***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
SECRETARY MICHAEL R. POMPEO
Secretary Pompeo attends meetings and briefings, at the Department of State.
DEPUTY SECRETARY STEPHEN E. BIEGUN
Deputy Secretary Biegun attends meetings and briefings, at the Department of State.
USAID ACTING DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR JOHN BARSA
10:30 a.m. Acting Deputy Administrator Barsa delivers remarks at a virtual Nutrition for Growth Springboard event, hosted by Global Affairs Canada and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Please click here for more information. (MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS DAVID HALE
Under Secretary Hale attends meetings and briefings, at the Department of State.
UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT KEITH KRACH
Under Secretary Krach attends meetings and briefings, at the Department of State.
SENIOR BUREAU OFFICIAL FOR EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS PHILIP T. REEKER
2:00 p.m. Ambassador Reeker meets with Albanian Ambassador to the United States Floreta Faber, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
Sudan’s State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Rescinded
12/14/2020
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Today, Sudan’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism is officially rescinded. This represents a fundamental change in our bilateral relationship toward greater collaboration and support for Sudan’s historic democratic transition. This achievement was made possible by the efforts of Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government to chart a bold new course away from the legacy of the Bashir regime and, in particular, to meet the statutory and policy criteria for rescission.
We commend the calls of the Sudanese people for freedom, peace, and justice, and we congratulate the members of the civilian-led transitional government for their courage in advancing the aspirations of the citizens they serve.
Sudan’s State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Rescinded
12/14/2020
You are subscribed to Secretary's Remarks for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
Today, Sudan’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism is officially rescinded. This represents a fundamental change in our bilateral relationship toward greater collaboration and support for Sudan’s historic democratic transition. This achievement was made possible by the efforts of Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government to chart a bold new course away from the legacy of the Bashir regime and, in particular, to meet the statutory and policy criteria for rescission.
We commend the calls of the Sudanese people for freedom, peace, and justice, and we congratulate the members of the civilian-led transitional government for their courage in advancing the aspirations of the citizens they serve.
Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Alex Marlow of Breitbart News Radio on SiriusXM Patriot
12/14/2020
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QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on the line with me. Secretary, great to have you on. We have a very limited amount of time and a lot to get to. It’s a pleasure to have you on the program.
SECRETARY POMPEO: Thanks, Alex.
QUESTION: I had two quick – two quick and temporary items, and then I want to get your big picture thoughts on four years of Trump and where we’re at. But this huge story of Russian hackers in the U.S. Government agencies, is there anything you could share about this? Because this is just sort of breaking out since last night in a kind of fog of war at the moment, but anything we need to know about this?
SECRETARY POMPEO: I can’t say much other than it’s been a consistent effort of the Russians to try and get into American servers, not only those of government agencies but of businesses. We see this even more strongly from the Chinese Communist Party, from the North Koreans as well. It’s an ongoing battle, an ongoing struggle to keep our systems safe, and I’m very confident the United States Government will keep our classified information out of the hands of these bad actors.
QUESTION: One of the topics of conversation today on the broadcast has been this story that came out of The Australian of 1.95 million Chinese Communist members who have infiltrated companies really around the world and also government agencies. Did you get a look at this one and do you have any reaction to it and what it means?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, we’ve seen this everywhere, and President Trump’s been the first president of the United States, and frankly, one of the first global leaders to identify this challenge from the Chinese Communist Party. I spoke about this in the context of our educational institutions at Georgia Tech last week, where they have infiltrated our schools and they spend money on research projects and so co-opt our institutions that are higher learning and research. They now infiltrate – we’ve seen this – into our government, into our businesses. President Trump called this out. We’ve begun to push back against it; there’s a lot more work to do. But make no mistake: The Chinese Communist Party presents the single greatest threat to the United States of America of our times.
QUESTION: Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. And we have a write-up of this speech by Kristina Wong of Breitbart that people can check out. I’ll try to link it up later. But it’s a – you talked about how the Chinese Communist Party is positioning themselves in our higher education system. We talk about how the left has made this long march through the institutions and how effective that’s been in converting Americans to leftism. The Chinese are trying the exact same thing right now. How bad is it? What do we need to know?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, it’s a good point to connect those two. The ideas that the left has are antithetical to what’s going on, right, so the left says we want safe spaces because we’re afraid of information. The Chinese are looking for safe spaces to go steal information. It’s just the converse.
But we know this too: The Chinese Communist Party – there are some Chinese students who are here. They’re fine. They just want to come here and study. The Chinese Communist Party attacks them, and we haven’t seen anybody on the left push back against this and take this threat seriously.
