FY 2017 Notice of Funding Opportunity for NGO programs benefiting refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya | PRM PRMOAPAF 17 008

Opportunity Information: Apply for PRM PRMOAPAF 17 008

The FY 2017 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) numbered PRM PRMOAPAF 17 008 is a U.S. government discretionary funding opportunity released by the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). It supports NGO-led programs that benefit refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya, with an emphasis on addressing the most pressing unmet needs in the Horn of Africa. The funding is offered through a cooperative agreement, which typically means PRM expects to have substantial involvement in the funded activities compared with a standard grant, including coordination, oversight, and ongoing engagement to ensure programs align with PRM priorities and standards.

A key point of this NOFO is that it is meant to be used alongside the PRM General NGO Guidelines. Those guidelines provide the larger framework PRM uses to decide what it funds, how it expects partners to design programs, and how funded organizations must operate and report. In practical terms, applicants are expected to align proposals not just with the country focus (Ethiopia and Kenya), but also with PRM's broader strategy for refugee assistance, including the idea of filling programming gaps. That phrasing signals that PRM is looking for proposals that clearly explain what needs are not currently being met, why existing services are insufficient, and how the proposed project will complement and coordinate with other humanitarian actors rather than duplicate their work.

The opportunity is open to a range of eligible applicants, mainly nonprofit organizations. Eligible entities include U.S. nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (also excluding institutions of higher education), and certain "other" categories as defined in the notice. The activity category is listed as "Other" under CFDA number 19.517, which corresponds to PRM's refugee assistance and related humanitarian programming. While the notice itself does not spell out specific sectoral interventions in the excerpt provided, the repeated focus on PRM priorities and gap-filling suggests applicants would be expected to justify sector choices (for example, protection, health, WASH, education, livelihoods, or other core humanitarian services) based on demonstrated needs among refugee populations in Ethiopia and Kenya.

The maximum award size (award ceiling) is listed as $1,250,000. The notice does not specify the exact number of awards expected in the provided text, but the presence of an award ceiling indicates PRM anticipated potentially funding multiple projects, each within that upper limit, depending on available funds, quality of proposals, and how well submissions match PRM's strategic priorities in the region. Because this is a cooperative agreement, strong proposals would usually include clear objectives, measurable outcomes, a credible monitoring and evaluation approach, realistic budgeting, and a strong plan for coordination with host governments, UNHCR and other UN partners, and other NGOs operating in the same refugee settings.

The NOFO also draws a bright line about who should apply through Grants.gov. International multilateral organizations, including United Nations agencies, are explicitly instructed not to submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this announcement. Instead, multilateral organizations that want funding for relevant programs are told to contact the designated PRM Program Officer before the closing date. This signals that PRM manages funding relationships with multilateral organizations through separate channels or processes, while this specific NOFO is primarily structured for NGO applicants using the standard U.S. government competitive application portal.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on January 24, 2017, and had an original closing date of March 22, 2017. The main programmatic takeaway is that PRM is soliciting NGO proposals that concentrate on refugee populations in Ethiopia and Kenya and that can clearly demonstrate how they will close specific humanitarian or protection gaps in the Horn of Africa. The notice frames the competition around alignment with PRM's established NGO guidelines and priorities, meaning applicants would be evaluated heavily on strategic fit, demonstrated need, feasibility, coordination, and the ability to deliver high-impact assistance to refugees in these two countries.

• The Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2017 Notice of Funding Opportunity for NGO programs benefiting refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.517.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-01-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-03-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PRM PRMOAPAF 17 008

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