Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Ecuador, 36949-36963 [05-12633]

Agencies

• Office of the Secretary
• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 122 (Monday, June 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36949-36963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12633]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Ecuador

AGENCY: Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Department of Labor.
    Announcement Type: New. Notice of Availability of Funds and 
Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement Applications.
    Funding Opportunity Number: SGA 05-06.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: Not 
applicable.
    Key Dates: Deadline for Submission of Application is August 11, 
2005.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor 
Affairs, will award up to U.S. $4 million through one or more 
cooperative agreements to an organization or organizations to improve 
access to and quality of education programs as a means to combat 
exploitive child labor among indigenous children in Ecuador. Projects 
funded under this solicitation will provide educational and training 
opportunities to indigenous children as a means of removing and/or 
preventing them from engaging in exploitive work or the worst forms of 
child labor. The activities funded will complement and expand upon 
existing projects and programs to improve basic education in the 
country of interest. Applications must respond to the entire Statement 
of Work outlined in this solicitation. In Ecuador, activities under 
these cooperative agreements will provide the direct delivery of 
quality basic education to indigenous working children and those at 
risk of entering work, and will result in their enrollment, 
persistence, and completion of an education or training program.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International Labor 
Affairs (ILAB), announces the availability of funds to be awarded by 
cooperative agreement to one or more qualifying organizations for the 
purpose of expanding access to and quality of basic education and 
strengthening government and civil society's capacity to address the 
education needs of indigenous working children and those at risk of 
entering work in Ecuador. The overall purpose of USDOL's Child Labor 
Education Initiative, as consistently enunciated in USDOL 
appropriations FY 2000 through FY 2005, is to work toward the 
elimination of the worst forms of child labor through the provision of 
basic education. Accordingly, entities applying under this solicitation 
must develop and implement strategies for the prevention and withdrawal 
of children from the worst forms of child labor, consistent with this 
purpose. ILAB is authorized to award and administer this program by the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, Pub. L. 108-447, 118 Stat. 2809 
(2004). The cooperative agreement or cooperative agreements awarded 
under this initiative will be managed by ILAB's International Child 
Labor Program (ICLP) to ensure achievement of the stated goals. 
Applicants are encouraged to be creative in proposing cost-effective 
interventions that will have a demonstrable impact in promoting school 
attendance and completion in the geographical areas where children are 
engaging in or are most at risk of engaging in the worst forms of child 
labor.

1. Background and Program Scope

A. USDOL Support of Global Elimination of Exploitive Child Labor
    The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that 211 
million children ages 5 to 14 were working around the world in 2000. 
Full-time child workers are generally unable to attend school, and 
part-time child laborers balance economic survival with schooling from 
an early age, often to the detriment of their education. Since 1995, 
USDOL has provided close to U.S. $400 million in technical assistance 
funding to combat exploitive child labor in approximately 70 countries 
around the world.
    Programs funded by USDOL range from targeted action programs in 
specific sectors to more comprehensive efforts that target the worst 
forms of child labor as defined by ILO Convention 182. Convention 182 
lists four categories of the worst forms of child labor, and calls for 
their immediate elimination:
     All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such 
as the sale and trafficking of children; debt bondage and serfdom and 
forced or compulsory labor; including forced or compulsory recruitment 
of children for use in armed conflict;
     The use, procurement or offering of a child for 
prostitution, production of pornography or pornographic performances;
     The use, procurement or offering of a child for illicit 
activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as 
defined in the relevant international treaties;
     Work which by its nature or by the circumstances by which 
it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety, and morals of 
children.
    In determining the types of work likely to harm the health, safety 
and morals of children, Recommendation 190 to Convention 182 considers 
the following: work which exposes a child to physical, psychological or 
sexual abuse; work underground, underwater, at dangerous heights or in 
confined workplaces; work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools 
or handling or transporting heavy loads; work in an unhealthy 
environment including exposure to hazardous substances, agents or 
processes, or to

[[Page 36950]]

