Attention: 

Responses to the questions asked under this funding opportunity are available here.

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR FOR DIGITAL FINANCE GRANTS IN ZAMBIA

Zambia's journey toward digital transformation has made significant, foundational progress in recent years’.[1]  Mobile connectivity coverage has expanded to reach more than 90 percent of the population. The cost of accessing the internet is declining, becoming more affordable for many. Demand for digital services, especially digital financial services, has grown exponentially. 

In the last ten years, Zambia has moved toward a digital economy by implementing an enabling financial sector legislative framework and key infrastructure such as the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system and the National Financial Switch (NFS). Financial sector development and financial inclusion strategies have also been implemented. The dark cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic had a silver lining for the banking and financial services sector in that it led to increased utilization of digital financial services and online platforms in general. This trend is evidenced by a surge in mobile money transactions (at an average annual rate of 127 percent over the period 2017 to 2021), in both volume and monetary value, positively impacting financial inclusion. Similarly, a tech entrepreneurship culture is emerging, supported by active local incubators and innovation hubs. The FinTech space has seen the most startup activity.  The newly elected government has not only continued but also heightened the digital transformation agenda by establishing the Ministry of Technology and Science and the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development.

Despite these gains, challenges remain in the digital finance and tech entrepreneurship sectors as well as in e-commerce, digital trade, and the development of the digital talent pool. The legal and institutional framework is lacking for e-commerce and digital trade, while venture capital is beginning to be addressed with the publishing of venture fund guidelines in May 2022. Digital Financial Services (DFS) adoption across MSME supply chains is hampered by high digital channel maintenance fees and transaction commissions. Regulatory procedural inefficiencies, inhibitive compliance, and startup costs, a lack of access to financing, and limited technical, and business skills are negatively affecting the tech startup ecosystem. 

Women in developing countries participate actively as street traders, vendors, and informal cross-border traders. They are also engaged in farming and agribusiness, particularly in more rural areas. Women tend to fall within the MSME (micro, small and medium sized enterprises) sector. When women operate as traders informally across borders, they experience gender related barriers as follows:

1. Mode of transport – In some countries women may not have control over even the simplest modes of transport including bicycles so they cannot reach the marketplaces where they can fetch a fair price for their products.
2. Education – women business owners tend to have less education. They have less bargaining power, lower access to productive resources, market information and networks compared to men.
3. Household obligations – women have to focus more on unpaid work and caregiving than men do which negatively impacts the ability of women to manage and grow their businesses.
4. Health and safety - To access health services, women (who are primary health caregivers in families) need to travel long distances and during the time that they spend seeking treatment and nursing the ill to health, they lose the opportunity to earn their incomes. These poor conditions, coupled with women’s higher household workload, increase women’s exposure to work related risks.

In June 2023, the ATI Program and USAID/Zambia hosted a co-creation session to further explore the challenges and opportunities to improve access to finance to women, particularly in rural areas, using digital means.  The participants explored the barriers specific to the Zambian context and identified the following:

What women need to thrive

A working group was asked to look at the needs of women and girls from a holistic viewpoint, considering the legal, social and cultural issues that particularly impact women in the economy and in general.  The group noted the strong evidence of an imbalance between men and women, where women are more disadvantaged in most regards including economically.  This impacts what work women can do, what work they choose to do (due to internal and societal bias) and how much time they have to do it.  They identified the following:

The multiple challenges faced by female informal cross-border traders. Source: UNCTAD Secretariat based on Higgings (2012) and Brenton et al

• Education – including in business and financial literacy to be more confident and active in managing households, family businesses and their own businesses. While resources and tools exist, attention should be paid to linking women with those resources.
• Access to quality healthcare and clean water – there is a lack of access to quality healthcare and clean water (within reach of the household which impacts women and their children, for which they are largely responsible. This costs women time and resources.
• Gender Equality, household responsibilities, and management – largely are left to women, which again limits their mobility and time. it was noted that local leaders have some influence over households, including men, and should be informed of activities for women and how they benefit the community as a whole. 
• Sensitization to laws – and women’s rights may not be well known, including those to protect women. Gender-based violence (GBV), early child marriages, and unfair discrimination are common and many women in rural areas are unaware of their rights and do not have the resources or contacts for assistance.
• Strong social networks – women are popularly part of community-based volunteering groups and savings groups (village savings and loan groups or “VSLAs”) of various types. These groups and social networks are an important entry point for women to the economy, markets and for general economic support.

