Deadline: 14-Nov-22
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications from qualified entities to implement the Investing in Diversified Agriculture-led Growth Poles for Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Wealth Creation (Growth Poles) Activity.
USAID/Malawi intends to address Malawi’s environmental degradation, economic growth, food security, resilience, and poverty challenges that have persisted for generations. Thus, the goal of this activity is to advance a more inclusive, diversified, and resilient private sector that drives sustainable wealth creation.
More specifically, USAID/Malawi has five main strategic objectives for this activity:
- Develop and/or strengthen growth poles that leverage and expand private sector investments;
- Strengthen systems resilience through improved climate and natural resource management;
- Expand inclusive development so that smallholders, youth and women increase incomes, assets, and jobs, strengthening household and community resilience;
- Mobilize innovative, impact-oriented credit and finance, and
- Play a networking, facilitating, coordination and adaptive role based on evidence and data within Malawi.
Purpose
The purpose of the activity is to accelerate environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, resilient, and more inclusive wealth generation in Malawi by mobilizing ruralbased private sector investments and partnerships with anchor firms and their surrounding communities, smallholder organizations, cooperatives, and MSMEs in a growth pole approach, with a youth and gender lens.It will build on the strong foundation of early growth pole development established by the FTF Agricultural Diversification (AgDiv) activity.
Objectives
The objectives of this activity will be accomplished with and through anchor firms which have long-term strategies and business cases that overlap with the activity’s intended development impacts. It is understood that a fundamental way of achieving the activity goal and objectives must be with highly leveraged private sector resources, innovation, and initiatives – a truly private sector-led theory of change
- Objective 1: Develop and/or strengthen growth poles that leverage and expand private sector investments
- Objective 2: Strengthen systems resilience through improved climate and natural resource management
- Objective 3: Expand inclusive development that increases smallholders, youth and women incomes, assets, and jobs while also strengthening household and community resilience
- Objective 4: Mobilize innovative, impact-oriented credit and finance
- Objective 5: Play a networking, facilitating, coordination and adaptive role based on evidence and data within Malawi
Funding Information
- USAID anticipates one award at an estimated total amount of $39,780,462.00 over 5 years
Target Population
Thus, direct beneficiaries engaging directly within growth pole partnerships will include the anchor firms/growth poles themselves, smallholder farmers, entrepreneurs, MSMEs, cooperatives, and other value chain actors, with a focus on youth and women. Indirect beneficiaries within the growth pole sphere of influence communities are expected to benefit at household, community and systems levels,
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility for this RFA is unrestricted. Applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID are welcome if the Applicant determines that it has the necessary capacity to implement activities of the magnitude such as this one.
- U.S., international, regional, or local organizations may consider applying, and U.S., international or regional applicants may also consider partnering with local organizations, including private sector, as sub awardees for activity implementation. To be considered a local organization, an entity MUST meet the following criteria:
- USAID defines a “local entity” as an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:
- Is legally organized under the laws of; and
- Has as its principal place of business or operations in; and
- Is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of; and
- Is managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the country receiving assistance
- USAID defines a “local entity” as an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:
- These eligibility requirements apply to any local sub-awardee that is engaged during activity implementation. Applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID are most welcome.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=343545