strengthening their capacity and knowledge in the mentioned  themes, thereby enhancing their success in addressing citizens’ priorities and mobilizing citizens  effectively, targeted, and sustainably. 

This specific RFA will support activities around the following priority themes:  

1) Communication and public image 

2) Fundraising  

3) Advocacy 

“Networking” and “Mis-Disinformation” could be cross-cutting themes intersecting with one or more of  the priority themes mentioned above.  

Interested organizations should have the capacity and experience in implementing activities in one  of the three priority themes.  

Period of implementation: One year (Starting from August 2024 to August 2025).  

Target: 15 NASSEEJ’s partners and grantees that’re working on projects in inequalities affecting  women working on agriculture.  

Governorates: For the 24 Governorates 

The selected Capacity Building (CB) organizations are responsible for designing and executing CB  programs for designated NASSEEJ local partners, emphasizing the mechanisms and tools required for  effective implementation. The CB program could be implemented through diverse activities such as:  training workshops, events, meetings, and others.  

The selected CB organizations will collaborate closely with NASSEEJ capacity building team to ensure  the successful implementation of the capacity building program, thereby enhancing the efficacy of  NASSEEJ second objective.  

The CB program will include:  

• Developing tailored CB plans for our 15 local partners and grantees in their respective regions,  tailored to their specific needs and objectives. This will include specifying the mechanisms  and tools that will be implemented to achieve the program’s objectives.  
• Identifying the methodology and activities materials that will be used to achieve the  program’s objectives.  
• Following up with our local partners and grantees during and after the CB program  implementation to ensure its effectiveness.  

The CB plans should :  

• Address capacity building on one of the three priority themes mentioned above and their sub sections. 
• Tailor interventions to address issue-based needs, particularly related to the issue Inequalities  affecting women working in the Agricultural Sector.  
• Be implementable from August 2024 to August 2025, aligning with our partners’ project  timelines. 
• Incorporate diverse and innovative activity formats.  
• Embrace a participatory and interactive approach. 
• Maintain flexibility to adapt to potential project flow and needs changes. 
• Establish a follow-up process for monitoring CB activities.  
• Utilize the Tunisian dialect for all the CB activities. 

The chosen CB organization must submit the following documents periodically during their  assignment: 

– An “Individual Monthly Dashboard” detailing:  

• Support and coaching activities undertaken for each local partner. 
• Identified shortcomings and challenges encountered during activities.  
• Recommended guidelines and advice for improving activities. 

– A “Summary Dashboard” consolidating and summarizing the data from the individual monthly  statements by the end of the grant period.  

SECTION 2 – AWARD INFORMATION 

NASSEEJ anticipates awarding up to 185, 000.00 TND under this RFA for each theme, although the final  amount will be based on the discussions with selected organization and the scope of the proposed  program. The period of performance of the grant awarded under this RFA is expected to be from  August 2024 to August 2025.  

NASSEEJ encourages organizations to apply collaboratively with others to leverage their expertise in  the mentioned themes. 

SECTION 3 – ELIGIBILITY  

Generally, NASSEEJ’s grant support is for legal registered organizations currently operating in Tunisia.  Illustrative types of organizations may include:  

• Civil Society Organizations (CSOs); 
• Non-Governmental, or Not-for-Profit Organizations.  
• Private Sector Organizations; and  
• Inter- and Multi-Sectoral Collaborative Partnerships and Mechanisms (e.g., between CSOs  and private sector etc.). 

The selected organization should:  

• Possess an extensive network of Tunisian trainers and expert coaches, with substantial  experience in capacity building within civil society, particularly in the theme mentioned  above.  
• Have a strong familiarity with the Tunisian civil society landscape and context.  • Demonstrate previous experience collaborating with local civil society organizations across  various regions of Tunisia in themes related to women, inequalities and/or agriculture.  • Exhibit proven expertise in designing and developing content for capacity building actions  and activities in a creative and efficient approach to address CSOs needs. 

Please note that interested organizations should have a proven track record in successfully  implementing similar activities. Additionally, they should be able to provide clearly documented  evidence to demonstrate the points mentioned above, which will aid in the evaluation process.  

The following entities are not eligible for funding:  

• Political parties and their subsidiaries or affiliates;  
• Individuals;  
• Organizations that appear on the SAM List and Non-Procurement Programs, U.S. Government’s  “Excluded Parties List System” (EPLS), found at: www.sam.gov; or the UN Consolidated  Sanctions List, found at: https://scsanctions.un.org/search/; or the OFAC Sanctions List, found  at: https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/;  
• Organizations that promote or engage in illegal activities or anti-democratic activities;  • Faith-based organizations whose objectives are for discriminatory and/or religious purposes,  and whose main objective of the grant is of a religious nature1; 
• Entities or employees affiliated with NASSEEJ, or Democracy International, Inc.; and  • An organization that prohibits the participation of minority and marginalized groups or the  organization expresses what is referred to as hate speech.  