And so whether it’s the Chinese Communist Party running influence operations against members of Congress or governors – I spoke about that at the National Governors Association back in February of this year – this is a determined, long-term, committed effort from General Secretary Xi Jinping. And President Trump has been the first one to say enough and begun to push back against it by doing things like closing the Chinese consulate in Houston now a few months back.
QUESTION: We had a caller who suggested that there should be some sort of a military action that takes place. I’m very – I don’t think that’s very likely to take place, partially because I do feel like we need to build up some national wherewithal to deal with China. I feel like we’re still even just addicted to Chinese products. We can’t help ourselves from buying Chinese goods online. I mean, where do things start in terms of striving to push back on a national level to this infiltration?
SECRETARY POMPEO: You nailed it. For 50 years, Republicans and Democrats alike were asleep while the Chinese Communist Party began to move in. They moved in through running state-owned enterprises and stealing our intellectual property, denying tens of millions of American jobs. They moved into our institutions of higher learning. We’ve talked about that a bit. We’ve seen the kinds of things they do to break their promises around the world. They said they wouldn’t – they told Barack Obama – President Obama – that they wouldn’t arm the islands in the South China Sea. They immediately did so.
So this is something that President Trump has taken on in every one of these theaters. We’ve built our military – we’ve built our military strength. President Trump said enough and put tariffs on their products because they weren’t treating us in a way that was fair and reciprocal with respect to trade. This battle, this challenge will have to be confronted in every domain, whether it’s an economic domain, diplomatic domain, or making sure that we have the military capabilities to do what America needs to do to defend and protect itself. And President Trump has put the resources against the problem in ways that no president before him has ever done.
QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is with me. Secretary, we’ve got maybe about two and a half minutes left, and I want to talk about the President’s legacy thus far. We all hope he pulls a rabbit out of his hat, but assuming he doesn’t, it’s really important to look back on the last four years. And let’s start with the Middle East. His record of the Middle East is just so sterling of the way that ISIS has receded, the moving of the embassy, and the normalizing of Israel to so many places that wouldn’t normalize it. But you speak to us as a huge part of this foreign policy.
SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, look, I appreciate you mentioning the defeat of the caliphate, the total destruction. Remember, there were people in cages being burned and heads being cut off when we took office. That seems to have receded from people’s minds. That was an important component of the President’s overall plan with respect to peace and stability in the Middle East. And you have seen the fruits of that in the last handful of months, where nations all across the Middle East are beginning to recognize that Israel is a partner, a friend, it is a proper and appropriate Jewish homeland, that the rightful capital is in Jerusalem. And now they are beginning to recognize this via the Abraham Accords. It’s glorious.
It matters a lot to America and American national security, but it will reduce risk all around the world from middle – from Islamic extremism throughout the Middle East as well. It is a glorious record. The Islamic Republic of Iran is far weaker today than it was when he took office. And those are things that the American people can be proud of because they will protect prosperity and security here in the United States.
QUESTION: What’s your biggest fear for the United States for the next four years when it comes to international relations?
SECRETARY POMPEO: I’ll – I haven’t really given too much thought to it. I know this: The work that we’ve done – we talked about China, we’ve now talked about the Middle East and Iran – the work that we’ve done with respect to Venezuela and Cuba to maintain our efforts to prevent them from falling further down the socialist hole, and to say that we are not going to permit the kinds of activities that Maduro and the Cuban regime are taking, have been incredibly important for the Western Hemisphere as well. Those efforts have not yet borne the ultimate fruit, but I’m very confident that if we continue the policies that President Trump has laid down with respect to Venezuela and Cuba, Americans will be safer.
QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, I wish we had more time. Come back whenever you like, sir.
SECRETARY POMPEO: I’ll do that, Alex. Thank you, sir. Have a good morning.
QUESTION: Thank you.
Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Alex Marlow of Breitbart News Radio on SiriusXM Patriot
12/14/2020
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QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on the line with me. Secretary, great to have you on. We have a very limited amount of time and a lot to get to. It’s a pleasure to have you on the program.
SECRETARY POMPEO: Thanks, Alex.
QUESTION: I had two quick – two quick and temporary items, and then I want to get your big picture thoughts on four years of Trump and where we’re at. But this huge story of Russian hackers in the U.S. Government agencies, is there anything you could share about this? Because this is just sort of breaking out since last night in a kind of fog of war at the moment, but anything we need to know about this?
SECRETARY POMPEO: I can’t say much other than it’s been a consistent effort of the Russians to try and get into American servers, not only those of government agencies but of businesses. We see this even more strongly from the Chinese Communist Party, from the North Koreans as well. It’s an ongoing battle, an ongoing struggle to keep our systems safe, and I’m very confident the United States Government will keep our classified information out of the hands of these bad actors.
