Guatemala Western Highlands Municipal Public Safety Center Project (WH MPP) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Guatemala Western Highlands Municipal Public Safety Center Project (WH MPP)?

The Guatemala Western Highlands Municipal Public Safety Center Project (WH MPP) is a discretionary U.S. government grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It focuses on supporting municipal-level public safety infrastructure in Guatemala by establishing and strengthening Municipal Public Safety Centers (MPSCs).

Which U.S. government agency administers this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

What is the main purpose of the project?

The project aims to support municipal public safety infrastructure in Guatemala through the creation and reinforcement of Municipal Public Safety Centers (MPSCs), with an emphasis on municipal-level capacity and facilities.

What are Municipal Public Safety Centers (MPSCs) in the context of this opportunity?

In this opportunity, MPSCs refer to municipal-level public safety centers that are established or strengthened to support local public safety infrastructure and related coordination at the municipal level in Guatemala.

How many MPSCs were already established at the time of the opportunity description?

The opportunity description states that MPSCs had already been established in 10 municipalities located in the departments of Guatemala and Alta Verapaz.

Does the opportunity mention additional MPSCs beyond the initial 10?

Yes. The description references a pipeline of 16 additional MPSCs at different stages of implementation.

Is there a specific municipality highlighted for a larger or expanded MPSC?

Yes. The opportunity mentions a larger MPSC planned or underway in the municipality of Quetzaltenango, suggesting an expanded or higher-capacity center intended to serve a major population hub in the western highlands.

What type of funding instrument is used for this opportunity?

The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement typically indicates substantial involvement by the awarding agency during implementation. For this opportunity, that implies INL may collaborate on planning, provide oversight, and participate in performance monitoring rather than only providing funds with minimal federal engagement.

What program or activity area is this opportunity associated with?

The activity area is categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 19.705, which relates to Transnational Crime.

How does the CFDA alignment frame the project?

By aligning with CFDA 19.705 (Transnational Crime), the project is framed not only as a local governance and community safety effort, but also as part of a broader strategy to address crime dynamics that can cross municipal and national boundaries, including organized criminal activity and related security challenges.

What is the maximum funding amount available (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $8,000,000.

Is there a minimum award amount (award floor)?

No award floor is stated in the opportunity information.

What does it mean that there is no stated award floor?

It implies proposals could potentially be considered across a range of budgets up to the $8,000,000 ceiling, depending on factors such as program design, geographic scope, and anticipated results.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

When was this opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on July 16, 2015.

What was the closing date for applications?

The original and current closing date listed was September 15, 2015.

Is this grant opportunity still open?

No. The archive date is October 15, 2015, indicating the opportunity is no longer open and is maintained as a historical record.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education).

Are universities eligible applicants?

Yes. Both public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) are included in the eligibility list.

What does the stated eligibility mix suggest about the types of implementers INL was seeking?

The eligibility mix suggests INL was open to proposals from universities and research institutions as well as NGOs with field implementation capacity, policy expertise, training capabilities, and experience coordinating with local government stakeholders.

Who can be contacted if someone could not access the full announcement electronically?

The notice provided Department of State points of contact for access issues: Ms. Yvette Marquez Perkins (marquezperkinsy@state.gov) and Selecia Banner (bannersl@state.gov).

What were the listed contact emails for the opportunity?

The listed contact emails were marquezperkinsy@state.gov and bannersl@state.gov.

What kinds of questions were the points of contact likely to address?

Based on the notice, the contacts were intended to help with accessing the full solicitation electronically and likely to address administrative or procedural questions related to the application process.