Geography, access to information, and Implications – given Zambia’s very low population density in rural areas, where a woman lives highly impacts what economic activities she may perform and her access to services.  Implications include: unequal opportunities; the need for multiple/alternative sources of income; highly seasonal businesses; low access to training to equip women with basic and advanced business skills; lack of knowledge on the processes involved in business, money management; and lack of mentorship. 

The group identified several strategies that applicants should consider to address the specific challenges to women in rural areas and increase the chances of success.  These include: 

1. Human-centered design – a digital financial services offered needs to be designed in consultation with the potential women users who are capable and interested in providing feedback. A human-centered design process can identify issues unique to women and/or a particular type of business that need to be addressed to increase the chances of uptake and scale.
2. Climate-smart approaches – climate impacts a wide range of businesses, particularly in agricultural and climate smart technologies and practices are needed to help women adapt. Services should consider how climate impacts can be proactively addressed as part of a digital financial service.
3. Training of trainer approaches – many groups and other networks exist and can be entry points. Training trainers that engage with these groups to also train in business skills, financial skills, digital literacy will be required or other mentorship approaches. 

What women need to succeed

A second working group was asked to consider the specific challenges and opportunities for women in business.  The group noted that given the issues highlighted by the first group, women are more likely to be individual entrepreneurs or farmers rather than businesses with employees or accepting wage work from others and they are more likely than men to focus on farming or income to meet household needs. Overall, women need to deploy more productive practices or do more value-added services that don’t require them to leave the household.   

• Market Linkages – the group identified the need to make women aware of what opportunities are available, making them understand the current environment that they could get to beyond just providing for their household, and where they could link with buyers and sellers. Existing groups and mentors are important in creating these linkages. Still women need business skill and financial literacy training to take advantage of these linkages. 
• Access to information and understanding – women would need education and tools to manager their businesses, including supply sourcing, inventory and record keeping so they know their capital flows, cost and revenue structure. Inventory systems (tools) and sales software are also important for financial service providers to analyze their business based on trading histories. Digital tools and digital financial services are critical to provide women control and agency to make more informed decisions and have control over funds (as opposed to cash).  It was noted that multiple projects and programs are often serving the same communities and women with no coordination. Similarly, there are often multiple platforms or providers that compete.  A single point of access for information on what support is available is needed. 
• Access to finance, technology, and mobility– access to finance and payment systems for women is a fundamental business need to enable them to engage in trade activities. Women need proper access to technology and the skills to use it to increase productivity. They also need other means to use technology to source supplies, identify markets and clients, and transport to move products.

The group identified several strategies that Applicants should consider to address the specific challenges women (and men) face in rural areas to increase the chances of success: 

1. Bundling a mix of business, financial, training services – given the limited entry points and high cost of servicing rural areas digital service providers should consider how they blend access to offtakers/buyers, suppliers, financial service providers, transport, market information, business training. As the first working group noted, this could also include more social services.  Applicants need not provide all the services but should seek to coordinate with others to address the skills and information gap that limits the benefits of access to markets and finance.  This needs to include both on and off-line options as most rural areas do not have reliable or consistently affordable connectivity. 
2. Capture data – linked to the bundled services identified above. Applicants should help women create a digital business identity and digital footprint that helps them manage their business and explain their business (in financial terms) to funders, including sales, assets, etc.
3. Leverage existing social structures – as entry points. As noted in the first group there are many local group structures and other business entry points (e.g. suppliers, offtakers, etc.) that Applicants should work with to avoid the high cost of acquiring customers.
4. Coordinate Stakeholders – the ATI program should assist Applicants in coordinating with private firms, NGOs, USAID and other donor projects and the government to enable the bundling described above.

How can women be better reached and served through digital financial services?   

The third group was asked to explore the barriers and opportunities related to businesswomen to access to finance. The group echoed some of the constraints highlighted by the first and second groups, particularly in terms of their role and responsibilities in the household which leads to risk aversion (and avoiding credit) as well as limited business management.

