IS4FH Annual Program Statement to Accelerate Countries’ Progress towards their Health and Development Goals

Deadline: 21 June 2019

The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of Population and Reproductive Health (PRH) is pleased to announce the Implementation Science for Family Health (IS4FH) Annual Program Statement (APS). The overall goal of this APS is to accelerate countries’ progress towards their health and development goals. New investments in implementation science will advance the journey to self-reliance in USAID priority countries by building local capacity to analyze data, conduct research, and incorporate evidence-based practices into health programs and health systems at global, regional and country levels.

The overarching purpose of this APS is to strengthen generation and utilization of evidence to increase access to voluntary family planning and improve healthy timing and spacing of births. In order to achieve this purpose, this APS will support two key areas of work: 1) research to answer priority implementation science questions; and 2) technical assistance to build capacity for data analysis, evidence synthesis, and adoption of evidence-based practices.

IS4FH builds upon USAID’s strategic pillars of respecting American taxpayers’ investments, advancing national security, and advancing countries on their journey to self-reliance, by:

Working with local systems, institutions, and organizations, thereby strengthening the long-term effectiveness and durability of investments;
Using a variety of assistance models to help countries advance from recipients of assistance to enduring strategic partners;
Aligning USAID investments with country-owned and -led national health, social, and economic investment plans to maximize cost-efficiency and increase sustainability;
Optimizing strategic partnerships and engagement to increase financial investments and establish long-term, enduring, and sustainable engagement by non-donor stakeholders towards mutual goals; and
Increasing coordination across operating units within USAID to maximize efficiencies and impact, including (but not limited to) the Office of Population and Reproductive Health, the Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition, and the Office of Health Systems within the GH Bureau; Regional Bureaus; and Country Missions.

Results

Round 1 Result 1: Expanded development, adoption and implementation at scale of client-driven approaches
Round 1 Result 2: Improved understanding of the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of scaling proven and promising service delivery practices
Round 1 Result 3: Increased understanding of how proven and promising practices enhance equitable access to high-quality, voluntary family planning

Funding Information

Award Ceiling: $35,000,000
Award Floor: $35,000,000

Eligibility Criteria

U.S. and non-U.S. public, private, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations, as well as institutions of higher education, public international organizations, and non-governmental organizations, are eligible to submit a concept paper. Further, the organization must be a legally recognized organizational entity under applicable law, legally registered in a country within the geographic code 937 (“the United States, the recipient country, and developing countries other than advanced developing countries, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source,” per ADS 310.3.1.1).
Applicants must demonstrate that they have experience operating in more than one country. Concept papers and resulting full applications can be global or regional. For Round 1, the organization(s) must have the capacity to work simultaneously in or across multiple countries, particularly in USAID’s FP/RH priority countries and/or Ouagadougou Partnership countries.
Concept papers from organizations that do not meet the above eligibility criteria will not be reviewed and evaluated. Individuals are not eligible to apply for this APS.
Organizations in developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply, inasmuch as they will support not only the objectives of this APS, but also USAID’s objectives to build the capacities in local organizations that are needed for sustainable development. USAID strongly encourages applications from potential new partners who meet the above eligibility requirements and are willing to be subjected to a Pre-Award Responsibility Determination-a pre-award audit to determine fiscal responsibility (i.e., 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 project and comply with the terms and conditions of the award).
While for-profit firms may participate, pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400(g) it is USAID policy not to award profit to prime recipients and sub-recipients under assistance instruments. However, while profit is not allowed for sub-awards, the prohibition does not apply when the recipient acquires goods and services in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 -326, “Procurement Standards.” This is discussed more specifically in ADS 303sai “Profit Under USAID Assistance Instruments”.
Program income will not be generated under any award resulting from this APS.
If an organization does not submit a successful concept paper and is not invited to attend the co-creation workshop/submit a MI application in Round 1, that organization still may submit another concept paper in another future round if one occurs. It may be evaluated by the same evaluation criteria specified in Section V, or evaluation criteria may be revised to the specifics of the Round’s results; another submission in another Round does not guarantee a successful concept paper and invitation to attend the co-creation workshop/submit a full application.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit a Concept Paper at the address given on the website.

For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2XAfHkg