National Women’s
Health Week, 2013 (NWHW)

Request for
Proposals (RFP)

A.   
Proposal Submission Deadline

·        
Proposals must be received no
later than October 25, 2012, at 5:00
p.m. Mountain Time.

·        
Please submit proposals in
Microsoft Word or PDF format to owhapplication@jsi.com
or mail to JSI, ATTN: Jodie Albert, 1725 Blake Street, Suite 400, Denver,
Colorado 80202.

·        
Please DO NOT submit proposals to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (OWH) or the Regional Offices on
Women’s Health.

·        
Please read and follow all
instructions prior to preparing and submitting your proposal.

For help with this RFP:

Please e-mail: owhapplication@jsi.com
or phone toll-free: 1-866-224-3815.

B.    
Funding Available

Funding through this request is available for National
Women’s Health Week (NWHW). This funding opportunity provides support for
activities and events that promote the health of women and girls in the United
States and its affiliated territories. 
Funding is available for projects that empower women and girls across
the country to get healthy by taking action to improve their health and the
health of their community.   Community-based partnerships and collaborations
are strongly encouraged. Projects will be funded up to a maximum amount of
$2,500.

This is a competitive process. All proposals will be
reviewed by an objective technical review panel. Applicants will be notified by
e-mail or mail by December 6, 2012,
regarding funding decisions.

C.   
Who Can Apply

Funding is available to eligible entities located in the 50
states, the District of Columbia, the six U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Island
Jurisdictions, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Eligible entities
include public and private organizations, community- and faith-based
organizations, health professionals’ organizations, colleges and universities,
community health centers, hospitals, health departments, and tribal and urban
Indian organizations.

Organizations may submit only
one proposal for this funding opportunity. If more than one proposal is
submitted, none of the proposals will be reviewed or considered for funding. An
exception will be made for national organizations with affiliates and universities.
However, different schools within the same university may not submit more than
one proposal. In addition, organizations working together on the same project
may only submit one proposal for that project.

Background

OWH was established in 1991 in the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Health, within the Office of the Secretary. Its mission
is to improve the health of American women by advancing and coordinating a
comprehensive women’s health agenda throughout the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS). The HHS Office on Women’s Health is the government’s
champion and primary agent for women’s health issues, working to redress
inequities in research, health care services, and education that have
historically placed the health of women at risk. OWH is the Department’s focal
point for ensuring that women’s health policy, practice, and research are
mutually informed and effectively integrated within HHS. OWH accomplishes this
by collaborating with other federal and non-federal partners on behalf of women
and girls. OWH provides leadership to promote equity for women and girls
through sex and gender specific approaches.

OWH has staff located in Washington, D.C. and a
network of Regional Women’s Health Coordinators (RWHCs) located in each of the
ten federal regions. The RWHCs coordinate and implement national public health
initiatives to promote a greater focus on women's health issues at the
regional, state, and local levels. The RWHCs advance the mission of the OWH by
administering programs that improve the health of women in communities across
the country and by coordinating activities in health care service delivery,
research, and public and health professional education. Sensitivity to local,
state, and regional needs in women's health is reflected in their work to
identify priority health areas, to establish networking relationships, and to
implement initiatives addressing regional women's health concerns. For
additional information about the RWHCs and the regional offices, please visit http://www.womenshealth.gov/about-us/who-we-are/regional-offices/#role.

As part of its strategic plan, OWH continues to fund
evidence-based interventions to address gaps in women’s health that are not
addressed at the national level by any other public or private entity. These
interventions focus on health disparities in women’s health in which minority
status, disabilities, geography, family history, sexual orientation, low
socioeconomic status, chronic conditions, and infectious diseases are
contributing risk factors.

OWH contracted with John Snow, Inc., (JSI) to provide
general program support to the Central and ten Regional Offices on Women’s
Health to manage regional health projects and activities in women’s health in
the ten HHS regions. Therefore, JSI is lead contractor for administration of
this RFP.

D.   
Focus Area

The awards made through this funding announcement must
address National Women’s Health Week activities. NWHW is May 12-18, 2013. The
nationwide initiative encourages women to make health a top priority and take
simple steps for a longer, healthier, and happier life. During the week,
families, communities, businesses, government, health organizations and other
groups work together to educate women about steps they can take to improve
their physical and mental health and prevent disease. Some activities that
could be funded include: sponsoring activities that promote healthy behaviors
such as engaging in physical activity most days of the week; making healthy
food choices; visiting a healthcare provider to receive regular check-ups;
preventive screenings; education around hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C
Virus (HCV); education for immunizations such as influenza and hepatitis A and
B; and avoiding unhealthy behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seatbelt.

Proposed activities should take place between Sunday, May 12
and Saturday, May 18, 2013. However, proposed activities that would be conducted
between May 1 and June 15, 2013 are acceptable.

Examples of NWHW activities include: health workshops for
women and girls, health walks, and health fairs. Resources for planning events
including sample press releases, media tools, and checklists are available on
the NWHW website: http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/.
The website also offers ideas for projects, posters, and other educational
materials. (Please note that the website currently displays information for 2012.
It will be updated with information for 2013 in early January.)