• Collateral – is a challenge to both women and men but is even harder for women and assets tend to be in men’s names and men are often required to guarantee women’s loans (but not the opposite). Applicants need to realistically address the limited access to collateral and carefully understand how collateral requirements might be adjusted relative to men.
• Local language – is rarely used when financial services are offered which creates a barrier for rural women. This also true of most digital tools which are in English.
• Connectivity – is a particular challenge to provide digital finance.
• Interoperability of digital financial services and service points – is limited. This raises costs for providers and makes digital accounts and wallets hard to use.  At the government level, there should be a push to an instant payment system for small retail payments. 
• High touch engagement – is required when introducing a digital service. It requires mentors or others to spend time with potential clients to build a level of comfort and trust. There need to be offline options for digital tools if they are to be trusted. 

The group identified several strategies that Applicants should consider to address the specific challenges women (and men) face in accessing digital financial services in rural areas and to increase the chances of success:

1. Bundle financial services – as the second group identified. The working group specifically identified the need to combine the ability to transact through a digital account, obtain insurance, save and access credit which will ultimately lead to safety and sustainability. It noted that “single product approaches” can work if well designed, however they ultimately will be limited if they are not part of a broader set of financial tools. The group concurred that adding business and even social services made sense in the rural context. 
2. Establish buy-in from the social/traditional leaders – which are critical in building trust, spreading information and engaging men in support of women. Their support for a new business or service entering a village or community is vital for customer acquisition.  Conduct business clinics to allow women to control their own finances.
3. Conduct business clinics with financial literacy – which is a need for any provider in the market. Applicants should identify how to convey not only the requirements of the digital financial service but also how to best use it to meet the customers economic goals. This should include building partnership with other public and private actors that can address the other social and business needs that women and rural businesses have.

At the end of the session participants voted on which strategies they felt were the most important to address. They identified:

• Bundle services, both public and private, economic and social, financial and non-financial, most of which should have an on and off-line option.
• Deploy human-centered design to address the specific needs of clients and determine the best way to segment them and design products for those segments.
• Implement climate smart strategies – technology and practices, particularly for agriculture related businesses. This can include specific products such as insurance. 

Across multiple groups, the value of mentorship and using existing groups and structures as entry points also ranked highly amount participants. 

[1] ‘Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment – Zambia July 2022 https://www.usaid.gov/digital-development/zambia-digital-ecosystem-country-assessment

Grant Size and Type: The total funding for this digital finance initiative is US$ 1million. ATI recommends that the proposed solutions remain within the $100,000-$250,000 range. Applicants are however encouraged to propose the range that best fits their proposed projects.

Performance-Based Grants: The preferred performance-based grant will be a Fixed Amount Award (FAA) agreement under USAID rules. Payment under FAA grants are made upon accomplishment of predetermined results, referred to as milestones. Milestones are agreed upon between ATI and the partner prior to the grant being awarded. 

Although the FAA is the preferred grant mechanism under this APS, ATI will conduct capacity
assessments of all potential grantees in which their mode of award will be determined based on the
financial and administrative capabilities of the applicant. Other modalities of awards may include an in-
kind grant, standard grant, simplified grant, or a combination of FAA and in-kind grants, but this is
dependent on ATI’s determination of the potential grantee’s capacity.

If ATI’s assessment identifies weaknesses or deficiencies that call into question the applicant’s ability to
manage the award, ATI may elect to remove the applicant from consideration under this funding
opportunity or select a mechanism more appropriate for the applicant’s current financial, administrative
and operational capacity. The applicant will agree to the metrics and verification methods of awards
during the development of the full application, giving latitude to the partner on how it will accomplish
the agreed objectives. DAI reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.

Applications submitted in response to this RFA must include the following information in line with ATI Objectives via the application form:

1) Project Description: The applicant is expected to propose innovative digital finance solutions that will alleviate the challenges faced by SMEs in rural areas focusing on women and youth, to allow them to safely participate in the economy. Proposed interventions should be integrated into the digital finance ecosystem rather than be siloed and must demonstrate the potential for scale or replication beyond the term of the agreement. Applicants are expected to propose solutions that are grounded in the needs of the target customers and are realistic given the challenges outlined in the Purpose and Background section of this RFA. Sections should be structured as follows                                                                              

• Summary
• Goals/Results
• Geography, Target population and Outreach (number of customers reached)
• Product or Service provided, including pricing, terms and conditions
• Methodology
• Partners (if any)
• Financial projections of the financial services provided

2) Monitoring (Results and Benchmarks): The applicant should define the proposed results and benchmarks for monitoring the performance towards attainment of program objectives, as well as the internal controls and audit related to the proposed project.

