(Offre en anglais) TADAEEM lance un appel à projets : Waste Management in Gabes عودة إلى الفرص

1. SUMMARY

1.1 USAID TUNISIA ACCOUNTABILITY, DECENTRALIZATION, AND EFFECTIVE MUNICIPALITIES (TADAEEM) SUMMARY

TADAEEM plans to use grants to support interventions and achieve the project objectives. The goal of the grants program is to catalyze civil society’s role in improving municipal and non-municipal service delivery (e.g., solid waste, roads, building maintenance, public space, street lighting, water, electricity, and transport) and enable community partnerships with local authorities to advance tangible performance improvements and accelerate the impact of TADAEEM project outcomes.

TADAEEM will use grants to engage local CSOs / NGOs in activities that incentivize service performance and accountability, enhance citizen participation in government, promote sustainable participation and transparency, support identified service delivery infrastructure needs, and, at times, conduct advocacy campaigns. More specifically, TADAEEM anticipates grants will promote participation among local CSOs to scale up local social accountability initiatives and provide a platform for national level partners to build support for increased decentralization. Moreover, TADAEEM intends to provide municipalities and various service providers with in-kind grants for equipment, materials, software, ICT upgrades, etc., in support of service delivery improvements.

TADAEEM requires activities be performed in the following 31 municipalities that are defined as target partners for the implementation of TADAEEM activities: Agareb, Bouhajla, Chebika, Dahmani, El Alaa, El Fahs, El Jem, El Kef, Gabes, Gafsa, Ghannouche, Ghomrassen, Haffouz, Kairouan, Kebili, Ksour Essef, Mahdia, Makthar, Mareth, Metouia, Nadhour, Oueslatia, Sakiet Ezzit, Sers, Sfax, Sidi Alouane, Siliana, Tajerouine, Tataouine, Tozeur, and Zaghouan.

1.2 REQUEST FOR APPLICATION (RFA) SUMMARY

Scope of Work:

Nonorganic waste is not being efficiently collected in Gabes region and has increased year-over-year. Pollution and collection are the number one complaint in the Gabes region. Furthermore, reducing pollution was a campaign priority in the recent held election.
TADAEEM plans to use this grant to engage Tunisian organizations to undertake inclusive planning and design to achieve a cleaner Gabes through increased collection of nonorganic waste and reduced littering by citizens.

Problem Statement:

With increased consumption by Tunisia’s middle class, nonorganic waste is increasing. There are not enough waste collection bins, let alone specific nonorganic waste collection bins. Moreover, littering is a common observable behavior across age groups even where waste collection bins are readily available.

Nonorganic waste largely consists of five types: 1) cardboard, 2) plastic, 3) paper, 4) glass, and 5) metal. Depending on the type and quality, nonorganic waste is collected by the Berbesh1, sold to middlemen who compact the waste into pallets and then sold to domestic industry or exported to Chinese recyclers. In the process of collecting nonorganic waste, organic waste is exposed, and this attracts vermin and creates increase unsanitary conditions around waste collection areas or containers.

Various solutions to reduce nonorganic waste have been piloted in Gabes, but many have had limited impact. Our initial understanding points to underfunded solutions that lacked innovation, failed to address root causes or work with the informal Berbesh collection system, or did not address citizen behavior change through education and outreach.

Grant Objective:

This Grant seeks to achieve a cleaner Gabes through increased collection of nonorganic waste and reduced littering by citizens, based on an inclusive process between community members, the Berbesh, and municipal authorities, that improves citizen perception of pollution and waste collection in Gabes.

Period of Performance:

• 9 Months
• The start day of the grant is contingent on signing of the Grant Award document.

Proposal Selection:

Application will be reviewed to check for eligibility and completeness of the submission. All eligible and complete applications will be reviewed by a Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) against the review criteria described in Section 6 Selection.

The minimum score to be considered for grant funding is 70 points out of the total 100 points. Applicants not selected for award will be notified by the project in writing.

