Call for Africa Trade & Investment Partnerships

ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT (APS)*

USAID AFRICA TRADE & INVESTMENT (ATI) PROGRAM

Funding Opportunity Title:                              ATI Partnerships in Trade, Investment and Enabling Business Environment

Announcement Type:                                       Annual Program Statement

Funding Opportunity Number:                        APS-ATI-001

Issuance Date:                                                  December 13, 2021

Deadline for Questions:                                   N/A – accepted on rolling basis 

Closing Date Concept Papers:                        December 31, 2024 5:00PM EDT

APS Closing Date:                                            December 31, 2024 5:00PM EDT

Submit Questions on the following link:        ATI APS 001 Questions

Submit Concept Papers to:                             Concept Papers must be uploaded to USAID Africa Trade and Investment Initial Plan (Concept Note)

Addendum #1:                                                        USAID Kenya East Africa (USAID/KEA) APS Addendum (issued December 13, 2021)

Addendum #2:                                                        USAID Innovation, Technology, and Research Addendum (issued February 23, 2022)

Addendum #3:                                                        USAID Continental Services - Catalytic Funding Addendum (issued May 20, 2022)

Addendum #4:                                                        USAID Kenya MHH Addendum (issued July 13, 2022)

Addendum #5:                                                        USAID Liberia Agribusiness Incubator Addendum (issued August 26, 2022)

Addendum #6:                                                        USAID Southern Africa Regional Economic Growth Office Market Systems Activity Addendum (issued September 1, 2022)

Addendum #7:                                                        USAID Buyer-Supplier Trade Deals APS Addendum (issued October 21, 2022)

Addendum #8:                                                        USAID Liberia Climate Finance Facility APS Addendum (issued November 8, 2022)

Addendum #9:                                                        USAID West Africa (CWA) APS Addendum (issued February 10, 2023)

Addendum #10:                                                      USAID Ghana Grant Growth Fund  APS Addendum (issued March 10, 2023)

Addendum #11:                                                         USAID Continental Services - Climate Finance (issued April 24, 2023)

Addendum #12:                                                         USAID Kenya East Africa (issued May 12, 2023)

Addendum #13:                                                         USAID Ghana Climate Fianace  (issued June 6, 2023)

Addendum #14:                                                         USAID Central Africa Region CARPE (issued June 8, 2023)

Addendum #15:                                                         USAID DRC Minerals Activity (issued June 8, 2023)

Addendum #16:                                                         USAID Continental Services – Large Scale Transactions (issued October 18, 2023)

Addendum #17:                                                         USAID USAID Southern Africa Market Systems (issued October 24, 2023)

Addendum #18:                                                         USAID USAID Zambia TradeBoost (issued December 8, 2023)

Addendum #19:                                                         USAID Kenya & East Africa Regional Ocean Plastic (Issued December 20, 2023)

This APS is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested and qualified organizations have a fair opportunity to qualify for funding. To be considered for award, applicants must respond to all the requirements and instructions of this APS. DAI will review applications on the basis of the criteria and instructions set forth in this APS. Concepts will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis. Please note that the APS is subject to change, any of which will be updated and reposted.

Issuance of this APS does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of DAI, nor does it commit DAI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. DAI reserves the right to fund any or none of the concept papers or applications submitted. Further, DAI reserves the right to make no awards as a result of this APS.

* An Annual Program Statement is a type of solicitation used by USAID and USAID implementers to solicit grant concept papers for potential funding.

Project Background: In support of the Prosper Africa, Feed the Future, and other Presidential initiatives, the USAID Africa Bureau, Africa Regional Missions, and the Middle East Bureau have established the USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Program. The purpose of this Program is to mobilize enterprise-driven solutions that increase trade and investment in Africa, including North and Sub-Saharan Africa. ATI will support the strengthening of Africa’s markets by developing new trade and investment relationships, particularly between the U.S. and Africa, and achieve development outcomes across sectors in line with USAID’s Private Sector Engagement Policy and the USG Prosper Africa initiative.

