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REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR KENYA EAST AFRICA IMARISHA INITIATIVE

 

Name of Project:

Imarisha Initiative

 

Reference Number:

RFA-06-KEA

Date of Issue:

October 27, 2023

Closing Date for Receipt of Applications:

December 31, 2023

Questions Submission Date

Submit your inquiry to RFA Questions. No later than: November 10, 2023

Question Response Date:

November 20, 2023

An information session will be held on November 23, 2023 for further clarification

 

OVERVIEW OF ATI

The USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) program is designed to bolster the U.S. Government’s ability to boost trade and investment to, from, and within the African continent. The continent-wide program is USAID’s flagship effort in support of the Prosper Africa initiative and will expand and accelerate two-way trade and investment between African nations and the United States.

Driven by market demand, ATI embraces innovative approaches to achieve its goals. ATI is designed 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 USAID Missions and the private sector identify.

USAID engaged ATI to facilitate private-sector partnerships that deliver development impact, bring value to the private sector, and position the continent for future growth.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Gender inequality is pervasive, with ramifications for jobs, innovation, productivity, GDP growth, and inequality. In Kenya, women are under-represented in the formal sector and earn 58% less than their male counterparts.[1] While many labor-intensive sectors have a predominately female workforce, such as cut flowers, horticulture, textiles, and nut processing (60 to 80% of workers), women are concentrated in the lowest-paying positions due to a lack of advanced skills, training, mentorship, and advocacy. Without

[1] World Bank. Kenya Gender and Poverty Assessment 2015/6, 2018

adequate training, advocacy, and opportunities, women have little opportunity to advance into well-paying positions. Women's participation in leadership is stymied by widespread social norms, stereotypes, and attitudes around gender.

Unequal access to career advancement is not the only barrier facing Kenyan women. Lack of education and accessible menstrual health materials has led to absenteeism, decreased productivity, financial burden, and even engaging in transactional sex to access menstrual products.[1] New mothers face additional challenges, such as no dedicated space for breastmilk expression at work, despite national policy to the contrary. Many working mothers have no choice but to express their breastmilk manually in a washroom or not work to stay home to breastfeed. With an average birth rate of 3.4 births, working women, on average, lose over three years of earnings and promotion opportunities that have long-term negative impacts on gender inequalities in wealth accumulation.

Research shows that gender-diverse work environments and the integration of women into leadership positions have “bottom line benefits” for companies’ performance. Evidence indicates that firms with higher gender diversity in management had a 35% better return on equity than firms with poor gender equity.[2] Companies with women occupying at least 30% of leadership positions are 48% more likely to outperform companies with less gender diversity.[3] Gender diversity throughout the workforce has been found to increase efficiency and productivity, resulting in increased wages for male and female employees.[4] Diverse teams develop more innovative ideas, have more in common with their end user, and, as a result, produce superior products.[5]

[1] Phillips-Howard PA, Otieno G, Burmen B, et al. Menstrual Needs and Associations with Sexual and Reproductive Risks in Rural Kenyan Females: A Cross-Sectional Behavioral Survey Linked with HIV Prevalence. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2015. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624246/

[2] Catalyst, “The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity” (2004)

[3] McKinsey, “Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters” (2020)

[4] International Monetary Fund, “Economic Gains from Gender Inclusion: Even Greater than You Thought” (2018)

[5] Harvard Business Review, “Research: When Gender Diversity Makes Firms More Productive” (2019)

 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The USAID Kenya and East Africa (KEA) Mission has developed the 'Imarisha Initiative''—an activity within its ATI buy-in—that seeks to support private sector firms in agro-processing and textile sectors to increase exports, sales, employment, and/or investment and at the same time expand economic opportunities for women. The Imarisha Initiative will provide grant funding and technical assistance to select firms to grow their business and increase women's employment and pathways for career advancement.

The Imarisha Initiative will create more formal sector jobs for women by upskilling and reskilling women employees to take up supervisory roles with higher paid and more technical positions, including testing, quality assurance, and procurement. The activity will provide skills development, mentorship, and pathways to management. It will reduce workplace gender barriers, including lactation, menstrual hygiene and health, and gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH).