Funding Range:

Up to the equivalent of $150,000 in Tunisian Dinar.

Replicability:

This concept can be replicated in other regions and municipalities where citizens and municipal authorities have indicated nonorganic waste collection or pollution as a priority for service delivery improvement and citizen engagement.

Target:

The grant will target various municipalities in Gabes Governate.

Submission Deadlines:

Questions should be received by: September 22nd, 2018. Responses to questions will be provided by: September 25th, 2018.

Applications are due by: October 15th, 2018 at 11:59 PM.

NOTE: The Applicant is encouraged to coordinate efforts with other programs and stakeholders and to take into consideration the national strategy for inclusion of disabled people.

This RFA contains the Grant Application Form and Guidelines with the following attachments accessed through the Fluxx portal https://usaid-tadaeem.fluxx.io:

• Attachment 1 Technical Proposal
• Annex A. Grant Activity Implementation Plan
• Annex B. Information of Previous Assistance Awards/Contracts
• Attachment 2 Budget and Budget Notes
• Annex C. Supporting Data for Cost Estimates
• Attachment 3: Information about Applicant
• Attachment 4: Certifications and Assurances from Applicant
• Annex D. Documents Demonstrating Applicant’s Eligibility and Capabilities
• Annex E. Environmental Self-Assessment Form
• Annex F. Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunities to Applicants (optional, upon Applicant’s Request)

2.INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

2.1 GENERAL

• Entities invited to submit an application are under no obligation to do so.
• Applicants will not be reimbursed by TADAEEM for any costs incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of their applications.
• Applicants may submit only one application under this RFA.
• For the purposes of interpretation of these Instructions to applicants, the periods named herein shall be consecutive calendar days.
• TADAEEM reserves the right to conduct discussions and/or to ask to make an oral presentation once a successful application is identified, or to make an award without conducting discussions based solely on the written applications if it decides it is in its best interest to do so.
• TADAEEM reserves the right not to make any award.
• These instructions to applicants will not form part of the offer or Grant Award. They are intended solely to aid applicants in the preparation of their applications.

2.2 RFA CONTACT INFORMATION

• TADAEEM Office Address: Villa Jasmin, Rue Lac Tibériade, Les Berges du Lac 1
• Attention: Grants Team
• Email: grants@tadaeem.com

2.3 QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

Method:

Only written questions and requests for clarification will receive a response. Send questions about this RFA by email to the RFA Contact noted above.

Date for receipt:

All questions and requests for clarification must be received by September 22nd, 2018 to the email address above. Only questions received by this date will receive a response.

Responses:

By September 25th, 2018, 6:00PM Tunis time, we anticipate providing responses to the requests for clarifications. All responses will be emailed to all applicants.

2.4 APPLICATION DUE DATE AND TIME

• Closing Time: 11:59 PM Tunis time
• Closing Date: October 15th ,2018

2.5 ONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Proposal packages should be submitted through the TADAEEM Grants Portal: (https://usaid-tadaeem.fluxx.io).

First time applicants will be required to register for an account and upon approval will receive an email notification with the necessary log-in credentials to access the portal.

The portal details submission instructions for completing a web-based application form and contains all required document and budget attachments to be included with the application.

2.6 TYPE OF AWARD

TADAEEM anticipates the award of Fixed Amount Award Grant Award(s) in response to this RFA with the ceiling amount equivalent to of $150,000 in Tunisian Dinar.

2.7 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Language: The application and all associated correspondence must be in English. Any award document resulting from this request will be in English.
• Currency: The cost must be presented in Local Currency.
• Method: TADAEEM Grants Portal.
• Marking: USAID Tunisia Accountability, Decentralization, and Effective Municipalities (TADAEEM), RFA – Women Civic Engagement
• Authorized Signer: Application must be signed by a person duly authorized to submit an Application on behalf of the applicant and to bind the applicant to the Application.
• Authorized Personnel: Provide name, title, email, and telephone number of the person or persons in the entity who are authorized to discuss and accept a grant, if awarded.

