IMPLEMENT ACTIVITIES UNDER THE USAID FUNDED ECONOMIC RECOVERY FROM EBOLA FOR LIBERIA (EREL) PROJECT

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) FOR LOCAL LIBERIAN NGOs TO IMPLEMENT ACTIVITIES UNDER THE USAID FUNDED ECONOMIC RECOVERY FROM EBOLA FOR LIBERIA (EREL) PROJECT Issuance Date: February 3 rd 2015 Closing Date for RFA submission: February 11 th 2015 Anticipated Number of Subawards: 3 Subaward Funding Range: US$ 50,000 - $120,000 Anticipated Duration: 6 months (March 2015 to August 2015) Geographic coverage: 3 counties (Montserrado, Margibi and Lofa) 1. Introduction This Request for Applications (RFA) is a solicitation for applications from local Liberian Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) with physical presence and active programs in at least one out of the three counties of Montserrado, Margibi and Lofa. The purpose of this RFA is to ask for proposals from those local NGOs to implement the USAID/Food for Peace-funded EREL project, whose aim is to increase access to food and agricultural inputs to support initial economic recovery for 30,000 vulnerable households (150,000 beneficiaries) economically affected by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Montserrado, Margibi, and Lofa counties. EREL intends to issue a maximum of three (3) standard cost reimbursable sub-grants (one per county). 2. Background The Economic Recovery from Ebola for Liberia (EREL) program is part of Mercy Corps response to the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Liberia during 2014, an event that had profound economic and food security consequences in addition to its direct health impacts. EREL will work to promote economic recovery and increased agricultural productivity.

2 The program will target a total of 30,000 households: 16,000 households in Montserrado, 10,000 households in Margibi and 4,000 households in Lofa. The EREL program will target households that are the most at risk of food insecurity, including those who have suffered directly from EVD and/or other diseases and could not access health care due to the partial collapse of the health system; and poor and market-dependent households with below average household income and food shortages. Priority will be given to those households with children under five, and female-headed households. Input vouchers recipients will be selected among the cash transfers participants and include those who have experienced a significant decrease in agricultural production. The EREL Project will carry out cash transfers using both unconditional and conditional cash transfers modalities to the identified vulnerable households. The program began in January 2015 and will implement activities through September To ensure timely and quality project implementation, Mercy Corps will work with local implementing partners in the three counties and at the same time collaborate with a number of local and international partners engaged in food security, social protection/social safety net, and other related interventions. Mercy Corps is requesting interested organization which meet the eligibility criteria to submit an application for funding for activities in one of the following counties - Montserrado, Margibi and Lofa. Organizations may submit applications for more than one county, but a separate application is required for each county. Please note that Mercy Corps preference is issue Subaward to separate organizations for each county. The implementing partners select by this RFA will take lead role in the facilitation and monitoring of the project s key activities with the assistance of Mercy Corps staff and utilizing Mercy Corps provided tools. The applications will describe how the organization will support the following key EREL project activities: Beneficiary identification, registration and monitoring. EREL is targeting 4,000 beneficiaries in Lofa County, 16,000 beneficiaries in Montserrado County and 10,000 in Margibi County. Training of beneficiaries in appropriate agronomic practices in collaboration with other identified stakeholders. Cash transfers to beneficiaries will be done once per month for three to six months depending on a household s level of vulnerability. The cash transfers will be arranged by Mercy Corps using one or more of the following methods to deliver cash to beneficiaries: a) local banks, b) mobile money transfer service providers and c) direct cash delivery.

3 Specifically, the implementing partners will be expected to carry out the following activities: i. Community mobilization ii. Identification of the beneficiaries iii. Registration of the beneficiaries iv. Monitoring of the vulnerability levels of the beneficiaries v. Compilation of success stories of the program vi. Support agronomic training for beneficiary farmers by identifying the farmers and performing needs assessment. vii. Assistance in the cash transfers and input vouchers distribution by following up on the beneficiaries to ensure the transfers are done promptly. viii. Post Distribution monitoring and assessment data collection and analysis ix. Narrative report writing (implementation) x. Keeping records of all assistance given to the beneficiaries xi. Keep proper financial records for all funds received under the project. 3. Eligibility Criteria Only organizations that meet all of the criteria outlined below are eligible to apply. 1. Must be Liberian organization 2. Must be legally Registered with GOL (Letter of Accreditation, Existing Tax Identification Number) 3. Must have a legal Bank Account in Operation 4. Must be compliant with Govt. Law; Tax Remittance, payment of Staff Social Security. 5. Must be eligible to receive US Government funding and has no record of mismanaging US Government funding before. 6. Must have sound policies and procedures on finance, procurement and human resources. 7. Must have an active Board of Directors which frequently holds Board meetings. 8. Must have more than two years of experience in community-based project delivery 9. Must have experience in social protection/social safety-net/livelihoods/food security program implementation 10. Must have demonstrated record of ensuring accountability and transparency with donors, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders. 11. MUST have physical presence and existing networks in the Specific county (ies) proposed.

