Subject: Request for Applications (RFA) Number AVC-RFA-011

Issuance Date: April 05, 2015

Closing Date: April 25, 2015

Closing Time: 5:00PM Dhaka time

Subject: Request for Applications (RFA) Number AVC-RFA-011

Title: Facilitate the expansion of summer tomato production and/or promote safe summer tomato production techniques and access to market.

Reference: Issued Under Agricultural Value Chains (AVC) Project USAID Contract No. AID-388-C-13-00003

DAI seeks to partner with Bangladeshi organization(s)/sponsor contractor(s) to facilitate the expansion of summer tomato production and/or promote safe summer tomato production techniques and access to market. Please refer to the Program Description for a complete statement of goals and expected results.

For the purposes of this program, this RFA is being issued and consists of this cover letter and the following:

Section A – Grant Application Instructions

Section B – Special Grant Requirements

Section C – Selection Process

Section D – Program Description

Annexes

Annex 1 – Grant Application Form

Annex 2 – Workplan Template

Annex 3 – USAID 1420 Biodata Form

Annex 4 – Past Performance Form

Annex 5 – Budget Template

Annex 6 – Financial Capability Questionnaire

Annex 7 – Application Checklist

Subject to the availability of funds, DAI intends to issue a maximum of ten (10) grants. The expected duration of DAI support or the period of performance is May 2015 to September 2015. DAI, as primary implementer of the Agricultural Value Chains Project, reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.

Applications must be received at the Agricultural Value Chains offices by April 25, 2015 at 5PM Dhaka time at the place designated below for receipt of applications. Applications and modifications thereof shall be submitted in hardcopy or pdf (preferred) or other electronic format to the following addresses:

·  AVC Grants Department, House 05, Road 78, Gulshan 2, Dhaka-1212

· 

Award will be made to the responsible applicant(s) whose application(s) offers the best value. Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of DAI, nor does it commit DAI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. Further, DAI reserves the right to reject any or all applications received. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense.

Any questions concerning this RFA should be submitted in writing by April 12, 2015 to . Applicants should retain for their records one copy of all enclosures which accompany their application.

Thank you for your interest in Agricultural Value Chains activities.

Sincerely,

Charles Alan May

Acting Chief of Party

Facilitate the expansion of summer tomato production and/or promote safe summer tomato production techniques and access to market

Table of Contents

Section A – Grant Application Instructions 4

1. Application Procedure 4

A. Completion and submission of applications 4

B. Preparation Instructions – Technical 5

C. Preparation Instructions – Financial and Administrative Documentation 6

Section B. Special Grant Requirements 8

Section C. Selection Process 10

Section D. Program Description 13

Annex 1: Application Form 16

Annex 6: Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire for Grant Recipients 20

Annex 7: Application Checklist 27

Section A – Grant Application Instructions

1. Application Procedure

A. Completion and submission of applications

Eligibility Requirements

Only Bangladeshi entities (private sector organizations, businesses, NGOs, foundations, research institutions, universities, associations, producer groups and/or cooperatives, etc.) are eligible to apply for AVC Grants under this RFA. Applicants currently present in the target districts and engaged with agricultural development activities are highly encouraged to apply. Special attention will be given to women owned organizations.

The following entities are not eligible for consideration:

·  Any non-Bangladesh non-governmental organization

·  Any entity whose name appears or is debarred and excluded on the “System for Award Management;

·  Any “Public International Organization” (PIO);

·  Any third country non-governmental organization;

·  Any foreign government;

·  Any governmental agency;

·  Any entity affiliated with AVC-DAI directors, officers, or employees;

·  Any military organizations;

·  Any political party organization;

·  Any government sponsored cooperatives;

·  Any labor unions; and

·  Individuals.