1. Create 3,000+ new jobs for women (disaggregated further to include age, disabilities, marginalized groups as a target group)

2. Increased sales

3. Improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, increased retention

4. Increased management and career opportunities for women in the workforce

5. Reduced systemic barriers to women’s participation in the workforce (including barriers that marginalized women face)

Interested firms can apply to participate. Firms will be selected based on selection criteria below. Selected firms may be currently working with ATI in some capacity or be new to ATI. Firms already working with ATI should propose gender activities that will be integrated in ongoing business growth plans/activities while responding to this RFA. In addition, firms working with ATI who have identified new growth plans that provide opportunities for gender integration can include this in their response. Firms not currently working with ATI must provide workplan and budget for their firms’ growth plan in addition to aligning gender activities. All selected businesses will be expected to co-invest in this activity by providing leverage/contribution in addition to meeting specific eligibility requirements.

This activity targets the following priorities:

Objective 1: Increased trade and investment in Kenya, resulting in significant growth in exports, sales, employment, and investment.

i) Increased value-addition, manufacturing, and processing in Kenya

ii) Markets, jobs, and access to finance created and/or expanded, particularly for youth and women.

iii) Skills that match investment and market needs developed and cultivated.

iv) Access to markets and capital expanded and deepened.

Objective One Anticipated Outcomes: Increase sales; Jobs created; increased access to investment; increased market access.

Objective 2: Promoting Economic Competitiveness through Well-Paying, Quality Jobs.

i) Strengthens women's capacities to access well-paying and quality jobs.

ii) Enhance labor and social protections and support for women to compete and safely participate in the workplace.

iii) Ensure safety and security, including a work environment free from gender-based violence and sexual harassment.

Objective two:  Anticipated Outcomes: Increase sales; Increased management and career opportunities for women in the workforce; Jobs created.

Objective 3: Expanding care infrastructure

i) Increased private sector investment in the care economy to reduce time barriers and strengthen women's economic security.

ii) Improve early childhood outcomes by expanding the care infrastructure.

Objective three Anticipated Outcomes: developed and/or strengthened workplace gender policies/ processes); Improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, increased retention; jobs created; increased sales.

Objective 4: Dismantle systemic gender barriers

i) Adoption and implementation of Gender-responsive policies at the workplace.

ii) Continuous gender awareness to challenge and shift harmful norms (e.g., gender biases, discrimination, and stereotypes) that prevent women's career advancement and perpetuate gender-based violence and which affect women in the home, workplace, and community.

iii) Expand opportunities to increase employment opportunities and advance women's economic security.

iv) Strengthen male engagement in the promotion of gender equality and women's economic empowerment in the workplace.

v) Improved menstrual hygiene management at the workplace.

Objective four Anticipated Outcomes: jobs created; developed and/or strengthened workplace gender policies/ processes; improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, increased retention.

The USAID/KEA Imarisha Initiative will support enterprise growth and strengthen gender inclusion in Kenyan workplaces.  By implementing activities to improve gender equality and women's economic empowerment in the workplace, companies will benefit from “bottom line benefits” and women will benefit from expanded economic opportunities.

Illustrative activities

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

Illustrative Examples under Objective 1: Increased trade and investment in Kenya, resulting in significant growth in exports, sales, employment, and investment.

i) Enroll new manufacturers and distributors that will act as the anchor users that purchase from producers, manufacturers or sell to retailers

ii) Increase production capacity for example through installing new machines, training employees, etc.

iii) Increase in export sales i.e., establishing new stores

iv) Increase in number of employees

v) Catalyze additional capital from potential investors

Illustrative Examples under Objective 2: Promoting Economic Competitiveness through Well-Paying, Quality Jobs

i) Develop and implement mentorship programmes for female employees

ii) Implement labour and social protection policies for women i.e. maternity coverage

iii) Implement a set of goods and services constituting essential health care, including maternity care, that meets the criteria of availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality

iv) Strengthens women's capacities to access well-paying and quality jobs

v) Enhance labour and social protections and support for women to compete and safely participate in the workplace, including improvements in their internal gender balance of staff, managers, and officers

vi) Ensure safety and security, for a work environment free from gender-based violence and sexual harassment