Driven by market demand, the Program will embrace innovative approaches to achieve its goals. The Program is envisioned as a small, core set of centrally coordinated technical and institutional support activities, and a large, flexible performance-based subcontracting and grants under contract facility designed to support the needs and opportunities that missions and the private sector identify. The Program aims to mobilize private sector resources and expertise, in conjunction with other USG interagency partners, resulting in the increased capacity, competitiveness and availability of businesses, investors and intermediaries that will drive future trade and investment.

Funding Opportunity: Through this Annual Program Statement (APS) via APS-ATI-001, the USAID Africa Trade & Investment Program is offering partners the opportunity to co-invest with USAID to work towards one or multiple of the following overarching objectives and related target outcomes for each:

Objective 1: Increased Trade

• Support to new businesses (especially women-owned) and sourcing relationships
• Development of Market Intelligence
• Business-to-business linkages
• Engagement with trade facilitators

Objective One Anticipated Outcomes: trade and exports increased, trade barriers mitigated, jobs created

Objective 2: Increased Investment

• Identification, dissemination, and promotion of investment opportunities
• Transaction facilitation and deal structuring
• Development of new financing solutions
• Strengthening of the capacity of investment intermediaries/facilitators/service providers

Objective Two Anticipated Outcomes: investment increased, new investment mechanisms/solutions developed and supported, investment barriers mitigated, jobs created

Objective 3: Improved Business Environment

• Policy work driven by the private sector to improve the business environment
• Interventions that address restrictions, regulations and processes that pose barriers to trade and investment on the continent

Objective Three Anticipated Outcomes: supportive, inclusive business enabling environment responsive to market demands; increased understanding of the benefit and value-added dividends from greater U.S. business involvement in their economic development; targeted policy interventions contributed to increased trade and investment; private sector better informed of policies and regulations relevant to trade and investment, including reforms necessary to improve women’s economic empowerment

Cross-cutting objectives & outcomes:

• Creation of private sector jobs
• Empowerment of women and youth
• More resilient, inclusive economic ecosystems across countries, regions and the continent
• Value chain activities that span countries and crowd in various enterprises

This Annual Program Statement (APS) is a tool for engaging the private sector in transformational partnerships that advance market-based solutions to achieve private sector objectives and development objectives. Eligible activities include novel ideas and innovative business models related to trade, investment and the enabling business environment and other support services as described in the text box in Section 1 and above. Innovative ideas that combine the various objectives in a manner that delivers trade and investment deals as a package are encouraged.

Proposed activities will be evaluated on several factors with priority given to those concepts able to achieve multiple of the following: produce significant commercial-scale results or trade figures, raise private capital particularly from US entities, create a notable amount of jobs, and/or construct a market-demonstrating effect that will build the case for further similar opportunities (see more details under Section IV). Activities with the potential to engage women and youth are also priorities. By fulfilling a multitude of these priorities, the hope is that awardees will build a better, more resilient economic ecosystem in the countries they operate in. 

Another preferred selection criteria is that the proposed activities be at least partially funded through or leverage new external financing, which can include but are not limited to: matched funding from the grant awardee, equity capital (internal or external) raised, and/or debt capital mobilized from financial providers (see more detail under evaluation criteria). To expand trade and investment relationships between Africa and the United States, ATI is particularly interested in activities with the potential to engage American companies and investors or African companies that are suppliers for U.S. companies or use U.S. equipment and technologies. Concepts for opportunities that would have significant negative impact on US exports or US jobs may be deemed ineligible.

ATI will leverage USAID and Prosper Africa’s previous and existing efforts to develop the economies and financial systems on the African continent to support mutually beneficial trade and investment on the continent and with the United States.