2.8 ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to apply for and receive funding under a TADAEEM grant award, potential applicants must have a proven record in:

• Waste management
• Citizens participatory planning.
• Landscape and street furniture fabricators
• Recycling

Eligible Organizations

Eligible Organizations may be U.S. or non-U.S. NGOs, either for profit or non-profit, legally established in Tunisia. Monetary grants will not be provided to governmental entities or officials (whether from national, regional, district, local, or municipal levels) or political organizations. Also, ineligible will be organizations whose objectives are not consistent with the broad objectives of TADAEEM or who do not meet applicable requirements or specific eligibility criteria. Grantees must comply with all applicable civil and fiscal regulations in Tunisia. Grantees must display sound management in the form of financial, administrative, and technical policies and procedures that are in written format and present a system of controls that safeguard assets, protect against fraud, waste, and abuse, and support the achievements of TADAEEM goals and objectives. Grants for U.S. NGOs are limited to USD 100,000.

Eligible Activities TADAEEM seeks qualified organizations to implement activities that fit with the objectives listed in Section I. Applicants are encouraged to submit ideas in Full application format that will address one or more of the program components and fall under one of the approved sectors/subsectors listed below. Please note that special consideration will be given application that integrate various marginalized segments of the population (male, female, youth, people with disabilities, LGBTQ, minorities, among others).

TADAEEM seeks to collaborate with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), and Non-for- Profit Organizations or For-Profit Organizations to achieve improvements in key policy areas of service delivery and citizen engagement.

TADAEEM recognizes that some grantees may need technical assistance to carry out proposed activities effectively. Consequently, applicants are encouraged to specify their needs for technical assistance and/or training in their application.

General eligibility criteria

Should be Non-U.S. non-governmental organizations, for profit or nonprofit, registered in Tunisia (e.g. NGOs, Professional Associations, Research/ Educational Institutions, Commercial Organizations);

• Should not appear on the “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-Procurement Programs”;
• Should not be individual, political party, any governmental entity or official whether at national or municipal level;
• Shouldn’t be affiliated with TADAEEM or any of its directors, officers or employees;
• Organizations whose objectives are not consistent with the broad objectives of the TADAEEM Project are also ineligible.

Additional eligibility criteria

• The organization must have demonstrated experience in technical areas relevant to the scope of work or grant focus.
• The organization must have been in existence for more than one year.
• The organization must currently be implementing activities in the geographic area or technical area for which it is submitting an application.
• The organization has minimum absorptive capacity and demonstrates the potential to acquire sufficient capacity to manage programs in a sustainable manner.
• The organization has a functional financial system.
• The organization’s other relationships, associations, activities, and interests do not create a conflict of interest that could prevent full impartiality in implementation of the grant activities.
• SAM and DUNS numbers are required for all organizations, foreign or domestic doing business with the Federal Government for grant awards in excess of $25,000.

2.9 APPLICATION CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

All applications must be submitted in the specified format (see Section 4 Technical Application Contents). Any application submitted in any other format will not be considered. The applicant must also include other supporting documentation (board resolution, articles of incorporation, etc.) as may be necessary to clearly demonstrate that it meets the following conditions precedent to Application Evaluation:

• That the applicant organization is an eligible organization legally constituted under Tunisian law or is in the process of obtaining such legal status through formal registration;
• That the applicant organization has the managerial commitment, as evidenced by written board of director’s resolutions, strategic plans (overall long-range plan for applicant’s organization) or other documentation, indicating that it is, or will be, implementing the objectives referred above;
• That the applicant organization has no advances from USAID or a USAID contractor which have been outstanding and unliquidated for longer than 90 days, and that the applicant
• organization has no grant completion report required under a grant from USAID or a USAID contractor which is more than 30 days past due;
• That at the time of application there exists no condition within the applicant organization or with respect to the applicant organization’s management which renders the organization ineligible for a grant directly or indirectly funded by USAID.

