Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program; Request for Proposals

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 150 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42759-42762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20144]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program; Request for Proposals

SUMMARY: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division (E/
PY), of the United States Information Agency's Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the Congress-
Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX). For applicants' information, 
on October 1, 1999, the Bureau will become part of the U.S. Department 
of State. The integration will not affect the content of this 
announcement or nature of the program described. Public and private 
non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 26 CFR 1.501c may submit proposals to facilitate academic 
exchanges between American and German high school students and young 
professionals.

Program Information

Overview

    The CBYX program supports the exchange of American and German young 
people in order to sustain and strengthen German-American friendship 
based on common values of democracy and to convey lasting personal and 
institutional relationships to the successor generation. The primary 
objective of the program is to encourage American and German youth to 
learn about each other's society and culture through educational 
exchange. Additional goals for this competition include a renewed 
effort to promote the participants' roles as young ambassadors and the 
impact they can have on US-German relations, and to enhance 
Congressional involvement in the program and strengthen the linkages 
between US Representatives and their Bundestag counterparts. The 
program provides a full scholarship for an academic year experience of 
living and studying in the host country. CBYX is administered by the 
U.S. Information Agency and the German Bundestag Administrative Office, 
PB4. Known in Germany as the Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm 
(PPP), the CBYX program was inaugurated in 1983 through a bilateral 
agreement between the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag. Each 
government provides funding to exchange organizations through 
assistance awards for the costs of participant recruitment and 
selection, international airfare, orientation and debriefing, and 
hosting support for the respective exchange participants. The U.S.-
German agreement calls for an open grants competition every four years, 
and PB4 is holding a simultaneous open competition to select the German 
counterpart organizations that will manage the program in Germany. High 
school organizations that are successful in this competition will be 
awarded start-up grants in FY2000 to administer the recruitment and 
selection of participants for academic year 2001-02. Organizations for 
each component will be eligible for renewal grants in FY2001, 2002, 
2003 and 2004.
    The actual number of participants exchanged each year is dependent 
on the amount of funding made available by the U.S. Congress and the 
German Bundestag. Though Congress has not yet determined the budget 
level for FY2000, the competition for program year 2001-02 will be 
based on approximately 400 American and approximately 400 German 
participants. Throughout the four-year grant cycle, representatives of 
both governments will hold annual discussions to determine the final 
participant numbers for each academic year. Participants are chosen 
according to procedures and criteria established by each government. In 
the U.S. the CBYX program has four components.
1. High School Component
    This component provides 300 scholarships for a one-year educational 
and cultural homestay experience to American high school students ages 
15-18. (A reciprocal exchange of approximately 300 American and 300 
German high school students will take place annually.) In lieu of the 
traditional nationwide high-school participant competition, 
organizations are invited to bid on conducting merit-based competitions 
in one or more of five designated regions of the United States, as 
follows:
    Northeast: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode 
Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 
Washington, DC, Delaware, Maryland.
    Southeast: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, 
Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico.
    Central States: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, 
Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska.
    Southwest: Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, 
Arizona, Southern California * (* the northern border of this region 
includes the counties of Monterey, San Benito, Fresno, and Inyo).
    Pacific/Northwest: Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, 
Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Northern 
California * (* the southern border of this region includes the 
counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Merced, Madera, and Mono).
    Organizations may bid on more than one region, indicating the most 
preferred area(s) in priority order. A maximum of five organizations 
will be selected to conduct all aspects of the competition in one of 
each of the five regions for 60 American participants. Organizations 
that are awarded a grant will conduct advertising, recruitment, 
processing of applications, screening, selection, pre-departure 
orientations and debriefings, and management of all administrative and 
logistical matters including domestic and international travel.
    In the host country, American and German partner organizations will 
coordinate arrival and re-entry orientation for the respective exchange 
students, placement of the students in host families and schools 
(nationwide), arrange program enrichment activities, conduct the 
recruitment, screening, selection and orientation of host families, 
provide program monitoring,

[[Page 42760]]