Examples of illustrative activities that USAID may consider funding under the respective objectives include but are not limited to:

Illustrative Examples under Objective 1 (Trade):

• Cost-shared partnerships working creatively with buyers and potential suppliers to realize the commercial potential
• Incorporation of more women-owned businesses into the local and international supply chains
• Development of intelligence that identifies and supports new commercial trade and investment opportunities
• De-risk corporate opportunities to build out African supply chains 
• Support for African exporters, especially those exporting to the U.S., to meet export requirements and/or accelerate the implementation of the existing Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) export strategies
• Strategic/sector-level technical assistance to overcome transaction challenges
• Support to commercial platforms that can disseminate actionable market intelligence and facilitate linkages to trade services (distribution, logistics, financial)  
• Help U.S. companies do business in African markets and expand U.S. trade with Africa
• Use pay-for-results model to expand the use of trade service providers as a means to facilitate U.S.-African matchmaking (including intra-African trade, AGOA exports, U.S. technology/equipment deals)
• Support linkages between U.S. industry, State/Federal-level trade promotion agencies and African counterparts, in collaboration with Prosper Africa
• Build capacity of African trade facilitators and service providers to offer trade services, including market linkages, distribution, certification and financial 
• Support new business and sourcing relationships

Illustrative Examples under Objective 2 (Investment):

• Efforts to support and structure investment deals in the realm of conducting feasibility studies, gender analyses, opportunity assessments, etc.
• Performance of commercial, environmental and operational due diligence appraisals
• Development of new financial approaches, products, and structures, particularly those with the potential to engage U.S. firms and investors and increase access to finance for women-owned and men-owed African businesses and entrepreneurs
• Targeted policy interventions driven by the private sector that create tangible, direct impacts on increased business opportunities
• Identify, disseminate, and promote investment opportunities
• Transaction facilitation and deal structuring
• Catalytic funding to mobilize additional investment and/or de-risk for transaction opportunities
• Develop and increase uptake of financing solutions, including blended finance structures, trade finance mechanisms, deepening/strengthening financial markets and/or developing new product offerings
• Support to scale and/or replicate financial vehicles and/or investment products, especially those needed to reduce gender gaps and/or reach underserved markets/sectors
• Facilitate investment from U.S. investors into African businesses and funds in support of Prosper Africa
• Strengthen the capacity of investment intermediaries/facilitators/service providers, including improvements in their internal gender balance of staff, managers and officers.

Illustrative Examples under Objective 3 (Business Enabling Environment):

• Support transaction driven policy reform in partnership with think tanks, business associations, law firms, etc. based on feedback from stalled transactions
• Address investment restrictions/barriers, intellectual property rights protection, regulation of the digital economy, customs/tariff or tax treatment, standards issues, product licensing and approval requirements, etc.
• Support more streamlined and transparent African government procurement processes that provide American companies with improved access to these government procurement opportunities
• Support and scale activities in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Regional Economic Communities (e.g. COMESA, ECOWAS) and/or work directly with those bodies in efforts aligned with ATI
• Building the capacity of financial intermediaries, trade associations, and other key market actors to conduct evidence-based analysis and advocacy efforts
• Enhance comprehensive, multi-faceted due diligence to de-risk trade and investment
• Gender analyses to identify and address constraints experienced by women; business practices that adversely affect women and/or discriminatory laws and regulations
• Business environment interventions which address investment restrictions, intellectual property rights protection, regulation of the digital economy, customs/tariff or tax treatment, standards issues, product licensing and approval requirements, etc.

Note: As a buy-in mechanism, ATI will have new funding streams coming into the program on an ongoing basis, and with it, programming of activities. As funding comes in, an addendum will be posted that clarifies the priorities and total ceiling associated with that funding. As a result, the total ceiling of available grant funding will evolve over the life of this APS. An interested grantee can submit a concept that fits the APS at any time, but awards may be more likely if they match the funding available and priorities outlined within an addendum.

Type of Anticipated  Funding: ATI will issue performance-based grants ranging between US$150,000 - US$5,000,000 to establish partnerships with firms and/or investors for meeting the development objectives stated in Section 1. Grant sizes of smaller or larger amounts may be considered should the proposed activity meet the objectives of the APS, and a range of grant award types may be considered. Given the multiple funding streams under ATI via buy-ins, funding availability for each is outlined in the addenda to specify where grant awards are most likely to be made (e.g. a particular country’s USAID Mission has $10M strictly for tourism-related opportunities). Please refer to the addenda for further details on each buy-in’s priorities and the ceiling of its funding amount and note that they will be updated regularly throughout the year as additional activities are programmed under ATI.

