1.   What is an APS? 

answer:  An Annual Program Statement (APS) notifies the public of an opportunity for funding, by the United States Government, as represented by USAID in the case of the Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) program, for one or multiple awards to address a particular set of challenges or USAID objectives within a certain project or geographic area. The submission needed to respond to an APS is a brief Concept Note, summarizing the high-level concept, funding needs, and impact.  

2.    What is an RFA? How do the APS and RFA differ? 

answer:  Request for Application (RFA) is when an organization is asked to submit a full application including an in-depth technical proposal, activity timeline, and a detailed budget outlining all costs associated with the funding request.   

3.    Can you please further define organization types mentioned in the RFA? 

answer: 

Foreign organization. Foreign organization means an entity that is: (a) A public or private organization located in a country other than the United States and its territories that is subject to the laws of the country in which it is located, irrespective of the citizenship of project staff or place of performance; (b) A private nongovernmental organization located in a country other than the United States that solicits and receives cash contributions from the general public; (c) A charitable organization located in a country other than the United States that is nonprofit and tax exempt under the laws of its country of domicile and operation, and is not a university, college, accredited degree-granting institution of education, private foundation, hospital, organization engaged exclusively in research or scientific activities, church, synagogue, mosque or other similar entities organized primarily for religious purposes; or (d) An organization located in a country other than the United States not recognized as a Foreign Public Entity.  

Nonprofit organization. Nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization, not including institutions of higher education, that: (a) Is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest; (b) Is not organized primarily for profit; and (c) Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operations of the organization. 

4.    I'm a for-profit organization - can I still submit a concept/be awarded for a grant? 

answer:  Yes, for-profit organizations are eligible to apply for grant-funding under the ATI project, however it is important to note that profit/fee may not be included in part of the funding that would potentially be provided by USAID. 

5.    Please clarify the stipulation that no profit/fee is allowed to be in the cost. 

answer:  Grant agreements do not allow the grant recipient to charge a profit or fee within their grant budget. Funding for grants is limited to covering an organization’s COSTS only. For example, if a for-profit organization has been hired as a subcontractor under a USAID project before, they may have charged a percentage fee on the contract. Grant agreements differ from subcontracts in this way, that fees are not allowed to be included in the grantee budget or billed to USAID. This should not be misunderstood as meaning that the resulting activity or investment being funded by the grant is not allowed to generate income or profit for your organization – quite the contrary. We want businesses to be sustainable via a profitable and commercially viable business model. It simply means that grant funds are limited to the costs needed to increase trade, investment or enable the business environment. 

6.    How will I know the status of my application? Will I receive feedback about my application if it is rejected? 

answer:  You should receive an automated notification that your application has been submitted once you’ve completed the online submission. Note that with the volume of applications, it may not always be possible to provide direct feedback on your application. Rejections can happen if it’s determined upon review that your organization may not be eligible. 

7.    Can I submit more than one application? 

answer:  Yes, an entity can submit more than one application, but each should be distinct.