U.S. - Tanzania Tech Challenge

The U.S. Embassy Dar es Salaam announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to support innovative solutions to boost civic engagement and bolster media literacy as well as support information integrity efforts. Participants can present tech-based solutions including, but not limited to, education programs, gaming platforms, fact-checking tools, content-authentication tools, synthetic media detection etc. Proposal submissions should particularly seek to expand citizen participation in their communities and support digital literacy resources including to areas with limited media access. Proposals are accepted at any time until 8:59 PM Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) August 13, 2024. Grant awards are subject to the availability of funds and will not exceed $250,000 USD. Applications will be evaluated based on the alignment of proposed projects with the following two program objectives: 1. Identify and provide financial support to local tech companies to continue their development of innovative solutions aimed at boosting civic engagement, enhancing media literacy to improve the integrity of Tanzanias information environment. This includes (but is not limited to) education programs, gaming platforms, fact-checking tools, authentication tools, and digital literacy resources. 2. Foster ongoing and constructive engagement on civic participation, media literacy and the information environment between Tanzanian tech companies, educational institutions, media organizations, civil society, and government stakeholders. Please see the following for a non-exhaustive list of examples of the types of challenges and use cases the U.S. - Tanzania Tech Challenge aims to address: Boosting civic participation and engagement The limited access to accurate and verified information in rural and underserved communities and offered in local languages. Lack of media literacy to help individuals discern credible sources of information and leveraging digital tools and platforms to build resiliency. The need to reduce and overcome cultural divides by promoting accessible digital literacy resources and training programs to Tanzanian communities. Target Audiences Submissions must focus on Tanzania only. Any submission focusing on other countries or locations will be disqualified from the review process. Eligibility Information Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. The following types of organizations are eligible to apply: Tanzanian not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations Tanzanian public and private educational institutions Tanzanian for-profit organizations Other Eligibility Requirements: Technically eligible submissions are those which: 1) are submitted in English; 2) arrive by email by the designated deadline; 3) have heeded all instructions contained in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), including length and completeness of submission; and 4) do not violate any of the guidelines stated in the solicitation in this document. To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see the next section on Key Registrations for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a UEI number or be registered in SAM.gov. All project activities must take place outside of the United States and its territories. Key Registrations All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov. 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 sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub- grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee. Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible. Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions: Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually. Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions: Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE code by following the instructions on the NSPA NATO website linked below: CAGE Homepage: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT): Exemptions An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case- by-case basis if: An applicants identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organizations status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant. For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a Federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date. 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 Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review. Contact Information Applications must be submitted in English to GECTechChallenge@state.gov. All correspondence regarding this announcement should reference the title 2024 Tanzania Tech Challenge located at the top of this announcement when making your request. Successful applicants will be required to sign a grant agreement with the U.S. Embassy and to submit program and financial reports as specified in the agreement. Application and Submission Information Application forms required below are available at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/ Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. Content of Application Please ensure: The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity All documents are in English All budgets are in U.S. dollars All pages are numbered All documents are formatted to 8 x 11 paper, and All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. The following documents are required: 1. Cover Page/Executive Summary (not to exceed one (1) page, preferably as a Word document): 2. Point of Contact: includes a table with the name of the participant or organization, Point of Contact (full name, email address, phone number), address of participant or organization, and project title. 3. Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees. (e.g. Co-founders, C-suite executives, Directors, Board Members, etc. as applicable) 4. Key Personnel:Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? 5. Funding Sources: List of all funding sources (e.g. self-funded, investors, government grants or contracts, etc.) 6. Proposal (not to exceed (8) pages maximum - please note the eight-page limit does not include the Cover Page/Executive Summary and Attachments): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but you must provide a detailed response to all the items below: Overview of Technology Application Company and technology name(s) Proposal Summary: Brief overview of proposed tool/technology solution including objective and anticipated impact (no more than 250 words) Summary of Tool/Technology: How would you describe your tool/technology in a tweet (i.e., in no more than 280 characters?) In which category/(s) does your technology fit? AdTech Social listening Consumer-level awareness Technology integrators (e.g., social media innovations/apps) Information or provenance verification (e.g., blockchain-based authentication) Online media processors (e.g., fact checker sites) Messaging Digital or media literacy Gaming Other (describe) Describe how you conceived of the proposed tool/technology and the original objectives it intended to achieve. The objectives refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. Who are the likely users or target audience of your solution? (e.g. demographic, locations, etc.) Describe past or present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from Embassy Dar Es Salaam and/or other U.S. government agency. Describe the proposed timeline for the program activities you would carry out, if your project is selected for funding through the Tech Challenge competition (please see the Submission Selection Process Overview given below, for details about this process). Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. Describe the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. Throughout the timeline of the grant, how will the activities be monitored and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant? State Department will work with the awardees to draft the final M plan for the scope of work. Applicants plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable. Technical Details Describe technical methods and technical design of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. How does your tool/technology integrate with other systems, platforms, or tools? How quickly can we put your tool/technology to use? Does your tool/technology have a reporting function for summaries, analytics, tracking, etc.? Operational Details What are the differences between your tool and similar technologies? How is your technology unique? Has your company worked with the U.S. or any other government? Who are some of your current customers? Do you have existing partnerships with local organizations (for example, non-governmental organizations, media, fact-checking organizations, etc.) who could make use of your tool? If not, are you willing to form local partnerships and provide use of your tool to enhance the work of such groups? Is there further information we have not asked for that you would like to share? (no more than 150 words) SF-424(Application for Federal Assistance organizations) https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family SF-424A(Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) SF-424B(Assurances for Non-Construction programs) (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals and for organizations not registered in SAM.gov) Review and Selection Process Evaluation Criteria: The U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy Section and additional State Department colleagues will use the criteria outlined below to evaluate all eligible applications. Each responsive application will be evaluated and scored using a 100-point scale by a committee of Department of State and other experts, as appropriate. All submissions will be reviewed in a multi-stage process. Disclaimer: This notice is subject to availability of funding. U.S. Embassy Dar es Salaam does not guarantee availability of funding by receiving applications under this announcement. Only successful applicants will be contacted. Federal Award Administration Information The grant award will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer. If a proposal is selected for funding, the U.S. Embassy Dar es Salaam has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Grant Officer at the U.S. Embassy Dar es Salaam. Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. Embassy Dar es Salaam reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. For information and questions about this announcement, please send all email inquiries to GECTechChallenge@state.gov.