Opportunity Information: Apply for OFDA FY08 007 APS
Apply for OFDA FY08 007 APS
- The Agency for International Development in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Productive Agriculture (AVIPA) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 20, 2008 and posted on Jun 19, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 18, 2008. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $37,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Productive Agriculture (AVIPA) Program was a USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/DCHA/OFDA) funding opportunity designed to help drought-affected, subsistence farming households in Afghanistan get timely access to basic agricultural inputs. The central idea was to use a voucher-based system so farmers could obtain needed supplies in an accessible and affordable way, with the immediate goal of boosting production of wheat and other staple food crops during two key planting windows: the fall/winter 2008 snow-fed season and the spring 2009 rain-fed season. By focusing on these consecutive cereal seasons, the program aimed to create a short-term recovery push that would help stabilize household food availability and encourage farmers to plant rather than leave fields underused because they could not afford inputs.
The opportunity was framed as a response to compounding shocks facing rural households. A poor 2007/2008 cereals harvest left many subsistence farmers struggling to cover immediate food needs, maintain income, and still set aside money for seed and other inputs required for the next season. At the same time, Afghanistan was experiencing high food prices, which made it even harder for families to cope and for farmers to reinvest in production. USAID’s intent was to address this gap by supporting an input support mechanism that would help farmers re-enter or maintain production in the 2008/2009 cycle, thereby supporting both household-level food security and broader local availability of staple crops.
USAID sought applications from qualified organizations to manage the voucher distribution and redemption program in selected areas of Afghanistan. While the announcement summary does not spell out all operational details, the management role typically implies responsibilities such as targeting eligible drought-affected farmers, distributing vouchers securely, setting up or coordinating a network of approved agro-dealers or suppliers, ensuring vouchers could be redeemed for appropriate inputs, and maintaining controls and verification to reduce diversion or fraud. The intent behind using vouchers, rather than direct in-kind distribution alone, is generally to let farmers choose from approved inputs, stimulate local input markets where feasible, and improve speed and transparency when properly monitored.
From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary funding opportunity issued as an Assistance Program Solicitation (APS) under Funding Opportunity Number OFDA FY08 007. The instrument type was a cooperative agreement, signaling that USAID expected to remain actively involved during implementation compared to a standard grant. The activity category was agriculture, and USAID anticipated making one award. The ceiling for the award was up to $37,000,000, with no stated minimum award amount (award floor listed as $0). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, and eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was open to a broad range of applicant types unless additional limitations were specified elsewhere in the full announcement.
Key dates included a posted date of June 19, 2008, with an application closing date of December 18, 2008, and an archive date of January 17, 2009. For applicants who could not access the full announcement electronically, the point of contact listed was Pamela Scott, Grants Specialist, reachable by phone at 202-661-9371 or by email at pascott@usaid.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Productive Agriculture (AVIPA) Program?
The Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Productive Agriculture (AVIPA) Program was a USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/DCHA/OFDA) funding opportunity focused on helping drought-affected, subsistence farming households in Afghanistan gain timely access to basic agricultural inputs through a voucher-based system.
What problem was AVIPA designed to address?
AVIPA was framed as a response to compounding shocks affecting rural households, including a poor 2007/2008 cereals harvest and high food prices. These pressures made it difficult for subsistence farmers to meet immediate food needs while also affording seed and other inputs needed to plant the next seasons crops.
What was the main goal of the program?
The immediate goal was to boost production of wheat and other staple food crops by enabling farmers to obtain needed agricultural inputs during two key planting windows in the 2008/2009 cycle, supporting short-term recovery and stabilizing household food availability.
Which planting seasons did the program target?
The program targeted two consecutive cereal seasons: the fall/winter 2008 snow-fed season and the spring 2009 rain-fed season.
Why did USAID use a voucher-based system?
The voucher approach was intended to help farmers access needed supplies in an accessible and affordable way. More generally, vouchers can allow farmers to choose from approved inputs, support local input markets where feasible, and improve speed and transparency when paired with appropriate monitoring and controls.
Who was USAID seeking applications from?
USAID sought applications from qualified organizations to manage the voucher distribution and redemption program in selected areas of Afghanistan.
What would the award recipient be expected to do?
While the summary does not provide all operational details, the management role typically implies responsibilities such as identifying and targeting eligible drought-affected farmers, distributing vouchers securely, coordinating or setting up a network of approved agro-dealers or suppliers, ensuring vouchers are redeemed for appropriate inputs, and maintaining controls and verification to reduce diversion or fraud.
What types of inputs were intended to be supported?
The opportunity was designed to provide access to basic agricultural inputs needed for cereal production, with an emphasis on wheat and other staple food crops. The specific input list is not detailed in the summary provided.
What geographic areas were included?
The program was to operate in selected areas of Afghanistan. The summary does not specify which provinces or districts.
What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
This was a discretionary funding opportunity issued as an Assistance Program Solicitation (APS) under Funding Opportunity Number OFDA FY08 007.
What type of award instrument would be used?
The instrument type was a cooperative agreement, which indicates USAID expected to remain actively involved during implementation compared to a standard grant.
What was the program area or activity category?
The activity category listed for this opportunity was agriculture.
How many awards did USAID expect to make?
USAID anticipated making one award.
What was the maximum funding available?
The award ceiling was up to $37,000,000.
Was there a minimum award amount?
No minimum award amount was stated. The award floor was listed as $0.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was open to a broad range of applicant types unless additional limitations were included in the full announcement.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posted date was June 19, 2008.
What was the application deadline?
The application closing date was December 18, 2008.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was January 17, 2009.
How could applicants get the full announcement if they could not access it electronically?
Applicants who could not access the full announcement electronically were directed to contact Pamela Scott, Grants Specialist.
Who was the point of contact for this funding opportunity?
The listed point of contact was Pamela Scott, Grants Specialist.
What contact information was provided for the point of contact?
Pamela Scott could be reached by phone at 202-661-9371 or by email at pascott@usaid.gov.
What was USAID trying to achieve at the household level?
By supporting farmers ability to plant during the 2008/2009 cycle, USAID aimed to stabilize household food availability and encourage farmers not to leave fields underused due to lack of affordable inputs.
How was this opportunity connected to food security concerns?
The opportunity was intended to help households maintain or re-enter crop production after a poor harvest and amid high food prices, supporting household-level food security and improving local availability of staple crops.
Does the summary provide detailed operational rules for voucher redemption and controls?
No. The summary notes typical management responsibilities and the intent of voucher systems, but it does not spell out the full operational details.
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