Grant values may be limited by the type of grant most appropriate for the enterprise it intends to fund—for example, U.S. organizations (both not-for-profits or for-profits) may not receive grant funding above $250,000 under any grant type.

Performance-based grants: The specific type of performance-based grant preferred for this APS will be a Fixed Amount Award (FAA) agreement under USAID rules. Payment under FAA grants are made upon accomplishments of predetermined results, referred to as milestones. Milestones are agreed between ATI and the partner prior to the grant being awarded. 

Although the FAA is the preferred grant mechanism under this APS, ATI will conduct capacity assessments of all potential grantees in which their mode of award will be determined based on the financial and administrative capabilities of the applicant. Other modalities of award may include an in-kind grant, standard grant, simplified grant, or a combination of FAA and in-kind grants, but this is dependent on ATI’s determination of the potential grantee’s capacity.

If ATI’s assessment identifies weaknesses or deficiencies that call into question the applicant’s ability to manage the award, ATI may elect to remove the applicant from consideration under this funding opportunity or select a mechanism more appropriate for the applicant’s current financial, administrative and operational capacity ATI. The applicant will agree to the metrics and verification methods of awards during the development of the full application, giving latitude to the partner on how it will accomplish the agreed objectives.

Performance Period: The performance period of partnership grants will be no more than 36 months although this length of program will typically be reserved for activities needing longer timelines for externalities such as fundraising. In addition, the length of awarded programs may not extend past June 2026, unless explicitly modified in writing by DAI.

Questions: Please submit any questions regarding the APS process or activity to ATI APS 001 Questions. Please also visit the frequently asked questions (FAQs) page linked on the application site.

DAI may choose to extend this APS until all funding has been awarded. The number of awards and amount of available funding may be subject to change. DAI may choose to fully fund or incrementally fund selected application(s). DAI reserves the right to make no awards as a result of this APS. DAI will evaluate concept papers on a rolling basis and full applications after their respective closing dates.

Eligible activities include novel and transformative ideas as described above.

Eligible applicants:

• Applicants can include financial institutions, investors, businesses, business service organizations, industry/sector organizations, trade or other private sector associations. ATI strongly encourages applications from potential new partners. Should there be questions of whether your entity is eligible, please submit your inquiry at ATI APS 001 Questions.
• Applicants must demonstrate that it falls into one of the grantee categories below:
  • Private Sector Companies – both local (within Africa) and international (outside of Africa) firms.
  • Foreign Organizations (referred to as non-U.S. NGOs): either nonprofit or for-profit organizations that meet the definition in 2 CFR 200.47. 
  • Non-profit Organizations: Organizations that meet the definition of 2 CFR 200.70.
• In addition, an applicant must be organized under the laws of the country in which it has its principal place of business or operations in. In lieu of official registration, an applicant may still be eligible for award if it shows proof of effort to secure registration, exemption from registration, or cause for why registration is not optional or practicable.

Ineligible applicants:

• Any organization not legally organized under the laws of the country in which it has its principal place of business or operations in;
• Any entity listed in the U.S. government Excluded Parties List;
• Any entity unable to obtain a Unique Entity Identification Number (UEI);**
• Any entity excluded in the US Government System for Award Management;
• Any Government Entity;
• Any Public International Organization (PIO);
• Any entity affiliated with DAI or ATI directors, officers, or employees;
• Any projects involving involuntary resettlement, child labor, significant environmental impacts;
• Any military organization;
• Any political party organization;
• Any entity focused solely on religious activities;
• Any labor unions; and,
• Any individuals.

Prior experience with USAID or other US Government entities is not required. DAI encourages applications from potential new partners.