Illustrative Examples under Objective 3: Care infrastructure

i) Initiatives such as affordable, quality care, whether for children, older adults, sick, or persons with disabilities

ii) Joint initiatives to open a nearby daycare center, or partnering with a local daycare to accept employee children at an affordable feen affordable fee

iii) Establishing, equipping, and running lactation spaces and childcare centers at the workplace

iv) Wellness programs for parents and guardians 

v) Implementation of flexible working conditions for working parents i.e. Leave policies (annual and sick leaves, maternity, paternity, parental leaves, emergency leaves) and working time policies (reduction of work hours, reduction of overtime, part‐time arrangements, etc.)

Illustrative Examples under Objective 4: Dismantle systemic gender barriers

i) Gender analyses to identify and address constraints experienced by women, business practices that adversely affect women, and/or discriminatory laws and regulations.

ii) Addressing unequal economic and social roles assigned to women compared to men e.g., by ensuring decent working conditions, equal pay provisions, and the provision of affordable, quality care services and access to flexible work arrangements. 

iii) Ensuring women's independent access to assets, including land, capital, and credit, to adequate transfers and services, and expanding opportunities for productive employment and sustainable livelihoods. 

iv) Facilitating linkages to other complementary services for men and women, boys and girls, including dialogue initiatives to address discriminatory gender norms.

v) Male engagement initiatives seeking to create enabling and safe work settings (which feature equitable hiring, pay, and promotions, as well as sexual harassment policies)

vi) Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) initiatives, i.e. access to menstrual products and adequate facilities MHM - access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, affordable and appropriate menstrual hygiene materials & information

AWARD INFORMATION

Grant Size and Type: ATI will issue a performance-based grant ranging from $50,000 to $85,000 to establish a partnership with firms which meets the objectives stated in the RFA. Grant value may be limited by the type of grant most appropriate for the enterprise it intends to fund.

Performance-Based Grants: The preferred performance-based grant 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​s​ 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. 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. DAI reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.

Leverage: Applicants must commit to partially fund the proposed activities through matched funding from the grant awardee or leverage new external financing of at least 50% of the total activity amount, which can include but are not limited to equity capital (internal or external) raised, and/or debt capital mobilized from financial providers.

Competitive applicants are those with capability to achieve scale of impact and that leverage larger amounts of private capital into commercially sustainable solutions.

Performance Period:

The performance period of partnership grants will be as follows:

  • For bidders already working with ATI, the period of performance for integrating gender activities should be 12 months.
  • For bidders that are not currently working with ATI, the period of performance for implementing growth plans and gender activities should be 12-18 months.
Implementation timeframe: The grantees will be organized in three cohorts of up to 5 companies, and technical assistance will be provided throughout the first 6 months.  It is expected grantees will continue implementing gender integration activities throughout the period of grant funding.

This Request for Application is to select companies for the first cohort, set to begin to receive advisory support in February 2024, with potential pre-activities such as assessments and development of technical advisory frameworks and gender actions plans beginning in the last quarter of 2023. The first cohort will be focused on companies in the agribusiness sector.   

A separate application window targeting textile and apparel sector will open on or about April 2024 for the second cohort. A final application window is anticipated to open in August 2024 for sectors to be determined.

Post program result areas: Bidders will have to demonstrate changes that will occur post the program in relation to the following:

  1. Jobs created- Number of jobs segregated by age, disabilities, marginalized groups as a target group
  2. Estimated increase in sales post the program
  • Percentage increase in management opportunities for women
  1. Percentage increase in career opportunities for women
  2. Strategies to reduced systemic barriers to women's labor force participation
  3. Percentage reduction in absenteeism
  • Percentage increase in retention & productivity

Note: Participating firms may periodically during the grant term have the opportunity to publicly spotlight their efforts to promote economic competitiveness through gender integration, provide improved care infrastructure, and dismantle systemic gender barriers.  For example, the Imarisha Initiative Gender Advisors may invite cohort participants to join panels they facilitate at annual learning events and conferences and/or periodically produce white-papers or blog posts and articles about this initiative that could feature participating companies, with their permission. Any costs incurred for participation in these optional activities would be at the company’s expense.

