Request for Quotations: Federal Fiscal Compliance Training and Capacity Building for NFWF Grantees

Overview

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is seeking a qualified contractor to develop and deliver a comprehensive training program to assist NFWF applicants subawardees comply with relevant elements of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200). This program will include static webinar trainings, live interactive training sessions, templates for relevant administrative and financial policies and procedures, and one-on-one coaching sessions with selected grantee organizations.

Background

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is dedicated to sustaining, restoring, and enhancing the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. NFWF specializes in bringing all parties to the table - individuals, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and corporations. Together we protect and restore imperiled species, promote healthy oceans and estuaries, improve working landscapes for wildlife, advance sustainable fisheries, and conserve water for wildlife and people.

NFWF advances this mission largely through the delivery of competitive grant programs to support on-the-ground species and habitat conservation and restoration projects, with grant awards often including federal financial assistance funding. NFWF's subwardees include a wide range of organizations and institutions, including large national and global conservation organizations, state and local governments, and local nonprofit organizations, with widely varying knowledge, expertise, and capacity to understand and ensure compliance with rules and regulations governing the management and administration of federal financial assistance funding.

NFWF is seeking to enhance subawardee compliance with federal compliance requirements, reduce contracting time, provide additional resources for grantees to ensure and enhance effective compliance capabilities. Activities range from basic, broad-based compliance training in 2 CFR Part 200 (i.e., "Uniform Guidance") and how these requirements translate into NFWF's requirements in applying for and managing NFWF award funding to tailored one-on-one assistance with selected subawardees. The objective is to reduce contracting time for grantees and NFWF, enhance compliance capabilities and performance across NFWF's grant programs, assist low-capacity grantees in Uniform Guidance policies and procedures, and reduce program risks.

Scope of Work

Task 1. Basic Compliance Webinars/Trainings

Develop and deliver broad-based, recorded webinars on Uniform Guidance compliance considerations covering selected topics, with an emphasis on practical approaches and examples of effective compliance policies and processes. Webinars will be available for use NFWF-wide by all interested NFWF programs and their respective grantees and applicant communities.

Example topics for general training may include:

• Written accounting for grant expenditures and cost allowability
• Indirect cost negotiation
• Managing multiple funder awards
• Fraud prevention and conflict of interest policies
• Timekeeping systems, employee employment laws (reporting) and liability (insurance)
• Audit requirements for federal awards
• Property acquisition and easements, policies and procedures for property management (grant agreement vs. contract for goods and services)
• Monitoring subrecipients versus contractors and federal procurement requirements

Task 2. Live Online Trainings (Interactive Sessions)

Conduct four live training sessions covering topics identified under Task 1 and allowing participants to ask questions and engage in real-time with experts for more in-depth discussion on all or a selected subset of Task 1 topics. Live online trainings will last a minimum of 90 minutes with opportunities for grantees to ask tailored questions to their specific organizations.

Task 3. Templates for Display on the NFWF Website for Relevant Administrative and Financial Policies and Procedures

Develop templates for model policies and procedures for adoption and adaptation by NFWF subawardees to enhance federal fiscal compliance. Templates will be provided as general resources to NFWF applicants and subawardees for their use in establishing and implementing effective federal fiscal compliance practices.

Selected examples include:

Develop a set of NFWF specific procurement templates tailored for:

• Documented procurement policies and procedures for both contracts and subawards, including guidance on the appropriate legal instrument (grant agreement vs. contract for goods/services) for individual procurements, and identification of appropriate legal/contracting officer(s)
• Written accounting manual or written policies and procedures that outline the treatment and safeguarding of assets, methods of cost allocation, if applicable, document retention, cost allowability, etc.
• Fraud prevention policies that enable the organization to detect, investigate and report any fraudulent activity
• Written policies on conflict-of-interest and non-discrimination that meet the requirements of the federal government
• Written policies for property management that include regular inventory audits/verifications
  

Task 4. One-on-One Coaching

Provide individual training sessions for up to 10 grantees on any of the topics outlined above. Provide up to three live sessions with individual grantees for compliance coaching. These sessions will include 1 hour video calls with grantees to dive deeper into the specified topic above.

Deliverables

• Recorded webinars for each static training topic
• Four live training sessions (with recorded versions available for future use)
• Templates for relevant administrative and financial policies and procedures (for grants, subgrants, contractors, vehicle procurements, land acquisitions/easements, etc.)
• 1-on-1 coaching sessions with selected grantees (up to 10 seats)

Qualifications

• Proven experience in developing training content with a focus on 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance)
• Demonstrated ability to deliver interactive webinars and coaching sessions
• Experience in developing policies and procedures to ensure organizational compliance with Uniform Guidance
• Experience in producing learning content related to Federal Policies, Guidelines & Regulations
• Knowledge of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policies

REQUIRED EXPERTISE AND PROPOSED STAFF

A successful contractor must have significant experience with 2 CFR Part 200 and guiding organizations through federal award compliance.

• Minimum of 10 years' experience with consulting organizations on federal award compliance.
• Experience in federal and non-federal grants management.
• Experience working with low-capacity organizations.
• Proven success in providing training webinars, live training sessions, or educational material for federal award compliance.
• Experience in coaching/informing organizations on appropriate governance, operating structure, processes, controls and procedures.
• Contractors with broad conservation and restoration experience, relationships and expertise working with U.S. territories, Native Nations, and underserved communities will be prioritized.
• Experience working in a variety of jurisdictions and advising federal, state, local, territorial, or Native Nation government agencies, and specific experience in priority regions and geographies is preferred.
• Specific experience working with or engaging diverse stakeholder groups, underserved communities, and/or Native Nation communities especially as it pertains to capacity building.

