Instructions for Submitting Proposals in the FAIS 6.2.2023

Table of Contents

Executive Summary............................................................................................................................................................... 2
SECTION 1: REGISTERING FOR AN eAUTHENTICATION ACCOUNT IN FAIS ...................................................... 3
For Users Affiliated with Organizations Already Registered in FAIS ....................................................................... 3
For Users of Organizations Unregistered in FAIS ....................................................................................................... 6
Activation of the Account ............................................................................................................................................... 6
FAIS Homepage ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
SECTION 2: CREATING A PROPOSAL IN FAIS ............................................................................................................. 8
My FAIS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Data Navigation ............................................................................................................................................................. 10
SECTION 3: PROPOSAL SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 12
Proposal Assignment ..................................................................................................................................................... 13
SECTION 4: PROPOSAL APPLICANT DETAILS .......................................................................................................... 14
SECTION 5: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 16
Introduction Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 16
Key Personnel ................................................................................................................................................................ 17
SECTION 6: RESULTS ...................................................................................................................................................... 19
Proposal Result Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Results............................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Activities ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Mapping ......................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Other Details .................................................................................................................................................................. 25
SECTION 7: COMMODITY .............................................................................................................................................. 26
Commodity Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 26
Commodity List ............................................................................................................................................................. 27
Direct Feed Commodities.............................................................................................................................................. 28
Monetized Commodities ............................................................................................................................................... 28
Commodity Table .......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Special Needs and Distribution Methods..................................................................................................................... 29
Other Details .................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Monetization .................................................................................................................................................................. 30
SECTION 8: BUDGET ....................................................................................................................................................... 31
PVO Budget Summary.................................................................................................................................................. 31
PVO Budget Narrative .................................................................................................................................................. 31
SECTION 9: ATTACHMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 32
SECTION 10: SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL .............................................................................................................. 34

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Instructions for Submitting Proposals in the Food Aid Information System
Executive Summary
The Food Aid Information System (FAIS) is an integrated information system that the International Food
Assistance Division (IFAD) of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service manages and administers its food aid
programs and interacts with its Participating Partners (PPs). The proposal management process includes the
solicitation of food aid proposals, proposal submission by PPs; and proposal evaluation, scoring, and approval by
IFAD.
These guidelines are intended to assist the preparer in submitting a food aid proposal for the McGovern-Dole
International Food for Education and Child Nutrition (McGovern-Dole) program, Food for Progress (FFPr)
program, and the Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement (LRP) program. as required by
7 CFR Part 1599.14, 7 CFR Part 1499.13, and 7 CFR Part 1590.14. All proposals will be submitted through FAIS.
Participants are required to monitor their own progress toward creating and recording data into their proposal. It is
important for all PPs to submit proposals within the appropriate deadline by completing all required sections in
FAIS. If Applicants have any questions, please seek assistance by sending an email to [email protected]. Below,
Applicants will find step-by-step guidance for submitting the proposal in FAIS.
The following instructions use hypothetical examples and are not indicative of a particular country, program, or
PP. It is intended for instructional purposes only. Appropriate screenshots have been included in the manual to aid
the user in understanding FAIS functional navigation. A brief orientation of the layout and design of the FAIS
interface is provided below.
Important: Applicants should always save their work! If there is no activity by the user, FAIS will time out
after approximately 25 minutes.

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SECTION 1: REGISTERING FOR AN eAUTHENTICATION ACCOUNT IN FAIS
For Users Affiliated with Organizations Already Registered in FAIS
An eAuthentication account is the primary way for Program Participants (PP)s to interact with USDA websites.
This account gives Applicants the ability to identify oneself to the USDA via the User ID and password, and it
allows access to FAIS as well as a wide range of other applications across the many USDA agencies and their
services.
Note: If Applicants already have an eAuthentication account and are associated with a particular PP or PVO, he
or she may proceed to login to FAIS. Before registering as a PP user, be sure to register your organization first.
Instructions are here: Food Aid Information System | USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
1. To register, go to eAuthentication (usda.gov)
2. Click on the user type as Customer and click Continue

Input your business email address:

3. Once Applicants fill out the necessary information, including a username and password, he or she will

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receive an email from FAS confirming the creation of the account.
4. Once Applicants have their eAuthentication account established with a username and password, they
should go to the FAIS website: https://www.eauth.usda.gov/Login/login.aspx

5. After Applicants login, they will be required to complete a one-time registration in FAIS. The system
displays “Create New FAIS Account” screen, which will display the username. Please select Program
Participant (or Government if you registered your organization as a government entity) as the
organization type. All other selections for U.S. government personnel only. For Customer applicants, the
PIN and Confirm PIN fields will be enabled as part of your eAuthentication, and you must have it to login
to FAIS. The Pin should be a minimum of six digits.