Requirements for participating firms: participating firms must agree to the following requirements:

  • Provide a detailed profile of the firm including – years of operation, legal status, business model, average annual revenue for the last three years, average profit in the last three years, number of employees (full time, part time, contractual, temporary staff) disaggregated by sex.
  • Allow employees to complete an online questionnaire at the beginning and end of the grant period to gauge employee perceptions about extent of gender equality in the company, extent and sufficiency of support provided to employees such as benefits, care infrastructure, a grievance redressal mechanism and policies).
  • Human Resources providing employee level data (scrubbed of personally identifiable information) to ascertain the gender-disaggregated spread of employees across hierarchies, departments, new employees, employee exits etc. and the existence of various policies in the company (such as an overall HR policy, an employee code of conduct, a respectful workplaces policy, parental leave policy etc).
  • Access to senior management for interviews and to employees for FGDs
  • Access to other relevant company personnel who will have a role to play in enabling the company achieve their stated project objectives (e.g., if a company proposes to onboard more women in its value chain, then technical advisors will need to liaise with employees in supplier development roles or distribution strategy roles etc.)
  • Participating firms must:
    • Designate up to 3 staff as “gender champions” who will:
      • Have the backing and support of the company’s executive leaders to serve as project managers implementing the company’s gender action plan, which will be based on the company’s growth plan and co-designed with Imarisha Initiative Gender Advisors.
      • Lead implementation of the company’s gender action plan throughout the grant period and beyond. During the first six months of the grant agreement, Imarisha Initiative Gender Advisors will provide technical assistance, training and mentoring to support Gender Champions in this responsibility.
  • Agree for gender champions to participate in three training days in the first six months of the grant (two one-day in person and two half-day virtual).
      • Up to two of the training may be at an offsite venue that is central to all cohort participants. Participating companies will cover travel costs, which can count towards the company’s leverage for this grant purpose.
      • Gender champions are expected to cascade training to other employees and engage other staff as needed to drive gender integration activities
  • Agree for gender champions to meet each month for six months with Gender Advisors (virtually, with at least one in-person meeting) for mentoring and coaching.

 Additional requirements: Applications should include the following additional information:

  • Factory/workshop location and sector
  • Commitment to partially fund the proposed activities through or leverage new external financing of at least 50% of the total activity amount, 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.
  • Commitment to contribute to sharing progress reports, including lessons learned from the initiative throughout the grant period and beyond through ATI’s closure in June 2026.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Applications submitted in response to this RFA must include the following information in line with ATI Objectives via the application form:

    1. Project Description: The applicant must provide a detailed description of the project, specifying its goal, activities, and results. These should be in line with the overall objective of the grant. Sections should be structured as follows: detailed description of purpose/summary, background/justification, project goals, detailed description of anticipated activities/outcomes.
    1. Monitoring (Results and Benchmarks): ATI will work closely with the grantee to define appropriate indicators for the overall interventions based on applicable ME&L indicators as identified by ATI and the USAID stakeholders. ATI will work with the grantee to develop the ME&L plan at the kickoff, edit as needed during implementation (e.g., if additional transactions are added), and will collect and review data from the grantee for requisite reporting to USAID throughout the life of the activity. The grantee will be required to reasonably maintain and report on relevant data as part of the periodic check-in process. ATI will conduct data quality assessments, as necessary. In many cases, the grantee must be willing to share results for at least a six-month period following the completion of their grant in order for ATI and USAID to accurately capture results (e.g., an investment that closes after the period of performance but was facilitated during the contracted support).

    The applicant should define, to the maximum extent possible at the application stage, results, and benchmarks for monitoring the performance towards attainment of program objectives. Please explain how your organization will monitor the implementation and performance of the project and indicate one or more indicators per activity that will be used to assess the progress and performance of the project, and the achievement of the expected results. 