Application Submission Requirements

Ø  Applications must be submitted in both hard copy and electronic form with attachments

Ø  Applications must include:

·  Completed Application Form

·  Completed Project Workplan Timeline

·  Completed Past Performance Form

·  Projected Grant Budget with Budget Notes

·  CVs and USAID BioData forms of all key project team members

·  Completed Financial Capability Questionnaire and attachments

·  Statement of liability (part of application form)

AVC Geographic Focus Area

Activities for consideration must be within the AVC geographic area. The geographic focus under consideration is twenty southern districts in Barisal Division (Barisal, Bhola, Jhalokati, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali), Dhaka Division (Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Rajbari, Shariatpur), and Khulna Division (Jessore, Jhenaidah, Magura, Narail, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Chuadanga, Meherpur). This list of districts is referred to simultaneously as the “USAID’s Feed The Future Zone of Influence – FTF-ZoI” area and “the Southern Delta of Bangladesh.” Activities outside the geographic focus area will not be considered.

Deadline for Questions

Any questions concerning this RFA can be submitted by e-mail to no later than April 12, 2015 by 5:00 PM Dhaka Time.

Any prospective applicant desiring an explanation or interpretation of this RFA must request it in writing to allow a reply to reach all prospective applicants before the submission of their applications. Oral explanations or instructions given will not be binding. Any information given to a prospective applicant concerning this RFA will be furnished promptly to all other prospective applicants as an amendment of this RFA, if that information is necessary in submitting applicants or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other prospective applicants.

Applicant’s Conference

AVC will hold an Applicants Conference on April 16, 2015 at 11:00AM at the following address:

AVC Jessore Regional Office

Jagorani Chakra Foundation Building, Level-3, East site

46 Mujib Sarak, Jessore

Bangladesh

All applicants interested in attending the applicant’s conference should RSVP by April 13, 2015 if you plan to attend by email at . The applicant’s conference is limited to one person per organization.

Submission Deadline

Applications must be received by April 25, 2015 at 5:00PM Dhaka time. Applications and modifications thereof shall be submitted in pdf (preferred) or other electronic format to or to the following address:

AVC Grants Department

House 05, Road 78,

Gulshan 2, Dhaka-1212

Late Applications

All applications received by the deadline will be reviewed for responsiveness and programmatic merit according to the specifications outlined in these guidelines and the application format. Section C addresses the evaluation procedures for the applications. Applications which are submitted late or are incomplete run the risk of not being considered in the review process.

B. Preparation Instructions – Technical

Page Limitation: Applications should be specific, complete, presented concisely and shall not exceed 15 pages (exclusive of annexes).

Applications submitted in response to this RFA must include the following information:

1. Project Description: The applicant must provide a detailed description of the project, specifying its goal, activities and results.

2. Monitoring (Results and Benchmarks): The applicant should define, to the maximum extent possible at the application stage, results and benchmarks for monitoring the performance towards attainment of program objectives.

3. Sustainability: The applicant should describe how the project or its benefits will continue after grant funding ends.

4. Personnel: The applicant should propose key personnel and description. Each applicant should provide, as part of their application, detailed curriculum vitae that demonstrate the Key Personnel’s ability to perform the duties outlined in the project description in Section D. DAI will evaluate the CV to determine the individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities in the areas listed herein.

5. Organizational Capability: Each application shall include information that demonstrates the applicant's expertise and ability to meet or exceed the goals of this program. Applicant can include organogram, number of staff, number of offices, number of training facilities, locations, etc.

6. Past Performance: Applicants must present evidence of their past experience in similar activity. Applicants may use Past Performance form in Annex 4. Reference or recommendation letters should be attached.

7. Budget: All proposals must include a completed budget; see Section C for more details. Applicants must use the Budget Template in Annex 5.

8. Cost Sharing Contribution: Proposed activity must provide cost-sharing/matching- grants of at least 20% of total value of the grant activity either in cash or in-kind contribution or a combination of cash and in-kind contribution. Applicants with higher cost sharing will be given special attention. The nature and amount of cost-sharing contribution must be clearly defined in the grant application and in the grant instrument. The applicant must identify the means to verify this contribution.

In-kind contributions are allowable as cost share, in accordance with OMB Circular A-110 and 22CFR 226.23. This includes such things as proportionate shares of management and other employee time, equipment, office supplies, and other costs of program operation. Rates for employee services shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the recipient’s organization. The value of equipment (i.e., computers) shall not exceed the fair market value of equipment of the same age and condition. The basis for determining the valuation of services, equipment and supplies shall be documented in the application.