CRITERIA FOR COMPETITIVE APPLICATIONS

1. Understanding of the Scope of Work. The Scope of Work must demonstrate an understanding of the goals of the activities involved. This section should include a description of how you will communicate with NFWF and program stakeholders and report on progress, results, and deliverables. Weight: 10%

2. Technical Approach. The proposed technical approach for conducting the evaluation should clearly describe the proposed methods necessary to conduct the project. The section must demonstrate that those methods are robust and appropriate for conducting the evaluation and address any areas of complexity or uncertainty associated with the evaluation questions. Weight: 20%

3. Qualifications of Proposed Personnel. This section should clearly describe which tasks each member of the team will conduct and how their training and experience provide the requisite experience to do so successfully. Weight: 20%

4. Contractor's Past Performance. Include information on the primary investigator(s)'s experience in environmental and/or conservation program evaluation. List recent (last 2-5 years) accomplishments and previous services related to the technical expertise offered. If subcontractors are to be used, information should be provided that demonstrates their past performance as well. Describe how that past performance is applicable to this evaluation. Weight: 20%

5. Budget. The proposed budget should itemize work in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of the entire funding request. You must use attached Contractor Budget Template. You may add columns to the template for additional tasks if needed but should not make any other changes. If applicable, please include the proposed budget for equipment purchase in the proposal separate from the Contractor Budget Template. Weight: 30%

ELIGIBLE OFFERORS & CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, international organizations, and local, state and Indian tribal governments. Small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises are strongly encouraged to apply.

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the offeror warrants and represents that it does not currently have any apparent or actual conflict of interest, as described herein. In the event an offeror currently has, will have during the life of the contemplated contract, or becomes aware of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, in the event an award is made, the offeror must notify NFWF in writing in the proposal, or in subsequent correspondence (if the issue becomes known after the submission of the proposal) of such apparent or actual conflicts of interest, including organizational conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the contractor, the contractor's employees, or the contractor's subcontractors in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests, or otherwise. Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the offeror, the offeror's employees, or the offeror's future subcontractors in the matter. Upon receipt of such a notice, the NFWF Contracting Officer will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the offeror to reduce or resolve the conflict. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies NFWF may result in the proposal not being selected for award.

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the Offeror warrants and represents that it is eligible for award of a Contract resulting from this solicitation and that it is not subject to any of the below circumstances:

Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to a Contract with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

Was convicted (or had an officer or agent of such corporation acting on behalf of the corporation convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

Is listed on the General Services Administration's, government-wide System for Award Management Exclusions (SAM Exclusions), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 C.F.R Part 180 that implement E.O.s 12549 (3 C.F.R., 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 C.F.R., 1989 Comp., p. 235), "Debarment and Suspension, " or intends to enter into any subaward, contract or other Contract using funds provided by NFWF with any party listed on the SAM Exclusions in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689.

The SAM Exclusions instructions can be found here: https://sam.gov/

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Interested parties should submit proposals electronically to NFWF (Oleksandr Faryga, Manager, Chesapeake Programs, ([email protected]). Proposals are due January 3, 2025. Proposals must be submitted under the same cover at the same time, in three distinctly labeled and separate documents: 1) Technical Proposal, 2) Budget, and 3) Evidence of Financial Stability 4) Example Training Material. Proposals must follow the submission requirements below:

1. Technical Proposal

• Format: Proposals must be provided in Word format or searchable PDF with a font size no smaller than 11 pt.
• Contact information: Primary contact person, company name, address, phone, email, website, UEI number, and EIN/Taxpayer ID#.
• Narrative: Concise (10-page limit) description of the work plan and a summary of the applicant's expertise and experience, organized by the Criteria for Competitive Applications.
• Biographies: Resumes and/or Vitae of key staff and their role in the proposed work area.
• References: List two clients who have received services from the applicant that is similar in nature to the proposed work; include names, phone numbers, and email address.
  

2. Budget: The budget proposal must be submitted using the following NFWF budget template

3. Evidence of Financial Stability: The applicant shall provide proof of financial stability in the form of financial statements, credit ratings, a line of credit, or other financial arrangements sufficient to demonstrate the applicant's capability to meet the requirements of this solicitation. Examples of additional supplementary documents that may be submitted include but are not limited to, the most recent single audit report, GAAP audited statement, audited financial statements, and income sheets and balance statements.

4. Example Report: Example Training Material on a similar topic prepared by the proposed team.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

A panel of NFWF staff will review the proposals. Offerors may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets prior to final approval of the award. Only one award will be made for this project. If multiple institutions are involved, they should be handled through subcontracts.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

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December 5, 2024	Deadline for questions about the solicitation to NFWF. Contractor should submit questions regarding this solicitation via email to Oleksandr Faryga, Manager, Chesapeake Programs, [email protected]. NFWF will post all the questions and responses to all questions so that all contractors have access to them at the same time. In order to provide equitable responses, all questions must be sent to NFWF no later than 5:00 PM EDT December 5, 2024.​
​December 10, 2024​	​NFWF will post the questions submitted regarding the solicitation and responses on the NFWF website at nfwf.org
​January 3, 2025​	Deadline for receipt by NFWF of proposals. Proposals must be sent electronically as an email attachment to Oleksandr Faryga, Manager, Chesapeake Programs, [email protected] by 5:00 PM EDT January 3, 2025. Proposals must be provided in Word format or searchable PDF.
January 22, 2025	​Contract award to selected Offeror
​June 1, 2025	Complete deliverables due

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