6. Next, Applicants will be brought to the FAIS User Registration page. The eAuthentication details will be
automatically generated in the cells. In the following Organization Details section of the FAIS User
Registration page, Applicants must complete the following information:

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•

PP Organization Type – Select from the drop-down list. If Applicants are associated
with a foreign government, or the World Food Program, select Government or World
Food Program respectively. All other PPs, including PVOs, NGOs, etc. must register
as a Program Participant.

•

PP Organization – This list will be automatically generated based on the PP
Organization Type selection.

•

Address Type – After a proposal creator selects the address type, either Main or
Branch, the field will be automatically populated with the organization’s address.

7. Requested Roles – For creating and producing proposals, the minimum FAIS permission levels
required are Program Participant Proposal Contributor or Program Participant Proposal Creator.
For those persons who are Program Administrators, they must also select the Program Participant
Administrator box. At least one user should be the Program Participant Director. Applicants
should also consider requesting the Program Participant Director role if they do not foresee
assigning multiple tasks and will be the one submitting the proposal. Applicants may also request
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other FAIS permissions depending on the organization’s needs. For these requests, please detail
these requests in the comments section. The level of permissions requested will be authorized by
the IFAD staff.

8. Next, refer to the following cells for the Personal Details section:
• Title: Mr./Mrs./Ms. Etc.; Mandatory
• Position: Designation in the organization, e.g. Manager, Program Analyst; Mandatory
• Phone Number: Mandatory
• Phone Extension: Not Mandatory
• Fax: Not Mandatory
• Email Alerts: Check this box if email alerts are preferred whenever any workflow action
(i.e. submit, request modification) are sought on any process in FAIS; Encouraged
• FAIS Alerts: Check this box if system alerts are preferred whenever any workflow action
(i.e. submit, request modification) are sought on any process in FAIS; Encouraged
• Requested Comments: Please add comments that details which requested roles wanted
for the FAIS account; Not Mandatory

For Users of Organizations Unregistered in FAIS
If the Applicant’s organization is not yet registered, please download and fill out the Organization
Registration Form, located on the FAS public website here: https://www.usda.gov/food-aid-informationsystem. Once completed, please attach the file in an email and send to [email protected] with the subject
line: Request to Register New Organization. An IFAD Analyst will create the organization record in
FAIS and will notify the Applicant once completed so they may select their organization.
Activation of the Account
After successful registration, the Applicant will see the following message below regarding the
activation of the account. IFAD will also receive a notification that a new user has registered and will
approve the account.
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Once approved, Applicants will be able to login with their respective username and password and will
be taken to the FAIS homepage.
FAIS Homepage
Once the Applicant is logged in, he or she is taken to the FAIS homepage. Here, users will find links
pertaining to the food aid solicitation, this training manual for PPs as well as other relevant documents.
Please refer to the links and save the files as necessary.

A sitemap index with links is provided horizontally across the top of each page below the menu bar.
These links will help in navigating through the hierarchies of each element and to keep track of locations
within FAIS. The homepage consists of the following column headings:
•
•
•
•
•

Home – This link takes the Applicant to the FAIS homepage
Proposal – All proposal and solicitation actions can be found here. This section is explained in
greater detail below
Agreement – Database of every agreement associated to the organization
Compliance – Links to the database of the organization’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
reports and other compliance-related actions
About FAIS – Information regarding FAIS including new system enhancements and data
releases

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In addition, brief instructions are provided on each screen in a green box as shown below. The
instructions describe the mechanics of viewing and editing the screens and defined the data fields.
Important business rules that must be followed are also included, where appropriate.

Important: In FAIS, the system displays a list of validation errors (if any) in red if there are issues with
the data the Applicant submits. FAIS will not commit the workflow action until the user fixes all
validation errors. An example error message:

SECTION 2: CREATING A PROPOSAL IN FAIS
To begin creating the organization’s food aid proposal, click on the Solicitation icon that is located under
the Proposal tab.