QUESTION: One of the topics of conversation today on the broadcast has been this story that came out of The Australian of 1.95 million Chinese Communist members who have infiltrated companies really around the world and also government agencies. Did you get a look at this one and do you have any reaction to it and what it means?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, we’ve seen this everywhere, and President Trump’s been the first president of the United States, and frankly, one of the first global leaders to identify this challenge from the Chinese Communist Party. I spoke about this in the context of our educational institutions at Georgia Tech last week, where they have infiltrated our schools and they spend money on research projects and so co-opt our institutions that are higher learning and research. They now infiltrate – we’ve seen this – into our government, into our businesses. President Trump called this out. We’ve begun to push back against it; there’s a lot more work to do. But make no mistake: The Chinese Communist Party presents the single greatest threat to the United States of America of our times.
QUESTION: Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. And we have a write-up of this speech by Kristina Wong of Breitbart that people can check out. I’ll try to link it up later. But it’s a – you talked about how the Chinese Communist Party is positioning themselves in our higher education system. We talk about how the left has made this long march through the institutions and how effective that’s been in converting Americans to leftism. The Chinese are trying the exact same thing right now. How bad is it? What do we need to know?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, it’s a good point to connect those two. The ideas that the left has are antithetical to what’s going on, right, so the left says we want safe spaces because we’re afraid of information. The Chinese are looking for safe spaces to go steal information. It’s just the converse.
But we know this too: The Chinese Communist Party – there are some Chinese students who are here. They’re fine. They just want to come here and study. The Chinese Communist Party attacks them, and we haven’t seen anybody on the left push back against this and take this threat seriously.
And so whether it’s the Chinese Communist Party running influence operations against members of Congress or governors – I spoke about that at the National Governors Association back in February of this year – this is a determined, long-term, committed effort from General Secretary Xi Jinping. And President Trump has been the first one to say enough and begun to push back against it by doing things like closing the Chinese consulate in Houston now a few months back.
QUESTION: We had a caller who suggested that there should be some sort of a military action that takes place. I’m very – I don’t think that’s very likely to take place, partially because I do feel like we need to build up some national wherewithal to deal with China. I feel like we’re still even just addicted to Chinese products. We can’t help ourselves from buying Chinese goods online. I mean, where do things start in terms of striving to push back on a national level to this infiltration?
SECRETARY POMPEO: You nailed it. For 50 years, Republicans and Democrats alike were asleep while the Chinese Communist Party began to move in. They moved in through running state-owned enterprises and stealing our intellectual property, denying tens of millions of American jobs. They moved into our institutions of higher learning. We’ve talked about that a bit. We’ve seen the kinds of things they do to break their promises around the world. They said they wouldn’t – they told Barack Obama – President Obama – that they wouldn’t arm the islands in the South China Sea. They immediately did so.
So this is something that President Trump has taken on in every one of these theaters. We’ve built our military – we’ve built our military strength. President Trump said enough and put tariffs on their products because they weren’t treating us in a way that was fair and reciprocal with respect to trade. This battle, this challenge will have to be confronted in every domain, whether it’s an economic domain, diplomatic domain, or making sure that we have the military capabilities to do what America needs to do to defend and protect itself. And President Trump has put the resources against the problem in ways that no president before him has ever done.
QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is with me. Secretary, we’ve got maybe about two and a half minutes left, and I want to talk about the President’s legacy thus far. We all hope he pulls a rabbit out of his hat, but assuming he doesn’t, it’s really important to look back on the last four years. And let’s start with the Middle East. His record of the Middle East is just so sterling of the way that ISIS has receded, the moving of the embassy, and the normalizing of Israel to so many places that wouldn’t normalize it. But you speak to us as a huge part of this foreign policy.
SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, look, I appreciate you mentioning the defeat of the caliphate, the total destruction. Remember, there were people in cages being burned and heads being cut off when we took office. That seems to have receded from people’s minds. That was an important component of the President’s overall plan with respect to peace and stability in the Middle East. And you have seen the fruits of that in the last handful of months, where nations all across the Middle East are beginning to recognize that Israel is a partner, a friend, it is a proper and appropriate Jewish homeland, that the rightful capital is in Jerusalem. And now they are beginning to recognize this via the Abraham Accords. It’s glorious.
It matters a lot to America and American national security, but it will reduce risk all around the world from middle – from Islamic extremism throughout the Middle East as well. It is a glorious record. The Islamic Republic of Iran is far weaker today than it was when he took office. And those are things that the American people can be proud of because they will protect prosperity and security here in the United States.