Please explain how your organization will monitor the implementation and performance of the project and indicate additional indicators per activity that will be used to assess the progress and performance of the project, and the achievement of the expected results.

ATI will work closely with the shortlisted applicant to develop a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan following existing ATI and USAID requirements for this grant. ATI will also work with the applicant to use USAID’s Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) approach to address implementation of activities and to measure results. The applicants will be required to maintain all relevant data and report results on a quarterly basis as agreed with ATI. ATI will conduct data quality assessments, as necessary. The private sector partners must be willing to share results for at least a six-month period following the completion of their grant implementation for ATI and USAID to evaluate the results of this intervention.

3) Sustainability: The applicant should describe how the project, or its benefits will continue after grant funding ends. What measures are being put in place to ensure sustainability?

4) Organizational Capability: The application shall include information that demonstrates the applicant's expertise and ability to meet or exceed the goals of this program. The applicant must provide the following general information:

• Full title of the applicant according to official registration documents and date of establishment. If the applicant is working closely or relying on a third-party entity for the proposed project, the same information should be included for those entities.
• Indicate the name, position, and contact details (email, telephone number) of the person responsible for the project.

Organizational capacity should include information on sound management systems, with regards to financial, administration, internal policies and procedures and controls that safeguard against fraud, abuse, and waste.

5) Personnel: The applicant should propose up to three key personnel and give a description of their roles and responsibilities. Each applicant demonstrates the key personnel’s ability to perform the duties outlined in the program description/statement of work and in accordance with the applicant’s approach. ATI will evaluate the CV to determine the individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities. Key personnel are those critical of implementation only and do not include administrative or support staff.

6) Past Performance: Applicants must present evidence of their experience in undertaking similar activities. Applicants may include descriptions of two (projects or other similar activities). ATI will request references that should include clients’ names and telephone numbers.

7) Budget: All proposals must include a completed budget in US dollars.

8) Milestones: the application must contain a table with milestones that the applicant and ATI will track during the implementation of this program.

The applications will be evaluated according to the evaluation criteria set forth below. To the extent necessary (if the award is not made based on initial applications), negotiations may be conducted with each applicant whose application, after discussion and negotiation, has a reasonable chance of being selected for award.  Award will be made to responsible applicants whose applications offer the best value.

Awards will be made based on the ranking of applications by the review panel according to the evaluation criteria and scoring system identified below:

• Demonstrated ability and commitment to reach rural and women-owned or operated MSMEs with appropriate products- in target regions. (25%)
• Appropriateness and adaptability for current market conditions and within the current financial and digital ecosystems. (15%)
• Catalytic impact, i.e., need or opportunity created by agreement funding. (20%)
• Scalability and sustainability of activity after 24 months. (20%)
• Institutional Capacity including partnerships that bring the technical, digital, and financial resources to the project. (20%)

Who Can Apply for the grant?

Eligible applicants:

• Applicants must be privately owned.
• Applicants may include banks, non-banks, fintechs, digital service providers or other organizations that work with the target customers.
• Applicants must be legally registered with the requisite licenses and permissions to operate in Zambia. The Offeror should have the legal ability to provide the services it proposes or must do in partnership with a Zambian entity that has that ability.

An applicant must be organized under the laws of the country in which it has its principal place of business or operations in.

Ineligible applicants:

• Any organization not legally organized under the laws of the country in which it has its principal place of business or operations in;
• Any entity listed in the U.S. government Excluded Parties List;
• Any entity unable to obtain a Unique Entity Identification Number (UEI); **
• Any entity excluded in the US Government System for Award Management;
• Any Government Entity;
• Any Public International Organization (PIO);
• Any entity affiliated with DAI or ATI directors, officers, or employees;
• Any projects involving involuntary resettlement, child labor, or significant environmental impacts;
• Any military organization;
• Any political party organization;
• Any entity focused solely on religious activities;
• Any labor unions; and,
• Any individuals.

Application Submission Instructions & Deadline

Application

Application documents must include the following

• Complete Annex A. Application Form. This annex asks for information on the project description, applicant leverage (as applicable), monitoring and results, and other activity information. Responses should be specific, complete, and presented concisely.