The next screen displays the list of solicitations. If the current solicitation year is not displayed, the
Applicant can find the current program solicitations by searching by Fiscal Year and Program Type.

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•
•

Solicitation Period: Start and end dates for accepting proposals for that solicitation.
Anticipated Award Date: The date by which FAS anticipates selecting proposals for funding
under the solicitation. A proposal submitted against a solicitation should specify a project
start date after the Anticipated Award Date.

Click on the View link of the program solicitation for which Applicants will create a proposal. This is
found under the Action column.
The following page allows both a PP Director and PP Proposal Creator to view a solicitation and to
create a proposal for that solicitation. If Applicants have Proposal Contributor permission levels only,
they cannot create a proposal. In this example, the 2016 Food for Education solicitation has been
selected. The solicitation information listed below will be based on the award type. Click Create Online
Proposal to generate a proposal template which the proposal creator will submit once completed.

Once created, the proposal record is archived as In Progress in the FAIS system. After the Applicant
logs off, he or she can return to the proposal and work on it at any time. To find it, click on the Proposal
tab located in the drop-down menu and select Proposal.

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Applicants can then search for each created proposal affiliated with the proposal.
Note: Only add search by the fiscal year, and leave the other fields including Program Type and Country Blank if you
cannot find the proposal you created
Click on the Proposal # to access the proposal and continue the submission process.

My FAIS
A left panel titled My FAIS displays information describing the
Applicant’s proposal:
•

•
•
•
•
•
•

Alerts – The link displays a log of pending and
completed FAIS-program actions that the user
initiated
Proposal # – Proposal identification automatically
generated in FAIS
Organization – The name of the organization
submitting the proposal
Solicitation ID – This is the number associated with the
solicitation the proposal is competing under
Fiscal Year – Federal fiscal year under which the proposal is competing for funding
Status – All unsubmitted proposals will be labeled In Progress. This status will change once the
proposal is submitted in FAIS
Country – This section will be labeled with the country or region the proposal is applicable to and
is entered in the Introduction section of the proposal

Data Navigation
This menu provides links to the various required sections of the proposal that must to be completed before
it can be submitted. All other functions are arranged as menu items under several subsections. Access to
these menus are governed by FAIS roles. Each proposal section presented in the Data Navigation menu is
highlighted in greater detail throughout this document. In Data Navigation, the following links are
displayed:

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1. Print Proposal – This is the display to which the proposal will be viewed by the reviewers, all
information, including links to attachments will be displayed
2. Download Proposal – This function downloads the entire proposal as a HTML file. In viewing the
proposal, it is recommended that the Print Proposal function be used
instead
3. Download Proposal Attachments – This downloads all uploaded
documents into a single zip-file
4. View Proposal Assignment – This page displays a read-only view of
the proposal assignments; i.e., the Proposal Creator and the Proposal
Contributor assigned to each proposal section. Applicants cannot
make any changes to the proposal in any of the View links
5. View Applicant Details – Shows the Applicant details in a readonly mode.
6. View Introduction – Shows the Introduction section in a
read-only mode.
7. View Commodity – Shows the Commodity section in a
read- only mode
8. View Result – Shows the results, activities, and the mapping
sections in a read-only mode
9. View PVO Budget – This page shows the Budget narrative in
a read-only mode
10. Download Budget – This function was utilized for previous
years’ budget proposals and is no longer used in FAIS. Refer
to the budget guidelines for more information
The following sections require data entry:
11. Proposal Summary – This is the homepage for a specific proposal
where Applicants can upload attachments and submit proposal
sections for review
12. Proposal Assignment – The page where roles are assigned to each of the proposal sections
13. Proposal Applicant Details – This page where primary Applicants of the organization are assigned
as contacts for the proposal
14. Introduction – Where project start and end dates are selected in addition to country determination and key
personnel
15. Results – This page is for entering the Results, Activities, Activity Mapping, and Other Details
16. Commodity – This page is for submitting commodity selection and detailed commodity logistics
17. PVO Budget – Displays the section to submit the budget narrative
There are multiple sections within each link in the Data Navigation menu which require data entry in addition to
uploading required Attachments. These sections are detailed below.

