Opportunity Information: Apply for APS 623 12 000001
Apply for APS 623 12 000001
- The Kenya USAID Nairobi in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001 USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 30, 2012 and posted on Feb 28, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by First Closing Date for Submission of Concept Notes April 1, 2012 Final Closing Date for Submission of Concept Notes January 1, 2013. (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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This opportunity is restricted to applicants that are operational in at least two of the following countries and legally registered in one Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and/or Uganda
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Opportunity Summary:
The African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM) is a USAID Feed the Future funding opportunity managed out of USAID/Kenya in Nairobi that aims to strengthen agricultural growth and food security outcomes in East Africa by supporting innovative, high-impact solutions led by African institutions. The program is framed under the broader Feed the Future East Africa strategy (referenced in the linked multi-year strategy document), which emphasizes accelerating inclusive agricultural-led economic growth, improving nutrition, strengthening resilience, and promoting regional approaches that address shared constraints such as markets, trade, technology adoption, and capacity gaps. In practical terms, AIIM is designed to help identify and scale promising ideas, partnerships, and institutional innovations that can improve agricultural productivity, reduce poverty, and enhance food system performance across multiple countries in the region, rather than focusing narrowly on a single local area.
This opportunity was offered as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which typically means that USAID anticipates substantial involvement during implementation (for example, collaboration on work planning, monitoring, learning, and coordination with other Feed the Future activities). Funding levels were structured to support a range of project sizes, with an award floor of $100,000 and an award ceiling of $2,500,000, allowing both smaller proof-of-concept efforts and larger multi-country initiatives. A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, so applicants were expected to contribute resources of their own or leverage partner contributions as part of the overall project financing and commitment. The funding is associated with CFDA 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas) and falls under the agriculture funding activity category.
Eligibility was limited and region-specific. Applicants needed to be legally registered in at least one of the listed countries and operational in at least two of them. The eligible geography included Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. This structure signals that USAID was looking for organizations with a real on-the-ground presence and an ability to operate across borders, which aligns with a regional strategy that often prioritizes cross-border trade, harmonization of approaches, shared learning, and scaling innovations across similar agro-ecological zones and market systems. The listing of eligible applicants as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)" indicates that a variety of organization types may have been considered (such as regional institutions, universities, research bodies, NGOs, or private sector-led entities), but with the key restriction being multi-country operational capacity and legal registration within the target set.
The application process centered on concept notes submitted during a defined window rather than requiring full proposals upfront from everyone. The first closing date for concept notes was April 1, 2012, and the final closing date for concept notes was January 1, 2013. This kind of rolling or staged approach is commonly used to encourage a pipeline of ideas over time, reduce applicant burden early on, and allow the agency to down-select the most promising concepts for further development into full applications. The opportunity was posted February 28, 2012, with a creation date of April 30, 2012, and it included an amendment link noting additional information, which suggests the announcement may have been updated during the open period to clarify requirements or provide further guidance.
In terms of what USAID was seeking to fund, AIIM should be understood as an innovation and institutional strengthening mechanism aligned with Feed the Future priorities in East Africa. While the specific technical priorities are referenced in the linked strategy document, the mechanism title and regional framing point toward initiatives that improve how African institutions generate, adapt, disseminate, and scale agricultural and food security innovations. That can include new technologies or practices, but it often also includes "innovation" in the sense of new models: improved extension and advisory systems, stronger research-to-farmer linkages, market and value chain improvements, better aggregation and farmer organization approaches, innovative financing or risk management tools, and regional learning platforms that help successful approaches travel across borders. Because this is a cooperative agreement and tied to a multi-year strategy, applicants would typically be expected to propose measurable results, a credible pathway to adoption at scale, and coordination with other regional or country-level Feed the Future investments.
Administrative details identify USAID/Kenya (USAID Nairobi) as the agency, with contact support provided for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically. The listed point of contact was Michael Makosala, Regional Agreement/Acquisition Specialist, with a Nairobi-based phone number. The funding opportunity number was APS 623-12-000001, and the title was African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM)
1. What is the African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM)?
The African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM) is a USAID Feed the Future funding opportunity managed out of USAID/Kenya in Nairobi. It is designed to strengthen agricultural growth and food security outcomes in East Africa by supporting innovative, high-impact solutions led by African institutions.
2. What is the overall goal of AIIM?
AIIM aims to identify and scale promising ideas, partnerships, and institutional innovations that improve agricultural productivity, reduce poverty, and enhance food system performance across multiple countries in East Africa, rather than focusing narrowly on a single local area.