    Upon selection and award, ATI will work closely with the awardee to determine the agreement structure including final timelines, deliverables, and associated costs. Additionally, ATI and USAID will also work closely with the awardee on the overall learning agenda, including the appropriate cadence for reporting, communications, and other general ongoing project management activities, as well as be a resource to help the awardee achieve overall objectives. 

    1. Sustainability: The applicant should describe how the project, or its benefits, will continue after grant funding ends. What measures are being put in place to ensure sustainability?
    1. Organizational Capability: The application shall include information that demonstrates the applicant's expertise and ability to meet or exceed the goals of this program.

    Organizational capacity should include information on sound management systems, with regards to financial, administration, internal policies and procedures and controls that safeguard against fraud, abuse, and waste.

    1. Personnel. The applicant should propose up to three key personnel and give a description of their roles and responsibilities. Each applicant demonstrates the key personnel’s ability to perform the duties outlined in the program description/statement of work and in accordance with the applicant’s approach. Key personnel are those critical of implementation only and do not include administrative or support staff.
    1. Budget: All applications must include a completed budget in United States dollars.
    1. Milestones: the application must contain a table with milestones that the applicant and ATI will track during the implementation of this program. The applicant must propose those milestones, means of verification, due dates, and amount per milestone. The partner will be paid an agreed amount upon completion of each milestone.

    The applications will be evaluated according to the evaluation criteria set forth below. To the extent necessary (if the award is not made based on initial applications), negotiations may be conducted with each applicant whose application, after discussion and negotiation, has a reasonable chance of being selected for an award. Award will be made to the responsible applicant whose application offers the best value.

    The application will be evaluated on:

    • The technical details of the proposed project leading to increased sales, exports, employment, and/or investment (only for those firms not yet working with ATI under a separate grant) and
    • Details of its plan to increase gender equity in the workplace and women’s economic empowerment.
    • The scale of the results expected to be achieved by the end of the grant term.
    • Estimated cost of the activity
    • Details on the applicant’s company experience in its core business (e.g., textile or agro-processing) and in fostering a gender-inclusive workplace. 
    • Confirmation that the company’s leadership agrees to the requirements stated above and is committed to bringing about change in relation to the four objectives above.
    • Specification of at least two gender champions, which should include one male gender champion.

    Award will be made based on the ranking of applications by the review panel according to the evaluation criteria and scoring system identified below:

     

    Criteria

    % Allocation

    Suitability on proposed technical approach

    30%

    Intentionality and clarity of plans to increase gender equity and women’s economic empowerment at the workplace

    20%

    Scale of expected results

    20%

    Estimated cost of the activity

    5%

    Past performance, understanding and experience in core business and in fostering a gender-inclusive workplace

    5%

    Project management capability and leadership commitment

    5%

    Availability of designated gender champions, including commitment to participate in training and cascading the training to other staff

    5%

    Potential for sustainability of proposed initiatives

    5%

    Leverage ratio

    5%


APPLICATION PROCESS

Who Can Apply for the grant?

Eligible applicants:

  • 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, or significant environmental impacts;
  • Any military organization;
  • Any political party organization;
  • Any entity focused solely on religious activities;
  • Any labor unions; and,
  • Any individuals.

Application Submission Instructions & Deadline 

Application

  • Application documents must include the following
    • Complete Annex A. Application Form. This annex asks for information on the project description, applicant leverage (as applicable), monitoring and results, and other activity information. Responses should be specific, complete, and presented concisely.
    • Complete Annex B. Workplan. The implementation plan should be detailed and include tasks, outputs, partners, and responsible persons. It may be no more than three years or extend past March 2026. Monitoring and evaluation efforts must also be included.
    • Complete Annex C. Budget and Budget Notes. In the budget, request and explain the key cost items required for the support. Full instructions on budgeting are found in the annex on the first tab called Budget Instructions. You must submit cost verification documents for each budget line item to demonstrate that the amount you budgeted is based on actual cost or market price. 
    •  Complete Annex D. Milestone Table. The Activity recommends a fixed amount award (FAA) as the best grant mechanism per the anticipated program description. This means you will be paid an agreed-upon amount for completed milestones. This annex asks you to propose those milestones, means of verification, due dates, and amount per milestone. 
  • Applications must be submitted in English
  • Page Limitation: Applications should be specific, complete, presented concisely and shall not exceed 10 pages (exclusive of annexes). 