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SECTION 3: PROPOSAL SUMMARY
This section is the homepage of the Applicant’s proposal. This page displays:
•

Proposal Information – Basic proposal information indicating the name of the organization submitting
the proposal, solicitation ID number, proposal number, which program the proposal is applying to, the
status of the proposal in FAIS, and the country the organization is proposing to operate in.

•

Proposal Section Details – Staff assigned as the PP Creator (Proposal Manager) and the various
Contributors (Authors) to each of the four proposal sections (Introduction, Commodity, Results, and
Budget). Only one PP Creator may be assigned to a proposal, and one Contributor may be assigned to a
given section. One person may be assigned multiple sections, or as a PP Creator and PP Contributor

•

Proposal Workflow History – Shows each proposal review event (Create, Assign, Submit for Review,
Submit to USDA, and Withdraw)

•

Workflow Actions – Shows the actions that can be executed based on the proposal status

•

Attachments – Tab on the Proposal Summary page which lists all of the proposal attachments that have
been uploaded (Refer to the Attachments portion of this document)

All proposal assignments will be displayed in this section, including changes to proposal contributor contacts,
workflow history, and workflow actions such as when a section is submitted for review.

Important: FAIS will prevent the proposal from being submitted if all sections (Applicant Details, Introduction,
Commodity, Results, Budget, and all Attachments) are not reviewed and approved by the proposal creator. During
the review process, each proposal section must have a status of Submitted for Review for the proposal creator to
submit.
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Proposal Assignment
After the proposal is created, the Applicant will be immediately brought to the Proposal Assignment
page. This section is used to assign the roles for the proposal and manage each section. These roles
include:
Proposal Creator: The person in the organization assigned as the overall proposal manager. This person
will have edit capabilities to all proposal sections and will be the first-level reviewer for the various
proposal sections if these sections are assigned to other staff members. To be assigned this role, a person
must be given this role in their FAIS registration profile. This role can be changed at any time.
Proposal Contributor: A staff member who is assigned to write a given section. A section contributor
will be given edit capability only to the section(s) to which the person is assigned and has a read-only
capability to all other sections.
Note: This person may also be the Proposal Creator and PP Director if there is only one person
responsible for producing the proposal.
In addition, there is a Comments field that is used to convey any instructions to the persons assigned by
the proposal.

The proposal contains four main sections that require an assigned contributor. The sections can be
assigned to persons in the Applicant’s organization if they are registered in FAIS, and they have their own
workflow and statuses as mentioned in the table below. The same person may be selected as contributor
for all sections. Each field must be assigned to an individual. After the Applicant clicks Assign, an
automated email is sent out to the contributors assigned to the section. This applies only to contributors
who opted for email alerts when they registered.
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Important: In each section (Introduction, Commodity, Results, and Budget), the assigned contributor
can click on Submit for Review, which is located under Workflow Actions. This will send an email alert to
the Proposal Creator who will then have access to review the section and make any edits.
If necessary, the proposal creator can then request a modification of that section.

The Applicant may also add comments regarding any actions or updates to the section in question. These
comments should be for the organization team members only.
Note: These comments are visible to FAS.

SECTION 4: PROPOSAL APPLICANT DETAILS
This page displays the list of people assigned as contacts for the Applicant’s proposal. Both a Proposal
Creator and PP Director are given the ability to specify each contact by clicking Create New Proposal
Contact link.
Important: This is a mandatory section. The list of contacts in this section is different from the list of
PP Creator and PP Contributors. The persons listed do not necessarily play a part in the proposal
development nor require an account in FAIS.
To begin, click on Create New Proposal Contact.

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For each proposal, there are five types of required contacts. Applicants must assign a contact type to all
individuals or FAIS will reject the proposal when submitted. A single person may be assigned multiple
roles by selecting one person from the drop-down menu and checking multiple checkboxes. The contact
types are:
•
•
•
•
•

U.S. Contact: The organization’s primary proposal contact located within the United States
Legal Signatory: The organization’s proposal contact with the legal authority to sign
proposal documents
Donation Country: The organization’s contact in the proposed project country
Organization HQ: The organization’s proposal contact at the headquarters or main
office of operations
Applicant: The organization’s proposal contact who is able to address proposal questions or
issues. This is typically the Proposal Director or PP Creator

When a person is selected from the drop-down menu, the person's contact information will be populated
from their FAIS registration profile. Only the person's phone number and fax number will be editable for
the purposes of this proposal; i.e., the new information will not be stored permanently in the person's
registration profile information.