QUESTION: What’s your biggest fear for the United States for the next four years when it comes to international relations?
SECRETARY POMPEO: I’ll – I haven’t really given too much thought to it. I know this: The work that we’ve done – we talked about China, we’ve now talked about the Middle East and Iran – the work that we’ve done with respect to Venezuela and Cuba to maintain our efforts to prevent them from falling further down the socialist hole, and to say that we are not going to permit the kinds of activities that Maduro and the Cuban regime are taking, have been incredibly important for the Western Hemisphere as well. Those efforts have not yet borne the ultimate fruit, but I’m very confident that if we continue the policies that President Trump has laid down with respect to Venezuela and Cuba, Americans will be safer.
QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, I wish we had more time. Come back whenever you like, sir.
SECRETARY POMPEO: I’ll do that, Alex. Thank you, sir. Have a good morning.
QUESTION: Thank you.
Sanctioning Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Abduction of Bob Levinson
12/14/2020
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For 13 years, the Iranian regime has denied knowledge of Robert A. “Bob” Levinson’s whereabouts or condition. However, senior Iranian officials authorized Levinson’s abduction and detention and launched a disinformation campaign to deflect blame from the regime.
Today, the United States is designating two senior officials of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), who were involved in the abduction of Mr. Levinson on Iran’s Kish Island on or about March 9, 2007. Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, acting in their capacity as MOIS officers, were involved in the abduction, detention, and probable death of Mr. Levinson. They are designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13553 for acting for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Iran’s MOIS. The MOIS was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for being complicit in the commission of serious human rights abuses against Iranians protesting fraudulent elections held on June 12, 2009.
The Iranian regime has a 41-year history of abducting and detaining foreigners and dual-nationals as political leverage. We reiterate our strong warning to U.S. citizens and dual-nationals that traveling to Iran may jeopardize their personal safety. The abduction, detention, and probable death of Mr. Levinson is another egregious example of the regime’s callous disregard toward human life.
The United States will always prioritize the safety and security of the American people and will continue to aggressively pursue those who played a role in Mr. Levinson’s disappearance. We call on the Iranian regime to provide a full accounting of Mr. Levinson’s fate, and we will not rest until all Americans wrongfully detained by Iran are back home. We hope today brings the Levinson family some of the answers and justice they deserve.
For more information about today’s action, please see the Department of the Treasury’s press release .
Sanctioning Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Abduction of Bob Levinson
12/14/2020
You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
For 13 years, the Iranian regime has denied knowledge of Robert A. “Bob” Levinson’s whereabouts or condition. However, senior Iranian officials authorized Levinson’s abduction and detention and launched a disinformation campaign to deflect blame from the regime.
Today, the United States is designating two senior officials of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), who were involved in the abduction of Mr. Levinson on Iran’s Kish Island on or about March 9, 2007. Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, acting in their capacity as MOIS officers, were involved in the abduction, detention, and probable death of Mr. Levinson. They are designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13553 for acting for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Iran’s MOIS. The MOIS was previously designated pursuant to E.O. 13553 for being complicit in the commission of serious human rights abuses against Iranians protesting fraudulent elections held on June 12, 2009.
The Iranian regime has a 41-year history of abducting and detaining foreigners and dual-nationals as political leverage. We reiterate our strong warning to U.S. citizens and dual-nationals that traveling to Iran may jeopardize their personal safety. The abduction, detention, and probable death of Mr. Levinson is another egregious example of the regime’s callous disregard toward human life.
The United States will always prioritize the safety and security of the American people and will continue to aggressively pursue those who played a role in Mr. Levinson’s disappearance. We call on the Iranian regime to provide a full accounting of Mr. Levinson’s fate, and we will not rest until all Americans wrongfully detained by Iran are back home. We hope today brings the Levinson family some of the answers and justice they deserve.
For more information about today’s action, please see the Department of the Treasury’s press release .
DRL Promoting and Protecting Media Freedom in Bangladesh
12/14/2020
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United States Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): DRL Promoting and Protecting Media Freedom in Bangladesh
This is the announcement of funding opportunity number SFOP0007480
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.345
Type of Solicitation: Open Competition
Application Deadline: 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, January 28, 2020
Funding Floor: $700,000
Funding Ceiling: $750,000
Anticipated Number of Awards: 1
Type of Award: Grant
Period of Performance: 2 years
Anticipated Time to Award, Pending Availability of Funds: 5 months
A. Project Description
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that advance freedom of expression in Bangladesh.
