Deadline: 08-Mar-23
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) announces an open competition for U.S. based organizations interested in submitting applications to implement “Cities Forward” – a new program focused on solving key sustainability, equity and resilience challenges by delivering technical assistance to Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) cities-and helping them form partnerships to help them achieve their goals.
State Department funding will help selected small, medium, and large cities connect to U.S. peers and develop sustainability action plans and implementation strategies to address local challenges aligned with U.S. foreign policy priorities, including equitable green job creation; new investments in sustainable technologies, digitization, and green infrastructure, enhanced air, water, and waste pollution mitigation; and improved climate adaptation and resilience in the built environment. In turn, these actions are expected to result in better human and environmental health, improved government services delivery, and more green livelihoods created in under-served incorporated urban areas and/or in quasi-permanent unincorporated peri-urban communities.
Key Principles
Cities Forward will be guided by three key principles:
- It will be city-led: local stakeholders will lead action plan design and local project implementation;
- The least are first: actions taken must benefit the cities’ poorest, most vulnerable citizens; and
- Sustainability: solutions must be environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
Funding Information
- Total Funding Ceiling: $3,950,000
- Period of Performance: Three years
Phases
The Cities Forward initiative will have three interconnected phases.
- Phase One (3-6 months): At the first part of Phase One, awardee will create a logo and translation of a fact sheet (provided by DOS) in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, (both due within 15 days of award issuance).
- Phase Two (6-12 months): This phase will consist of a series of multi-stakeholder workshops, study tours, and charrettes held in participating LAC cities to help them develop their own sustainability action plans. If deemed necessary, grantee will begin this phase with a citizen survey to determine community priorities and help engage local stakeholders in solution design
- Phase Three (12-24 months): The Cities Forward grantee, with the support of the State Department, will help LAC cities achieve the goals they have set for themselves in their action plans through implementation strategies that can include partnerships with the private sector, the research and academic community, philanthropies, NGOs, development finance entities, multilateral organizations, and U.S. government agencies.
Outcomes
- Phase one outcomes/outputs (3-6 months): Enhanced U.S.-LAC ties through the bolstering of existing city-to-city pairings or the creation of new U.S.-LAC city connections. Awardee will develop sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience (SIR) needs assessments for specified LAC cities. (Note: The State Department will provide a list of city pairings.);
- Phase Two outcomes/outputs (6-12 months): LAC city participants will have gained new knowledge and awareness about sustainability, equity, and resilience, and LAC cities will develop sustainability action plans;
- Phase Three outcomes/outputs (12-24 months): LAC cities develop action plan implementation strategies and partnerships which create the right enabling conditions for change. This could include but is not limited to: a variety of low-cost project finance options (including P3 alternatives, grants, climate funds, blended finance, co-ops, and concessionary lending) for large-scale, long-term capital projects and improvements that produce social and economic benefit to vulnerable citizens; a sampling of successful environmental regulatory and enforcement mechanisms; information about U.S. green building codes and land use and zoning options that promote equity and green spaces; special tax districts for unincorporated areas, and green workforce training options. City managers, chief financial officers, procurement officials and mayors will also learn about the use of blended finance mechanisms, bonds, and public-private partnership models to enable them to provide maximum benefit to the communities served. Ultimately, the goal of this phase is to provide participating city leaders with the tailored resources needed to implement their city’s sustainability action plan.
Eligibility Criteria
- OES welcomes applications from U.S.-based non-profit entities of the U.S. tax code; or for-profit entities. Including from a consortium of entities. Applicants may form a consortium and submitted a combined application. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant with other member a sub-award partners;
- Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits for-profit or commercial organizations to profit under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allow ability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.
For more information, visit United States Department of State.