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Applicants may select from a
drop-down list of all Participant
Contacts who are registered with
the organization in FAIS or create
a new contact.

Reminder: All listed contact types must be included in the proposal. The created records will be
displayed on the Applicant Summary page.

The following sections details each of the four primary sections required to submit a proposal in FAIS. In
regards to the Results, Commodity, and Budget sections of FAIS, to minimize duplicative entry of information
already provided by the Applicant in a proposal attachment, Applicants may enter language in a FAIS data field
referencing the location of proposal information in said attachment. For example: “See Attachment X: Project
Level Results Framework” can be entered in the field for Results.
Refer to the proposal solicitation for specific content guidance.
SECTION 5: INTRODUCTION
Introduction Summary
The Introduction Summary page displays summary information and a workflow history about the
introduction section, e.g., section submissions and requests for modification. This page also allows for
the submission of sections for review by clicking on Submit For Review in the Workflow Actions section.
Two required subsections exist here and are displayed as tabs:
1. Introduction Details (Country Selection)
2. Key Personnel (Program Administration List)
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To begin, click on the Introduction link in the Data Navigation menu, and the system will display
the Introduction Details page. Applicants will be able to edit the following details:
•

Country – Please refer to the solicitation for the list of priority countries and regions. Every
country, territory, and region is listed alphabetically

•

Anticipated Start Date – Project implementation date. This date must not be prior to the
Anticipated Award Date stated in the solicitation

•

Anticipated Completion Date – This is the tentative date which the project will end

•

Anticipated Monetization Date – FFPr program only. This date must fall within the
anticipated start and completion dates

•

Check box for a Continuation of a Previous Program – Check the box if the proposal is
an extension of an existing project

Click Save to record the details for this section.

Key Personnel
This page lists the key project staff participating project implementation. Applicants should highlight the
technical and management experience of the Chief of Party or Country Director and the proposed
management structure of the project which outlines the appropriate positions. Refer to Organizational
Capacity and Staffing section of the NOFO for instructions regarding the list of project personnel. In
addition, Applicants are required to submit as an attachment an organizational chart which identifies
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key positions.

To create a new entry, click on the Add new record button. Enter the values for each field; e.g.,
, in the table and press the Insert button.

Use the Edit button to enter new values for an existing entry, then click Update. Use the Delete button to
delete an entry from the table. Applicants should not use more than 128 characters for Main
Responsibility description.

When complete, including all other sections of the introduction section, return to the Introduction
Summary tab and click on Submit for Review.

If there are no submission errors or omissions, a green box will be displayed stating that all data sections
have been recorded.
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SECTION 6: RESULTS
IFAD utilizes program-level results frameworks for each of its programs. In this section, Applicants
are required to produce a results framework from the tools provided. To begin, click on the Results
tab located in the Data Navigation menu.
Proposal Result Summary
In the Proposal Results Summary page, there are four tabs that require data entry. If any section is
omitted, FAIS will reject the Applicant’s proposal submission. These sections are the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Results
Activities
Mapping
Other Details

In the Results, Activities, Mapping, and Other Details tabs in FAIS, to minimize duplicative entry of information
already provided by the Applicant in a proposal attachment, Applicants may enter language in a FAIS data field
referencing the location of proposal information in said attachment. For example: “See Attachment X: Project
Level Results Framework” can be entered in the field for Results.

Results
On this page, Applicants are required to identify from the Results Framework map all results the project will
achieve. FAIS allows the Applicant to select results based on a hierarchy that captures the relationships in the
program Results Frameworks. The program has two Results Frameworks that must be completed by the
Applicant.
Applicants must contribute to both of the highest-level results in the two program-level results frameworks. For
McGovern-Dole, the highest-level results are: “Improved Literacy of School-Age Children” and “Increased Use
of Health, Nutrition and Dietary Practices”. For FFPr, the highest-level results are: “Increased Agricultural
Productivity” and “Expanded Trade of Agricultural Products”. To begin, click on the Results tab. Both the
Results Framework #1 will be displayed, along with a link for Framework #2. The screenshots below depict the
McGovern-Dole Results Frameworks.
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Framework #1

Framework #2

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To select each result, click on each result box, which will turn a gray color, and a corresponding green
message box will pop-up.