Journalists and human rights defenders in Bangladesh are routinely arrested, detained, or imprisoned for criticizing the government, defamation, or offending religious sentiments. Authorities have increased online censorship, blocked websites critical of the government, and surveil social media for dissent. DRL’s goal is to help uphold the Bangladesh’s commitment to freedom of the press as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human rights, and help ensure that human rights defenders and journalists are safe from censorship and harassment from government and police. DRL’s objective is to provide organizations with the tools necessary to empower civil society to promote media freedom, including online, despite the current restrictive legal framework.
Possible program approaches could include:
Develop and implement a small grants program to fund, train, and mentor independent media entities and improve their physical and digital security;
Conduct trainings on topics such as journalistic skill-building in reporting, writing, editing, and filming; ethical journalism; countering disinformation; and countering harassment in the workplace, especially in rural or underserved areas;
Increase citizens’ ability to access, identify, and consume non-biased, fact-based information;
Provide legal support and emergency support to human rights defenders (including civil society and journalists) that face unfair arrests.
Proposed programming must be responsive to immediate needs on the ground and in line with the U.S. Government’s democracy, governance, and human rights goals in Bangladesh; and should contribute to and support Bangladesh’s efforts to strengthen democracy, governance, and human rights in the country. Helpful resources for applicants include the annual Bangladesh Human Rights Report https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/bangladesh/ and the International Religious Freedom Report http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/.
All programs should aim to have impact that leads to reforms and should have the potential for sustainability beyond DRL resources. DRL’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches. This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way. Programs should seek to include groups that can bring perspectives based on their religion, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender identity. Programs should be demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible. DRL requires all programs to be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to include strategies for integration of individuals/organizations regardless of religion, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender identity.
Competitive proposals may also include a summary budget and budget narrative for 6 additional months following the proposed period of performance, indicated above. This information should indicate what objective(s) and/or activities could be accomplished with additional time and/or funds beyond the proposed period of performance.
Where appropriate, competitive proposals may include:
Opportunities for beneficiaries to apply their new knowledge and skills in practical efforts;
Solicitation of feedback and suggestions from beneficiaries when developing activities in order to strengthen the sustainability of programs and participant ownership of project outcomes;
Input from participants on sustainability plans and systematic review of the plans throughout the life of the project, with adjustments made as necessary;
Inclusion of vulnerable populations;
Joint identification and definition of key concepts with relevant stakeholders and stakeholder input into project activities;
Systematic follow up with beneficiaries at specific intervals after the completion of activities to track how beneficiaries are retaining new knowledge as well as applying their new skills.
Activities that are not typically allowed include, but are not limited to:
The provision of humanitarian assistance;
English language instruction;
Development of high-tech computer or communications software and/or hardware;
Purely academic exchanges or fellowships;
External exchanges or fellowships lasting longer than six months;
Off-shore activities that are not clearly linked to in-country initiatives and impact or are not necessary per security concerns;
Theoretical explorations of human rights or democracy issues, including projects aimed primarily at research and evaluation that do not incorporate training or capacity-building for local civil society;
Micro-loans or similar small business development initiatives;
Initiatives directed towards a diaspora community rather than current residents of targeted countries.
This notice is subject to availability of funding.
B. Federal Award Information
Primary organizations can submit 1 application in response to the NOFO.
The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, and (d) waive irregularities in applications received.
The U.S. government may make award(s) on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant’s best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right (though it is under no obligation to do so), however, to enter into discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the project description, budget, or other aspects of an application.
DRL anticipates awarding either a grant or cooperative agreement depending on the needs and risk factors of the program. The final determination on award mechanism will be made by the Grants Officer. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the existence of “substantial involvement.” Cooperative agreements require greater Federal government participation in the project. If a cooperative agreement is awarded, DRL will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement. Examples of substantial involvement can include, but are not limited to:
Active participation or collaboration with the recipient in the implementation of the award.
Review and approval of one stage of work before another can begin.
Review and approval of substantive provisions of proposed subawards or contracts beyond existing Federal policy.
Approval of the recipient’s budget or plan of work prior to the award.
The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).
To maximize the impact and sustainability of the award(s) that result from this NOFO, DRL retains the right to execute non-competitive continuation amendment(s). The total duration of any award, including potential non-competitive continuation amendments, shall not exceed 60 months, or five years. Any non-competitive continuation is contingent on performance and pending availability of funds. A non-competitive continuation is not guaranteed and the Department of State reserves the right to exercise or not to exercise this option.
C. Eligibility Information
For application information, please see the proposal submission instructions (PSI) on our website.
C.1 Eligible Applicants
DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.
Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income.
C.2 Cost Sharing or Matching
Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO, and providing cost share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking.