supervision and counseling to students and host families, and manage 
all administrative and logistical matters including in-country travel 
and health and accident insurance. Organizations should secure all host 
family and school placements at least two weeks prior to the German 
students' arrival in the U.S. Grantees will be required to submit to 
USIA a list of these placements one week prior to the students' 
arrival.
2. Vocational Component
    This component provides approximately 20 scholarships to graduating 
American high-school seniors with a vocational specialization for a 
one-year professional study and training experience in their fields of 
interest. One organization will be selected to conduct all aspects of 
the nationwide competition and programming, including advertising, 
recruitment, processing of applications, screening, selection, pre-
departure orientations and debriefings, and management of all 
administrative and logistical matters including domestic and 
international travel. (During the selection process the grantee is 
encouraged to work with vocational educational offices at the state 
level, as well as administrators of secondary schools with vocational 
education in their curriculum.)
    The German partner organization chosen for a grant will coordinate 
arrival and re-entry orientation for the students and their placement 
in host families and schools, arrange a practicum in the participants' 
field of study, arrange program enrichment activities, and conduct the 
recruitment, screening, selection and orientation of host families, 
provide program monitoring, supervision and counseling to students and 
host families, and manage all administrative and logistical matters 
including in-country travel and health and accident insurance.
3. Young Professional Component
    This component provides approximately 80 scholarships for a one-
year professional study and training experience in business, technical, 
vocational and agricultural fields to young Americans, ages 18-24. (A 
reciprocal exchange of approximately 80 Americans and 100 Germans will 
take place annually.) One organization will be selected to conduct all 
aspects of the nationwide competition and programming, including 
advertising, recruitment, processing of applications, screening, 
selection, pre-departure orientations and debriefings, and management 
of all administrative and logistical matters including domestic and 
international travel.
    In the host country, the American and German partner organizations 
will coordinate arrival and re-entry orientation for the students, the 
placement of the students in host families (or other suitable living 
quarters) and schools (colleges/universities), arrange a practicum in 
the participants' field of study, arrange program enrichment 
activities, and conduct the recruitment, screening, selection and 
orientation of host families, provide program monitoring, supervision 
and counseling to students and host families, and management all 
administrative and logistical matters including in-country travel and 
health and accident insurance.
    In the U.S. each German participant will be placed in a two or 
four-year college for one semester of full-time study or a minimum of 
12 credit hours (which may include an English class) throughout the 
academic year. The organization is encouraged to seek tuition waivers 
and cost sharing with cooperating colleges. The organization will 
coordinate with each participant to assure that his/her practicum is 
based on a prospectus of the specific skills and functions that will be 
mastered and that there is a structured learning component that enables 
the participant to gain a perspective on the overall operation of the 
business. The organization will also coordinate a six-week 
Congressional internship on Capitol Hill for three to five young 
professionals. A stipend for some meals, incidentals and reasonable 
local transportation expenses may be included in the budget, but it is 
anticipated that the stipend would be substantially reduced or 
eliminated during the second half of the program when the participants 
receive allowances for living expenses from the firms or agencies 
hosting their practicums. The current stipend range is $250 to $300 per 
the regional cost of living. Where possible, hosting arrangements 
should be found that do not require subsidization.
4. Administrative Component
    One organization will be awarded an administrative grant to produce 
materials for program advertisement, recruitment and orientation for 
the high school component, to set up and maintain an alumni database 
for all CBYX participants, and procure and administer a special health 
and accident insurance plan required by the German Government for all 
German CBYX participants.
    The organization will produce program specific informational 
materials for the high school component. Each organization selected for 
the high school component will distribute the materials to a wide 
audience within its appointed region, including public and private 
secondary schools, the media, and key networks such as the American 
Association of Teachers of German. (Innovative methods of publicizing 
the program are welcome, within funding limitations. Organizations are 
encouraged to utilize their volunteer networks and alumni to promote 
the program.) The organization will coordinate information and input 
from the high school organizations for the production of general 
briefing and orientation materials for American high school 
participants. The organization will set up and maintain a master 
database listing of all CBYX participants with a corresponding list of 
the Congressional Representatives from whose districts the students are 
selected and a similar list of German participants and the 
Congressional districts in which they are hosted. The organization will 
also be responsible for securing and distributing to all CBYX 
organizations the special health and accident insurance for the German 
students.
    Please see the POGI (Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation) 
for further details and guidance regarding each of the four program 
components.

Guidelines

    Prior German language skills are not required. The German partner 
organizations will provide up to two months of intensive language 
training, which is covered by German Government funds, to American 
participants upon their arrival in Germany. German participants are 
expected to be sufficiently proficient in English and therefore will 
not require (but may elect) an English language course as part of their 
regular studies. (No USIA grant funding will be provided for English 
training under this program.) The pre-departure orientation for 
American students and the debriefing for German students should take 
place in Washington, DC and include CBYX students only. The Washington 
programs, which are designed to introduce the participants to the 
federal government and issues in the U.S.-German relationship, may be 
subcontracted out by the grantee organizations.
    Organizations may include other program elements such as mid-year 
enrichment and follow-on activities in their proposals, but should bear 
in mind that funding is limited. Mid-year enrichment activities may 
include

[[Page 42761]]

informal local or regional gatherings, volunteer community projects, 
and volunteer internships in local congressional offices. For follow-on 
activities organizations are encouraged to involve former participants 
in the organization's alumni activities as well as CBYX-specific 
activities by volunteering in various capacities such as promoting the 
program in their communities and/or serving on the selection committees 
or as local or regional representatives. Organizations should also 
utilize their individual web sites and newsletters to track and/or keep 
in touch with alumni. To be eligible for consideration in this 
competition an organization must:
    1. Be legally incorporated and identify a legally incorporated 
affiliate in Germany and/or indicate its willingness to be partnered 
with a German organization approved by PB4 and USIA.
    2. Have a not-for-profit status, as determined by the Internal 
Revenue Service; the German affiliate must also be not-for-profit 
(gemeinneutzige).
    3. Be financially solvent, have a demonstrated track record of 
responsible fiscal management and be able to meet the accounting and 
reporting requirements for Agency grants.
    4. Have a minimum of four years of experience in conducting long-
term exchange programs (of at least nine months duration) between the 
United States and Germany.
    5. Have well-established volunteer and host family networks to 
carry out various aspects of the program; regional representatives must 
be situated in such a way to handle expeditiously any problems that 
arise regarding host family accommodations, schooling and language 
problems, or difficulties concerning internships.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to 
Solicitation Package for further information.