temperatures, noise levels or vibrations damaging to the health; work 
for long hours or night work where the child is unreasonably confined 
to the premises.
    From FY 2001 to FY 2005, the U.S. Congress has appropriated over US 
$180 million to USDOL for a Child Labor Education Initiative to fund 
programs aimed at increasing access to quality, basic education in 
areas with a high incidence of abusive and exploitive child labor. The 
cooperative agreement(s) awarded under this solicitation will be funded 
through this initiative.
    USDOL's Child Labor Education Initiative seeks to nurture the 
development, health, safety and enhanced future employability of 
children around the world by increasing access to and quality of basic 
education for working children and those at risk of entering work. The 
elimination of exploitive child labor depends, to a large extent, on 
improving access to, quality of, and relevance of education.
    In addition to providing direct education and training 
opportunities to working children and those at risk of engaging in 
exploitive work, the Child Labor Education Initiative has four goals:
    i. Raise awareness of the importance of education for all children 
and mobilize a wide array of actors to improve and expand education 
infrastructures;
    ii. Strengthen formal and transitional education systems that 
encourage working children and those at risk of working to attend 
school;
    iii. Strengthen national institutions and policies on education and 
child labor; and
    iv. Ensure the long-term sustainability of these efforts.
B. Barriers to Education for Working Children, Country Background, and 
Focus of Solicitation
    Throughout the world, there are complex causes of exploitive child 
labor as well as barriers to education for children engaging in or at 
risk of engaging in exploitive child labor. These include: poverty; 
education system barriers; infrastructure barriers; legal and policy 
barriers; resource gaps; institutional barriers; informational gaps; 
demographic characteristics of children and/or families; cultural and 
traditional practices; and weak labor markets and enforcement.
    Although these elements and characteristics tend to exist 
throughout the world in areas with a high incidence of exploitive child 
labor, they manifest themselves in specific ways in Ecuador. Therefore, 
specific, targeted interventions are required. The project must provide 
or facilitate the delivery of educational services to at risk or 
working indigenous children, support the collection of data on this 
target population, and build the capacity of national institutions to 
address child labor and education issues for indigenous children.
    A recent report by the International Labor Organization's 
International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO/IPEC) on 
indigenous and tribal children (cited below) indicates that indigenous 
children in Latin America are twice as likely to work as their non-
indigenous peers, including in the worst forms of child labor. Removing 
indigenous children from this type of work and providing them with 
educational opportunities poses many challenges, which include 
addressing issues of ethnicity and multiculturalism, poverty, 
marginalization, and lack of access that indigenous groups have 
historically had to many rights of citizenship. This solicitation seeks 
project strategies that provide innovative, constructive approaches to 
address the barriers faced by indigenous children, and successful 
models to remove them from exploitive child labor and provide them with 
access to quality education.
    For this project, applicants must be able to identify the specific 
barriers to education and the education needs of specific children 
targeted in their project (e.g., children withdrawn from work, children 
at high risk of dropping out of school and joining the labor force, 
and/or children still working in a particular sector) and how direct 
education service delivery, capacity building and policy change can be 
used to address particular barriers and needs. Brief background 
information on education and exploitive child labor in Ecuador is 
provided below.
    For additional information on child labor and education for 
indigenous children and exploitive child labor in Ecuador, applicants 
are strongly encouraged to refer to Indigenous and tribal children: 
Assessing child labour and education challenges. Larsen, Peter Billie. 
ILO/IPEC/COOP INDISCO. Child Labour and Education Working Paper, June 
2003 and The Department of Labor's 2003 Findings on the Worst Forms of 
Child Labor available at https://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/
ipec/publ/download/edu_indigenous_2003_en.pdf and https://
www.dol.gov/ILAB/media/reports/iclp/tda2003/overview.htm or in hard 
copy from Lisa Harvey, U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services 
Center, telephone (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-free-number) or e-
mail: harvey.lisa@dol.gov.
Barriers to Education for Indigenous Working Children in Ecuador
    In 2002, the ILO estimated that 3.9 percent of children ages 10 to 
14 years in Ecuador were working. A large percentage of working 
children between the ages of 5 and 17 years are found in rural areas of 
the sierra, or highlands, followed by the Amazon and urban coastal 
areas. In rural areas, young children are often found performing unpaid 
agricultural labor for their families. Children as young as 8 years of 
age have been found working under hazardous conditions on banana 
plantations and in the cut-flower sector. The migration of the rural 
poor to cities has increased the incidence of child labor in urban 
areas where children work in commerce and services, as messengers and 
domestics, and in the informal sector. The commercial sexual 
exploitation of children also occurs in Ecuador.
    Ecuador is home to 27 indigenous nationalities and peoples, the 
majority of whom live in the highlands and the Amazon regions. 
According to the National Committee on the Progressive Eradication of 
Child Labor (CONEPTI), approximately 17 percent of working children in 
Ecuador belong to an indigenous group, and 72 percent of indigenous 
children work before the age of 15 (as compared to 54 percent of non-
indigenous children).
    The Ecuadorian Constitution requires that all children attend 
school until they achieve a basic nine years of education, but multiple 
barriers may not allow children to achieve this level. Families often 
face significant education-related expenses such as fees and 
transportation costs. Inequitable classroom coverage between primary 
and secondary levels, poor teaching quality, sparse teaching materials, 
a short school day and the inefficient distribution of human, financial 
and teaching resources are also problems within the educational system. 
For indigenous communities who have often been deprived of access to 
education, schools, including those that provide bilingual (Spanish-
Quechua) intercultural education, are symbolically important and 
desired, even though indigenous children who attend them may also work.
    Ecuador has a number of national and donor-supported programs to 
address child labor and education, and others to focus on the needs of 
indigenous populations. The Government of Ecuador, through CONEPTI, 
oversees its National Plan for the Progressive Elimination of Child 
Labor 2003-2006

[[Page 36951]]

as part of its commitment to ratifying ILO Convention No. 182 on the 
Worst Forms of Child Labor. The government has identified six sectors 
as priorities for the progressive elimination of child labor: Mining, 
garbage dumps, construction, flower production, banana production and 
commercial sexual exploitation. USDOL has funded a number of child 
labor and education projects in Ecuador.
    There are a number of Ecuadorian government programs such as the 
National Council on Children and Adolescents, and the National Child 
and Family Institute (INNFA) to address children's issues, reintegrate 
working children and adolescents into the school system, and provide 
vocational training. Various government programs under different 
ministries and the Central Bank, often supported by donors such as the 
World Food Program and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 
include school feeding, educational stipends and scholarships, 
vocational training and shelters for exploited children. A U.S. $200 
million IDB loan for a Social Sector Reform Program supports the 
government's plan to coordinate and improve fragmented social spending 
and channel it through a Child Development Fund. A similar fund will be 
created for school feeding and food/nutrition programs.
    Several programs also operate to the benefit of indigenous groups. 
For indigenous children, Ecuador's National Office of Intercultural 
Bilingual Education, funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture, 
oversees close to 2,000 basic bilingual education institutions. 
Ecuador's Fund for the Development of Indigenous Groups, an autonomous 
entity attached to the Executive Branch, coordinates its actions with 
the Council for the Development of the Indigenous Nationalities of 
Ecuador (CODENPE). The role of the fund is to support projects that 
promote the development and technical capacity of indigenous 
communities.

