Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Pakistan, 43182-43196 [05-14711]

Agencies

• Office of the Secretary
• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43182-43196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14711]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education in Pakistan

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 05-07.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: Not 
applicable.
    Key Dates: Deadline for Submission of Application is August 25, 
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 in Pakistan. Projects funded under this 
solicitation will provide educational and training opportunities to 
children as a means of removing and/or preventing them from engaging in 
exploitive work or the worst forms of child labor, as defined by ILO 
Convention 182. The activities funded will complement and expand upon 
existing projects and programs to improve basic education in Pakistan. 
Applications must respond to the entire Statement of Work outlined in 
this solicitation. In Pakistan, activities under these cooperative 
agreements will provide the direct delivery of quality basic education 
to working children and those at risk of entering work, and will

[[Page 43183]]

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 working children and those at risk of entering in 
work in Pakistan. 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 assure 
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 engaged in or are most at 
risk of working 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. From FY 2001 to FY 2005, the U.S. Congress has 
appropriated over U.S. $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 engaged in or at 
risk of entering 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 Pakistan. 
Therefore, specific, targeted interventions are required. In Pakistan, 
this project must provide or facilitate the delivery of educational 
services to at risk or working 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 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 Pakistan is provided below.
    For additional information on exploitive child labor in Pakistan, 
applicants are strongly encouraged to refer to The Department of 
Labor's Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor available at 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.
Child Labor and Barriers to Education in Pakistan
    In 2001, the ILO estimated that 14.9 percent of children ages 10 to 
14 years in Pakistan were working. Agriculture is the sector with the 
most working children in Pakistan, followed by the informal urban 
sector, which includes domestic work, street vending, illegal work, and 
family businesses. A significant number of children also perform 
hazardous work in leather tanneries, surgical instruments 
manufacturing, coal mining, and deep sea fishing. In addition, bonded 
child labor is used in agriculture, the brick kiln industry, and in the 
production of carpets.
    Children are often trafficked internally and into Pakistan, 
primarily from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, for the purposes of sexual 
exploitation and bonded labor. Young boys continue to be trafficked 
from Pakistan to the Persian Gulf region to work as camel jockeys, 
despite recent efforts to end this practice. Adolescent boys are 
vulnerable to forced recruitments from local madrassas (Islamic 
schools) by armed groups fighting within Pakistan, in neighboring 
Afghanistan, and in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir. Afghan 
refugee children residing in urban areas of Pakistan are among the most 
vulnerable to hazardous and exploitative labor conditions.

[[Page 43184]]