All funded events must be registered on the NWHW website http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/.

Examples of activities that will not be funded include:
research, direct clinical services, screening services and testing kits. (See
also Section V, page 8). The period of performance for projects selected for
funding will begin upon receipt of award notification and end by June 28, 2013.
Final reports must be submitted to JSI by June 28, 2013.

E.    
Payment Process

Awardees will become subcontractors of JSI; therefore, no Catalogue
of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number is associated with these funds.
The approved proposal will serve as a contract for required deliverables from
awardees.

Awardees will receive their award in one payment. Payment will be
processed after the completion of the awardees’ activity and within 30
days of receipt and approval of the final report. (The final report format will
be provided by JSI.)

Please Note: Any
modifications to a proposal must be approved before the proposed project is
implemented. To request approval for a modification, please contact JSI at owhapplication@jsi.com. Modifications
to a proposed project that are not approved in advance may result in
nonpayment.

F.    
Project Time Frame

Awardees will have until June 28, 2013 to complete their projects,
including the submission of the final report.

G.   
How to Submit a Proposal

• Please submit proposals in
  Microsoft Word or PDF format to owhapplication@jsi.com
  or mail to JSI, ATTN: Jodie Albert, 1725 Blake Street, Suite 400, Denver,
  Colorado 80202. E-mail is the preferred method for proposal submission. Applicants
  who do not have e-mail may submit proposals via mail. (Please note:
  handwritten proposals will not be accepted.)

·        
Proposals will not be
accepted by OWH or the Regional Offices on Women’s Health.

·        
Proposals must be received by
JSI by e-mail or mail submission by October
25, 2012, at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time.

·        
Proposals cannot exceed 6
pages, including Section I-Contact Information. Proposals should be prepared in
12-point Times New Roman font. If the proposal is greater than 6 pages, it will
not be considered.

·        
Proposals must be signed
by an official with the authority to commit the organization to a contractual
obligation.

• You
  will receive confirmation of your submission within three days. If you do
  not receive a confirmation, please call 1-866-224-3815.

If you have questions or need assistance, please call
1-866-224-3815.

H.   
Review Process

Proposals will be reviewed by an objective technical review
panel. Successful proposals will be selected on the basis of their relevance to
OWH program objectives and the following criteria:

•        
Section I. Contact Information (5 points)

•        
All requested contact information should be provided

•        
Section II. Organizational Background (20 points)

•        
Description of organization’s mission, history, and
services is provided.

•        
Description of geographic area and population served is
provided.

•        
Description of organization’s ability to implement
project is provided.

•        
Section III. Proposed Activity Description (35 points)

•        
Proposed project description is provided.

•        
Proposed project goals and objectives are identified.

•        
Community need for project is described.

•        
Proposed partners and their contributions are described

•        
Proposed target population is described.

•        
Project planning tasks and timeline is provided.

•        
Deliverables or final product is identified.

•        
Section IV. Project Evaluation (20 points)

•        
Performance measures are described and relate to the
proposed project goals and objectives.

•        
Description of how performance measures will be
analyzed and reported is provided.

•        
Section V. Budget (20 points)

•        
Budget expenses are accurate and detailed in the table
provided.

•        
All itemized expenses requesting OWH support are
allowable based on the guidelines included on the form.

•        
Budget table clearly indicates the project expenses OWH
funds will support.

•        
Proposed partners’ actual and/or in-kind contributions
are described.

•        
NOTE: JSI reserves the right to request revisions to
the budget and/or scope of work of any applicant.

I.      
Data Disclaimer

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on
Women’s Health has contracted with JSI to administer this project. All
materials submitted regarding this funding announcement become the property of
HHS. HHS has the right to use any or all information/materials presented in a proposal,
subject to limitations for proprietary or confidential information.
Disqualifications or denial of the proposal does not eliminate this right.

It is the responsibility of the awardee to identify
proprietary information and request that the information be treated as such.
Any additional restrictions on the use or inspection of materials contained
within the proposal shall be clearly stated in the proposal itself. The privacy
policy for JSI is available at http://www.jsi.com/JSIInternet/privacy.cfm.

The HHS privacy policy is available at http://www.hhs.gov/Privacy.html.

J.      Required Acknowledgement of OWH Support

Event materials supported through these funds must include
acknowledgment of support from the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. The awardee
must also include the following statement on materials distributed at events: "Funding for this activity was made
possible in part by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on
Women's Health. The views expressed in written materials or publications, and
by speakers and moderators at HHS co-sponsored activities, do not necessarily
reflect the official policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services; nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or
organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government."

K.   
Proposal Instructions

·        
Complete all sections of the proposal:

•  
  
  • Contact Information
    (included as Section I)
  • Organizational Background
    (included as Section II)
  • Proposed Activity/Project
    Description (included as Section III)
  • Activity/Project
    Evaluation (included as Section IV)
  • Activity/Project Budget
    (included as Section V)

·        
Proposals
must meet the following criteria to be eligible for review:

o  
Use the current 2012-2013 RFP template

o  
Be 6 pages or less

o  
All five sections of the RFP are complete