2. Statement of Work

    Taking into account the challenges of educating working children in 
Ecuador, the applicant must implement creative, innovative and targeted 
approaches to promote policies and services that will enhance the 
provision of educational opportunities for indigenous children involved 
in or at risk of entering exploitive child labor. In consultations with 
USDOL, the Government of Ecuador has expressed its continued support to 
USDOL-funded child labor projects. Projects funded under this 
cooperative agreement solicitation must focus on direct education 
service(s) delivery to targeted children, including the provision of 
educational services that address the specific gaps/challenges that 
prevent working or at-risk indigenous children from attending or 
staying in school. Needs expressed by Ecuadorian organizations working 
with indigenous children are the lack of resources for bilingual 
education, poor infrastructure in rural schools, and shortage of 
teachers.
    USDOL defines educational services and/or training opportunities as 
follows: (1) Non-formal or basic literacy education, as demonstrated by 
enrollment in educational classes provided by the program. These 
classes may include transitional, leveling, or literacy classes so that 
a child may either be mainstreamed into formal school and/or can 
participate in vocational training activities; (2) Vocational, pre-
vocational, or skills training, as demonstrated by enrollment in 
training courses in order to develop a particular skill (e.g., 
mechanics, sewing, etc); (3) Mainstreaming/Transitioning into the 
formal education system, non-formal education, vocational, pre-
vocational, or skills training after having received assistance from 
the project to enable them to enroll in such programs. The assistance 
provided by the project could include one or more of the following 
services: The provision of school meals, uniforms, books, school 
supplies and materials, tuition and transportation vouchers, or other 
types of incentives that enable the child to be enrolled in an 
education program; and (4) Formal school enrollment, by directly 
supporting a child's enrollment, retention, and completion in the 
formal school system. Similar to the assistance provided under 
mainstreaming, assistance provided by the project could include one or 
more of the following services: The provision of uniforms, books, 
school supplies and materials, tuition and transportation vouchers, or 
other types of incentives that enable the child to be enrolled and 
maintained in the formal school system. Activities such as awareness 
raising and social mobilization campaigns, psychosocial services for 
children, improvements in curriculum, teacher training or improvements 
to school infrastructure are important for improving access to and 
quality of basic education. While grantees are encouraged to address 
the needs of working children in a comprehensive manner, these 
activities will not be considered as direct services for individual 
children. Rather direct services are those that meet the basic needs of 
individual children that are direct beneficiaries of the project.
    Through improved policies and direct education service delivery, as 
applicable, the expected outcomes/results of the project are to: (1) 
Reduce the number of indigenous children engaging in or at risk of 
engaging in exploitive child labor; (2) increase educational 
opportunities and access (enrollment) for children who are engaging in 
or at risk of engaging in and/or removed from exploitive child labor, 
particularly its worst forms; (3) encourage retention in and completion 
of educational programs; and (4) expand the successful transition of 
children from non-formal education programs into formal schools or 
vocational programs.
    The applicant must identify a target number of urban and/or rural 
indigenous children engaging in or at risk of engaging in exploitive 
and/or worst forms of child labor in Ecuador, who would be the direct 
beneficiaries of a Child Labor Education Initiative project, and the 
geographic areas of greatest need. Direct beneficiaries are children 
who are withdrawn or prevented from entering exploitive child labor, 
particularly its worst forms, by USDOL-funded projects. Children 
withdrawn from exploitive work are those children who were found 
working and no longer work as a result of a project intervention. This 
category also includes those children who were engaged in exploitive 
work and as a result of a project's intervention now work shorter hours 
under safer conditions. Children prevented from entering work are those 
children who are either siblings of (ex) working children or those 
children that are considered to be at high risk of engaging in 
exploitive work. In order to be considered withdrawn or prevented, the 
child must benefit from educational or training opportunities. This is 
measured by enrollment into school or training programs. The overall 
project objective must be to remove these children from exploitive or 
worst forms of child labor and to provide them with educational and 
other services to prevent them from returning to exploitive and/or 
worst forms of child labor.
    In preparing the application, in order to identify gaps, unmet 
needs, and opportunities that could be addressed through a USDOL Child 
Labor Education Initiative project, applicants must conduct a needs 
assessment to make a preliminary identification of the current working 
and educational status of the children that the applicant proposes as 
beneficiaries. It is expected that the information gathered during

[[Page 36952]]