C.3 Other
Applicants should have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders, including private sector partners and NGOs, and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects. DRL encourages applications from foreign-based NGOs headquartered in the geographic regions/countries relevant to this NOFO. Applicants may form consortia in order to bring together organizations with varied expertise to propose a comprehensive program in one proposal. However, one organization should be designated in the proposal as the lead applicant, with the other members designated as sub-award partners. DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards, and these applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.
DRL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its projects and activities. DRL welcomes applications irrespective of race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (www.sam.gov) and/or has a current debt to the U.S. government is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR,1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR,1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity or person listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity or person is included in their application.
D. Application and Submission Information
D.1 Address to Request Application Package
Applicants can find application forms, kits, or other materials needed to apply on www.grants.gov and SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com) under the announcement title “DRL Promoting and Protecting Media Freedom in Bangladesh,” funding opportunity number “SFOP0007480.” Please contact the DRL point of contact listed in Section G if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note that reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions.
D.2 Content and Form of Application Submission
For all application documents, please ensure:
All documents are in English and all costs are in U.S. dollars. If an original document within the application is in another language, an English translation must be provided (please note the Department of State, as indicated in 2 CFR 200.111, requires that English is the official language of all award documents. If any document is provided in both English and a foreign language, the English language version is the controlling version);
All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments;
All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper; and,
All documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins. Captions and footnotes may be 10-point Times New Roman font. Font sizes in charts and tables, including the budget, can be reformatted to fit within 1 page width.
D.2.1 Application Requirements
Complete applications must include the following:
Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B Please see SF-424 instructions in Section 2B of the PSI.
If your organization engages in lobbying the U.S. government, including Congress, or pays another entity to lobby on your behalf, the SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form is also required (only if applicable). Please see SF-LLL guidance in Section 2B of the PSI.
Cover Page (not to exceed one (1) page, preferably as a Word Document) that includes a table with the organization name, project title, target country/countries, project synopsis, and name and contact information for the application’s main point of contact. Please see Cover Page Section 2C of the PSI for a template and more details.
Executive Summary (not to exceed one (1) page, preferably as a Word Document) that outlines project goals, objectives, activities, etc.
The Executive Summary should include a brief section that explicitly states (1) the problem statement addressed by the project, (2) research-based evidence justifying the unique project approach, and (3) quantifiable project outcomes and impacts.
Table of Contents (not to exceed one (1) page, preferably as a Word Document) listing all documents and attachments with page numbers.
Proposal Narrative (not to exceed ten (10) pages, preferably as a Word Document). Please note the ten-page limit does not include the Cover Page, Executive Summary, Table of Contents, Attachments, Detailed Budget, Budget Narrative, Audit, or NICRA. Applicants are encouraged to combine multiple documents in a single Word Document or PDF (i.e. Cover Page, Table of Contents, Executive Summary, and Proposal Narrative in one file). Please see Proposal Narrative Guidelines in Section 2F of the PSI for more details.
The Proposal Narrative should demonstrate the Applicant’s commitment to ensuring the participation of all people as a strategy for implementation. Please integrate inclusion strategies in all sections of the Proposal Narrative to enhance programmatic impact.
Budget (preferably as an Excel workbook) that includes three (3) columns containing the request to DRL, any cost sharing contribution, and the total budget. A summary budget should also be included using the OMB-approved budget categories (see SF-424A as a sample) in a separate tab. Costs must be in U.S. dollars. Detailed line-item budgets for subgrantees should be included as additional tabs within the Excel workbook (if available at the time of submission). Please see Budget Guidelines Section 2G of the PSI for more information.
The programming approach should be dedicated to strengthening inclusive societies as a necessary pillar of strong democracies. Please include costs associated with this commitment in the budget and budget narrative.
Competitive proposals may include a summary budget for 6 additional months following the proposed period of performance.
Budget Narrative (preferably as a Word Document) that includes substantive explanations and justifications for each line item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and a description of all cost-share offered. Please see Budget Guidelines Section 2G of the PSI for more information.
Competitive proposals may include a summary budget narrative for 6 additional months following the proposed period of performance.
Your organization’s most recent audit, if applicable. This should be a single audit, program-specific audit, or other audit in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). Please see Audit Section 2H of the PSI for more information.
Logic Model (preferably as a Word Document). Please see Logic Model Section 2I of the PSI for more information.
Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative (not to exceed four (4) pages, preferably as a Word Document). Please see Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative Section 2J of the PSI for more information.
