Proposal Phase
May I send a pre-proposal?
What is the timeline for a NMBCA grant cycle?
Should I coordinate with a Migratory Bird Joint Venture?
Are colleges and universities allowed to request NMBCA funding?
Do I have to stay within the 10-page limit?
I sent the proposal one minute before the deadline, but my Internet server caused a delay and you did not receive it until 10 minutes after the deadline; will you accept it?
Can I budget intermediary bank fees into my proposal budget?
What is the CFDA for NMBCA?
Do I need a DUNS number?
How do I obtain a DUNS number if my organization is within the US?
How do I obtain a DUNS number if my organization is outside the US?
Whom do I contact for further information?

For additional information about the proposal phase, see also: Proposal Application Overview

Selection Phase
What criteria are used in selecting projects?
Who selects the projects for funding?
When will I find out whether my proposal was selected?

Administration Phase
How soon can I expect to have access to grant funds?
Will I receive funds in advance or only as reimbursements?
What are the rules for receiving an advance of funds?
I want my payments to go to a financial institution outside the United States, what do I need to do and what do I need to know?
Whom do I contact when I have trouble completing the Smartlink forms?
When will I receive my user name, password and payee account number for accessing Smartlink II?
What information do I need to access my Smartlink account?
Whom do I contact when I have trouble accessing my Smartlink account?
What reporting requirements are there?
What is the PSC-272?
Do I need to submit the PSC-272 ever quarter, even if I haven't requested any of my assistance award funds?
I need assistance completing the PSC-272, whom do I contact?
What should I do when my bank information changes?
What should I do if there is a change in my Contact Information (person responsible for making payment requests)?
Where do I find the SF-269 (Financial Status Report Form)?
When do I need to submit the SF 269 (Financial Status Report Form)?
Are there special rules for land acquisition (purchase or easements) outside the USA?

Proposal Phase

May I send a pre-proposal?
Yes, applicants are encouraged, but not required, to send a pre-proposal (no more than 1 page in length) to neotropical@fws.gov for review at least three months prior to the deadline.

What is the timeline for a NMBCA grant cycle?
Typically, proposal instructions are posted on 1 June, proposals must be submitted by 1 November, selections are announced on Migratory Bird Day (the second Saturday in May), and grant awards are made within 90 days of the announcement (if the applicant has submitted all required paperwork).

Should I coordinate with a Migratory Bird Joint Venture?
For projects with activities in the USA, we strongly encourage applicants who are developing a proposal to contact the Migratory Bird Joint Ventures (JV) where the activities are taking place. Proposals that show coordination with a JV will be more competitive. Check this link to find the JV that is in charge of your area.

Are colleges and universities allowed to request NMBCA funding?
Yes.

Do I have to stay within the 10-page limit?
Yes. Proposals exceeding the page limit are ineligible. Annexes or appendices are not accepted. You should include all the information to explain your proposal within the 10-page limit. (For applicants from the USA only: the SF 424 and 424B/D do not count toward the 10-page limit.)

I sent the proposal one minute before the deadline, but my Internet server caused a delay and you did not receive it until 10 minutes after the deadline; will you accept it?
No. To be fair to everyone, we will strictly adhere to the receipt deadline. Therefore we discourage applicants from submitting applications less than an hour before the deadline.  If you are submitting from a location that might loose Internet access, we encourage you to submit at least 24 hours before the deadline to ensure that your application arrives in time.

Can I budget intermediary bank fees into my proposal budget?
Award recipients using banks in the United States of America will not be subject to intermediary fees. However recipients who use an intermediary bank in the U.S. to transfer funds to a destination bank in their country may be subject to intermediary bank fees. The recipient should contact their local bank and the intermediary bank they plan to use to determine what type of fees there may be in order to account for those costs within the proposal budget. The fees range from flat fees to percentages of the amount of the transaction. These fees are allowable costs for reimbursement with NMBCA funds, but should be kept to a minimum. Recipients can avoid these fees and processing delays by using a United States of America bank.

What is the CFDA for NMBCA?
The CFDA for NMBCA is 15.635.

Do I need a DUNS number?
Yes, you must have a DUNS number if your proposal is selected; it will not be approved without it. It takes several weeks to set this up; you should begin the process before you submit your proposal

How do I obtain a DUNS number if my organization is within the US?
Go to the Dun & Bradstreet web site at http://www.dnb.com/us/ or call them at 1-888-814-1435.

How do I obtain a DUNS number if my organization is outside the US?
Go to the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) web site at http://www.dnbla.com/esp_default.asp.
Or call them at their main telephone numbers for international questions 800-932-0025 or  800-333-0505. In addition, you may try the following: D&B Office in Florida 954-472-0732 (covers Latin America, Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay); Brazil Office (55) 11 38-88-6800.

Whom do I contact for further information?
Contact information is available on the Contacts page.
Hablamos español. Falamos português. Wir sprechen Deutsch. On lit de francais.

Selection Phase

What criteria are used in selecting projects?

1. What is the conservation value of the project to neotropical migrants? When the project is completed, how will the birds benefit? More competitive proposals usually focus on on-the-ground activities. Example: Residents of communities near neotropical migrants' habitats are informed about the value of the birds, and take actions to conserve them.
2. How will conservation activities continue after the project has been completed? Example: After land acquisition, neotropical migrant habitat will be managed for conservation as part of a private reserve network.
3. Is the project located in important breeding and non-breeding areas for neotropical migrants? Example: Area 1 in this project is located in a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Site.
4. Does the project address neotropical migrants identified as a conservation priority by a government agency or conservation initiative? Example: Two of the species that are the focus of project activities are Birds of Conservation Concern 2008 (a publication of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
5. Are natural resources in the project area under threat? Example: Timber is being harvested in an unsustainable manner in the project area, reducing its value to neotropical migrants.
6. Is the project coordinated with an international bird conservation plan? Example: Significant populations of ten species on the Partners in Flight Watch List occur on the project site.
7. Does the proposal represent a partnership or is it coordinated among public, private and/or other organizations? Example: The project activities will contribute to the restoration objective of the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture Implementation Plan.
8. Is the proposal well written, with clear objectives? Does it follow the correct format?
9. Is the budget accurate, with reasonable requests for overhead and personnel? Does the project provide good benefits for the costs? Example: The budget clearly lays out budget items and costs (for both grant and match funds) in enough detail and with enough explanation/justification to determine what actions are being taken to achieve the project goals and that they are reasonably priced.
10. Does the project satisfy other important national or local objectives, in addition to neotropical migratory bird conservation? Example: biodiversity conservation.

Who selects the projects for funding?
The Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service selects the projects.

When will I find out whether my proposal was selected?
Selected projects are typically announced on Migratory Bird Day (the second Saturday in May).

Administration Phase

How soon can I expect to have access to grant funds?
Once you receive your Smartlink user name and password and your assistance award (the official grant award documentation), within 90 days of the grant announcement if the applicant has submitted all required documentation (usually in June or July), you can access your funds immediately.

Will I receive funds in advance or only as reimbursements?
You will be asked to choose whether you would like to receive advance payments. If you do, you will be required to submit quarterly financial reports (PSC 272) every quarter, and there are additional requirements if you choose advance payments; please refer to the grant guidelines; see below.

What are the rules for receiving an advance of funds?
You may request advances only if you choose the advance payment option before your assistance award is completed. The request for an advance must be limited to the minimum actual cash amount needed and be timed for immediate disbursement. A good guideline is to request funds no more than three days prior to the actual disbursement date. You must disburse the funds within 7 days (if over $10,000) or within 30 days (if under $10,000). Generally, advances must be maintained in interest bearing accounts. Recipients will incur an interest liability to the Federal government if this regulation is not followed.