** Applicants can register for a UEI by accessing this website.

DAI will apply a streamlined two-stage review and selection process that begins with registering online at the USAID Africa Trade and Investment Initial Plan (Concept Note) and submitting a concept paper with a high-level budget. Only shortlisted applicants will be sent a request for application to initiate Stage 2 of the selection process, the full application (technical & cost) development and submission. Submitted full applications will undergo a second round of reviews resulting in final award selection.

Technical Selection Criteria - Concept papers and full applications will be evaluated on their responsiveness to the following criteria:

• The concept & the objectives it will cover: Describe the challenge the applicant seeks to address, the proposed partnership focal area or areas (as described on page 1), the novel idea to increase trade, investment and/or the business enabling environment in Africa. Explain what the applicant proposes to fund, what they are requesting ATI to fund, and how it is outside of business as usual or normal operating expenditures. In line with the interest of increasing trade and investment between Africa and the U.S., please note if the opportunity includes the potential for this aspect. Describe the expected outcome(s) and alignment with one or more of the three objectives stated on page 1 - in this description please estimate the potential for job creation, increased investment, and/or increased exports/sales.
• Additionality & the value of the partnership: Explain how the proposed concept is a departure from the status quo and how the ATI grant will produce demonstrated additionality. Additionality is defined as: The net positive difference expected to result from a donor-business partnership, (i.e., the positive change that otherwise would not happen without public support). It signifies the extent to which activities (and associated results) are larger in scale, are at a higher quality, take place more quickly, take place at a different location, or take place at all as a result of a donor intervention. (Source: Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED)). For example, a concept may outline what the leverage ratio will be once the ATI grant is incorporated into the fund economics based on the funding’s ability to catalyze investment.
• Current capacity and the future of the organization: Demonstrated institutional capacity to manage (technically, administratively, and financially) the proposed activity. Describe how the ​proposed idea can be ​sustained and expanded​​beyond the life of the partnership’s period of performance. Explain how the proposed partnership will attract additional private sector investment/resources, if relevant. 
• The business, community and wider ecosystem impact: Describe how this concept will create positive change at the business, industry, community, local/national/regional/continental ecosystem levels, what the benefits to the applicants will be, and what additional benefits will be created externally (e.g. new jobs, accessible financial products for women, eased export processes, environmental benefits, other social welfare). If possible, estimate how many individuals will benefit, by how much, and any available demographic information for those individuals (e.g. men, women, youth, etc.). Concepts that demonstrate broader market impact outside of a single entity are preferred. This may include (but are not limited to) concepts that incorporate multiple countries for regional benefits, will produce a market-demonstrating effect that enables further similar transactions to move forward, or concepts that present a significant opportunity to scale, thereby creating additional jobs and accelerated economic growth. In addition, ATI seeks to reduce gender and youth disparities across trade and investment and to scale opportunities that empower those communities. As a result, applications that demonstrate the potential for large scale impact on women and/or youth are preferred. Applicants should note how they plan to capture and report on the development impact.

Further to the above, the following are preferred selection criteria:

• Concepts that achieve multiple of the following: produce significant commercial-scale results or trade figures, raise private capital particularly from US entities, create a notable amount of jobs, and/or construct a market-demonstrating effect that will build the case for further similar opportunities
• Ability to leverage private sector resources, assets, capabilities and expertise (see cost evaluation below). This could include a commitment of funding by the grantee (e.g. matched funding) in support of the activity or private capital mobilized by leveraging the ATI grant.
• Concepts that include a positive impact on gender and/or youth
• Broader market impact beyond a single entity (e.g. a market-deepening capability that builds the ecosystem vs. growing one business’s sales)

Cost Evaluation Proposed partnership costs will be reviewed based on cost effectiveness, reasonableness, allocability, and allowability. Costs that do not meet the criteria below will be deemed non-responsive.