 In accordance with ADS303.6, DAI is required to establish the applicant organization’s nationality to determine its eligibility to receive the requested grant. Complet Appendix A. Grantee Nationality Self Certification Form.

Submission Instructions:

To apply for funding interested applicants must submit all applications (including all annexes) via the RFA-06-USAID KEA Imarisha Initiative (Application Submission). 

Late Applications 

All applications received by the deadline will be reviewed for responsiveness and programmatic merit according to the specifications outlined in these guidelines and the application format.  Applications which are submitted late or are incomplete run the risk of not being considered in the review process.

AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Award Determination
 
ATI reserves the right to reject any or all applications at any point during the co-design and pre-award
risk assessment phase. USAID may also approve or reject applications submitted to them for review and
approval.
 
Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of ATI, nor does it commit
ATI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. Applications are
submitted at the risk and the cost of the applicant.
 
2. Award and Administration Information

Please note that while the Grants Team will explain rules and requirements to each awardee, the
following award requirements will apply:

a) Administration of Award

Awards to U.S. organizations will be administered in accordance with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E, ADS 303 and
USAID Standard Provisions for U.S. non-governmental organizations. For non-U.S. organizations, USAID
Standard Provisions for non-U.S. non-governmental organizations apply. Applicants may obtain copies of
the referenced material at the following websites:

