USAID launches Child Blindness Program: Grant Round-3

Deadline: 4-Nov-20

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is taking projects for Child Blindness Program (CBP) Grant Round-3 that will fund multiple high impact, large and medium-scale eye health programs capable of expanding the availability, accessibility, and quality of eye health services to vulnerable children and other populations with limited access to sight-saving services.

The primary focus of Grant Round 3 will be to fund grants that help expand basic eye health services to communities in need. USAID prioritizes gender equity. Serious gender gaps in access to eye health services must be addressed to ensure all children receive the quality eye care they need. Several key gaps outlined by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) include:

• Culture;
• Limited Access;
• Economics;
• Geographic.

Thematic Priorities

• Promote High Quality and Comprehensive Child Eye Health Services;
• Create Effective Training Programs;
• Strengthen Infrastructure and Improve Equipment;
• Expand Outreach and Referral Programs;
• Expand and Treat Refractive Error;
• Establish and Strengthen Low Vision Services;
• Cross-cutting Priorities (all priorities must be addressed in proposals):
  • Identify and Address Gender Inequities and Inequalities in Eye Care;
  • Follow a Continuum of Care (CoC) Approach;
  • Develop Replicable, Scalable, and Sustainable Interventions;
  • Address Additional Capacity Building Needs;
  • Strengthen Monitoring and Evaluation Approaches;
  • Utilize Best Practices in Pediatric Eye Health Services.

Funding Information

• The size of any single grant awarded under this RFA will not exceed USD$350,000 for Non-U.S. NGOs and USD$100,000 for U.S. NGOs.
• Grant durations must be a minimum of 12 months and up to a maximum of 24 months in duration, but actual duration of awarded grants will be based on final negotiations.

Eligible Costs

In development of application budgets, USAID’s CBP will consider funding the following eligible costs:

•  Personnel/Labor;
•  Consultants;
•  Equipment;
•  Materials and Supplies;
•  Travel, Transportation, and Per Diem;
•  Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning;
•  Activities, Training, and Workshops;
•  Other Direct Costs; and
•  Indirect Cost – Allowed only if the NGO has an established indirect cost rate or has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) from the USG.

Project Activities

The following includes a list of activities that are of particular interest to USAID’s CBP this grant round:

• Community and/or school eye health screening programs to treat cases of refractive error and provide referral for other surgical and non-surgical treatments;
• Building the capacity (training in-person or virtually) of eye health service providers to identify and treat eye diseases and conditions;
• Expanding and strengthening eye health service sites in underserved communities;
• Low-vision programming, inclusive of procurement of visual aids and follow-on treatment.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants:
  • This RFA is open to non-U.S. and U.S. NGOs, including USAID defined Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs), the private sector, and any local entity organized under the laws of the recipient country.
  • All 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 in any form.
• All eligible Applicants must meet the following criteria:
  • Be registered in the proposed country(s) of operation with the relevant government entities to carry out the work proposed in the LOI, in accordance with local law. Exceptions may be granted only in cases where NGO registration is not required by local law.
  • Have sufficient staff and capacity, or the ability to hire additional staff to undertake proposed activities;
  • Possess the sound managerial, technical, and institutional capacities to achieve the results of the project;
  • Possess a system of internal controls that safeguard assets and protect against fraud, waste, and conflicts of interest;
  • Be in good standing with all civil and fiscal authorities;
  • Possess financial accountability and maintain detailed records of all expenses;
  • Be willing to accept a pre-award inspection by USAID’s CBP team before the award is decided upon;
  • Be willing to sign applicable certifications;
  • Possess an active Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number prior to submitting a Full Application (Phase II);
  • Be registered through the System for Award Management (SAM) system prior to receiving an award from USAID’s CBP;
  • Not be found on Exclusion lists through SAM.gov (System for Award Management), Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and Blocked Persons List; nor in the United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1267 Sanctions List.
• The following organizations are NOT eligible for USAID’s CBP grant funding:
  • Political parties, their subsidiaries, or affiliates;
  • Organizations that appear on the SAM – Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-procurement Program list and Non-procurement Programs or UN 1267 list, Department of Treasury, OFAC as well as organizations that appear on the SDN List and Blocked Persons List;
  • Organizations that promote or engage in illegal activities or anti-democratic activities;
  • Faith-based organizations that are not in compliance with Automated Directives System (ADS) 303.3.28, which is in accordance with Executive Order 13279, Equal Protection for the Laws of Faith-based Community Organizations;
  • Any governmental organization not approved by USAID;
  • Any organization listed in Public International Organizations (PIO) covered by the FCPA or UK Bribery Act;
  • Organizations (including partners, third party hospitals, vendors, etc.) that support (meaning provide funding, advocate for, or provide direct services) abortions or family planning, except in cases such as endangerment of the life of the mother and violence against women leading to pregnancy.

For more information, visit https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1864/usaids-child-blindness-program-grant-round-2-request-applications