2.10 LATE APPLICATIONS

Applicants are wholly responsible for ensuring that their applications are received in accordance with the instructions stated herein. A late application will not be eligible for consideration and will be rejected without evaluation, even if it was late as a result of circumstances beyond the applicant’s control. A late application will be considered only if the sole cause of its becoming late was attributable to TADAEEM, Deloitte Consulting LLP, its employees or agents.

2.11 MODIFICATION/WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICATIONS

Any applicant has the right to withdraw, modify or correct its offer after such time as it has been delivered to TADAEEM provided that the request is made before the offer closing date.

2.12 DISPOSITION OF APPLICATIONS

• Applications submitted in response to this RFA will not be returned.
• Applicants must submit the Application Form and present additional documentation demonstrating their qualifications and experience relevant to the requirements described in the Section 3 Statement of Work.

3. STATEMENT OF WORK

3.1 BACKGROUND

Nonorganic waste is not being efficiently collected in Gabes region and has increased year-over-year. Pollution and collection are the number one complaint in the Gabes region. Furthermore, reducing pollution was a campaign priority in the recent held election.

TADAEEM plans to use this grant to engage Tunisian organizations to undertake inclusive planning and design to achieve a cleaner Gabes through increased collection of nonorganic waste and reduced littering by citizens.

3.2 OBJECTIVE

This Grant seeks to engage Tunisian organizations to undertake inclusive planning and design to achieve a cleaner Gabes through increased collection of nonorganic waste and reduced littering by citizens

3.3 ILLUSTRATIVE INDICATORS

• Percent change in citizen perception of pollution and waste collection in Gabes

3.4 SPECIFIC TASKS UNDER THIS SCOPE OF WORK

• This Grant seeks to achieve a cleaner Gabes through increased collection of nonorganic waste and reduced littering by citizens, based on an inclusive process between community members, the Berbesh, and municipal authorities, that improves citizen perception of pollution and waste collection in Gabes.

3.5 DELIVERABLES

• Diagnostic Report
• Meeting Notes and identified solution
• Action plan
• Action plan Approval
• Final Report

3.6 ILLUSTRATIVE ACTIVITIES

3.7 KEY PERSONNEL

Not Applicable

3.8 MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN

Not Applicable for Fixed Amount Awards

3.9 BUDGET AND PAYMENT TERMS

The grant applicant should propose appropriate milestones and dates based on the proposed activities in their application.

3.10 TYPES OF RECIPIENTS

The target organization for the grant should be an independent not-for-profit organization

• Engineering Companies
• CSOs
• Eligible Universities
• Technical Centers
• Waste recycling companies

3.11 GRANT PROGRAM EXPECTED RESULTS

This grant seeks to achieve a cleaner Gabes through increased collection of nonorganic waste and reduced littering by citizens within one year, based on an inclusive planning process between community members, the Berbesh, and municipal authorities, that improves citizen perception of pollution and waste collection in Gabes.

• Result 1: Engaged community members (especially women and children), Berbesh, and municipal authorities in inclusive planning process
• Result 2: Increased collection of nonorganic waste
• Result 3: Reduced littering
• Result 4: Improved citizen awareness of their role in a cleaner Gabes

4. TECHNICAL APPLICATION CONTENTS

All complete applications received by the deadline will be reviewed for responsiveness to the specifications outlined in the guidelines. TADAEEM may reject applications that are:

• Incomplete;
• Do not respond to the scope of work in the solicitation;
• Do not comply with the format requirements;
• Are submitted after the deadline.
• Technical Proposal (10 pages maximum)

Sections of the Attachment 1 Technical Proposal of the Grant Application Form and Guidelines should use the headings below, in the following order.

A. Organizational Capacity

Provide a summary of organization’s key qualifications and capabilities. It should indicate who your organization is and what it does, and what a client can expect from your organization. Provide a brief description of your present and ongoing actions/projects that have a direct relationship to the proposed grant activity.