b) Important USAID Compliance Information

  • Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Standard Provisions - In accordance with ADS 303.3.8, ATI will require awarded grant partners to submit signed copies of required certifications and assurances. ADS 303 may be found at the following website: usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/303.pdf.
  • Unique Entity ID (SAM) - Effective April 4, 2022, entities doing business with the federal government will use the Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in (sam.gov). The Unique Entity ID (SAM) is a 12-character alphanumeric value managed, granted, and owned by the U.S. government. This allows the government to streamline the entity identification and validation process, making it easier and less burdensome for entities to do business with the federal government. All foreign organizations which receive a grant with a value of USD 25,000 and above and all U.S. organizations which receive a grant of any value are required to obtain a Unique Entity ID (SAM) and complete full www.sam.gov registration. Organizations are exempt from this requirement if the gross income received from all sources in the previous tax year was under USD 300,000. DAI requires that grant applicants sign the self-certification statement if the applicant claims exemption for this reason.
  • Branding and Marking - All USAID-sponsored assistance awards are required to adhere to branding and marking requirements in accordance with ADS 320. ADS 320 may be found at the following website: https://www.usaid.gov/about-us/agency-policy/series-300/320. ATI’s Branding and Marking Plan allows for co-branding with the grantee and USAID. The Activity must approve all communications materials produced under this grant before printing or publication. Grantees must follow the guidelines set forth in the USAID Graphic Standards Manual and accompanying Prosper Africa Graphic Standards Manual: USAID Graphic Standards Manual and Partner Co-Branding Guide | Branding | U.S. Agency for International Development and Prosper Africa Graphic Standards Manual | Prosper Africa | U.S. Agency for International Development (usaid.gov)
  • Environmental Procedures - The impact of USAID’s activities on the environment and environmental sustainability must be a central consideration when designing and implementing an activity. Potential environmental impacts of the grant must be identified prior to a final decision to proceed and appropriate environmental safeguards must be adopted for all activities The grantee must comply with host country environmental regulations unless otherwise directed in writing by USAID. In case of conflict between the host country and USAID regulations, the latter will govern. No activity funded under this grant will be implemented unless an environmental threshold determination, as defined by 22 CFR 216, has been reached for the grant, is properly documented, and signed by the Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO). ADS 200 may be found at the following website: https://www.usaid.gov/environmental-procedures/laws-regulations-policies/22-cfr-216
  • Reporting Requirements - Project implementation reporting will be determined based on the planned activities and the delineation of roles and responsibilities. There will be milestone reporting, quarterly progress reports, environmental reporting, and a final grant report. A Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan with indicators and targets will also be agreed upon. Grant recipients will be expected to facilitate monitoring during and beyond the life of the grant through June 2026 by making relevant information available to ATI staff.
  • Payments and Use of Funds - The Activity will make grant payments in local currency. The grant recipient must use the funds provided exclusively for activities specified in the Program Description. Diversion of grant funds to other uses will result in the cancellation of award and retrieval of funds disbursed to the grant recipient.
  • Permitted Uses of Program Income - The grantee will be expected to account for program income in accordance with 2 CFR 200.307. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.307 (e)(2), program income earned under this award will be added to funds committed by ATI and the recipient to the project or program and used to further eligible project or program objectives. Additionally, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.307(e)(3), program income may be used to finance the non-Federal share of the project or objectives.
  • ATI funds will not support construction. All construction activities will be resourced through grantee leverage.
  • Prohibited Countries - The US Government does not do business with, i.e., purchase goods or services from, prohibited source, nationality, and country of origin. The current list of countries under comprehensive sanctions include Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.
  • Ineligible Goods, Restrictions, and Unallowable Costs - The grant funds provided under the terms of this agreement must not be used to finance any of the following:
    • Goods or services which are to be used primarily to meet military requirements or to support police or other law enforcement activities,
    • Surveillance equipment,
    • Equipment, research and/or services related to involuntary sterilization or the performance of abortion as a method of family planning,
    • Gambling equipment, supplies for gambling facilities or any hotels, casinos or accommodations in which gambling facilities are or are planned to be located,
    • Activities which significantly degrade national parks or similar protected areas or introduce exotic plants or animals into such areas, or
    • Establishment or development of any export processing zone or designated area where the labor, environmental, tax, tariff, and/or safety laws of the country in which such activity takes place would not apply.
    • Pharmaceuticals or pesticides (may be allowable with written approval)
    • Logging equipment,
    • Luxury goods (including alcoholic beverages and jewelry),
    • Establishing or expanding any enterprise that will export raw materials that are likely to be in surplus in world markets at the time such production becomes effective and that are likely to cause substantial injury to U.S. producers,
    • Activities which would result in the loss of forest lands due to livestock rearing, road construction or maintenance, colonization of forest lands or construction of dams or other water control structures,
    • Activities which are likely to have a significant adverse effect on the environment, including any of the following (to the extent such activities are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment):
      • Activities which may lead to degrading the quality or renewability of natural resources;
      • Activities which may lead to degrading the presence or health of threatened ecosystems or biodiversity;
      • Activities which may lead to degrading long-term viability of agricultural or forestry production (including through use of pesticides);
      • Activities which may lead to degrading community and social systems, including potable water supply, land administration, community health and well-being or social harmony.
    • Activities which are likely to involve the loss of jobs in the United States due to the relocation or expansion outside of the United States of an enterprise located in the United States, or
    • Activities which the Grantee is aware are reasonably likely to contribute to the violation of internationally or locally recognized rights of workers,
    • Bad debts
    • Contributions or donations
    • Deferred Research and Development Costs
    • Entertainment costs or lobbying costs
    • Fines or penalties
    • Goodwill
    • Interest (Interest on taxes, issuing stock rights, Cost of financing or refinancing capital)
    • Public Relations and Advertising Costs
    • Company holiday parties or picnics
    • Taxes (such as income/profit tax) and PROFIT
    • Bribes
    • Goods or services from vendors or individuals with active exclusions on SAM.gov
    • Goods or services with source, origin, transported through, or nationality from a Prohibited Country – currently Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Cuba.
    • Costs that are being paid for by another donor or funding source, including other US government funding, (i.e., disproportion allocation of costs amongst multiple donors)
    • Costs purchased from vendors, employees, or other sources with Conflicts of Interest.
    • Payments to government officials

Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of ATI, nor does it commit ATI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application.  Further, ATI reserves the right to reject any or all applications received.  Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant.  All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense.