The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) announces an open competition for organizations (see eligibility information in C.1) interested in submitting an application to manage the National Adaptation Plan Global Network (NAP GN). NAP GN was created in 2014 to accelerate national adaptation planning and action in developing countries. This is done by: i) facilitating peer learning and exchange; ii) supporting national-level action; and iii) generating, synthesizing, and sharing knowledge. NAP GN will expand its offerings to developing countries for planning, implementing, and financing NAP processes.

NAP GN support from planning to implementation contributes to the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE). PREPARE is a whole-of-government effort to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change by 2030. PREPARE includes overarching goals to build capacity to mainstream adaptation into policies, programs, and budgets as well as to unlock finance to support adaptation action, both of which will be advanced by this project.

In addition, NAP GN supports the OES Bureau goal and objectives:
• Bureau Goal 2: Mitigate threats to the global environment, ocean, health, and space that jeopardize security and the prosperity of the United States.
• Bureau Objective 2.1: Strengthen U.S. and international partners’ capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health, climate, environment, space, and ocean security threats.
• Bureau Objective 2.2: Support global action to effectively implement the Paris Agreement by reducing net greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience to climate change.

A.2. Problem Statement
As countries grapple with increasing climate change impacts, national adaptation plans (NAPs) are critical to enhance coordination, set policy priorities, mobilize resources, and allocate support to achieve countries’ adaptation goals. Formally established in 2010 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the NAP process enables least developed and developing countries to identify and address their medium- and long-term priorities for adapting to climate change. The objectives of the NAP process are to reduce vulnerability, increase resilience and integrate climate change adaptation into development planning and budgeting processes. While countries have made significant progress in developing NAP, many struggle to translate those plans into implementation and attract finance.
OES seeks to address challenges least developed and developing countries face in translating NAPs into implementation and attracting finance for NAP processes. Relatedly, financing institutions struggle to identify bankable projects ready for investment. Preparing investment plans utilizing priorities from existing NAPs and adaptation strategies could help bridge this gap.
A.3. Project Goal
Least developed and developing country governments will accelerate implementation of their NAPs, with a particular emphasis on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to address their unique climate vulnerabilities.
A.4. Objectives
Objective 1: Support 4-6 countries to prepare country investment plans that support NAP implementation. Activities must include, but are not limited to:
• Launch a call for support for countries to express interest in preparing investment plans.
• Provide 4-6 short-term technical assistance activities (of which at least 2 must target SIDS) focused on preparing investment plans and other critical proficiencies for implementation of NAPs.
Objective 2: Further accelerate NAP implementation efforts in at least 6 additional countries. Activities must include, but are not limited to:
• Facilitate at least 2 peer learning activities and exchange events (of which at least 1 must target SIDS).
Objective 3: Create knowledge products and tools to improve understanding of NAP planning to implementation processes. Activities must include, but are not limited to:
• Prepare at least 2 knowledge products such as briefing notes, guidance, reports, or webinars to share lessons and concrete experiences on translating plans to implementation including preparing investment plans and attracting finance.

The above list of activities is indicative and not intended to be exhaustive, and the State Department, Office of Global Change (EGC) encourages the applicant to generate and submit in this proposal additional, innovative approaches to achieve the goals and objectives of this grant.
A.5. Expected Outcomes
Expected outcomes of this project include:
1. Accelerated development of adaptation investment plans and finance of national adaptation processes in 4-6 developing countries.
2. Enhanced capacity of at least 2 SIDS on national adaptation planning processes to address their unique vulnerabilities.
A.6. Performance Indicators
The project will monitor and report on performance indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time bound. Reporting on outcome results will be required under each programmatic report due under this grant. The project should include all relevant standard climate indicators with reporting targets and cumulative targets for the end of project from this list:
• EG.11-1 NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAINED IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE
• EG.11-2 NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS WITH IMPROVED CAPACITY TO ASSESS OR ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE
• EG.11-3 NUMBER OF LAWS, POLICIES, REGULATIONS, OR STANDARDS ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION FORMALLY PROPOSED, ADOPTED, OR IMPLEMENTED AS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE
• EG.11-4 AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT MOBILIZED (IN USD) FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE
• EG.11-5 NUMBER OF PEOPLE SUPPORTED BY THE USG TO ADAPT TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
• EG.11-6 NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING CLIMATE INFORMATION OR IMPLEMENTING RISK-REDUCING ACTIONS TO IMPROVE RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE
• GNDR-8: NUMBER OF PERSONS TRAINED WITH USG ASSISTANCE TO ADVANCE OUTCOMES CONSISTENT WITH GENDER EQUALITY OR FEMALE EMPOWERMENT THROUGH THEIR ROLES IN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SECTOR INSTITUTIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS
See the proposal instruction section for more information and the Annex for indicator definitions to aid in the selection of appropriate indicators. Additionally, EGC welcomes NAP GN to develop, as applicable, a limited number of custom indicators as necessary to the capturing of the range of accomplishments and outcomes of this project. Please submit any, proposed custom indicators and corresponding disaggregates in the submission of this proposal.
A.7. Key Considerations
At least $500,000 of this award must benefit Small Island Developing States.
Countries of implementation for this award may include: Albania; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; The Bahamas; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belize; Benin; Bhutan; Botswana; Brazil; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Chad; Chile; Colombia; Comoros; Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Cote d’Ivoire; Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; El Salvador; Ethiopia; Federated States of Micronesia; Fiji; Gabon; The Gambia; Georgia; Ghana; Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Honduras; India; Indonesia; Iraq; Jamaica; Jordan; Kenya; Kiribati; Kyrgyzstan; Laos; Lebanon*; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Marshall Islands; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mexico; Mongolia; Morocco; Mozambique; Nauru; Namibia; Nepal; Niger; Nigeria; Niue; Pakistan; Palau; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Rwanda; Samoa; Sao Tome and Principe; Saint Lucia; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Senegal; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; Suriname; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tuvalu; Uganda; Ukraine; Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Vietnam; Yemen; and Zambia. Any additional countries will require prior approval by the Department of State.
*The implementer must obtain written approval from OES prior to providing any funding that may benefit Lebanon.
A.8. Substantial Involvement
OES anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the existence of “substantial involvement.” Cooperative agreements require greater Federal government participation in the project. OES will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement. Substantial involvement areas can include, but are not limited to:
• Active participation or collaboration with the recipient on preparing call for support.
• Collaboration on selection and/or review of project beneficiaries.
Specific areas of substantial involvement will be dependent upon the objectives of the proposal and outlined in the final Agreement. The final determination on award mechanism will be made by the Grants Officer.