4 Organizations that meet the following Criteria will have an added advantage 1. Have competent and experienced staff in cash transfers/ vouchers programming. 2. Staff with experience in Monitoring and Evaluation systems, especially regarding data collection, analysis, and reporting. 3. Proven experience in emergency program implementation. 4. Selection Criteria EREL will use the following criteria when reviewing written proposals. 1. Description of the Organization/Institutional Capacity: the applicant must show that it has the capacity to implement the proposed project. If possible, the NGO should show related prior experience in implementing similar projects. The application should include a brief history of the organization, its mission, previous projects, and funding sources. 2. Background: the applicant must explain how the proposed activities will meet the organization s overall objectives and how the proposed activities relate to the overall objective of the EREL project. 3. Budget/Financial Plan: the application should provide a clear and logical presentation of its project budget and include a brief description of how the funds will be used. The amount of funding requested (between $50,000 - $120,000) should be appropriate to the size and needs of the proposed approach. Organizations applying for a grant should keep in mind their organizational capacity when planning their project and the funding necessary to support it. All budget estimates should be clearly explained in the proposal. (Budget template is provided with the application package). 5. The Application Package Organizations interested in applying can obtain the application package and budget template on the Executive Mansion website. 6. Submission Process All questions and enquiries regarding this solicitation to be sent through the address provided below and the will be titled EREL RFA Questions. Questions will be accepted until 5:00 pm, February 5, All questions received and Mercy Corps responses will be ed as a single document to each organization which requested an application package.

5 Interested organizations to submit their applications through the address by 5:00 pm, February 11, 2015 or hand delivered to Mercy Corps offices in Old Congo Town opposite YWCA in a sealed envelope with EREL Application clearly written on the envelope and addressed to: Martin Varnie EREL/FFP Program Manager Mercy Corps Liberia Office Late applications will not be considered. A Review Committee will review and select those applications based on the criteria mentioned above. Successful applicants will be notified by February 17, Implementation of the project is expected to start on March 1, 2015.

6 USAID/FFP EREL Sub Grants Application Form Economic Recovery from Ebola for Liberia (EREL) RFA Number: Completed proposals should be no longer than twelve (10) pages in length using this format (excluding Annexes). Please use Arial 11 point font. Name of Organization Address Telephone Number Website (if applicable) Location of Offices or Branches in Liberia Authorized Representative Section I: Applicant Information Contact Person for this Project Purpose / Mission Financial Capacity What was your total budget for 2014? Proposed County of operation. (Either Montserrado, Margibi or Lofa) Section II: Applicant Eligibility (please explain how you meet the criteria below) Legally registered with GOL Registration #: Government of Liberia? Organization s TIN # Organization has an active Board of Directors which

7 frequently holds Board meetings Legal Bank Account in Operation (If YES, give Bank account details. If NO, describe how it obtains, manages and controls funds) Existing policies and procedures for Finance, Procurement, Travel/Vehicles, and has established, written policies and benefits for staff Compliance with Govt. Law; Tax Remittance, payment of Staff Social Security At least two years experience in community-based project delivery Experience in social protection/social safetynet/livelihoods/food security program implementation Experience in emergency program implementation (Added advantage) Demonstrated record of ensuring accountability and transparency with donors, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders. Staff with experience in Monitoring and Evaluation systems, especially regarding data collection, analysis, and reporting (Added advantage) Physical presence and existing networks in the proposed county(ies) Experience of staff in cash transfers/ vouchers programming (An added advantage) US Government Restricted List Is your organization or any associated individuals included in any US Government restricted list that would make the organization ineligible for US funding? Yes No NO If yes, please provide details.no at all Note: If shortlisted, a comprehensive Organizational and Financial Assessment will be undertaken.

