Fiscal Year 2019 Development Food Security Activities in Madagascar and Malawi | 72DFFP19RFA00002

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72DFFP19RFA00002

This funding opportunity, titled "Fiscal Year 2019 Development Food Security Activities in Madagascar and Malawi" (Funding Opportunity Number 72DFFP19RFA00002), is a USAID Office of Food for Peace (FFP) Request for Applications focused on supporting multi-year development efforts that improve food security in Madagascar and Malawi. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and is expected to be implemented through a cooperative agreement, which generally means USAID anticipates substantial involvement during implementation (for example, collaboration on technical direction, monitoring approaches, and other key management elements). The program area is Food and Nutrition, and it is listed under CFDA 98.007.

USAID is seeking applications from a broad range of eligible organizations. Private voluntary organizations and cooperatives may apply, including both U.S.-based and non-U.S. nongovernmental organizations, and public international organizations are also eligible. The notice describes eligibility as unrestricted, with the practical caveat that applicants should carefully check any clarifications contained in the full announcement and the accompanying Country Specific Information (CSI). The CSI is important because it provides the detailed expectations for each country, such as the specific geographic areas USAID intends to prioritize and the types of activities that are considered responsive. In other words, while the overall theme is development food security, the exact program focus and locations are defined in the country-level attachments rather than only in the short synopsis.

In terms of scale, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $165,000,000 in total, with USAID anticipating as many as three awards, subject to funding availability. The announcement notes that FFP intends to make up to the number of awards described in the CSI, so the final number and distribution across Madagascar and Malawi would depend on those country-specific plans and on available resources. The funding level is influenced by the activity designs that applicants propose, but the notice makes clear that final funding levels are set by FFP for successful applicants, and USAID may notify awardees of changes or updates as decisions are finalized.

USAID also explicitly reserves broad flexibility in how it structures awards and funding. Even though the listing identifies a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument type, the agency states it may use any assistance mechanism available to it, including grants, cooperative agreements, or a leader with associates award structure. USAID similarly retains the right to adjust the number of awards, funding levels, sources of funding, and even procedures as needed. The announcement also references potential supplemental resources: if Community Development Funds are not included in the relevant CSI, applicants may consider requesting Title II Section 202(e) funds, which are commonly used to support costs associated with food assistance programming (such as implementation support, technical assistance, or other related expenses), depending on what the solicitation allows and the program design requires.

The timeline included in the opportunity is straightforward and firm. The issuance date was March 29, 2019. Questions were due by April 8, 2019. The application closing date was April 30, 2019, at 11:59 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. These dates matter because USAID solicitations often enforce strict deadlines for both questions and submissions, and late applications are typically not reviewed.

Finally, the notice includes standard federal disclaimers that are important for applicants to understand. USAID emphasizes that issuing the RFA does not guarantee an award and does not represent a commitment by the U.S. Government to fund any applicant. It also states that USAID will not pay for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting an application (or any comments or suggestions), meaning all proposal development expenses are borne by the applicant. The announcement encourages applicants to review the full solicitation package for complete program requirements and submission instructions, since the synopsis points to additional required documents and details that govern how proposals must be structured, what must be included, and how USAID will evaluate submissions.

• The Agency for International Development in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2019 Development Food Security Activities in Madagascar and Malawi" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.007.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 29, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 2019 Issuance Date March 29, 2019 Deadline for Questions April 8, 2019 Closing Date and Time April 30, 2019 1159 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time). (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $165,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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