3. How does AIIM relate to Feed the Future in East Africa?
AIIM is framed under the broader Feed the Future East Africa strategy referenced in the linked multi-year strategy document. That strategy emphasizes accelerating inclusive agricultural-led economic growth, improving nutrition, strengthening resilience, and promoting regional approaches that address shared constraints (such as markets, trade, technology adoption, and capacity gaps).
4. What kind of award instrument was used for this opportunity?
This opportunity was offered as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement.
5. What does it mean that AIIM was a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement typically means USAID anticipates substantial involvement during implementation. Examples noted for this opportunity include collaboration on work planning, monitoring, learning, and coordination with other Feed the Future activities.
6. What were the minimum and maximum award sizes?
Funding levels were structured to support a range of project sizes, with an award floor of $100,000 and an award ceiling of $2,500,000.
7. Does this award structure support both small and large projects?
Yes. The award floor and ceiling were intended to allow both smaller proof-of-concept efforts and larger multi-country initiatives.
8. Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, so applicants were expected to contribute resources of their own and/or leverage partner contributions as part of the overall project financing and commitment.
9. What CFDA number is associated with this funding opportunity?
The funding is associated with CFDA 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas).
10. What funding activity category does AIIM fall under?
AIIM falls under the agriculture funding activity category.
11. Who managed this opportunity within USAID?
Administrative details identify USAID/Kenya (USAID Nairobi) as the agency managing the opportunity.
12. What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," indicating that a variety of organization types may have been considered (such as regional institutions, universities, research bodies, NGOs, or private sector-led entities). The key restrictions described were legal registration in an eligible country and the ability to operate across multiple countries.
13. What were the geographic eligibility requirements?
Applicants needed to be legally registered in at least one of the listed eligible countries and operational in at least two of them.
14. Which countries were included in the eligible geography?
The eligible geography included Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
15. Why did AIIM require multi-country operations?
The structure signaled an interest in organizations with real on-the-ground presence and cross-border operational capacity, aligning with a regional strategy that often prioritizes cross-border trade, harmonization of approaches, shared learning, and scaling innovations across similar agro-ecological zones and market systems.
16. Did applicants have to submit a full proposal at the start?
No. The application process centered on concept notes submitted during a defined window, rather than requiring full proposals upfront from everyone.
17. What were the concept note deadlines?
The first closing date for concept notes was April 1, 2012, and the final closing date for concept notes was January 1, 2013.
18. Was the concept note approach rolling or staged?
The described approach suggests a rolling or staged process intended to encourage a pipeline of ideas over time, reduce applicant burden early on, and allow USAID to down-select the most promising concepts for further development into full applications.
19. When was the opportunity posted and created?
The opportunity was posted February 28, 2012, with a creation date of April 30, 2012.
20. Was the announcement amended during the open period?
Yes. The opportunity included an amendment link noting additional information, suggesting the announcement may have been updated during the open period to clarify requirements or provide further guidance.
21. What kinds of activities or solutions was AIIM seeking to fund?
AIIM should be understood as an innovation and institutional strengthening mechanism aligned with Feed the Future priorities in East Africa. While the specific technical priorities are referenced in the linked strategy document, the opportunity description points toward initiatives that improve how African institutions generate, adapt, disseminate, and scale agricultural and food security innovations.
22. Does "innovation" only mean new technology?
No. The description indicates innovation could include new technologies or practices, and also new models such as improved extension and advisory systems, stronger research-to-farmer linkages, market and value chain improvements, better aggregation and farmer organization approaches, innovative financing or risk management tools, and regional learning platforms that help successful approaches spread across borders.
23. Were applicants expected to coordinate with other Feed the Future activities?
Yes. Because this was a cooperative agreement tied to a multi-year strategy, applicants would typically be expected to coordinate with other regional or country-level Feed the Future investments.
24. Were measurable results and a scaling pathway important in proposed projects?
Yes. The description notes that applicants would typically be expected to propose measurable results and a credible pathway to adoption at scale.
25. What is the funding opportunity number and title?
The funding opportunity number was APS 623-12-000001, and the title was African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM).
26. Who was the listed point of contact?
The listed point of contact was Michael Makosala, Regional Agreement/Acquisition Specialist.
27. What support was mentioned for applicants who could not access the announcement electronically?
Contact support was provided for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically.
28. Where was the point of contact based?
The point of contact information included a Nairobi-based phone number, consistent with the opportunity being managed out of USAID/Kenya in Nairobi.
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