FAIS requires that at least one result be selected for each Framework. Refer to the example below. A
number will be displayed in parentheses next to the Results Framework indicating the number of results
selected. The selected results will be displayed in the Mapping section of the proposal.

InNine
this example,
nineselected
results in
res ults were
were
selected.
this example

Although FAS encourages selecting results from the provided list, Applicants may also produce custom
results. To add a custom result, click on the Add Custom Result link. Refer to Project-Level Results
Frameworks section of the solicitation for more information. Custom results should be appropriately
labeled and should be linked with specific activities.

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Click Save & Close to record the custom result into FAIS. Applicants may edit or delete the result if
necessary.

Conversely, the Applicant may opt to simply input one result with a reference to where the complete
information can be found:

Activities
As part of the proposal application, (see Plan of Operation and Activities in the NOFO), the Applicant
must provide a complete list of activities and map the activities to the appropriate results function to
capture the linkage between activities and results. In addition, Applicants are required to provide short
Activity Descriptions for each activity.

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To add an activity, click the Create New Activity link located on the activities table.

Refer to the list of activities found in the drop-down list. Applicants may produce a custom activity
by selecting Custom Title, which will produce a cell where the new activity can be recorded.

The field character limits for these cells are: Custom Title (64 characters), and Activity Description
(16,384 characters). The text boxes do not allow for any formatting.

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Use the Activity Order cell to sort the activities in the table alphabetically. Enter whole numbers for
Activity Order and the list of activities will display in ascending order of the numbers entered.
Click Save to record the activity into the table. Applicants may edit or delete each activity where
necessary.

Conversely, the Applicant may opt to simply input one activity with a reference to where the complete
information can be found:

Mapping
This page allows for the connection of the Applicant’s proposed Activities to the selected Results. Every
Activity produced must be mapped to a Result. Conversely, not every result, including higher-level
results, is required to be mapped to an activity. These linkages should exactly reflect the Project-Level
Framework submission.
Notice that a single activity may be linked to more than one result as long as all activities are
completely mapped. Applicants may create this section by selecting the activities and results
already specified for the proposal from the drop-down menus and clicking the Save button.
Applicants may also edit or delete an existing mapping (relationship) by using the Edit or Delete
links. If there is a Result or Activity not being displayed, Applicants should return to the preceding
tabs and review the selection.

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First, select the Activity that was produced in the preceding Activities section. All Custom Activities

produced will be included.
Next, select the Result that was generated from the Results tab. In this drop-down menu, all Custom
Results will also be displayed. If a particular Result required by the Applicant is not located, return
to the Results tab to review the selection and make any changes.

Any mapped Results & Activities can be edited or deleted prior to submission.

Other Details
The final tab of the Results section includes the submission of information regarding the following:
•

Cash or Non-cash Contributions

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•
•
•
•
•

Subrecipients
Government and Non-Governmental Agencies
Method of Educating the Public
Method of Choosing Beneficiaries
Target Geographic Area (Illustrative maps can be uploaded in FAIS as an attachment)

All Applicants must complete the Other Details section regarding the results entered in their
proposal.
Note: FAIS requires data entry into each field. Applicants may choose to simply reference which
attachment(s) of the proposal contains the information.

Once each section contains data, return to the Results Summary tab and click on Submit for Review,
located under the Workflow Actions display. If there are no submission errors or omissions, a green box
will be displayed stating that all data sections have been recorded.

SECTION 7: COMMODITY
Commodity Summary
The Commodity Summary page displays summary information about the proposal, and the history for the
Commodity section; e.g., section submissions and requests for modification. This page also allows the
Applicant to submit for review using the Workflow Actions section. Three required subsections exist in
this section and are displayed as tabs:
1. Commodity List
2. Special Needs & Distribution Methods
3. Monetization
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In regards to the Special Needs & Distribution Methods and Monetization tabs, to minimize duplicative entry of
information already provided by the Applicant in a proposal attachment, Applicants may enter language in a FAIS data
field referencing the location of proposal information in said attachment. For example: “See Attachment X:
Monetization” can be entered in the field for Monetization.
Commodity List
This page lists the commodities for the proposal. To add a new commodity, click on the link Create New
Commodity. Each programmed commodity must have a corresponding record in this section.
Important: Refer to Commodity List in the NOFO for specific guidance.