8 Description of the Organization/Institutional Capacity Section III: Narrative Project Proposal The applicant must show that it has the capacity to implement the proposed project. If possible, the NGO should show related prior experience in implementing similar projects. The application should include a brief history of the organization, its mission, previous projects, and funding sources. Background Budget/Financial Plan The applicant must explain how the proposed activities are in line with the overall organisation s objectives and how the proposed activities relate to the overall objective of the EREL project. The application should provide a clear and logical presentation of its project budget and include a brief description of how the funds will be used (in the budget narrative). The amount of funding requested (between $50,000 - $120,000) should be appropriate to the size and needs of the proposed approach. The Organization should keep in mind their organizational capacity when planning their project and the funding necessary to support it. All budget estimates (Budget lines) should be clearly explained in the budget narrative. (A budget template is provided with this application package). Section IV: Risk Matrix What are the risks associated with the delivery of your project? Risk Likelihood (Low/ Med/ High) Severity (Low/ Med/ High) Mitigation (what steps will you take to reduce the likelihood or severity of the risk) Section V: Start-up and Timeline From contract signing, when would you be able to start field activities? Please explain what resources are ready to be deployed. Please provide a timeline of key activities and milestones for your proposal (add extra lines as required):

9 Set-up (including recruitment etc) Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Project Activities Close-out Annex Checklist: Annex 1: Budget and Narrative (Excel Sheet) Annex 2: Conflict of Interest Statement On behalf of (Name of Organization), I hereby attest that the information provided in this document is true and current. Name: Title: Signature: Date: Stamp of the Organization:

10 Mercy Corps Liberia : DONOR : US Agency for International Development/FFP PROGRAM : USAID/FFP - EREL Detailed Budget: Name of Subgrantee: Budget Period: March 1, August 31, 2015 Line Items #Unit (eg. No of Months, pieces, days, etc) Level of effort (%) Unit Calculations # Units Unit Cost (USD) TOTAL BUDGET Total Contribution (USD) Personnel Executive Director Month 100% Project Officers Month Finance Officer Month Monitoring & Evaluation Officer Month Logistician Month Community mobilizers Month Security guard Month Office Cleaner Month TOTAL Personnel Fringe Benefits National Social Security-Employer contribution Transportation Allowance Medical Allowance TOTAL Fringe Benefits Travel Local Travel and Transport Total Travel Equipment&Supplies Motorbikes rentals Cameras Laptops Printers Stationeries Total Equipment & Supplies Program Activities Community Mobilisation&beficiary selection Monitoring and Evaluation TOTAL Program Activities Other Direct Costs Total Other Direct Costs TOTAL SUBGRANT COSTS

11 Mercy Corps Liberia : DONOR : US Agency for International Development/FFP PROGRAM : USAID/FFP - EREL Line Items Summary Budget Name of Sub-partner: Budget Period: Feb. 15, Sept. 15, 2015 TOTAL BUDGET Total Contribution (USD) Personnel Fringe Benefits Travel Equipment&Supplies Program Activities Other Direct Costs TOTAL SUBGRANT COSTS

12 Mercy Corps Liberia : DONOR : US Agency for International Development/FFP PROGRAM : USAID/FFP - EREL Budget Narrative Name of Sub-partner: Budget Period: Feb. 15, Sept. 15, 2015 Budget Line Narrative

13 SUBGRANTEE CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Organization Name: Project Title: The Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement is to be completed by the director and project managers of the subgrantee organization. If a conflict of interest is identified, Mercy Corps will determine if the subgrant can proceed and if compensating measures will be required. Mercy Corps will provide written guidance on its decision and the effect on the organization s subgrant. 1. I DO NOT have a personal affiliation with an employee, officer or agent of Mercy Corps. I DO have a personal affiliation with an employee, officer or agent of Mercy Corps. A personal affiliation includes immediate family members (parents, children, siblings, wife or husband and wife or husband s parents and siblings) or partners. These are listed below: Name of Family Member of Partner Nature of Affiliation 2. I DO NOT have a material interest in a business transaction (complete or pending) in the past 12 months with an employee, officer or agent of Mercy Corps. I DO have a material interest in a business transaction (complete or pending) in the past 12 months with an employee, officer or agent of Mercy Corps. These are listed below: Name of Family Member of Partner Nature of Affiliation 3. I DO NOT owe a debt to, or am owed a debt by, an employee, officer or agent of Mercy Corps. I DO owe a debt to, or am owed a debt by, an employee, officer or agent of Mercy Corps. These are listed below: Name of Family Member of Partner Nature of Affiliation I understand that failure to disclose any conflicts of interest as required in this disclosure may result in the termination of the Subgrant agreement with Mercy Corps. I certify that the answers to questions above are correctly stated to the best of my knowledge and belief: Signature: Name: Title: Date Submitted: EREL Subawards Number: AID-OFDA XX-322XX-0X Page 1 of 1 Version: 7/08