Deadline: 2-Mar-21
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a Cooperative Agreement from qualified U.S. and Non-U.S. organizations to fund a program entitled “Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) Activity”.
The purpose of the Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) activity is to expand the planting of trees outside of forests in India for enhanced provision of ecosystem services, especially carbon sequestration, and increased inclusive economic opportunities.
Through the TOFI activity, USAID/India will support the Government of India (GoI) and other stakeholders to increase the uptake of trees outside of forests in India by: strengthening an enabling environment that promotes and incentivizes planting of trees; increasing economic opportunities from trees outside of forests; and improving access to information to help scale TOF in the country.
Objectives
- Objective 1: Enabling environment strengthened for TOF expansion in India
- Objective 2: TOF incentivized through reduced risks and improved economic opportunities
- Objective 3: Enhanced information systems and processes on TOF
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $19,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $19,000,000
- Award Floor: $4,500,000
Challenges
Despite GoI’s commitment to TOF and the huge potential for TOF in India, adoption rates are low due to various challenges which can be categorized as:
- Challenges related to the enabling environment of regulations, finance and insurance, quality control, and other aspects of the policy, legal, and regulatory framework that currently inhibit more widespread adoption of productive and profitable planting of TOFs;
- Challenges related to the economic incentives, availability of biophysical and financial inputs and insurances, private sector investments, production practices, processing facilities, viable business models, and other aspects of the value chains for various tree species and the efficient functioning of markets for different products from TOFs; and
- Challenges related to the information on TOFs, including the generation, compilation, analysis, and dissemination of credible and accurate information on production, harvest, processing.
Eligibility Criteria
- This funding opportunity is unrestricted and open to all eligible U.S. and non-U.S. nongovernmental organizations (other than those from foreign policy restricted countries), including foundations, institutions of higher education, consortiums and public international organizations, etc. Individuals are not eligible to participate.
- Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400(g), it is USAID policy not to award profit under assistance instruments such as Cooperative Agreements. While for-profit firms may participate, pursuant to 2 CFR 700.13(A)1), Prohibition against Profit, no profit will be paid to any for-profit entity receiving or administering Federal financial assistance as a recipient or sub-recipient.
- USAID welcomes organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID to submit their applications.
- Applicants must also provide a valid DUNS number in the SF-424 form to be submitted along with their application.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=331255