• Complete Annex B. Work Plan. The implementation plan should be detailed and include tasks, outputs, partners, and responsible persons. It may be no more than three years or extend past March 2026. Monitoring and evaluation efforts must also be included.

• Complete Annex C. Budget and Budget Notes. In the budget, request and explain the key cost items required for the support. Full instructions on budgeting are found in the annex to the first tab called Budget Instructions. You must submit cost verification documents for each budget line item to demonstrate that the amount you budgeted is based on actual cost or market price.

• Complete Annex D. Milestone Table. The Activity recommends a fixed amount award (FAA) as the best grant mechanism per the anticipated program description. This means you will be paid an agreed-upon amount for completed milestones. This annex asks you to propose those milestones, means of verification, due dates, and amount per milestone.

Applications must be submitted in English.Translation into English is the responsibility of the applicant. 

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

 In accordance with ADS303.6, DAI is required to establish the applicant organization’s nationality to determine its eligibility to receive the requested grant. Complet Appendix A. Grantee Nationality Self Certification Form.

Submission Instructions:

To apply for funding interested applicants must submit all applications (including all annexes) via the RFA-04-Zambia (Application Submission). 

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.  Applications which are submitted late or are incomplete run the risk of not being considered in the review process.

Please note that while the Grants Team will explain rules and requirements to each awardee, the
following award requirements will apply:

a) Administration of Award

Awards to U.S. organizations will be administered in accordance with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E, ADS 303 and
USAID Standard Provisions for U.S. non-governmental organizations. For non-U.S. organizations, USAID
Standard Provisions for non-U.S. non-governmental organizations apply. Applicants may obtain copies of
the referenced material at the following websites:

• 2 CFR 200 - https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0a5b7fee6378930cce72564449dd8bb7&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.d&rgn=div6
• Standard Provisions for US Nongovernmental Recipients - https://www.globalhealthlearning.org/sites/default/files/page-files/french-PLGHA-Standard-Provisions-US-Nongovernment-Organizations.pdf
• Standard Provisions for Non-US Nongovernmental Recipients -                https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/303mab.pdf

