Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OAA 12 000003
Apply for RFA OAA 12 000003
- The Agency for International Development in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agricultural Commercialization Innovation Activity" 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 Mar 5, 2012 and posted on Jan 31, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 20, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $74,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $74,000,000.00 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 Agricultural Commercialization and Innovation Activity (ACI) is a USAID Bureau for Food Security opportunity designed to strengthen how food-insecure households in Feed the Future countries connect to markets. It sits under the Bureau for Food Security, Markets, Partnerships and Innovations Office (BFS/MPI), which focuses on finding and testing new ways to improve food security through innovative partnerships, practical tools, and updated methodologies. In plain terms, this activity is meant to give BFS/MPI a central platform to push forward market-based solutions that help smallholders and vulnerable communities participate more effectively in agricultural value chains, benefit from new technologies, and access opportunities that raise incomes and improve resilience.
The grant is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means USAID expects a substantial level of involvement during implementation (for example, technical direction, joint planning, and coordination around deliverables), rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. USAID anticipated making one award under this opportunity, indicating the intent to support a single lead implementer that can coordinate a large, multi-part program. The estimated total funding is approximately $74,000,000, with an award floor of $60,000,000 and a ceiling of $74,000,000, signaling a large-scale, multi-year effort. Cost sharing or matching is not required. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition was open to a wide range of applicant types, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full announcement.
ACI is organized around four core components. First, agricultural technology commercialization focuses on moving promising agricultural technologies beyond pilots and into real-world use at scale. This can include supporting the pathway from invention to adoption, such as validation in target markets, product development, user testing, distribution strategies, licensing arrangements, or working with private-sector partners who can manufacture, market, and service technologies sustainably. The emphasis is on commercialization, not just research, so the goal is to ensure technologies reach farmers and firms in ways that can persist without permanent donor support.
Second, partnership development is meant to expand and deepen collaboration across public, private, and civil society actors. This likely includes building alliances with agribusinesses, financial institutions, technology providers, local organizations, and governments, with the aim of pooling expertise and resources to improve market access for vulnerable households. The partnership function also implies brokering relationships, designing collaborative models, and creating structures where incentives align so that companies and local institutions see clear value in serving smallholder farmers and low-income consumers.
Third, investment design and modeling addresses the financial and economic side of scaling agricultural innovations. This component suggests work such as developing investment theses, structuring deals or investment vehicles, analyzing risk and return profiles, and modeling how different interventions might influence adoption, productivity, market performance, and household outcomes. It can also involve assessing what types of finance (for example, debt, equity, guarantees, blended finance, or performance-based mechanisms) are most appropriate for different contexts, and designing approaches that can attract additional capital into agriculture and food systems.
Fourth, knowledge management is the mechanism for capturing lessons, evidence, and practical guidance from across the activity and making it usable for decision-makers and practitioners. This component typically includes documentation of what works and what does not, development of tools and templates, dissemination of findings, and creating feedback loops so learning informs program adjustments. In the context of BFS/MPI, knowledge management also supports broader USAID and Feed the Future learning agendas by translating field experience into replicable approaches that can be applied in multiple countries and value chains.
Key administrative details include the funding opportunity number RFA-OAA-12-000003, posted January 31, 2012, with a final closing date of March 20, 2012, and an archive date of March 30, 2012. The CFDA number is 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas). For applicant support related to accessing the full announcement, the listed contact was Christine Dwulet, Agreement Specialist, at 202-567-4191 and cdwulet@usaid.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Agricultural Commercialization and Innovation Activity (ACI)?
The Agricultural Commercialization and Innovation Activity (ACI) is a USAID Bureau for Food Security opportunity designed to strengthen how food-insecure households in Feed the Future countries connect to markets. It is intended as a central platform to advance market-based solutions that help smallholders and vulnerable communities participate more effectively in agricultural value chains, benefit from new technologies, and access opportunities that raise incomes and improve resilience.
Which USAID office is sponsoring or managing this opportunity?
ACI sits under the USAID Bureau for Food Security, specifically within the Markets, Partnerships and Innovations Office (BFS/MPI). BFS/MPI focuses on finding and testing new ways to improve food security through innovative partnerships, practical tools, and updated methodologies.
What is the main purpose of ACI in plain terms?
In plain terms, ACI is meant to push forward market-based solutions so that agricultural innovations can move into real-world use at scale, and so that vulnerable households can connect more effectively to markets and agricultural value chains.
What type of award is this?
This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement typically means USAID expects a substantial level of involvement during implementation. Examples mentioned include technical direction, joint planning, and coordination around deliverables, rather than USAID only issuing funds and stepping back.
How many awards did USAID anticipate making?
USAID anticipated making one award under this opportunity, indicating an intent to support a single lead implementer that can coordinate a large, multi-part program.
How much funding is available?
The estimated total funding is approximately $74,000,000.
What are the award floor and ceiling?
The award floor is $60,000,000 and the award ceiling is $74,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. Cost sharing or matching is not required.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition was open to a wide range of applicant types, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full announcement.
What are the core components of ACI?
ACI is organized around four core components: (1) agricultural technology commercialization, (2) partnership development, (3) investment design and modeling, and (4) knowledge management.
What is included under the agricultural technology commercialization component?
This component focuses on moving promising agricultural technologies beyond pilots and into real-world use at scale. Examples provided include validation in target markets, product development, user testing, distribution strategies, licensing arrangements, and working with private-sector partners who can manufacture, market, and service technologies sustainably. The emphasis is on commercialization rather than research alone.
Does ACI focus on research or on scaling and commercialization?
The emphasis described is on commercialization, not just research, with the goal of ensuring technologies reach farmers and firms in ways that can persist without permanent donor support.
What is the partnership development component meant to do?
Partnership development is meant to expand and deepen collaboration across public, private, and civil society actors. This likely includes building alliances with agribusinesses, financial institutions, technology providers, local organizations, and governments to pool expertise and resources and improve market access for vulnerable households.
What kinds of partnership activities are implied?
The description implies brokering relationships, designing collaborative models, and creating structures where incentives align so that companies and local institutions see clear value in serving smallholder farmers and low-income consumers.
What is the investment design and modeling component?
This component addresses the financial and economic side of scaling agricultural innovations. It suggests work such as developing investment theses, structuring deals or investment vehicles, analyzing risk and return profiles, and modeling how interventions might influence adoption, productivity, market performance, and household outcomes.
What types of finance are mentioned as potentially relevant?
The opportunity mentions assessing what types of finance may be appropriate in different contexts, including debt, equity, guarantees, blended finance, or performance-based mechanisms.
What is the knowledge management component for?
Knowledge management is described as the mechanism for capturing lessons, evidence, and practical guidance from across the activity and making it usable for decision-makers and practitioners. It typically includes documenting what works and what does not, developing tools and templates, disseminating findings, and creating feedback loops so learning informs program adjustments.
How does knowledge management relate to broader USAID and Feed the Future learning goals?
In the context of BFS/MPI, knowledge management supports broader USAID and Feed the Future learning agendas by translating field experience into replicable approaches that can be applied in multiple countries and value chains.
What is the funding opportunity number (FOA number)?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-OAA-12-000003.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas).
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on January 31, 2012.
What was the final closing date?
The final closing date was March 20, 2012.
What is the archive date?
The archive date was March 30, 2012.
Who was the listed contact for applicant support?
The listed contact was Christine Dwulet, Agreement Specialist.
How can applicants request support accessing the full announcement?
For applicant support related to accessing the full announcement, the contact information provided is 202-567-4191 and cdwulet@usaid.gov (Christine Dwulet, Agreement Specialist).
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