Budget Guidelines

    Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four years 
of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be 
limited to $60,000.
    Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the entire 
program. There must be a summary budget as well as breakdowns 
reflecting both administrative and program budgets. Applicants may 
provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, phase, 
location, or activity to provide clarification. Costs for U.S. and 
German students are to be listed separately. Organizations should be 
familiar with grant regulations described in OMB circulars A110, A122, 
and A133.
    Cost sharing is encouraged. Cost sharing may be in the form of 
allowable direct or indirect costs. The grant recipient must maintain 
written records to support all allowable costs which are claimed as 
being in contribution to cost participation, as well as cost to be paid 
by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis 
for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in 
accordance with OMB Circular A100, Attachment E. Cost Sharing and 
Matching should be described in the proposal. In the event the 
recipient does not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as 
stipulated in the recipient's budget, the Agency's contribution will be 
reduced in proportion to the recipient's contribution. The recipient's 
proposal shall include the cost of an audit that: (1) Complies with the 
requirements of OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of Institutions of 
Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Institutions; (2) complies with 
the requirements of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants 
(AICPA) Statement of Position (SOP) No. 92-9; and (3) complies with 
AICPA Codification of Statements on Auditing Standards AU Section 551, 
``Reporting on Information Accompanying the Basic Financial Statements 
in Auditor-Submitted Documents,'' where applicable. When USIA is the 
largest direct source of Federal financial assistance--i.e. the 
cognizant Federal Agency--and indirect costs are charged to Federal 
grants, a supplemental schedule of indirect cost computation is 
required. The audit costs shall be identified separately for: (1) Audit 
of the basic financial statements, and (2) supplemental reports and 
schedules required by A-133.
    USIA's Office of Inspector General has provided supplemental 
guidance for conducting A-133 audits and recovery of related audit 
costs in a separate ``Dear Colleague'' letter dated January 24, 1995.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.

Announcement Title and Number

    All correspondence with USIA concerning this RFP should reference 
the above title and number E/P-00-03.
    For Further Information Contact: The Office of Citizen Exchanges, 
Youth Programs Division, E/PY, Room 568, U.S. Information Agency, 301 
4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547, (202) 619-6299, fax: 619-5311 to 
request a Solicitation Package. The Solicitation Package contains 
detailed award criteria, required application forms, specific budget 
instructions, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation. Please 
specify USIA Program Officer Shalita Jones on all other inquiries and 
correspondence.
    Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has 
passed, Agency staff may not discuss this competition with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's 
website at e.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all 
information before downloading.

Deadline for Proposals

    All proposal copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency 
by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time on Friday, September 17, 1999. Faxed 
documents will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked the 
due date but received on a later date will not be accepted. Each 
applicant must ensure that the proposals are received by the above 
deadline. Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package. The original and 10 copies of the application should be sent 
to: U.S. Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-00-3, Office of Grants 
Management, E/XE, Room 336, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette, 
formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) 
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit 
these files electronically to USIS posts overseas for their review, 
with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for 
the Agency's grants review process.

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines

    Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must 
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and 
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and 
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest 
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to 
ethnicity, race gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic 
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly

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encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle both in 
program administration and in program content. Please refer to the POGI 
for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total 
proposal.

Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)

    The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting 
problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing 
information in accordance with Federal management and program specific 
requirements including data exchange with USIA. The inability to 
process information in accordance with Federal Requirements could 
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not been 
accounted for properly.
    USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems 
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately 
process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both 
before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust 
for leap years.
    Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the 
General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology 
website at www/itpolicy.gsa.gov.

Review Process

    USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them 
for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they 
do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the 
Solicitation Package. All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the 
program office, as well as the USIA area office and the USIA post 
overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to 
panels of USIA officers for advisory review. Proposals may also be 
reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or by other Agency 
elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of USIA's 
Associate Director for Education and Cultural Affairs. Final technical 
authority for assistance awards (grants or cooperative agreements) 
resides with the USIA Grants Officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to their conformance with the objectives and guidelines 
stated above and the review criteria stated in the POGI.

Authority

    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of 
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of other countries * * *; to 
strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating 
the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements 
of the people of the United States and other nations * * * and thus to 
assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful 
relations between the United States and the other countries of the 
world.'' The funding authority for the program above is provided 
through legislation.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Agency that contradicts published language will not be 
binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on 
the part of the Government. The Agency reserves the right to reduce, 
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of 
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject 
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

Notification

    All applicants will be notified on the results of the review 
process on or before December 31, 1999. Final awards cannot be made 
until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed 
through internal USIA procedures.

    Dated: July 30, 1999.
William Kiehl,
Acting Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-20144 Filed 8-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M