B. Past Performance

Describe the organization’s experience implementing similar projects. Describe the organization’s relationships with the target populations and demonstrated commitment to working closely with the target population to implement project activities. If your organization is a new one, describe the similar projects where your personnel participated. Provide brief information on up to three (preferably similar) actions/projects managed by your organization for which your organization has received assistance awards or contracts over the past three years in Attachment 5.

C. Management Plan

Describe how the project will be managed, the composition and organizational structure of the proposed project team, roles and responsibilities. Include information on technical and managerial experience of the proposed project technical personnel. Provide CVs of all proposed personnel in Annex, including the Project Manager. Experienced, qualified personnel in relevant disciplines and areas should be provided for project management and staff. CVs should not exceed two pages each.

D. Technical Approach / Methodology

Describe technical and strategic approaches that will be used to implement of the proposed activities and reasons for the proposed methodology. Identify best practices and evidence base/rationale that have informed the project interventions. If the grant activity is the prolongation of a previous action, explain how it is intended to build on results from the previous action.

E. Project Activities/ Milestones

Describe in details specific activities that will be undertaken to produce the expected results. Describe also the activities to be implemented by target population or project partners, justifying the choice of these activities and indicating their sequence and interrelation while specifying where applicable the roles of each partner.

F. Budget, Budget Notes and Cost Reasonableness

For budget part please follow instructions given in Attachment 1 Budget and Budget Notes of the Grant Application Form and Guidelines.

5. BUDGET CONTENTS

5.1 BUDGET AND PAYMENT TERMS

The approximate budget for the grantee amounts up to the equivalent of $30,000 in Tunisian Dinar. The budget items and associated payment terms and dates will be finally defined based on the Applicant’s proposal and fixed in the Grant Award document.
The grant applicant should propose appropriate milestones and dates based on their proposed activities in their application.

5.2 COST SHARE

Applicants are expected to cost share the implementation of the proposed grant activity by minimum of 5 percent of the total cost of the grant activity.
Cost share contribution may be financial or in-kind and include any of the following:

• Labor to carry out grant activities;
• Payment of non-labor costs associated with grant activities;
• Leveraged funds from other sources (non-US government);
• Equipment and facilities;
• In-kind donations (include labor, volunteer labor, office space, conference space etc.).

All costs shared by the applicant (both financial and in-kind) must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be verifiable in the applicant records;
• Necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of grant activity objectives;
• Allowable under the applicable USAID regulations (see Attachment 4);
• Must not be included as cost share contributions for any other U.S. Government-assisted program;
• Must not be paid by the U.S. Government under another grant or agreement.
• Sub-awards will not be allowed under TADAEEM.

5.3 BUDGET CONTENT

The Applicant must:

• Include a detailed and realistic budget using the Excel template provided (see Attachment 2: Budget and Budget Notes). The budgets must be prepared in local currency and should be based on activities described in your Technical Proposal. Budget should not include costs that cannot be directly attributed to the activities proposed.
• Include detailed budget notes/clarification of calculation for each budget line item by milestones following the format of the template provided (see Attachment 2: Budget and Budget Notes). Supporting documentation to support cost data will be required prior to award of grants. However, these documents will not be required at the time of application submission.
• All applicants must have the financial and administrative systems to adequately account for the grant funds as detailed in the extensive attachments and referenced US Government websites.

5.4 TAXES

Recipients must comply with project requirements regarding VAT/service tax reporting for applicable VAT/service tax to be reimbursed.

6. SELECTION

TADAEEM intends to award a grant resulting from this solicitation to the responsible applicant whose application conforms to the solicitation and represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the criteria listed here. The review criteria below are presented by major category so that

Applicants will know which areas require emphasis in the preparation of Applications.
The minimum score to be considered for grant funding is 70 points out of the total 100 points.

