Deadline: 11 November 2019

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the Niger Markets and Nutrition Activity.

M&N Goal: Strengthen market systems to sustainably improve household incomes and nutritional status.

This goal aims to achieve sustainable, transformative impacts by working at the system level so that increasingly resilient market systems deliver the desired impacts of increased income and improved nutritional status. USAID will be successful when the desired impacts are being generated endogenously without subsidy or direct intervention. This goal requires a long time horizon to be fully realized, but significant progress can be made within the time-frame of this five-year activity. USAID recognizes that income and nutritional status alone will not make households resilient; the full portfolio of RISE II activities will address complementary resilience capacities for households.

Working at the market system level is important because it can also contribute to agriculture-led economic growth. Niger has a primarily agricultural economy with potential to enhance basic productivity as well as value addition. The target commodities are regionally traded, with the potential to improve the balance of trade and increase inflows of revenue and investment.

Overall sectoral growth driven by professionalization and competitiveness will result in multiplicative economic impacts and increased national and local state revenues. In the end, only wide-based inclusive growth can lift sufficient households out of poverty and mitigate economic drivers of support for violent extremist organizations.

Results

• Result 1: Enhanced performance of commodity market systems
• Result 2: Increased utilization of quality inputs and services
• Result 3: Increased local consumption of nutritious, safe foods

In its approach to achieving these results, the Activity should contribute to the cross-cutting RISE II transformative outcomes:

• Enhanced community leadership of local development
• Enhanced social capital, through strengthened ties of mutual assistance among people
• Enhanced capacity to learn and adapt among beneficiaries, local partners and partner governments

Interventions must also contribute to the RISE II cross-cutting results:

• Improved management of shocks, risks, and stresses
• Enhanced governance of institutions and organizations
• Enhanced social, economic, and political agency of women and youth

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $29,500,000
• Award Ceiling: $29,500,000

Eligible Applicants

• Qualified U.S. and non-U.S. organizations (other than those from foreign policy restricted countries) are eligible to apply under this NOFO. Potential for-profit Applicants should note that, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.400(g), profit, which is any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs, is not an allowable cost for Recipients of USAID assistance awards, and cannot be part of the activity budget. However, the prohibition against profit does not apply to procurement contracts made under the assistance instrument when the Recipient procures goods and services in accordance with the Procurement Standards found in 2 CFR 200.317 to 326.
• USAID welcomes applications from organizations which have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.
• Applicants must have established financial management, monitoring and evaluation processes, internal control systems, and policies and procedures that comply with established U.S. Government standards, laws, and regulations. The successful Applicant(s) will be subject to a responsibility determination assessment (possibly including a pre-award survey) by the Agreement Officer (AO).
• The Recipient must be a responsible entity. The AO may determine a pre-award survey is required to conduct an examination that will determine whether the prospective Recipient has the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills – or ability to obtain them – in order to achieve the objectives of the program and comply with the terms and conditions of the award.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted at the address given on the website.

For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=321513