this assessment will be refined after award. The assessment, with data 
sources, must include information on the incidence and nature of 
exploitive child labor, particularly the worst forms, among target 
children, hours of work, age and sex distribution of the proposed 
beneficiaries, educational performance relative to other children, if 
available, and any research or other data that might indicate 
correlations between educational performance and hours of work. 
Applicants are also encouraged to propose strategies for collecting 
further data on exploitive child labor and children's participation in 
schooling in the early stages of the project's baseline data 
collection.
    When developing their proposed strategy and writing the 
application, applicants must consult and make reference to relevant 
literature and documents relating to child labor and the education of 
target children in Ecuador. Furthermore, the application must 
demonstrate familiarity with existing child labor, education and social 
welfare policies, plans and projects in Ecuador, particularly those 
pertaining to indigenous populations, which the applicant is using to 
inform project design for target children.
    Applicants will also be evaluated on their knowledge of other 
donors' programs as they pertain to the education of target children in 
Ecuador. The applicant must consider the design of other USDOL-funded 
child labor projects in Ecuador implemented by the ILO-IPEC and 
Catholic Relief Services, and not target the same beneficiaries. In 
identifying unmet needs, gaps and opportunities not being addressed by 
existing programs and current efforts, and in proposing their own 
strategy, applicants must show how their knowledge of the school 
calendar and the requirements of basic, non-formal, and vocational 
education systems will be used to develop an approach that successfully 
enrolls children in educational programs most quickly and without 
missing an academic year or program cycle. The applicant must identify 
the direct cost per child of maintaining the child in the educational 
program, and of withdrawing the child from exploitive or worst forms of 
child labor. These costs must be realistic, and based on existing costs 
of similar programs. Applicants must design and implement a project 
monitoring system that allows for the tracking of direct beneficiaries' 
work and school status. In addition, as child labor projects tend to be 
implemented in resource-poor environments where government education 
and labor inspection systems may be limited, applicants are encouraged 
to work with local stakeholders to develop sustainable child labor and 
education monitoring systems, including community based systems, that 
can complement government efforts to monitor children's working and 
educational status beyond the life of the project. The applicant must 
also identify organizations in Ecuador, including indigenous 
organizations, which could potentially implement or contribute to a 
future project. Applicants are encouraged to develop approaches that 
support youth participation within efforts to eliminate the worst forms 
of child labor.
    The application must also take into account cross-cutting themes 
that could affect project results in Ecuador, and meaningfully 
incorporate them into the proposed strategy, either to increase 
opportunities or reduce threats to successful implementation. In 
Ecuador these include:
    (1) Indigenous culture. Applicants should demonstrate profound 
knowledge of Ecuadorian indigenous culture and movements, and 
indigenous values regarding education and child labor. This knowledge 
should be incorporated into the project design to ensure ownership by 
indigenous groups. The project should develop a strategy to collaborate 
with and involve indigenous opinion leaders, and indigenous and non-
indigenous business leaders interested in corporate social 
responsibility.
    (2) Political and Legal Environment. In their approach to project 
interventions, applicants should take into account the current legal 
and political relationship between indigenous groups and government 
structures. Applicants should also factor in the effect that personnel 
changes in cooperating ministries might have, and design strategies 
that minimize disruptions when such events occur.
    (3) Weak organizational capacity and conflictive social relations. 
Evaluations of USDOL projects in the Andean region have noted incidents 
of weak local organizational capacity and conflictive social relations, 
including teachers' strikes leading to absenteeism. Applicants should 
indicate to what extent these challenges might be significant in the 
areas where the project would be implemented, how they would be 
addressed, and how relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous 
organizations would be developed.
    (4) Educational relevance and language of instruction. The 
applicant must develop a strategy that will increase the perceived 
relevance of education for indigenous children, their parents, and the 
communities where they live. If language of instruction makes a 
difference to parents and children, the applicant must show how 
bilingual education programs would be used as part of the project 
design.
    (5) Other possible activities or services. Applicants should 
address and incorporate activities or services that would address the 
multiple barriers that could prevent the withdrawal of Ecuadorian 
indigenous children from exploitive work, and their participation in 
education programs. Applicants should also identify and address 
additional social, cultural, or other factors that should be taken into 
account in designing a project for indigenous working children or 
children at risk of working in Ecuador.
    Note to Applicants: All applicants must have country presence, or 
partner with an established and eligible organization in Ecuador. In 
the course of implementation, the project must promote the goals of 
USDOL's Child Labor Education Initiative listed above in Section 
I(1)(A). In addition, a project funded under this solicitation must 
provide educational and training opportunities to children as a means 
to remove and/or prevent them from engaging in exploitive work. Because 
of the limited resources available under this award, applicants are 
expected to implement programs that complement existing efforts and, 
where appropriate, replicate or enhance successful models to serve a 
greater number of children and communities. However, applicants must 
not duplicate the activities of existing efforts and/or projects and 
are expected to work within host government child labor and education 
frameworks. To avoid duplication, enhance collaboration, expand impact, 
and develop synergies, the cooperative agreement awardee (hereafter 
referred to as ``Grantee'') must work cooperatively with national 
stakeholders in developing project interventions. Applicants are 
expected to consider the economic and social contexts of Ecuador when 
formulating project strategies.
    USDOL will notify host government ministry officials of the 
proposed project. During the preparation of an application for this 
cooperative agreement solicitation, applicants may discuss proposed 
interventions, strategies, and activities with host government 
officials and civil society organizations.
    Partnerships between more than one organization are also eligible 
and are encouraged, particularly, given the target group of indigenous 
children, partnerships with indigenous, country-

[[Page 36953]]

based organizations in order to build those organizations' capacity. If 
a partnership is proposed, a lead organization must be identified, and 
relationships with partner organizations receiving funds must be 
codified in an appropriate joint venture, partnership, or other 
contractual agreement. Partnerships with non-indigenous organizations 
already working to provide services to indigenous children are also 
acceptable. Copies of such agreements should be submitted as an 
attachment to the application, and will not count toward the page 
limit.
    Applicants are strongly encouraged to enroll at least one-quarter 
of the children targeted by the proposed program in educational 
activities during the first year of project implementation. Under this 
cooperative agreement solicitation, vocational training for adolescents 
and income generating alternatives for parents are allowable 
activities. Please note: USDOL reserves the right to approve or 
disapprove alternative income-generating activities after award of the 
cooperative agreement. Permissible costs related to alternative income-
generating activities for target families may include, but are not 
limited to, skills training, tools, equipment, guides, manuals, and 
market feasibility studies. However, as stated in Section IV(5)(B)(i), 
Grantees and sub-contractors may not provide direct cash transfers to 
communities, parents, or children.
    Although USDOL is open to all proposals for innovative solutions to 
address the challenges of providing increased access to education for 
the children targeted, the applicant must, at a minimum, follow the 
outline of a preliminary project design document presented in Appendix 
A, and, within that format, address all criteria, factors, and required 
descriptions identified in Sections IV(2), V(1)(A), VI(3)(A) and 
VI(3)(D). This response will be the foundation for the final project 
document that must be approved within six months after award of the 
cooperative agreement.
    If the application does not propose interventions aimed toward the 
target group or geographical area as identified, then the application 
will be considered unresponsive and will be rejected.
    Note to All Applicants: Grantees are expected to consult with and 
work cooperatively with stakeholders in the country, including the 
Ministries of Education, Labor, and other relevant ministries, non-
governmental organizations (NGOs), national steering/advisory 
committees on child labor, education, faith and community-based 
organizations, and working children and their families. Grantees should 
ensure that their proposed activities and interventions are consistent 
with those of Ecuador's national child labor and education frameworks 
and priorities, as applicable. Grantees are strongly encouraged to 
collaborate with existing projects, particularly those funded by USDOL, 
including Timebound Programs and other projects implemented by the ILO/
IPEC. As discussed in Section V(1)(D), up to five (5) extra points will 
be given to applications that include committed non-Federal resources 
that significantly expand the project's scope. However, applicants are 
instructed that the project budget submitted with the application must 
include all necessary and sufficient funds, without reliance on other 
contracts, grants, or awards, to implement the applicant's proposed 
project activities and to achieve proposed project goals and objectives 
under this solicitation. If anticipated funding from another contract, 
grant, or award fails to materialize, USDOL will not provide additional 
funding to cover these costs.

II. Award Information

    Type of assistance instrument: cooperative agreement. USDOL's 
involvement in project implementation and oversight is outlined in 
Section VI(2). The duration of the project(s) funded by this 
solicitation is up to four (4) years. The start date of program 
activities will be negotiated upon awarding of the cooperative 
agreement, but will be no later than September 30, 2005.
    Up to U.S. $4 million will be awarded under this solicitation. 
USDOL may award one or more cooperative agreements to one, several, or 
a partnership of more than one organization(s) that may apply to 
implement the program. A Grantee must obtain prior USDOL approval for 
any sub-contractor proposed in the application before award of the 
cooperative agreement. The Grantee may not sub-grant any of the funds 
obligated under this cooperative agreement. See Section VI(2)(B) for 
further information on sub-contracts.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit 
organization, including any faith-based, community-based, or public 
international organization capable of successfully developing and 
implementing education programs for working children or children at 
risk of entering exploitive work in Ecuador is eligible to apply. 
Partnerships of more than one organization are also eligible, and 
applicants are strongly encouraged to work with organizations already 
undertaking projects in Ecuador, particularly local NGOs, including 
faith-based and community-based organizations, and non-governmental 
indigenous organizations. In the case of partnership applications, a 
lead organization must be identified, and the relationship with any 
partner organizations receiving funds must be set forth in an 
appropriate joint venture, partnership, or other contractual agreement. 
An applicant must demonstrate a country presence, independently or 
through a relationship with another organization(s) with country 
presence, which gives it the ability to initiate program activities 
upon award of the cooperative agreement. See Section V(1)(B)(ii). 
Please Note: Applications from foreign government and quasi-government 
agencies will not be considered.
    Applicants applying for more than one cooperative agreement must 
submit a separate application for each country. If applications for 
more than one of the cooperative agreements are combined, they will not 
be considered. (All applicants are requested to complete the Survey on 
Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (OMB No. 1225-0083), which is 
available online at https://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm). The 
capability of an applicant or applicants to perform necessary aspects 
of this solicitation will be determined under the criteria outlined in 
the Application Review Information section of this solicitation 
(Section V(1)).
    Please note that to be eligible, cooperative agreement applicants 
classified under the Internal Revenue Code as a 501(c)(4) entity (see 
26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4)), may not engage in lobbying activities. According 
to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, as codified at 2 U.S.C. 1611, 
an organization, as described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986, that engages in lobbying activities directed 
toward the U.S. Government will not be eligible for the receipt of 
Federal funds constituting an award, grant, cooperative agreement, or 
loan.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds

    This solicitation does not require applicants to share costs or 
provide matching funds. However, the leveraging of resources and in-
kind contributions is strongly encouraged and is a rating factor worth 
up to five (5) additional points.

[[Page 36954]]

3. Other Eligibility Criteria

    In accordance with 29 CFR part 98, entities that are debarred or 
suspended from receiving federal contracts or grants shall be excluded 
from Federal financial assistance and are ineligible to receive funding 
under this solicitation. In judging organizational capacity, USDOL will 
take into account not only information provided by an applicant, but 
also information from USDOL, other Federal agencies, and other 
organizations regarding past performance of organizations that have 
implemented or are implementing Child Labor Education Initiative 
projects, or other projects or activities for USDOL and other Federal 
agencies (see Section V(1)(B)). Past performance will be rated by such 
factors as the timeliness of deliverables, and the responsiveness of 
the organization and its staff to USDOL or grantor communications 
regarding deliverables and cooperative agreement or contractual 
requirements. In addition, USDOL will consider the performance of the 
organization's key personnel on existing projects with USDOL or other 
entities, the frequency of the organization's replacement of key 
personnel, and the quality and timeliness of such key personnel 
replacements. Lack of past experience with USDOL projects, cooperative 
agreements, grants, or contracts is not a bar to eligibility or 
selection under this solicitation.
    Faith-based organizations may apply for Federal funds under this 
solicitation. Neutral, non-religious criteria that neither favor nor 
disfavor religion will be employed in the selection of cooperative 
agreement recipients. Similarly, neutral, non-religious criteria that 
neither favor nor disfavor religion must be employed by Grantees in the 
selection of project beneficiaries and sub-contractors.
    In addition, per the provisions outlined in Section 2 of Executive 
Order 13279 and 29 CFR 2.33(b), the U.S. Government is generally 
prohibited from providing direct financial assistance for inherently 
religious activities. Funds awarded under this solicitation may not be 
used for religious instruction, worship, prayer, proselytizing or other 
inherently religious activities.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

    This solicitation contains all of the necessary information and 
forms needed to apply for cooperative agreement funding. This 
solicitation is published as part of this Federal Register notice. 
Additional copies of the Federal Register may be obtained from your 
nearest U.S. Government office or public library or online at https://
www.archives.gov/federal_register/.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Applicants must submit one (1) blue ink-signed original, complete 
application in English, plus two (2) copies of the application. 
Applicants may submit applications for one or more countries. In the 
case where an applicant is interested in applying for a cooperative 
agreement in more than one country, a separate application must be 
submitted for each country. If applications for multiple countries are 
combined, the application will be considered unresponsive and will be 
rejected.
    The application must consist of two (2) separate parts, as well as 
a table of contents and an abstract summarizing the application in not 
more than two (2) pages. The table of contents and the abstract are not 
included in the 45-page limit for Part II. Applicants should number all 
pages of the application.
    Part I of the application, the cost proposal, must contain the 
Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance and Sections 
A-F of the Budget Information Form SF 424A, available from ILAB's Web 
site at https://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/bkgrd.htm. Copies of these forms 
are also available online from the General Services Administration Web 
site at https://contacts.gsa.gov/webforms. nsf/0/ 
B835648D66D1B8F985256A 72004 C58C2/ $file/ sf424.pdf and https://
contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf/0/5AEB1FA6 FB3B8323 85256A72004C8E77/ 
$file/Sf424a. pdf. The individual signing the SF 424 on behalf of the 
applicant must be authorized to bind the applicant. The budget/cost 
proposal and any other accompanying charts or graphs must be written in 
10-12 pitch font size.
    Part II, the technical proposal, must provide a technical 
application that identifies and explains the proposed program and 
demonstrates the applicant's capabilities to carry out that proposal. 
The technical application must identify how the applicant will carry 
out the Statement of Work (Section I(2) of this solicitation) and 
address each of the Application Evaluation Criteria found in Section 
V(1).
    The Part II technical application must not exceed 45 single-sided 
(8\1/2\'' x 11''), double-spaced, 10 to 12 pitch typed pages, and must 
include responses to the application evaluation criteria outlined in 
Section V(1) of this solicitation. Part II must include a preliminary 
project design document submitted in the format shown in Appendix A and 
discussed further in Section VI(3)(A). The application must include the 
name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address (if 
applicable) of a key contact person at the applicant's organization in 
case questions should arise.
    Applications will only be accepted in English. To be considered 
responsive to this solicitation, the application must consist of the 
above-mentioned separate parts. Any applications that do not conform to 
these standards may be deemed unresponsive to this solicitation and may 
be rejected. Standard forms and attachments are not included in the 45-
page limit for Part II. However, any additional information not 
required under this solicitation will not be considered.