 

• Technical: TADAEEM will evaluate each technical approach quantitatively based upon the selection factors set forth above. A technical proposal can be categorized as unacceptable when it is incomplete, does not respond to the scope, does not comply with the format requirements or is submitted after the deadline.
• Budget: The proposed budget will be analyzed as part of the Application selection process. Applicants should note that Budgets must be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate reasonableness and completeness, and that Applications including budget information determined to be unreasonable, incomplete, or based on a methodology that is not adequately supported may be judged unacceptable.
• Reasonableness: TADAEEM will make a determination of reasonableness based on TADAEEM’s experience for similar items or services, what is available in the marketplace, and/or other competitive offers.
• Completeness: A detailed line item budget, budget notes, assumptions, and schedules that clearly explain how the estimated amounts were derived must adequately support the Applicant’s budget. TADAEEM may request additional supporting information to the extent necessary to determine whether the costs are fair and reasonable.

7. REFERENCES, TERMS & CONDITIONS

7.1 REFERENCES

• The U.S. Government regulations that govern this grant as found at the following websites:
  • http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf
  • https://www.acquisition.gov/far/html/FARTOCP31.html
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl.
• Required Provisions for a Fixed Amount Awards to Non-Governmental Organizations:
  • (1) Mandatory Provisions from: https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/303mat.
  • (2) Include ONLY the applicable Required, As Applicable” provisions from: https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/303mat.

6.2 TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Issuing this RFA is not a guarantee that a grant will be awarded.
• Deloitte reserves the right to issue a grant based on the initial selection of offers without discussion.
• Deloitte may choose to award a grant for part of the activities in the RFA.
• Deloitte may choose to award a grant to more than one Recipient for specific parts of the activities in the RFA.
• Deloitte may request from short-listed grant a second or third round of either oral presentation or written response to a more specific and detailed scope of work that is based on a general scope of work in the original RFA.
• Deloitte has the right to rescind an RFA or rescind an award prior to the signing of a contract due to any unforeseen changes in the direction of Deloitte’s client (the U.S. Government), be it funding or programmatic.
• Deloitte reserves the right to waive any deviations by organizations from the requirements of this solicitation that in Deloitte’s opinion are considered not to be material defects requiring rejection or disqualification; or where such a waiver will promote increased competition.

Grant Agreement : A grant agreement will include the approved project description, approved budget, payment terms, reporting requirements and relevant provisions. Once executed it is a legally binding agreement between Deloitte (on behalf of the TADAEEM project) and the Recipient organization. Once the grant agreement is signed, it cannot be modified without prior written approval from Deloitte (on behalf of the TADAEEM project).

Grant Disbursement and Financial Management

The grants will be disbursed in Local Currency and transferred only through bank transactions.

Reporting : The grant agreement will detail the reporting requirements. Recipients must be willing to adhere to the reporting schedule and requirements for both programming activities and financial monitoring.

Monitoring : TADAEEM staff will monitor programmatic performance. Deloitte and USAID reserve the right to review finances, expenditures and any relevant documents at any time during the project period and for three years after the completion of the project and closeout. All original receipts must be kept for three years after the formal closeout has been completed.

Late Submissions, Modifications and Withdrawals of Applications

At the discretion of Deloitte, any application received after the exact date and time specified for the receipt may not be considered unless it is received before award is made and it was determined by Deloitte that the late receipt was due solely to mishandling by Deloitte after receipt at its offices.

Applications may be withdrawn by written notice via email received at any time before award. Applications may be withdrawn in person by a vendor or his authorized representative, if the representative’s identity is made known and the representative signs a receipt for the application before award.
False Statements in Offer

Vendors must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and its attachments.

Certification of Independent Price Determination

(a) The offeror certifies that–

• (1) The prices in this offer have been arrived at independently, without, for the purpose of restricting competition, any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other offeror, including but not limited to subsidiaries or other entities in which offeror has any ownership or other interests, or any competitor relating to (i) those prices, (ii) the intention to submit an offer, or (iii) the methods or factors used to calculate the prices offered;
• (2) The prices in this offer have not been and will not be knowingly disclosed by the offeror, directly or indirectly, to any other offeror, including but not limited to subsidiaries or other entities in which offeror has any ownership or other interests, or any competitor before bid opening (in the case of a sealed bid solicitation) or contract award (in the case of a negotiated or competitive solicitation) unless otherwise required by law; and
• (3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the offeror to induce any other concern or individual to submit or not to submit an offer for the purpose of restricting competition or influencing the competitive environment.

