Feed the Future Ethiopia Community Nutrition Activity | 72066323RFA00002

FAQs: Feed the Future Ethiopia Community Nutrition Activity (USAID/Ethiopia)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a USAID/Ethiopia Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Feed the Future Ethiopia Community Nutrition Activity. USAID is seeking applications from qualified organizations to implement a community nutrition activity in Ethiopia under the broader Feed the Future initiative.

2) What funding mechanism will USAID use for this opportunity?

USAID plans to use a cooperative agreement mechanism. Under a cooperative agreement, the recipient implements the project, while USAID expects to have substantial involvement during execution (for example, collaboration on technical direction, monitoring, or learning activities) compared with a more hands-off grant.

3) Who is administering this opportunity?

The opportunity is administered by USAID in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (USAID/Ethiopia).

4) Where was the NOFO posted?

The NOFO was released on Grants.gov.

5) What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is 72066323RFA00002.

6) What is the CFDA (assistance listing) number for this opportunity?

The CFDA (assistance listing) number is 98.001.

7) Is eligibility restricted to certain organization types?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted in the posting, meaning USAID is not limiting who can apply based on organization type or affiliation in the posting itself. Applicants must still meet the eligibility and other requirements described in Section C of the NOFO.

8) How will USAID decide who receives an award?

USAID states it intends to make an award to the applicant or applicants that best meet the objectives described in the NOFO, based on the published merit review criteria and subject to a risk assessment.

9) What does "merit review criteria" mean in this context?

It means proposals are reviewed and scored against defined technical and management criteria published in the NOFO. The highest-ranked applications are typically those that best address the objectives and requirements in the announcement.

10) What is the role of the risk assessment?

In addition to how well an application scores under the merit review criteria, USAID also conducts a risk assessment before finalizing an award. This can include review of financial and operational risk factors.

11) How much funding is available?

The award ceiling is listed as $69,500,000, which indicates the maximum amount available under the award as described in the posting.

12) How many awards does USAID expect to make?

The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided source data.

13) What are the key dates listed for this opportunity?

The opportunity was created on November 30, 2022. The original application closing date was January 31, 2023.

14) What does it mean that the opportunity is categorized as "mandatory" in the source data?

The source data categorizes the opportunity as mandatory. The posting does not provide additional detail in the provided information beyond that label.

15) What should applicants do first before preparing an application?

Applicants are expected to read the full NOFO carefully to understand the program sought, the required components of the application package, and how USAID will evaluate submissions.

16) Can the NOFO change after it is posted?

Yes. The NOFO may be amended. Applicants are responsible for checking Grants.gov regularly to ensure they are working from the most current version and that they have received all documents completely.

17) How will USAID share clarifications or answers to applicant questions?

Questions must be submitted to the points of contact listed in Section D by the stated question deadline. USAID will share responses to timely questions with all potential applicants via an amendment posted on Grants.gov to keep the competition fair and transparent.

18) What should an applicant do if they have technical issues accessing or downloading the NOFO?

Technical issues with downloading or accessing the announcement are directed to the Grants.gov Helpdesk.

19) What federal registrations are required before USAID can make an award?

USAID may not make an award unless the applicant has completed the required unique entity identifier steps and is properly registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). The posting references additional details in Section D.6.g of the NOFO.

20) When should applicants start SAM and related registrations?

Applicants are advised to start registrations early because SAM and related registrations can take weeks. USAID recommends not waiting until close to the deadline.

21) Does issuing the NOFO guarantee that an award will be made?

No. The posting clarifies that issuing the NOFO does not guarantee an award.

22) Will the U.S. Government pay applicants for proposal development costs?

No. The posting states that the NOFO does not commit the U.S. Government to fund proposal development costs.

23) Will applicants be reimbursed for expenses incurred while preparing or submitting an application?

No. The posting states that applicants will not be reimbursed for any expenses incurred while preparing or submitting an application.

24) Where in the NOFO can applicants find the official eligibility and application requirements?

Eligibility requirements are referenced as being laid out in Section C of the NOFO. Registration requirements are referenced in Section D.6.g, and the points of contact and question process are referenced in Section D.