U.S. Embassy Cotonou PDS Request for Statements of Interest

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the official notice SOI_-_FY2025_PDS_Cotonou.pdf (13 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.

Registrations you need first (1)

• SAM.gov, Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 5

  “To be eligible to receive an award, all organiza�ons must have a Unique En�ty Iden�fier (UEI) issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid and ac�ve registra�on in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.SAM.gov.” Open page 5

Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist

What to submit

• Form SF-424 · p. 10

  “B y signing the SF-424 or SF-424I Applica�on for Federal Assistance, the Applicant cer�fies the following: 1) I ts compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal an�-discrimina�on laws is material to the government’s payment decisions for purposes of…” Open page 10

• Form SF-424A · p. 11

  “SF424A (Budget Informa�on for Non-Construc�on programs)” Open page 11

• Form SF-424B · p. 12

  “SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construc�on programs) – the SF424B are only required for individuals, organiza�ons exempt from registra�on, and for organiza�ons not required to fully register in SAM.gov. 3.” Open page 12

Length limits

• Page limit (see quote): 3 pages max · p. 3

  “Applicants must first submit a concise (3 pages maximum) statement of interest designed to clearly communicate projects idea and objec�ves.” Open page 3

• Statement of Interest: 3 pages max · p. 8

  “The Statement of Interest (3 pages maximum) should contain sufficient informa�on that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do.” Open page 8

Formatting rules

• 12-point font, 1-inch margins, single-spaced · p. 8

  “All Microso� Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.” Open page 8

How applications are scored (100 points listed)

Build your narrative outline from these criteria

• Quality of Program Idea: 40 points · p. 11

  “Quality of Program Idea –40 points:” Open page 11

• Organiza�onal Capacity and Record on Previous Grants: 30 points · p. 11

  “Organiza�onal Capacity and Record on Previous Grants –30 points:” Open page 11

• Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objec�ves: 15 points · p. 11

  “Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objec�ves – 15 points:” Open page 11

• Budget: 15 points · p. 11

  “Budget – 15 points:” Open page 11

Cost share or match

• Cost share / match · p. 4

  “Cost Sharing or Matching Cost sharing is not required.” Open page 4

Mistakes that get applications rejected (1)

• Not an eligible applicant: If more than one statement of interest is submited from an organiza�on, all statements of interest from... · p. 5

  “If more than one statement of interest is submited from an organiza�on, all statements of interest from that ins�tu�on will be considered ineligible for funding.” Open page 5