3. Submission Dates, Times, and Address

    Applications must be delivered (by hand or mail) by 4:45 p.m., 
Eastern Time, August 11, 2005 to: U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement 
Services Center, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5416, Washington, 
D.C. 20210, Attention: Lisa Harvey, Reference: Solicitation 05-06. 
Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be 
accepted. Applications sent by non-Postal Service delivery services, 
such as Federal Express or UPS, will be accepted; however, the 
applicant bears the responsibility for timely submission. The 
application package must be received at the designated place by the 
date and time specified or it will be considered unresponsive and will 
be rejected. Any application received at the Procurement Services 
Center after the deadline will not be considered unless it is received 
before the award is made and:
    A. It is determined by the Government that the late receipt was due 
solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at USDOL at the 
address indicated; and/or
    B. It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the 
fifth calendar day before the deadline; or
    C. It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place of 
mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal holidays, 
prior to the deadline.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late

[[Page 36955]]

application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. Postal 
Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original receipt 
from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, an 
application received after the above closing time and date shall be 
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped, or 
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) 
that is readily identifiable without further action as having been 
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the 
date of mailing. Therefore, applicants should request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' postmark on both 
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service-Post Office to Addressee is the date entered by the Post Office 
clerk on the ``Express Mail Next Day Service-Post Office to Addressee'' 
label and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. ``Postmark'' has the same meaning 
as defined above. Therefore, applicants should request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' postmark on both 
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
USDOL is the Procurement Service Center's date/time stamp on the 
application wrapper or other documentary evidence of receipt maintained 
by that office.
    Confirmation of receipt can be obtained from Lisa Harvey, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, telephone (202) 693-
4570 (this is not a toll-free-number) or e-mail: harvey.lisa@dol.gov. 
All applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery in the Washington, 
DC area can be slow and erratic due to concerns involving 
contamination. All applicants must take this into consideration when 
preparing to meet the application deadline.

4. Intergovernmental Review

    This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

5. Funding Restrictions

    A. In addition to those specified under OMB Circular A-122, the 
following costs are also unallowable:
    i. Construction with funds under this cooperative agreement is 
subject to USDOL approval and ordinarily should not exceed 10 percent 
of the project budget's direct costs and is expected to be limited to 
improving existing school infrastructure and facilities in the 
project's targeted communities. USDOL encourages applicants to cost-
share and/or leverage funds or in-kind contributions from local 
partners when proposing construction activities in order to ensure 
sustainability.
    ii. Under these cooperative agreements, vocational training for 
adolescents and income-generating alternatives for parents are 
allowable activities. However, Federal funds under these cooperative 
agreements cannot be used to provide micro-credits, revolving funds, or 
loan guarantees. Please note: USDOL reserves the right to negotiate the 
exact nature, form, or scope of alternative income-generating 
activities after award of the cooperative agreement. Permissible costs 
related to alternative income-generating activities may include, but 
are not limited to, skills training, tools, equipment, guides, manuals, 
and market feasibility studies.
    iii. Awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs.
    B. The following activities are also unallowable under this 
solicitation:
    i. The Grantee may not sub-grant any of the funds obligated under 
this cooperative agreement. Sub-granting may not appear or be included 
in the budget as a line item. In addition, Grantees may not provide 
direct cash transfers to communities, parents, or children. The funding 
for this program does not include authority for sub-grants and, as a 
matter of policy, USDOL does not allow for direct cash transfers to 
target beneficiaries. USDOL, however, would support the purchase of 
incidental items in the nature of ``participant support costs'' under 
OMB Circular A-122, Attachment B, No. 34, which are necessary to ensure 
that target children have access to schooling. These participant 
support costs may include such items as uniforms and school supplies, 
and the provision of tuition and transportation costs in the form of 
vouchers to the provider of services. If an applicant proposes the 
provision of participant support costs, the applicant must specify: (1) 
Why these activities and interventions are necessary, and how they will 
contribute to the overall project goals; and (2) how will the 
disbursement of funds be administered in order to maximize efficiency 
and minimize the risk of misuse. The applicant must also address how 
participant support costs being funded by the project will be made 
sustainable once the project is completed.
    If proposed participant support costs are approved by USDOL, these 
items must be purchased or paid for directly by the Grantee or its sub-
contractor(s), as opposed to handing cash directly to children or other 
individuals.
    ii. Under these cooperative agreements, awareness raising and 
advocacy activities cannot include fund-raising or lobbying of the U. 
S. Federal, State or Local Governments (see OMB Circular A-122).
    iii. In accordance with OMB Circular A-122, funds awarded under 
this cooperative agreement may be used to cover the costs of meetings 
and conferences, as long as the primary purpose of such an event is the 
dissemination of technical information. These costs include meals, 
transportation, rental of facilities, speakers' fees, and other items 
incidental to such meetings or conference.
    iv. USDOL funds awarded under this solicitation are not intended to 
duplicate or substitute for host country government efforts or 
resources intended for child labor or education programs. Thus, 
Grantees may not provide any of the funds awarded under this 
cooperative agreement to foreign government entities, ministries, 
officials, or political parties. However, sub-contracts with foreign 
government agencies may be awarded to provide direct services or 
undertake project activities subject to applicable laws and only after 
a competitive procurement process has been conducted and no other 
entity in the country is able to provide these services. The Grantee 
must receive prior USDOL approval before sub-contracting the provision 
of direct services to foreign government agencies.
    v. Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law 
prohibit transactions with, and the provision of resources and support 
to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the 
legal responsibility of the Grantee to ensure compliance with these 
Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in all sub-
contracts issued under the cooperative agreement.
    vi. The U.S. Government is opposed to prostitution and related 
activities, which are inherently harmful and dehumanizing, and 
contribute to the phenomenon of trafficking in persons. U.S. non-
governmental organizations, and their sub-contractors, cannot use U.S. 
Government funds to lobby for, promote or advocate the legalization or 
regulation of prostitution as a legitimate form of work. Foreign non-
governmental organizations, and their sub-contractors, that receive 
U.S. Government funds to fight trafficking in persons cannot lobby for, 
promote or advocate the legalization