    Pakistani law does not make basic education free or compulsory. 
According to the World Bank, the average Pakistani boy receives five 
years of schooling, while the average girl receives half this amount. 
The Government of Pakistan estimates that 43 percent of children ages 5 
to 14 have never attended school. In 2001-2002, the gross primary 
enrollment rate was 72 percent (61 percent for girls and 83 percent for 
boys), and the net primary enrollment rate was 42 percent (38 percent 
for girls and 46 percent for boys). Because of low quality in many of 
Pakistan's schools, however, even children who attend school often fail 
to learn to read and write. Because of inefficiencies in the 
educational system, Pakistan's adult literacy rate is about 40 percent.
    In 1998, the Ministry of Education set a goal for universal basic 
education as part of the National Education Policy. This policy places 
particular emphasis on vocational training, technical education, the 
creation of literacy programs for school dropouts, and the development 
of programs to assist working children. In 2001, the Pakistani 
government launched an Education Sector Reform (ESR) program, which 
aims to provide universal education, increase literacy, reduce gender 
disparity, improve completion rates, and strengthen educational quality 
through curriculum reform, teacher training, and better monitoring.
    The provincial government of the Punjab is making efforts to 
improve education and to stem the flow of yearly dropouts, which is 
estimated to be around four million. Programs include free textbooks 
through grade five, hiring 16,000 additional teachers, stipends to 
support literacy projects for girls, and the establishment of a new 
district-level monitoring team. The Northwest Frontier Province also 
provides free textbooks through grade five. The Central Zakat Council 
administers 56 vocational training centers in the Punjab. Students 
receive a monthly stipend for attending and a tool allowance of Rs. 
5,000 (USD 87) upon completion of this vocational training course.
    The Government of Pakistan is implementing a National Policy and 
Action Plan to Combat Child Labor that calls for immediate eradication 
of the worst forms of child labor and the progressive elimination of 
child labor from all sectors of employment. The policy further seeks to 
prevent children from entering the workforce by offering education as 
an alternative. The National Commission for Child Welfare and 
Development is coordinating the National Project on the Rehabilitation 
of Child Labor to withdraw children from hazardous employment and 
promote education. In addition, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, a government 
welfare agency, operates non-formal education centers for working 
children and is providing free school uniforms, books, nutritious 
meals, de-worming tablets, and a stipend to 500,000 girls in 26 of the 
poorest districts in Pakistan.
    The Government of Pakistan is participating in an International 
Labor Organization--International Program on the Elimination of Child 
Labor (ILO-IPEC) Timebound Program designed to remove and rehabilitate 
child workers in glass bangle making, surgical instruments 
manufacturing, tanneries, coal mining, scavenging, and deep-sea 
fishing/seafood-processing. In addition, ILO-IPEC is supporting 
numerous active projects in Pakistan to prevent, withdraw, and 
rehabilitate child laborers, including a major program focused on 
carpet weaving. In cooperation with the Government of Pakistan, USDOL 
is funding a project through Save the Children--UK to withdraw children 
in Punjab from hazardous labor and to provide them with educational and 
training services. In 2002, USAID signed a 5-year bilateral agreement 
with the Government of Pakistan to implement programs to support ESR 
implementation and increase access to quality education throughout the 
country, with a particular focus on the Baluchistan and Sindh 
provinces.
    Due to critical needs in its education system, the Government of 
Pakistan is also receiving intensified support from the World Bank in 
order to expedite its eligibility for fast track financing for the 
Education for All program. The Education for All Fast Track Initiative, 
which is funded by the World Bank and other donors, aims to provide all 
children with a primary school education by the year 2015. The World 
Bank has provided assistance to several major projects targeting the 
improvement of primary education, with special emphasis on increased 
access and better retention for girls, in the north and in Pakistani-
controlled Jammu and Kashmir. In March 2005, the World Bank announced a 
credit of $100 million to the Province of Punjab to enhance quality and 
access to education in Pakistan's largest province. The Asian 
Development Bank has supported multiple education projects in the 
Southern Punjab and the Sindh Province to provide incentives for girls 
to attend school and to promote the attendance, access, and quality of 
educational programs.

    Note to Applicants: All applicants must have country presence, 
or partner with an established and eligible organization within 
Pakistan.

2. Statement of Work

    Taking into account the challenges of educating working children in 
Pakistan, the applicant must implement creative and innovative 
approaches to promote policies and services that will enhance the 
provision of educational opportunities for children involved in or at 
risk of entering exploitive child labor. 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 children from attending or staying in 
school.
    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

[[Page 43185]]

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 children engaged in or at risk of entering 
exploitive child labor, (2) increase educational opportunities and 
access (enrollment) for children who are 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; (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 
children engaged in or at risk of exploitive and/or worst forms of 
child labor in Pakistan 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 that were found working and no longer work as a 
result of a project intervention. This category also includes those 
children that 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 that 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 project's strategy must be to 
remove these children from 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 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 Pakistan. Furthermore, the application must 
demonstrate familiarity with existing child labor, education and social 
welfare policies, plans and projects in Pakistan, 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 
Pakistan. 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 are used to develop an approach that 
successfully enrolls children in educational programs in the shortest 
delay 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/
hazardous 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 and enforce Pakistan's child labor and education laws. The 
applicant must also identify organizations in Pakistan, including type 
of local organizations (e.g., rural, indigenous, etc), 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 Pakistan and meaningfully 
incorporate them into the proposed strategy. In Pakistan, these 
include: (1) Barriers to children's access to schooling, including the 
high cost of school materials and deficiencies in educational 
infrastructure; (2) factors that prevent children's withdrawal from 
work and participation in educational programs, such as low family 
income, bonded child labor, and cultural attitudes; (3) factors 
affecting the quality and relevance of education and vocational 
training, such as poor quality of teaching and curricula that do not 
meet the needs of students or demands of the labor market; (4) ongoing 
international cooperation programs and national efforts regarding child 
labor and Education For All; (5) the role of teachers, parents, and 
community organizations; (6) low level of awareness of the worst forms 
of child labor and the importance of education, especially for girls, 
by key stakeholders; and (7) factors affecting performance of local 
organizations and government agencies, including limited capacity, weak 
coordination, and administrative decentralization to local authorities.
    In the course of implementation, each project must promote the 
goals of USDOL's Child Labor Education Initiative listed above in 
Section I(1)(A). In addition, each 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

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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 context of Pakistan when formulating project strategies and to 
recognize that approaches applicable in one country may not be relevant 
to others.
    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 
for award and are encouraged, in particular with qualified, Pakistan-
based organizations in order to build local capacity; in such a case, 
however, 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. 
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 Pakistan, including the 
Ministries of Education, Labor, and other relevant ministries, 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 within Pakistan'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 Pakistan 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 Pakistan, particularly local NGOs, including 
faith-based and community-based 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.