As stated within the DRL Guide to Program Monitoring and Evaluation (p. 6): DRL strongly encourages applicants to consider whether their monitoring and evaluation systems are utilizing human rights-based approaches, applying a gender and equity lens, or include the participation of sub-grantees and project participants. Within the Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative, applicants should demonstrate their commitment to inclusive strategies and consider whether evaluation design, data collection, analysis, reporting and learning are conducted in an ethical and responsible way with all project participants (e.g. direct beneficiaries, sub-grantees). Applicants should still make adequate provisions to protect the privacy of human subjects when collecting data from individuals. For instance, when collecting data from project participants, consider whether your organization will have the necessary informed consent forms, confidentiality agreements, and data security protocols.
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (preferably as a Word Document or Excel Sheet). Please see Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Section 2J of the PSI for more information.
Risk Analysis (preferably as a Word Document). Please see Risk Analysis Section 2K of the PSI for more information.
Key Personnel (not to exceed two (2) pages, preferably as a Word Document). Please include short bios that highlight relevant professional experience. Given the limited space, CVs are not recommended for submission.
Timeline (not to exceed one (1) page, preferably as a Word Document or Excel Sheet). The timeline of the overall proposal should include activities, evaluation efforts, and program closeout.
Gender Analysis (not to exceed five (5) pages, preferably as a Word Document) that identifies and examines the relevance of gender norms and power relations in target countries and addresses how the organization will account for these dynamics throughout program design and implementation. The analysis should consider institutional practices and barriers, cultural norms, gender roles, access to and control over assets and resources, and patterns of decision-making. In conflict settings, the gender analysis should examine how gender norms interact with other factors to drive or mitigate conflict, the differential impact of conflict on women and men, and an understanding of the roles of women and men in conflict, peacebuilding, and transitional processes. A set of guiding questions can be found in Section L of the PSI.
Contingency Plan for proposed activities should the originally planned activities not be able to be implemented. The contingency plan should be submitted as an additional annex. Applicants should demonstrate consideration of the risks identified in the submitted risk assessment and include specific alternative activities or locations as part of the contingency plan. Any proposed “plan” must comply with 2CFR200.433 – Contingency provisions. Plans must not include unallocable or unallowable expenses, and must not result in a larger Total Award Value than the identified as the “competition ceiling.” DRL requires prior approval by the Grants Officer of the “plan” before any activities can take place, or costs can be incurred against the “plan.”
Applications that do not include the elements listed above will be deemed technically ineligible.
D.2.2 Additional Application Documents
Strong applications will also contain the following:
Individual Letters of Support and/or Memorandum of Understanding. Letters of support and MOUs must be specific to the project implementation (e.g. from proposed partners or sub-award recipients) and will not count towards the page limit.
DRL reserves the right to request additional documents not included in this NOFO. Additionally, to ensure that all applications receive a balanced evaluation, the DRL Review Panel will review from the first page of each section up to the page limit and no further.
Note: If ultimately provided with a notification of non-binding intent to make a Federal award, applicants typically have two to three weeks to provide additional information and documents requested in the notification of intent. The deadlines may vary in each notification of intent and applicants must adhere to the stated deadline in the notification of intent.
D.2.3 Additional Information Requested For Those Receiving Notification of Intent
Successful applicants must submit after notification of intent to make a Federal award, but prior to issuance of a Federal award:
Written responses and revised application documents addressing conditions and recommendations from the DRL Review Panel;
If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA as a PDF file;
Completion of the Department’s Financial Management Survey, if receiving DRL funding for the first time;
Submission of required documents to register in the Payment Management System managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, if receiving DRL funding for the first time (unless an exemption is provided);
Other requested information or documents included in the notification of intent to make a Federal award or subsequent communications prior to issuance of a Federal award;
Applicants who submit their applications through Grants.gov will be required to create a SAMS Domestic account in order to accept the final award. Accounts must be logged in to every 60 in order to maintain an active account.
D.3 Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
All prime organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), formerly referred to as DUNS, and an active registration with the SAM.gov before submitting an application. DRL may not review applications from or make awards to applicants that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards.
The 2 CFR 200 requires that subgrantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for subgrantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before the award is processed and/or directed to a subgrantee.
Note: The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.
If you are based in the United States or pay employees within the United States, prior to registering in SAM.gov you will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code.
If you are based outside of the United States and do not pay employees within the United States, you do not need an EIN from the IRS. However, you will need a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code before you can have an active registration in SAM.gov.
All prime organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a Federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM.gov and to maintain that active registration. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, the applicant may be deemed technically ineligible to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.
For further guidance on the registration process, please see the SAM.gov Registration Guide on DRL’s website: https://www.state.gov/resources-for-programs-and-grants/. Please refer to 2 CFR 25.200 for additional information. Also, please refer to Section D.5 – Funding Restriction of the NOFO.