To begin, enter the Basic Information for the commodity:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Select the Commodity from the drop-down list.
Select the Usage Type from the drop-down list
Enter the Quantity MT as required. Values must be in whole numbers only, in multiples of 10
Select the Package Type from the drop-down list.
Select the Package Size from the drop-down list.
Select the Destination Country from the drop-down list.
Select the Month and enter the Year of Delivery to U.S. Port (This date should not fall outside the proposal’s
start and end date).

Note: All the fields marked yellow with an asterisk are listed are mandatory fields.

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In addition, every commodity available for either direct feed (McGovern-Dole) or monetization (FFPr)
programs will be displayed in the drop-down list shown above. If the Commodity Usage Type selected is
Monetization or Barter, those detailed sections listed below will be active.
Direct Feed Commodities
For McGovern-Dole, complete only the basic information required for the commodity. Answer the
following question for each commodity: “Is the commodity locally or regionally procured?” Indicate
“Yes” or “No” by clicking on the corresponding box. Commodity MT value must be whole numbers in
multiples of ten. The Delivery to U.S. Port Month & Year cells must include a month and year that is
inside of the proposal’s start and end date.

Monetized Commodities
FFPr program proposals include monetization requirements. Please fill out the required information as
highlighted below.
1. Enter the Estimated Sales per MT in the field
2. The Estimated Proceeds field gets calculated based on the Applicant’s input
3. The Delivery to U.S. Port Month & Year cells must include a month and year that is inside of the proposal’s
start and end date
Note: The destination for the commodity does not necessarily have to be the same as the project country.

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Commodity Table
Once all commodities are recorded, the Applicant’s records will be displayed in the List of Commodities
table. Each column will display information appropriate to the level of detail provided. To edit or delete
a commodity from the list, click on the links Edit or Delete.

Special Needs and Distribution Methods
In the Special Needs and Distribution Method tab, please refer to Special Needs & Distribution Methods
guidance provided within the Commodity Management section of the NOFO for information on the
requirements of this section. Each text section has a 5,000 maximum character limit in FAIS. In FAIS, the
user is required to enter information for the following fields:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Transportation and Storage
Processing or Repackaging
Duty Free Entry
Economic Impact
Ration Justification

Select Save to record the entered data. The text boxes utilize a Rich-Text Field (RTF), and this section
should have an appropriate format that does not detract from the text language.
Note: FAIS requires data entry into each RTF box in the Special Needs & Distribution Methods tab.
Applicants may choose to simply reference which Attachment(s) of the proposal contains the relevant
information.

Other Details
The final tab of the Results section includes the submission of information regarding the following:
•
•
•

Cash or Non-cash Contributions
Subrecipients
Government and Non-Governmental Agencies

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•
•
•

Method of Educating the Public
Method of Choosing Beneficiaries
Target Geographic Area (Illustrative maps can be uploaded in FAIS as an attachment)

All Applicants must complete the Other Details section regarding the results entered in their proposal.

Note: FAIS requires data entry into each RTF box in the Other Details tab. Applicants may choose to
simply reference which Attachment(s) of the proposal contains the relevant information.

Once each section contains data, return to the Results Summary tab and click on Submit for Review,
located under the Workflow Actions display. If there are no submission errors or omissions, a green box
will be displayed stating that all data sections have been recorded.

Monetization
FFPr program proposals include monetization requirements. Please fill out the required information as
highlighted below.
The page allows the Applicant to enter additional details related to the monetization for the commodities
selected for the proposal. The user is required to enter details for the following fields:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Impact On Other Sales
Private Sector Participation In Sale Of Commodity
Sales Proceed Usage Activity Implementation
Assuring Receipt Procedures
Expected Interest Earned (must use digits and not numerical values)

Enter the value in U.S. Dollars in the Expected Interest Earned field (without entering the $ sign). Click
Save to record the data.
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Note: FAIS requires data entry into each RTF box in the Monetization tab. Applicants may choose to
simply reference which Attachment(s) of the proposal contains the relevant information.

Once each section is completed, return to the Commodity Summary tab and click on Submit for Review,
located under the Workflow Actions display. If there are no submission errors or omissions, a green box
will be displayed stating that all data sections have been recorded.

