Deadline: 10-Jun-21
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications from qualified entities to implement the USAID/West Bank and Gaza Small and Medium Enterprise Assistance for Recovery and Transition (SMART) Activity.
Goal: The Small and Medium Enterprise Assistance for Recovery and Transition (SMART) Activity aims to rapidly recover the Palestinian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and put them on a path to revitalization and growth following the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.
Objectives
Small and Medium Enterprise Assistance for Recovery and Transition (SMART) aims to put Palestinian start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on a path to recovery and revitalization after the extraordinary COVID-19 crisis and resulting economic shocks faced by the private sector. The activity consists of two main objectives with a cross-cutting objective:
- Objective 1: Palestinian start-ups and SMEs recover and get back to business and markets. Under this objective, the activity aims to target businesses that have been affected by the latest COVID-19 crisis and that have growth potential in domestic or international markets but need support. Areas for support could include getting back to work, modifying product lines, expanding production, improving quality, introducing new technology, and using clean energy for production. The Implementing Partner shall provide demand-driven, transactional, firm and sector-level support through packages of grants and technical assistance. While SMART will generally take a sectoragnostic approach, assistance shall include promoting resilience, recovery, and growth in the Palestinian tourism sector in the West bank and East Jerusalem by implementing innovative and flexible solutions to help the tourism sector survive, recover, and grow out from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Objective 2: Policy and Institutional Constraints to Competitiveness and Trade are eliminated. If the constraint to client firms’ growth is systemic (i.e. policy and institutional), the Implementing Partner will work with those firms, as well as trade and business organizations, to come up with the solutions. If client firms’ policy or institutional constraints have solutions that are feasible and costeffective, the Implementing Partner will proceed to address such constraints. Regular interaction with private sector firms receiving assistance under Objective 1 will inform the Implementing Partner about systemic issues that constrain the private sector.
Funding Information
- Subject to funding availability, USAID intends to provide $19 million in total USAID funding over a thirty (30) month period. The ceiling for this activity is $19 million. Actual funding amounts are subject to availability of funds and internal USAID approvals.
- The period of performance anticipated herein is thirty months. The estimated start date will be upon the signature of the award, on or about August 2021.
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. and Non-U.S. Non-Profit Organizations (NGOs): Qualified U.S. and non-U.S. private non-profit organizations may apply for funding under this RFA.
- U.S. and Non-U.S. For-Profit Organizations Qualified: U.S. and non-U.S. private for-profit organizations may apply for funding under this RFA. Foreign government-owned parastatal organizations from countries that are ineligible for assistance under the FAA or related appropriations acts are ineligible. Potential for-profit applicants should note that, the payment of fee/profit to the prime recipient under grants and cooperative agreements is prohibited. However, if a prime recipient has a subcontract with a for-profit organization for the acquisition of goods or services (i.e., if a buyer-seller relationship is created), fee/profit for the subcontractor may be authorized.
- U.S. and Non-U.S. Colleges and Universities: Qualified U.S. and non-U.S. colleges and universities may apply for funding under this RFA. USG and USAID regulations generally treat colleges and universities as NGOs, rather than governmental organizations; hence, both public and private colleges and universities are eligible. Non-U.S. colleges and universities in countries that are ineligible for assistance under the FAA or related appropriations acts are ineligible.
- Private Voluntary Organizations (PVO): A local or indigenous PVO, which by definition is a non-U.S. PVO operating in the same foreign country in which it is organized, is eligible to receive funding. Local PVOs are not required to register with USAID.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333345