• Are costs effective? Will proposed costs provide a good value in achieving desired outcomes at a relatively low cost or becoming more cost-effective over time?
• Are costs reasonable? Are proposed costs generally recognized as ordinary and necessary and would they be incurred by a prudent person in the conduct of normal business?
• Are costs allocable? Do proposed costs have a legitimate justification for the funding amount requested and is the cost clearly captured in the budget and concept paper?
• Are costs allowable? Are proposed costs strictly for the achievement of the partnership and are they free of any restrictions or limitations, such as vehicles, alcohol, luxury goods, etc.?
• Applicant contribution: Applicants may contribute a cash investment to the proposed activity equal to or greater than the value of ATI’s grant. A cash contribution is a transfer of funding from the private sector entity to pay for goods and services that will specifically and exclusively be used to implement activities under the partnership, or a transfer of funding to be used in making loans or equity investments under the partnership. Please note that neither the “Investment from Applicant” nor the “Investment requested from ATI” can cover business-as-usual operating costs.
  • ATI prefers that grant funding used for loans or equity investments should mobilize private capital greater than the value of the ATI grant. Applicants should clearly note the anticipated leverage ratio if proposing this type of support (e.g. $1 of grant funding will mobilize $4 of private sector funding). Small leverage ratios may be considered in the event of certain market contexts or other high “returns” elsewhere, such as the ability to trigger growth in the value of exports. For clarity, leverage beyond the initial inputs of funding may be considered so as to account for the value of outputs such as additional trade finance, exports, jobs, etc. An equity investment is defined as the purchase of shares of a company and a loan investment is defined as the use of funds to provide credit to stakeholders. An example of a loan investment in this context could be a multi-national company (MNC) providing credit for inputs or other services to agricultural producers who are suppliers to that supply chain. The MNC would need to contribute or raise credit greater than the USAID contribution to those suppliers if proposing this type of engagement.
• Ineligible cost items include: profit or fee; application preparation costs; payment of debts; political elections; fees for public and elected government officials; fines and penalties; creation of endowments; military equipment, surveillance equipment; commodities and services for support of police and other law enforcement activities; abortion equipment and services; luxury goods and gambling equipment; alcohol; purchases of restricted goods without prior USAID prior approval, such as: agricultural commodities, motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, used equipment, and fertilizer, and purchases of goods or services from any firm or individual whose name appears on the list of ineligible applicants.

• ATI funds will not support construction. All construction activities will be resourced through grantee leverage.

Partnership grants will only start after approval by USAID and signature of the grant agreement between the applicant and DAI. Costs incurred before signing of the grant agreement will not be reimbursed.

STAGE 1: CONCEPT PAPER SUBMISSION

Concept Paper Instructions: Applicants are required to submit a technical concept paper describing the proposed activities addressing each of the technical selection criteria listed above. Concept papers must address all criteria to be considered for partnership. The concept paper must meet the following requirements, or it will not be reviewed:

• Be written in English
• Be prepared in Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Word, minimum font size 10
• Should not exceed a total of 6 slides or pages in length (cover slide/page is non-counting)
• The APS number name and whether you are responding to a specific addendum
• Address of organization
• Type of organization (e.g., for-profit, non-profit, association, etc.)
• Contact point (lead contact name, relevant telephone, e-mail information)
• Names of other organizations (federal and non-federal as well as any other USAID offices) to whom you are submitting and/or have submitted the application and/or who are funding the proposed activity
• Technical Approach:
  • Concise title and objectives of proposed activity
  • Discussion of the objectives & the method of approach
  • The amount of effort, funding, resources to be employed
  • The anticipated results (e.g. jobs created, trade increased, investment mobilized)
  • The ability to measure/capture results and how the work will help accomplish ATI’s goals as outlined above
• Estimated Funding Request
  • Type of support the applicant requests from USAID (e.g., funds, equipment, materials, etc.), as well as the anticipated leverage ratio (e.g. $ value of private capital raised) and/or commitment of grantee resources to the activity (e.g. 1:1 match of USAID funding)

The funding request must clearly distinguish between the proposed funding to be committed by the applicant, the funding/resources requested from ATI, and any third-party investment to be mobilized in the proposed partnership activity.

The Concept must be submitted via the online grants platform at USAID Africa Trade and Investment Initial Plan (Concept Note) no later than December 31, 2024 5:00PM EDT. No other forms of submission will be accepted. If an applicant is unable to submit using the online platform, they should email ATI_Grants@ATIProgram.com for help before the deadline. At the discretion of DAI, concept papers received past the deadline may be considered for review. Further attachments to the concept paper are not permitted.