(b) Each signature on the offer is considered to be a certification by the signatory that the signatory–

• (1) Is the person in the offeror’s organization responsible for determining the prices being offered in this bid or application, and that the signatory has not participated and will not participate in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above; or
• (2) (i) Has been authorized, in writing, to act as agent for the principals of the offeror in certifying that those principals have not participated, and will not participate in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above; (ii) As an authorized agent, does certify that the principals of the offeror have not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above; and (iii) As an agent, has not personally participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above.

(c) Offeror understands and agrees that —

• (1) violation of this certification will result in immediate disqualification from this solicitation without recourse and may result in disqualification from future solicitations; and
• (2) discovery of any violation after award to the offeror will result in the termination of the award for default.

Standard Provisions

Deloitte is required to respect the provisions of the United States Foreign Assistance Act and other United States laws and regulations. The TADAEEM Grant Program will be administered according to Deloitte’s policies and procedures as well as USAID’s regulations for Non-U.S. Governmental Recipients or USAID’s regulations for U.S. Non-Governmental Recipients. These include:

1. Implementing Partner Notices (IPN) registration

Applicant acknowledges the requirement to register with the IPN portal if awarded a grant resulting from this solicitation and receive universal bilateral amendments to this award and general notices via the IPN portal. The IPN Portal is located at https://sites.google.com/site/usaidipnforassistance/ Detailed steps are given under the article M9 of the Mandatory Standard Provisions for Fixed Amount Awards to Non-Governmental Organizations from ADS 303mat, which is annexed to this RFA.

2. Indirect rates

Indirect rates such as fringe, overhead, and general and administrative (G&A) that have not been approved by a U.S. Government agency in a NICRA (Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement)

may not be charged to this award. All costs charged to the project shall be directly related to the project’s implementation.

3. Activities that will not be considered for funding

In keeping with the conditions above, programs that fall within the following categories or indicate they might participate in any one of the following shall be automatically disqualified:

• Activities related to the promotion of specific political parties.
• Reconstruction or building rehabilitation projects that are not accompanied by plans for wide community use and maintenance.
• Distribution of emergency/humanitarian assistance or funds.
• Religious events or activities that promote a particular faith.
• For-profit business activities that benefit a small select group, rather than providing increased opportunities to the larger community.
• Unrelated operational expenses.

4. Prohibited Goods and Services

Under no circumstances shall the Recipient procure any of the following under this award, as these items are excluded by the Foreign Assistance Act and other legislation which govern USAID funding. Programs which are found to transact in any of these shall be disqualified:

• military equipment;
• surveillance equipment;
• commodities and services for support of police or other law enforcement activities;
• abortion equipment and services;
• luxury goods and gambling equipment; and
• weather modification equipment.

5. Restricted Goods

The following costs are restricted by USAID and require prior approval from Deloitte and USAID:

• agricultural commodities;
• motor vehicles;
• pharmaceuticals;
• pesticides;
• fertilizer;
• used equipment; and
• U.S. Government-owned excess property

8. Certifications for Non-US Non-Governmental Recipients

The following Standard Grant & Subcontractor Certifications are required by Deloitte and USAID:

• Assurance of Compliance with Laws and Regulations Governing nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs (This assurance applies to Non-U.S. Governmental Organizations, if any part of the program will be undertaken in the U.S.);
• Certification Regarding Lobbying (22 CFR 227);
• Prohibition on Assistance to Drug Traffickers for Covered Countries and Individuals (ADS 206, Prohibition of Assistance to Drug Traffickers);
• Certification Regarding Terrorist Financing;
• Certification of Recipient;
• Compliance with Anticorruption Laws.
• A completed copy of Representation by Organization Regarding a Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Criminal Conviction; and
• Certification Regarding Trafficking in Persons