[[Page 36956]]

or regulation of prostitution as a legitimate form of work. It is the 
responsibility of the Grantee to ensure its sub-contractors meet these 
criteria. (The U.S. Government is currently developing language to 
specifically address Public International Organizations' implementation 
of the above anti-prostitution prohibition. If a project under this 
solicitation is awarded to such an organization, appropriate substitute 
language for the above prohibition will be included in the project's 
cooperative agreement.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Harvey. E-mail address: 
harvey.lisa@dol.gov. For a list of frequently asked questions on 
USDOL's Child Labor Education Initiative Solicitation for Cooperative 
Agreement, please visit https://www.dol.gov/ILAB/faq/faq36.htm.

V. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation Criteria

    Technical panels will review applications written in the specified 
format (see Section I, Section IV(2) and Appendix A) against the 
various criteria on the basis of 100 points. Up to five additional 
points will be given for the inclusion of non-Federal leveraged 
resources as described below in Section V(1)(D). Applicants are 
requested to prepare their technical proposal (45 page maximum) 
organized in accordance with Appendix A, and address all of the 
following rating factors, which are presented in the order of emphasis 
that they will receive, and the maximum rating points for each factor.
    Program Design/Budget-Cost Effectiveness: 45 points.
    Organizational Capacity: 30 points.
    Management Plan/Key Personnel/Staffing: 25 points.
    Leveraging Resources: 5 extra points.
A. Project/Program Design/Budget-Cost Effectiveness (45 points)
    This part of the application constitutes the preliminary project 
design document described in Section VI(3)(A), and outlined in Appendix 
A. The applicant's proposal must describe in detail the proposed 
approach to comply with each requirement. Applicants will be rated 
based on their understanding of the child labor and education context 
in the host country, as well as on the clarity and quality of 
information provided in the project design document.
    This component of the application must demonstrate the applicant's 
thorough knowledge and understanding of the issues, barriers, and 
challenges involved in providing education to children engaging in or 
at risk of engaging in exploitive child labor, particularly its worst 
forms; best-practice solutions to address their needs; and the policy 
and implementing environment in the selected country. When preparing 
the technical proposal, the applicant must follow the outline provided 
in Appendix A, and at minimum include a description of:
    i. Children Targeted--The applicant must identify which and how 
many children are expected to receive direct and indirect services from 
the project, including the sectors in which they work, geographical 
location, and other relevant characteristics. Please refer to Section 
I(2) for USDOL's definition of educational services and training 
opportunities for children targeted under this solicitation.
    Children are defined as persons under the age of 18 who have been 
engaged or at risk of engaging in the worst forms of child labor as 
defined by ILO Convention 182, or those under the legal working age of 
the country and who are engaged or at risk of engaging in other 
hazardous and/or exploitive activities. Under this solicitation, at-
risk children are defined as siblings of working children, or children 
living in areas with a high incidence of exploitive child labor.
    ii. Needs/Gaps/Barriers--The applicant must describe the specific 
gaps/educational needs of the children targeted that the project will 
address.

    Note: The number of children targeted by the project must be 
commensurate with the need in the geographical area or sector where 
the project will be implemented. In addition, the budget proposed 
should take into account the type of work in which the target 
children are currently engaged, and the cost of removing the child 
from that sector.

    iii. Proposed Strategy--The applicant must discuss the proposed 
strategy to address gaps/needs/barriers of the children targeted and 
its rationale. Applicants will be rated based on the quality and 
pertinence of proposed strategies. Please refer to Section I(2) for 
USDOL's definition of educational services and training opportunities 
for children targeted under this solicitation.
    iv. Sustainability Plan--The applicant must discuss a proposed plan 
for sustainability of project efforts. To USDOL, sustainability is 
linked to project impact and the ability of individuals, communities, 
and a nation to ensure that the activities or changes implemented by a 
project endure. A project's impact is manifested at the level of 
individuals, organizations, and systems. For individual children and 
their families this would mean a positive and enduring change in their 
life conditions as a result of project interventions. At the level of 
organizations and systems, sustained impact would involve continued 
commitment and ability (including financial commitment and policy 
change) by project partners to continue the actions generated by the 
project, including enforcement of existing policies that target child 
labor and school attendance. Applicants will be rated based on the 
pertinence and appropriateness of the proposed sustainability plan.
    v. Description of Activities--The applicant must provide a detailed 
description of proposed activities that relate to the gaps/needs/
barriers to be addressed, including training and technical assistance 
to be provided to project staff, host country nationals and community 
groups involved in the project. The proposed approach is expected to 
build upon existing activities, government policies, and plans, and 
avoid needless duplication. Please refer to Section I(2) for USDOL's 
definition of educational services and training opportunities for 
children targeted under this solicitation.
    vi. Work Plan--The applicant must provide a detailed work plan and 
timeline for the proposed project, preferably with a visual such as a 
Gantt chart. Applicants will be rated based on the clarity and quality 
of the information provided in the work plan.