9. Other material: Applicants may also want to submit other material as attachments along with their applications such as letters of reference, newspaper clippings reporting on the organization’s activities, brochures or other promotional material. Support letters demonstrating partnerships and cooperation with local government are of particular interest. However, attachments should be limited to 5 pages and they will not be returned to the applicants.

C. Preparation Instructions – Financial and Administrative Documentation

1.  Completed Budget. All budget lines must be clearly linked to specific project activities. Although DAI will support organization staff and operating costs that are necessary for reaching project goals, applicants should direct their resources primarily to project implementation, rather than organization operating costs. See Annex 5 for the budget template. Supporting information shall be provided, as necessary, in sufficient detail to allow a complete analysis of each line item cost.

2.  Completed Financial Capability Questionnaire, which includes:

a.  Audited Financial Reports: Copy of the applicant’s most recent financial report, which has been audited by a certified public accountant or other auditor satisfactory to DAI. If no recent audit, a “Balance Sheet” and “Income Statement” for the most current and previous fiscal year.

b.  Incorporation Papers or Certificate of Registration and Statute

c.  Organizational chart

3.  Documentation that the applicant has the ability to comply with the award conditions, taking into account all existing and currently prospective commitments of the applicant. The applicant must demonstrate its ability to segregate funds obtained from the award of a capital grant from other activities of the organization. A separate bank account is required should a grant award be made. (Documentation may include certification from the applicant’s bank or a summary of previous awards, including type of funding, value, client, etc.)

4.  Documentation that the applicant has a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics. (Documentation may include references from other donors or clients and a summary of previous awards, including type of funding, value, client, etc.)

5.  The following documentation:

·  the profit and loss statements which include detail of the total costs of goods and services sold, by information of the applicant’s customary indirect cost allocation method, together with supporting computations of the basis for the indirect cost allocation method

·  cash flow, description of management structure, and/or oversight procedures, if available

·  copy of applicant’s accounting manual

·  copy of applicant’s operations manual

·  copy of purchasing policies and description of the applicant’s purchasing system

6.  Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) There is a mandatory requirement for the applicant to provide a DUNS number to DAI. The Data Universal Numbering System is a system developed and regulated by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) that assigns a unique numeric identifier, referred to as a "DUNS number" to a single business entity. Without a DUNS number, DAI cannot deem an applicant to be “responsible” to conduct business with and therefore, DAI will not enter into an agreement with any such organization. The award of a grant resulting from this RFA is contingent upon the winner providing a DUNS number to DAI. Organizations who fail to provide a DUNS number will not receive an agreement and DAI will select an alternate awardee.

All U.S. and foreign organizations which receive a grant with a value of $25,000 and above are required to obtain a DUNS number prior to signing of the agreement. Log on to the D&B (Dun & Bradstreet) DUNS registration website (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/index.jsp) to begin the process of obtaining a DUNS number free of charge. Additional information can be requested from AVC through

7.  System for Award Management (SAM) Registration After receiving the DUNS number (described above) firms must register their company on the SAM website (www.sam.gov) by creating a User Account. The award of a grant resulting from this RFA is contingent upon the winner providing a valid SAM registration to DAI. Organizations who fail to provide a SAM registration will not receive an agreement and DAI will select an alternate awardee.

Section B. Special Grant Requirements

The applicant shall bear in mind the following special requirements for any grants awarded in response to this RFA:

Separate Account: A separate account must be established to house all funds provided under the grant, as well as all interest income.

Permitted Uses of Program Income: The Grantee will inform DAI of any program income generated under the grant and agrees to follow USAID’s disposition requirements for such program income, which is in accordance with 22 CFR 226.24. Program income earned under this agreement shall be applied and used in the following descending order:

1. Added to funds committed by USAID and the recipient to the project or program, and used to further eligible project or program objectives;

2. Used to finance the non-Federal share of the project or program; and