STAGE 2: FULL APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT AND SUBMISSION

Applicants whose concept papers have been shortlisted will receive the full RFA and will begin co-development and due diligence with the ATI team. The RFA will provide detailed templates, instructions, and the requirements for the full technical and budget applications.

Co-Development: ATI will meet virtually with applicants to provide feedback and input to support applicants in their development of the full application, to identify appropriate concrete results (milestones), to further define and develop the specifics of the partnership budget, to define the respective roles of each partner that align with the shared objectives of the partner firm and USAID and identify and share risk and responsibility. Milestone reporting and verifiable metrics will be discussed and agreed upon during the co-development phase.  This process empowers the parties involved to design more transformational partnerships that maximize the value of ATI grant funding while supporting firms to reach their business goals. It is not unusual for the ideas offered in the original concept paper to evolve significantly as the applicant determines the best ways to achieve the greatest impact.

Financial and organizational due diligence: All applicants in the RFA process will be subject to a pre-award financial and management questionnaire and review, as well as environmental and social due diligence. All applicants must demonstrate that they have adequate financial and monitoring systems in place that ensure auditable systems and records. The review – which may be conducted remotely and on-site – will also ensure applicants have the ability to comply with the award conditions, including measuring and reporting on selected milestones, the ability to contribute the required cash investment, and a demonstrated good record of performance on the management and implementation of partnership activities and grants.

Full Application: Only applicants that complete the co-development process and the due diligence without significant negative findings will be eligible to submit a full application. Full applications will be due no later than the date outlined in the RFA at the time of issuance. ATI requires all applicants to have a current Unique Entity Identifier (UEID) and register in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management at sam.gov. (DAI is available to assist applicants with this process, but it is the applicant’s sole responsibility to fulfill and keep updated this requirement.) NOTE: Not all full applications will be recommended for award and USAID must approve all award recommendations.

The points of contact for this APS and any questions during the APS process is ATI APS 001 Questions. For general inquiries about ATI please email Partners@ATIProgram.com.

Any information given to an applicant concerning this APS will be furnished promptly to all other applicants as an amendment of this APS, if that information is necessary in submitting applications or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other applicants.

DAI reserves the right to modify by written notice the terms of this APS at any time or to withdraw this APS at any time—with or without a statement of cause—prior to any funding award.

Applicants that receive award funds will be required to comply with USAID required rules and regulations, including:

• Environmental Procedures: https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/200/204 In addition, the partner must comply with host country environmental regulations unless otherwise directed in writing by USAID. In case of conflict between host country and USAID regulations, the latter will govern.
• Branding: https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/320 All USAID-sponsored assistance awards are required to adhere to branding policies and revised marking requirements for grants and cooperative agreements in accordance with ADS 320.
• Combatting Trafficking in Persons (TIP): acquisition.gov For work performed outside the United States, FAR clause 52.222-50, shall be incorporated into grant award agreements with awards above $500,000 requiring a TIP compliance and training plan.
• Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Standard Provisions: CERTIFICATIONS, ASSURANCES, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF THE RECIPIENT (usaid.gov) In accordance with ADS 303.3.8, DAI will require awarded grant partners to submit signed copies of required certifications and assurances.
  • Standard Provisions for U.S. Nongovernmental Organizations: ADS Mandatory Reference 303maa - Mandatory Standard Provisions for U.S. Nongovernmental Organizations (usaid.gov)
  • Standard Provisions for Non-U.S. Nongovernmental Organizations: Standard Provisions for Non-U.S. Nongovernmental Organizations - A Mandatory Reference for ADS Chapter 303 (usaid.gov)
  • Standard Provisions for Fixed Amount Awards to Nongovernmental Organizations: Standard Provisions for Fixed Amount Awards to Nongovernmental Organizations - A Mandatory Reference for ADS Chapter 303 (usaid.gov)