    Note: Applicants are also encouraged to enroll one-quarter of 
the targeted children in educational activities during the first 
year of project implementation.

    vii. Program Management and Performance Assessment--The applicant 
must describe: (1) How management will ensure that the goals and 
objectives will be met; (2) how information and data will be collected 
and used to demonstrate the impacts of the project; and (3) what 
systems will be put in place for self-assessment, evaluation, and 
continuous improvement. Note to All Applicants: USDOL has already 
developed common indicators (enrollment, retention, and completion) and 
a database system for monitoring children's educational progress that 
can be used and adapted by Grantees after award. Grantees will be 
responsible for entering information on each project beneficiary into 
this database system. Further guidance on common indicators will be 
provided after award, thus applicants should focus their program 
management and performance assessment responses toward the development 
of their project's monitoring strategy in support

[[Page 36957]]

of the delivery of direct education and training opportunities to 
working children and those at risk of engaging in exploitive work, and 
the four goals of the Child Labor Education Initiative set out in 
Section I(1)(A). Because of the potentially significant links between 
hours worked, working conditions, and school performance, Grantees are 
encouraged to collect information to track this correlation among 
project beneficiaries. Applicants proposing innovative methodologies in 
this area will be rated more highly.
    Please note: In addition to reporting on the common indicators, 
applicants will be expected to track the working status, conditions, 
and hours of targeted children, including the withdrawal of children 
from exploitive/hazardous working conditions. Applicants are also 
expected to explore cost-effective ways of assessing the impact of 
proposed services/interventions to indirect beneficiaries.
    Applicants are expected to budget for costs associated with 
collecting and reporting on the common indicators (enrollment, 
retention, and completion), data management, tracking the working 
status children, and assessing the impact of services/interventions to 
indirect beneficiaries.
    viii. Budget/Cost Effectiveness--The applicant must show how the 
budget reflects program goals and design in a cost-effective way to 
reflect budget/performance integration. The budget must be linked to 
the activities and outputs of the implementation plan listed above. The 
budget proposed should also take into account the type of work in which 
the target children are currently engaged.
    This section of the application must explain the costs for 
performing all of the requirements presented in this solicitation, and 
for producing all required reports and other deliverables. Costs must 
include labor; equipment; travel; annual single audits or attestation 
engagements (as applicable); midterm and final evaluations; and other 
related costs. Applications are expected to allocate sufficient 
resources to proposed studies, assessments, surveys, and monitoring and 
evaluation activities, including costs associated with collecting 
information for and reporting on the common indicators. In addition, 
the budget should include a contingency provision, calculated at 5% of 
the project's total direct costs, for unexpected expenses essential to 
meeting project goals, such as host country currency devaluations, 
security costs, etc. USDOL will not provide additional funding to cover 
unanticipated costs. Grantees must obtain prior approval from USDOL 
before using contingency funds. If these funds have not been exhausted 
toward the end of the project period, USDOL and the Grantee will 
determine whether it is appropriate to reallocate the funds to direct 
educational or training services or return the funds to USDOL.
    Grantees should also budget for a facilitator-led project launch 
meeting in the target country, which will allow key stakeholders to 
discuss issues of project design and monitoring.
    When developing their applications, applicants are also expected to 
allocate the largest proportion of resources to educational activities 
aimed at targeted children, rather than direct and/or indirect 
administrative costs. Higher ratings will be given to applicants with 
low administrative costs and with a budget breakdown that provides a 
larger amount of resources to project activities. All projected costs 
should be reported, as they will become part of the cooperative 
agreement upon award. In their cost proposal (Part I of the 
application), applicants must reflect a breakdown of the total 
administrative costs into direct administrative costs and indirect 
administrative costs. This section will be evaluated in accordance with 
applicable Federal laws and regulations. The budget must comply with 
Federal cost principles (which can be found in the applicable OMB 
Circulars). An example of an Output Based Budget has been provided as 
Annex B.
    Applicants are encouraged to discuss the possibility of exemption 
from customs and Value Added Tax (VAT) with host government officials 
during the preparation of an application for this cooperative 
agreement. While USDOL encourages host governments to not apply custom 
or VAT taxes to USDOL-funded programs, some host governments may 
nevertheless choose to assess such taxes. USDOL may not be able to 
provide assistance in this regard. Applicants should take into account 
such costs in budget preparation. If major costs are omitted, a Grantee 
may not be allowed to include them later.
B. Organizational Capacity (30 points)
    Under this criterion, the applicant must present the qualifications 
of the organization(s) implementing the program/project. The evaluation 
criteria in this category are as follows:
    i. International Experience--The organization applying for the 
award has international experience implementing basic, transitional, 
non-formal, or vocational education programs that address issues of 
access, quality, and policy reform for vulnerable children including 
children engaging in or at risk of engaging in exploitive child labor, 
preferably in the country of interest.
    ii. Country Presence--Given the need to provide children engaged in 
the worst forms of child labor with immediate assistance in accessing 
educational and training opportunities, applicants will be evaluated on 
their ability to start up project activities soon after signing a 
cooperative agreement. Having country presence, or partnering with in-
country organizations, presents the best chance of expediting the 
delivery of services to children engaging in or at risk of engaging in 
the worst forms of child labor. In their application, applicants must 
address country presence; outreach to government and non-governmental 
organizations, including local and community-based organizations; and 
the ability of the organization to start up project activities in a 
timely fashion. Applicants may submit supporting documentation with 
their application demonstrating country presence and/or outreach to 
host government ministries and non-governmental organizations in the 
country. These attachments will not count toward the page limit.
    Within 60 days of award, an applicant, or its partners, must be 
formally recognized by the host government(s) using the appropriate 
mechanism, e.g., Memorandum of Understanding or local registration of 
the organization. An applicant must demonstra