SECTION 8: BUDGET
PVO Budget Summary
Applicants must submit a budget summary which adheres to the budget summary template provided in
the NOFO. The budget summary must be uploaded as an Attachment.
PVO Budget Narrative
Applicants can access this section by clicking on the Budget Narrative tab.
FAIS requires data entry into the RTF box in the Budget Narrative tab. Applicants may choose to upload
the budget narrative as an Attachment and simply reference in the RTF box the title of the Attachment.
Please refer to the budget narrative specific guidance in NOFO that details how the budget narrative
should be structured.
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Once complete, click Save, and the following message will appear on the screen.

When the Applicant is finished with the budget narrative, return to the Budget Summary Page and click
Submit for Review.

SECTION 9: ATTACHMENTS
Use this tab to attach all documents necessary for the proposal. A drop-down list of all required
Attachments to upload is provided. Any documents not in the list below but supports the proposal can be
uploaded here and should be labeled as Generic.
Important: The Applicant’s proposal will be rejected in FAIS if any File Types in the drop-down list are
omitted (excluding Generic). Each File Type should be selected and included in the proposal. To access
this section, click on the Attachments tab that located in Proposal Summary.

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To submit a proposal in FAIS, the following Attachments are required:
1. Budget Summary
2. Narrative Budget
3. Performance Indicators
4. Introduction and Strategic Analysis
5. Single Audit
6. Evaluation Plan
7. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
8. Project Framework
9. SF-424
10. NICRA Agreement
11. Generic (Ex. Subrecipient Commitment Letter, Org Chart, etc.)
Refer to the NOFO for more information on each required attachment.

To attach a document:
1. Select the File Type from the drop-down list
2. Select the desired file to upload by selecting Browse
3. Add comments or a label describing the file type, this can be the title of the document or a
detailed description
4. Select Upload to upload the document. Once complete, the document will be listed in the table
below
5. To delete any document uploaded, click the Delete icon.

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SECTION 10: SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL
Once each section (Introduction, Commodity, Results, and PVO Budget) are complete and submitted for
review, and all required attachments are uploaded, the food aid proposal is ready to submit in FAIS.
Applicants should ensure that each section has been submitted for review. Click on the Submit for Review
icon listed under Workflow Actions.

If FAIS detects any incomplete data, the system will reject the submission and a red message box(s) will
list all absences.
1. Attachments and Applicant Contacts - Check if every required attachment is uploaded with the
appropriate File Type label. For Applicant contacts, make sure that every required contact type is
included. If one is missing the system will reject the proposal.

2. Introduction – If the monetization completion date cell is blank or falls outside of the start and end
dates, and/or the Program Administration list is incomplete

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3. Commodity – If any section is left omitted, the following errors are displayed in either screenshots.
In addition, make sure the Commodity Delivery to U.S. Port is included and falls within the proposal
start and end dates.

4. Results – Regarding the results section, the following errors are displayed:

5. If there are errors with the submission date, the following message will appear. However, this will
not prevent the submission of the proposal from occurring.

Once all errors have been resolved, click Submit for Review. If successful, and no submission errors
exist, the Proposal Creator will be given the next options for final submission. Both the Proposal Creator
and Director will then have the following available options:

•

Submit to USDA – This is the final step in submitting the proposal, the proposal creator or
director may unsubmit a report if necessary

•

Request for Modification – If there any changes that need to be made in the proposal, a request
will be made and FAIS will generate an email to all assigned contributors. Each section should
be submitted and approved by the Proposal Creator or Director
Reject – Proposal submission to FAIS is cancelled. Important: Applicants cannot return to a

•

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canceled proposal and can only view the data that was recorded. Proposals are only canceled
by the Proposal Creator or Director and should be done only if the organization is certain that the
proposal will be abandoned
If the proposal is canceled, the following message will appear:

If the proposal is submitted successfully, the following message will appear:

Applicants may return to the Proposal List, and the proposal status for the proposal will be listed as
Submitted.
Note: Applicants cannot delete any submitted proposals and the link is made inactive.

Prior to the submission deadline, if Applicants must return to the proposal and make any revisions, click
on the Withdraw link located under Workflow Actions, located in the Proposal Summary page. After the
proposal is withdrawn, the Applicant has access to make changes to all sections of the proposal. The
Applicant must submit the proposal using the same links as mentioned earlier.

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If the award letter is accepted by the PVO Applicant, a draft agreement is generated in FAIS. Applicants
may consult their IFAD Analyst for more information and instructions regarding this process.

v. June 2, 2023