Deadline: 28 February 2021
USAID/Philippines is making a special call to local actors for the submission of concepts focused on supporting market-based solutions to development challenges, especially in USAID/Philippines’ priority sectors.
This addendum seeks to contribute to USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance, in which the Agency seeks to “empower host country governments and their partners to achieve locally-sustained results, helping countries mobilize public and private revenues, strengthening local capacities, and accelerating enterprise-driven development.” This addendum implements the U.S. Congressionally directed Local Works program, which works with local actors to advance locally led approaches to development issues. It also operationalizes the Agency’s Private Sector Engagement Policy, which emphasizes enterprise-driven development by using market-based solutions to address development challenges.
Objectives
By engaging with the private sector, USAID can harness unique expertise and capabilities, develop and grow targeted sectors and value chains, catalyze investment and mobilize financing, promote more inclusive and sustainable business practices, and drive innovation. USAID/Philippines is seeking applications from local private sector organizations and local NGOs and other local actors that intend to work with the private sector for the following initiatives:
- Ideate, develop, and test innovative market-based solutions1 to development challenges, particularly in the sectors that USAID/Philippines focuses on, including basic and higher education; innovation; workforce development; trade; investment climate and investment generation; infrastructure; digital economy and connectivity; energy; public financial management and public expenditure management; agribusiness; urban management and urban-led development; water and sanitation; marine biodiversity; wildlife protection; municipal waste; disaster management (disaster risk reduction, response and recovery); media freedom; human rights; good national and sub-national governance and public administration; democratic governance; tuberculosis; health systems; universal health care implementation; family planning; and HIV/AIDS;
- Develop and deploy emerging market-oriented tools, such as development impact bonds and non-traditional forms of private capital (e.g. impact equity investment) in the priority sectors indicated above;
- Identify opportunities for private sector engagement in current USAID/Philippines programs across the energy; environment and community resilience; education and innovation; economic growth; urban-led development; democracy, rights, and governance; and health sectors, and facilitate their implementation. For example, the applicant may serve as a broker to facilitate partnerships between USAID/Philippines projects and private sector entities to integrate market-based solutions into development interventions to boost sustainability and impact.
- Facilitate the coalescence of selected fragmented and/or fledgling sectors of the private sector and support the formation of partnerships to address development challenges, whether within the context of or outside ongoing USAID/Philippines projects. For example, alliances and networks within the impact investment community could be facilitated or strengthened and matched with sectors such as agribusiness and natural resource management.
- Identify other impact investment opportunities such as mixed corporate-governmentprivate funds or real asset investors to finance the roll out of new technologies, establishment of more efficient value-chains, and other interventions that address emerging issues and population demands.
Funding Information
Subject to funding availability, USAID/Philippines intends to provide a maximum of $4 million in total USAID funding over a two-to-three-year period. USAID anticipates awarding multiple Cooperative Agreements, Fixed Amount Awards, or Simplified Grants pursuant to this addendum, with each award having a ceiling of $1 million and a maximum activity duration of two (2) years. USAID reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants:
- Must be local actors in the Philippines. When determining if an entity is a “local actor” for the purposes of this APS, USAID will consider:
- Whether the entity is legally organized under the laws of the Philippines;
- Whether the entity has its principal place of business or operations in the Philippines;
- Whether the entity is majority owned and controlled by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the Philippines;
- Whether the entity is managed by a governing body, the majority of whom are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the Philippines; and
- Whether the entity has projects, offices, and/or registration in other countries, and whether key management decisions are taken by the office located in the Philippines or elsewhere.
- Cannot have received more than $5 million in direct funding from USAID in the past five years.
- Cannot be a U.S.-based organization. U.S.-based organizations are not eligible as prime awardees under this APS.
Learning Priorities
Concepts must incorporate at least one of the following learning priorities:
- Feedback Mechanisms to ensure that information flows in various directions among local actors, partners, and USAID to improve program effectiveness and sustainability.
- Systems-and-Networks-Based Analytical Approaches, which may allow us to better understand the complex environments in which we operate.
- Participatory Decision-Making, which includes locally led priority-setting, collaborative design, and other means of devolving control and ensuring inclusive local leadership.
- Strengthening Local Networks to connect local needs with local resources.
- Local Ownership Approaches to Design, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning that rioritize local definitions of success.
- Supporting Strategic Transitions, which includes strengthening the role of local institutions and actors to sustain outcomes without foreign assistance.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326073