I want my payments to go to a financial institution outside the United States, what do I need to do and what do I need to know?
In addition to completing the Contact Information Form and the Direct Deposit Sign-up Form you must complete the Supplemental Form. All of the forms are available from our web site at http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat.fws.gov/SmartLinks/index.shtm (English version) or http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat.fws.gov/SmartLinks/SmartSPA.shtm (Spanish version). Routing monies to financial institutions outside the United States requires the use of an intermediary bank. Generally, there is a service fee associated with using an intermediary bank. Recipients could avoid these fees and processing delays by using a United States of America bank.

Whom do I contact when I have trouble completing the Smartlink forms?
Smartlink Coordinator at DBHCSmartlink@fws.gov.

When will I receive my user name, password and payee account number for accessing Smartlink II?
You should receive your user name, password, payee account number and instructions within 30 business days after the Smartlink Coordinator has received your correctly completed Smartlink forms. If you have concerns about the status of your user access package, contact: Regenia Mitchell at 301-443-1500 or RMitchell@psc.gov.

What information do I need to access my Smartlink account?
You will need your user name, password and payee account number provided by the Division of Payment Management (DPM). You will also need your Assistance Award Number provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Whom do I contact when I have trouble accessing my Smartlink account?
Contact Regenia Mitchell at 301-443-1500 or RMitchell@psc.gov.

What reporting requirements are there?
At a minimum, each grant recipient is required to submit annual and final reports, including annual and final financial reports (SF 269), that describe in detail the success of meeting objectives as stated in the proposal and that explain any differences between the proposed activities and the actual achievements. Grantees who choose to receive payment advances must also submit quarterly financial reports (PSC 272). Additional requirements may apply to specific projects

What is the PSC-272?
It is an on-line (accessible by the Internet) report of Federal Cash Transactions. Recipients who requested the advance payment option are required to report disbursements through the use of this report. Awarding agencies use this report to monitor cash advanced to recipients and to obtain disbursement information for each agreement awarded. Visit the PSC 272 web site to obtain additional information http://www.dpm.psc.gov/reports/.

Do I need to submit the PSC-272 ever quarter, even if I haven't requested any of my assistance award funds?
Yes. The PSC 272 provides disbursement and financial accountability data to the Division of Payment Management (DPM) and the awarding agency. It is a cash report and provides useful information even if submitted as a zero report.

I need assistance completing the PSC-272, whom do I contact?
Regenia Mitchell at 301-443-1500 or Rmitchell@psc.gov.

What should I do when my bank information changes?
You should complete a new SF 1199 and annotate "REVISED" and your Payee Account Number in the upper right hand corner and submit it to the Smartlink Coordinator at:

SMARTLINK Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Bird Habitat Conservation
4401 North Fairfax Drive
Mailstop MBSP 4075
Arlington, Virginia USA 22203

What should I do if there is a change in my Contact Information (person responsible for making payment requests)?
Contact Regenia Mitchell at 301-443-1500 or RMitchell@psc.gov.

Where do I find the SF-269 (Financial Status Report Form)?
To download the SF-269 Financial Status Report (Long Form), go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/sf269.pdf, (2 pages, 147 kb). Please print it out, complete it (do not forget your signature and the date), and mail the original or a scanned copy as an e-mail attachment.

When do I need to submit the SF 269 (Financial Status Report Form)?
All recipients must submit a SF 269 with each annual and final report.

Are there special rules for land acquisition (purchase or easements) outside of the USA?
If your project will acquire land or easements outside the USA with Federal funds, you must state in your proposal that the title holder or easement holder will be an in-country organization. You will also need to provide proof that you have communicated your intention to acquire land during this project to the appropriate government agency in the country. At the end of the project, you will need to submit copies of documentation (deeds, settlement statements, maps, etc.) showing that all acquisitions were completed as required within the project period.