b) Important USAID Compliance Information

• Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Standard Provisions - In accordance with ADS 303.3.8, ATI will require awarded grant partners to submit signed copies of required certifications and assurances. ADS 303 may be found at the following website: usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/303.pdf.
• Unique Entity ID (SAM) - Effective April 4, 2022, entities doing business with the federal government will use the Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in (sam.gov). The Unique Entity ID (SAM) is a 12-character alphanumeric value managed, granted, and owned by the U.S. government. This allows the government to streamline the entity identification and validation process, making it easier and less burdensome for entities to do business with the federal government. All foreign organizations which receive a grant with a value of USD 25,000 and above and all U.S. organizations which receive a grant of any value are required to obtain a Unique Entity ID (SAM) and complete full www.sam.gov registration. Organizations are exempt from this requirement if the gross income received from all sources in the previous tax year was under USD 300,000. DAI requires that grant applicants sign the self-certification statement if the applicant claims exemption for this reason.
• Branding and Marking - All USAID-sponsored assistance awards are required to adhere to branding and marking requirements in accordance with ADS 320. ADS 320 may be found at the following website: https://www.usaid.gov/about-us/agency-policy/series-300/320. ATI’s Branding and Marking Plan allows for co-branding with the grantee and USAID. The Activity must approve all communications materials produced under this grant before printing or publication. Grantees must follow the guidelines set forth in the USAID Graphic Standards Manual and accompanying Prosper Africa Graphic Standards Manual: USAID Graphic Standards Manual and Partner Co-Branding Guide | Branding | U.S. Agency for International Development and Prosper Africa Graphic Standards Manual | Prosper Africa | U.S. Agency for International Development (usaid.gov)
• Environmental Procedures - The impact of USAID’s activities on the environment and environmental sustainability must be a central consideration when designing and implementing an activity. Potential environmental impacts of the grant must be identified prior to a final decision to proceed and appropriate environmental safeguards must be adopted for all activities The grantee must comply with host country environmental regulations unless otherwise directed in writing by USAID. In case of conflict between the host country and USAID regulations, the latter will govern. No activity funded under this grant will be implemented unless an environmental threshold determination, as defined by 22 CFR 216, has been reached for the grant, is properly documented, and signed by the Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO). ADS 200 may be found at the following website: https://www.usaid.gov/environmental-procedures/laws-regulations-policies/22-cfr-216
• Reporting Requirements - Project implementation reporting will be determined based on the planned activities and the delineation of roles and responsibilities. There will be milestone reporting, quarterly progress reports, environmental reporting, and a final grant report. A Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan with indicators and targets will also be agreed upon. Grant recipients will be expected to facilitate monitoring during and beyond the life of the grant through June 2026 by making relevant information available to ATI staff.
• Payments and Use of Funds - The Activity will make grant payments in local currency. The grant recipient must use the funds provided exclusively for activities specified in the Program Description. Diversion of grant funds to other uses will result in the cancellation of award and retrieval of funds disbursed to the grant recipient.
• Permitted Uses of Program Income - The grantee will be expected to account for program income in accordance with 2 CFR 200.307. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.307 (e)(2), program income earned under this award will be added to funds committed by ATI and the recipient to the project or program and used to further eligible project or program objectives. Additionally, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.307(e)(3), program income may be used to finance the non-Federal share of the project or objectives.
• ATI funds will not support construction. All construction activities will be resourced through grantee leverage.
• Prohibited Countries - The US Government does not do business with, i.e., purchase goods or services from, prohibited source, nationality, and country of origin. The current list of countries under comprehensive sanctions include Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.
• Ineligible Goods, Restrictions, and Unallowable Costs - The grant funds provided under the terms of this agreement must not be used to finance any of the following:
  • Goods or services which are to be used primarily to meet military requirements or to support police or other law enforcement activities,
  • Surveillance equipment,
  • Equipment, research and/or services related to involuntary sterilization or the performance of abortion as a method of family planning,
  • Gambling equipment, supplies for gambling facilities or any hotels, casinos or accommodations in which gambling facilities are or are planned to be located,
  • Activities which significantly degrade national parks or similar protected areas or introduce exotic plants or animals into such areas, or
  • Establishment or development of any export processing zone or designated area where the labor, environmental, tax, tariff, and/or safety laws of the country in which such activity takes place would not apply.
  • Pharmaceuticals or pesticides (may be allowable with written approval)
  • Logging equipment,
  • Luxury goods (including alcoholic beverages and jewelry),
  • Establishing or expanding any enterprise that will export raw materials that are likely to be in surplus in world markets at the time such production becomes effective and that are likely to cause substantial injury to U.S. producers,
  • Activities which would result in the loss of forest lands due to livestock rearing, road construction or maintenance, colonization of forest lands or construction of dams or other water control structures,
  • Activities which are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the environment, including any of the following (to the extent such activities are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment):
    • Activities which may lead to degrading the quality or renewability of natural resources;
    • Activities which may lead to degrading the presence or health of threatened ecosystems or biodiversity;
    • Activities which may lead to degrading long-term viability of agricultural or forestry production (including through use of pesticides);
    • Activities which may lead to degrading community and social systems, including potable water supply, land administration, community health and well-being or social harmony.
  • Activities which are likely to involve the loss of jobs in the United States due to the relocation or expansion outside of the United States of an enterprise located in the United States, or
  • Activities which the Grantee is aware are reasonably likely to contribute to the violation of internationally or locally recognized rights of workers,
  • Bad debts
  • Contributions or donations
  • Deferred Research and Development Costs
  • Entertainment costs or lobbying costs
  • Fines or penalties
  • Goodwill
  • Interest (Interest on taxes, issuing stock rights, Cost of financing or refinancing capital)
  • Public Relations and Advertising Costs
  • Company holiday parties or picnics
  • Taxes (such as income/profit tax) and PROFIT
  • Bribes
  • Goods or services from vendors or individuals with active exclusions on SAM.gov
  • Goods or services with source, origin, transported through, or nationality from a Prohibited Country – currently Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Cuba.
  • Costs that are being paid for by another donor or funding source, including other US government funding, (i.e., disproportion allocation of costs amongst multiple donors)
  • Costs purchased from vendors, employees, or other sources with Conflicts of Interest.
  • Payments to government officials

Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of ATI, nor does it commit ATI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application.  Further, ATI 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.