Note: SAM.gov is not the same as SAMS Domestic. It is free to register in both systems, but the registration processes are different.
In October 2017, new information was added to the www.SAM.gov website to help international registrations, including “Quick Start Guide for International Registrations” and “Helpful Hints.” Navigate to SAM.gov, click HELP in the top navigation bar, then click International Registrants in the left navigation panel. Please note, guidance on SAM.gov and the guidance on GSA’s website about requirement for registering in SAM.gov is subject to change. Applicants should review the website for the most up-to-date guidance.
D.3.1 Exemptions
An exemption from these requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:
An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.
** Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted Grant Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review. **
Note: Foreign organizations will be required to register with the NATO Support Agency (NSPA) to receive a NCAGE code in order to register in SAM.gov. NSPA will forward your registration request to the applicable National Codification Bureau (NCB) if your organization is located in a NATO or Tier 2 Sponsored Non-NATO Nation. As of September 2020, NATO nations included Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. As of October 2019, Tier 2 nations included Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Finland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Serbia, Singapore, Sweden, Ukraine, and United Arab Emirates.
NSPA and/or the appropriate NCB forwards all NCAGE code information to all Allied Committee 135 (AC/135) nations, which as of October 2019 also included Afghanistan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Egypt, Georgia, Japan, Jordan, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Thailand. All organizations are strongly advised to take this into consideration when assessing whether registration may result in possible endangerment.
D.4 Submission Dates and Times
Applications are due no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), on Thursday, January 28, 2021 on https://www.grants.gov/ or SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com) under the announcement title “DRL Promoting and Protecting Media Freedom in Bangladesh,” funding opportunity number “SFOP0007480.”
Grants.gov and SAMS Domestic automatically log the date and time an application submission is made, and the Department of State will use this information to determine whether an application has been submitted on time. Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered unless the DRL point of contact listed in Section G is contacted prior to the deadline and is provided with evidence of system errors caused by Grants.gov or SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com) that is outside of the applicant’s control and is the sole reason for a late submission.Applicants should not expect a notification upon DRL receiving their application.
D.5 Funding Restrictions
DRL will not consider applications that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization. Please refer the link for Foreign Terrorist Organizations: https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/
Project activities whose direct beneficiaries are foreign militaries or paramilitary groups or individuals will not be considered for DRL funding given purpose limitations on funding.
In accordance with Department of State policy for terrorism, applicants are advised that successful passing of vetting to evaluate the risk that funds may benefit terrorists or their supporters is a condition of award. If chosen for an award, applicants will be asked to submit information required by DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis Information (attached to this solicitation) about their company and its principal personnel. Vetting information is also required for all sub-award performance on assistance awards identified by the Department of State as presenting a risk of terrorist financing. Vetting information may also be requested for project beneficiaries and participants. Failure to submit information when requested, or failure to pass vetting, may be grounds for rejecting your proposal prior to award.
The Leahy Law prohibits Department foreign assistance funds from supporting foreign security force units if the Secretary of State has credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights. Per 22 USC §2378d(a) (2017), “No assistance shall be furnished under this chapter or the Arms Export Control Act to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.” Restrictions may apply to any proposed assistance to police or other law enforcement. Among these, pursuant to section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), no assistance provided through this funding opportunity may be furnished to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country when there is credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights. In accordance with the requirements of section 620M of the FAA, also known as the Leahy law, project beneficiaries or participants from a foreign government’s security forces may need to be vetted by the Department before the provision of any assistance. If a proposed grant or cooperative agreement will provide assistance to foreign security forces or personnel, compliance with the Leahy Law is required.
U.S. foreign assistance for Burma or Burmese beneficiaries is subject to restrictions. This includes restrictions, pursuant to section 7043(a)(1)(C) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Div. F, P.L. 116-6)(SFOAA), on funds appropriated under title III of the act for assistance for Burma. Section 7043(a)(1)(C) provides that such funds “may not be made available to any individual or organization if the Secretary of State has credible information that such individual or organization has committed a gross violation of human rights (GVHR), including against Rohingya and other minority groups, or that advocates violence against ethnic or religious groups or individuals in Burma.” It further provides that such funds “may not be made available to any organization or entity controlled by the armed forces of Burma.”
Organizations should be cognizant of these restrictions when developing project proposals as these restrictions will require appropriate due diligence of program beneficiaries and collaboration with DRL to ensure compliance with these restrictions. Program beneficiaries subject to GVHR due diligence vetting will include any individuals who are part of or were formerly part of the government, military, or nongovernmental armed groups. Program beneficiaries subject to advocating or otherwise promoting violence due
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