    All applicants are requested to complete the Survey on Ensuring 
Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Office of Management and Budget (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

[[Page 43187]]

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.

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. USDOL will also determine whether an applicant 
has the organizational capacity to implement the cooperative agreement. 
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. 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 
arealso available online from the General Services Administration Web 
site at https://contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf//B835648D66D1B8 
F985256A72004C58C2/ $file/sf424.pdf and https://contacts.gsa.gov/
webforms.nsf/0/ 5AEB1FA6FB3B 832385256A72004C8E77/$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.


    Please note: 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.

    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 
WILL 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 25, 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 05-07. 
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

[[Page 43188]]

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 5:00 pm 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 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 date/time stamp of the Procurement Service Center 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 
D.C. 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 
relating 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 will 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 Pakistani 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 Pakistan 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-

[[Page 43189]]

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 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 Pakistan, 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 engaged 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 Pakistan. 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, or 
those under the legal working age of Pakistan 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.

    i. 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, Pakistani 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.
    iv. 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

[[Page 43190]]

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. However, 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 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 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 Pakistan, 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 may 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 Outputs 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 at risk of or engaging in exploitive child labor, preferably 
in Pakistan.
    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 engaged 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 
Pakistan. 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 demonstrate, independently or 
through a relationship with another organization(s), the ability to 
initiate program activities upon award of the cooperative agreement, as 
well as the capability to work directly with government ministries, 
educators, civil society leaders, and other local faith-based or 
community organizations.
    iii. Fiscal Oversight--The organization shows evidence of a sound 
financial system.
    If the applicant is a U.S.-based, non-profit organization already 
subject to the single audit requirements, the applicant's most recent 
single audit, as submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse, must 
accompany the

[[Page 43191]]

application as an attachment. In addition, applications must show that 
they have complied with report submission timeframes established in OMB 
Circular A-133. If an applicant is not in compliance with the 
requirements for completing their single audit, the application will be 
considered unresponsive and will be rejected.
    If the applicant is a for-profit or foreign-based organization, a 
copy of its most current independent financial audit must accompany the 
application as an attachment.
    Applicants should also submit a copy of the most recent single 
audit report for all proposed U.S.-based, non-profit partners, and sub-
contractors that are subject to the Single Audit Act. If the proposed 
partner(s) is a for-profit or foreign based organization, a copy of its 
most current independent financial audit should accompany the 
application as an attachment. Applicants may wish to review the audits 
of prospective organizations before deciding whether they want to 
partner with or sub-contract to them under an Education Initiative 
cooperative agreement.

    Note to all applicants: In order to expedite the Procurement 
screening of applications, and to ensure that the appropriate audits 
are attached to the proposals, the applicant must provide a cover 
sheet to the audit attachments listing all proposed partners and 
sub-contractors. These attachments will not count toward the 
application page limit.

    USDOL reserves the right to ask further questions on any audit 
report submitted as part of an application. USDOL also reserves the 
right to place special conditions on Grantees if concerns are raised in 
their audit reports.

    Note to all applicants: If a copy of the most recent audit 
report is not submitted as part of the application, the application 
will be considered unresponsive and will be rejected. In addition, 
if the audit submitted by the applicant reflects any adverse 
opinions, the application will not be further considered by the 
technical review panel and will be rejected.

    iv. Coordination--If two or more organizations are applying for the 
award in the form of a partnership or joint venture, they must 
demonstrate an approach to ensure the successful collaboration 
including clear delineation of respective roles and responsibilities. 
Although each partner will bear independent legal liability for the 
entire project, the applicants must identify a lead organization and 
must submit the joint venture, partnership, or other contractual 
agreement as an attachment (which will not count toward the page 
limit). If a partnership between two or more organizations is proposed, 
applicants are encouraged to outline the deliverables, activities, and 
corresponding timeline for which each organization will be responsible 
for completing