For any grant award resulting from this RFA, the organization will be required to submit a Unique Entity  Identifier (UEI) at the time of award. If an applicant already has a UEI number, it should be included in  their application. Otherwise, applicants will be expected to obtain a UEI number before an award is  made.  

1 Faith-based organizations may apply, but may not use award funds for religious worship, education, or proselytizing nor acquiring equipment for this  purpose.

SECTION 4 – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION  INFORMATION  

Applications should be submitted electronically to infotun@democracyinternational.com with the  subject line “NASSEEJ-RFA-2407A-CB -Organization Name”. Applications must be submitted no later  than 23:59 pm local Tunis time on July 21, 2024. Paper applications will not be accepted. NASSEEJ  reserves the right to exclude any applications received after this deadline, those that do not meet the  eligibility criteria, or that are not relevant to the RFA requested.  

Please submit all questions regarding the RFA via e-mail to  

infotun@democracyinternational.com no later than 23:59 pm local Tunis time on July 14, 2024.  

Applications can be submitted in English or French or Arabic using the templates provided in  Attachments 1 and 2 of the RFA.  

The application comprises four component pieces:  

1) The application form (Attachment 1),  

2) The illustrative budget (Attachment 2),  

3) Organizational/institutional documents, 

4) A proven track record in successfully implementing CB programs,  

5) CVs and signed letter of availability of experts and trainers who will be engaged in the  CB activities. 

Applications must include ALL sections as outlined within the Application Form:  1. Completed Application Form (Attachment 1) in the Microsoft Word template provided,  including:  

1. Section 1: Organizational Background,  
2. Section 2: Themes of Capacity Building Strategy,  
3. Section 3: Methodology and Support Framework,  
4. Section 4: Follow up and coordination process.  
5. Illustrative Budget & Notes (Attachment 2) in the Microsoft Word template provided. a. The illustrative budget must be calculated in Tunisian Dinar (TND) and not exceed 185, 000.00 TND. All costs funded through this RFA must be allowable, allocable, and  reasonable. The United States Government (USG) defines these costs as:  
6. Allowable: “A cost is allowable only when the cost complies with the following  requirements: a) reasonableness, b) allocability, c) standards promulgated  by the CAS Board, if applicable, otherwise, generally accepted principles and  practices appropriate to the circumstances; d) terms of the contract; d) any  limitations set forth in this subpart.” 
7. Allocable: “A cost is allocable to a particular Federal award or other cost  objective if the goods or services involved are chargeable or assignable to  that Federal award or cost objective in accordance with relative benefits  received.” 

iii. Reasonable: “A cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not  exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the  circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the  cost.”

1. The illustrative budget must include notes explaining the cost basis and application.  c. No fee is to be included and no profit is to be generated by the applicant under this  

award. Prior to award, successful applicants will be required to submit a letter  certifying that they are not collecting profit as part of their budget.  

345. Applicants may recuperate administrative/operational costs through a 10% de  minimis rate. An explanation of what overhead costs the 10% covers and the base to  which indirect costs rates are applied (Modified Total Direct Costs) should be provided  in the budget notes columns. MTDC includes direct salaries and wages, applicable  fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000  (77,345.5 TND) of each subaward. MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures,  charges for rent, tuition remission, participants support costs and the portion of each  subaward in excess of $25,000 (77,345.5 TND). 

SECTION 5 – SELECTION CRITERIA 

All applications will be reviewed by an Evaluation Committee comprised of NASSEEJ’s capacity  building team and recommendations may be vetted by a larger group at Democracy International,  Inc. The selection criteria are as follows:  

SECTION 6 – AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION  INFORMATION  

All grants will be negotiated, denominated, and funded in Tunisian Dinar (TND).  All costs funded by the NASSEEJ project must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable. 

As noted above, for any grant award resulting from this RFA, organizations will be required to provide  a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) at the time of award. If an applicant already has a UEI number, it should  be included in their application. Otherwise, applicants will be expected to obtain a UEI number before  an award is issued. The project will work with successful applicants on the UEI process.  

Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment or obligation on the part of the NASSEEJ  project. It also does not commit NASSEEJ, Democracy International, Inc., or USAID to pay for costs  incurred in the preparation and submission of applications.  

Anglais_NASSEEJ CB RFA Finalized