Opportunity Information: Apply for SOL OAA 14 000106
Apply for SOL OAA 14 000106
- The Agency for International Development in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Caribbean Marine Biodiversity 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 May 14, 2014 and posted on May 6, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 2014 The closing date for this RFA is now June 20, 2014. The RFA must be received before midnight on June 20, 2014.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $10,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Potential partners include, but are not necessarily limited to U.S. or non U.S. nonprofit nongovernmental organizations, institutions of higher education and commercial organizations. For profit applicants should note that USAID policy prohibits the payment of fee/profit to the prime recipient under grants and cooperative agreements. Forgone profit does not qualify as cost sharing or leveraging. USAID encourages applications from potential new partners.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Activity (CMBA) is a USAID-funded grant opportunity focused on improving how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Caribbean are managed by推动 the adoption of integrated, ecosystem-based management (EBM). The core idea behind EBM in this opportunity is that MPAs cannot be managed effectively by looking only at the biology or only at enforcement. Instead, management decisions should be grounded in a broad, realistic understanding of the full set of pressures and conditions shaping marine ecosystems, including social and cultural practices, local livelihoods and economics, ecological and physical conditions, and the policy and legal frameworks that govern coastal and marine use. The opportunity emphasizes that MPAs sit in the middle of many competing uses and influences, so better outcomes depend on coordinating decisions across sectors rather than treating each issue in isolation.
CMBA frames EBM as a practical shift from traditional MPA management in two major ways. First, it requires that each human activity affecting the marine environment be managed with explicit attention to how it interacts with the ecosystem and with other activities. For example, fishing pressure, tourism, coastal construction, runoff and pollution, and the spread of invasive species can combine in ways that amplify harm even if each activity is considered acceptable on its own. Second, EBM requires managing multiple activities together toward shared outcomes, rather than allowing separate agencies or interest groups to pursue narrow objectives that may conflict. In other words, the grant is aimed at building a coordinated management approach that aligns conservation goals with real-world development and use patterns, reducing the tendency for MPAs to exist on paper while ecosystem decline continues due to unmanaged external pressures.
A central feature of the activity is stakeholder engagement. CMBA expects meaningful involvement of communities, the private sector, legislators, policymakers, and marine conservation actors in efforts to improve marine biodiversity. This signals an emphasis on governance and adoption, not just technical studies. The intent is that better biodiversity outcomes come from informed decision-making that incorporates social, cultural, political, and environmental realities, so that rules and practices are workable, locally supported, and resilient over time. The opportunity also highlights common drivers that EBM must account for, such as coastal and urban development, pollution, sustainable (or unsustainable) fishing practices, tourism and recreation impacts, and invasive species management. In practice, that points to interventions that may include planning and zoning, improved monitoring and compliance approaches, sustainable finance or incentive structures, cross-sector coordination mechanisms, and outreach or behavior-change strategies tied to MPA objectives.
By the end of the activity, CMBA sets two concrete intended results. The first is that EBM will be applied in targeted MPAs, meaning the program is expected to move beyond planning into implementation within selected locations. The second is that the approaches, tools, and lessons piloted in those MPAs will be "socialized" and disseminated to a broader group of stakeholders, implying knowledge transfer and uptake beyond the immediate pilot sites. The broader aim is systems change: shifting how MPAs function and are managed so that conservation outcomes improve because decisions are integrated across sectors and informed by a full spectrum of ecological and human factors, rather than being limited to narrow, site-only protection measures.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under Funding Opportunity Number SOL OAA 14 000106, with funding provided through a cooperative agreement. The activity category is Environment, and the CFDA number listed is 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas). USAID anticipated making one award, with an estimated total funding amount of $10,000,000 and an award ceiling of $10,000,000. Cost sharing or matching is required, indicating applicants must contribute non-federal resources or leveraged support as part of the proposed program approach. The original closing date was June 6, 2014, and it was extended to June 20, 2014, with submissions due before midnight on that date. The posting date was May 6, 2014, and the archive date was July 6, 2014.
Eligibility is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status). USAID also notes that potential partners may include U.S. or non-U.S. nonprofit NGOs, universities, and commercial organizations. For-profit entities are allowed to apply, but with an important constraint: USAID policy prohibits payment of fee or profit to the prime recipient under grants and cooperative agreements, and any profit an organization chooses to forgo cannot be counted as cost share or leveraged contribution. USAID explicitly encourages applications from new partners, which suggests openness to organizations that may not have an extensive prior USAID award history but can demonstrate the technical and managerial capacity to deliver complex, multi-stakeholder marine governance and biodiversity outcomes.
For access issues related to the full announcement, the contact listed is Sharon Baker, Agreement Specialist at USAID, reachable by phone at 202-567-5098.
Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Activity (CMBA) - FAQs
What is the Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Activity (CMBA)?
CMBA is a USAID-funded grant opportunity focused on improving how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Caribbean are managed by supporting the adoption of integrated, ecosystem-based management (EBM).
What is the main goal of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity aims to improve marine biodiversity outcomes by changing how MPAs are managed. It emphasizes coordinated, cross-sector decision-making that reflects ecological realities and human drivers like livelihoods, economics, and governance, rather than treating conservation as a stand-alone issue.
What does "ecosystem-based management (EBM)" mean in this opportunity?
EBM is described as managing MPAs using a broad, realistic view of the full set of pressures shaping marine ecosystems. That includes social and cultural practices, local livelihoods and economics, ecological and physical conditions, and the policy and legal frameworks that govern coastal and marine use.
How is EBM different from traditional MPA management approaches?
CMBA presents EBM as a practical shift in two main ways: (1) each human activity affecting the marine environment should be managed with explicit attention to how it interacts with the ecosystem and with other activities; and (2) multiple activities should be managed together toward shared outcomes, instead of separate agencies or interest groups pursuing narrow, potentially conflicting objectives.
Why does CMBA emphasize cross-sector coordination?
The opportunity highlights that MPAs sit amid many competing uses and influences. Better outcomes depend on coordinating decisions across sectors, because ecosystem decline can continue even when an MPA exists "on paper" if external pressures are not addressed in an integrated way.
What kinds of pressures and drivers should EBM account for under CMBA?
CMBA highlights drivers such as coastal and urban development, pollution, fishing practices (sustainable or unsustainable), tourism and recreation impacts, and invasive species management.
Does the opportunity focus only on biology and enforcement?
No. CMBA explicitly states that MPAs cannot be managed effectively by looking only at biology or only at enforcement. Management decisions are expected to incorporate ecological, social, cultural, economic, and governance realities.
What role does stakeholder engagement play in CMBA?
Stakeholder engagement is described as a central feature. CMBA expects meaningful involvement of communities, the private sector, legislators, policymakers, and marine conservation actors, signaling that governance, adoption, and long-term support are core to the approach.
What types of interventions does CMBA suggest could be relevant?
Based on the description, interventions may include planning and zoning, improved monitoring and compliance approaches, sustainable finance or incentive structures, cross-sector coordination mechanisms, and outreach or behavior-change strategies tied to MPA objectives.
What are the intended results by the end of the activity?
CMBA identifies two intended results: (1) EBM will be applied in targeted MPAs, meaning the work should move beyond planning into implementation in selected locations; and (2) the approaches, tools, and lessons piloted in those MPAs will be "socialized" and disseminated to a broader group of stakeholders, supporting broader uptake beyond the pilot sites.
Is this opportunity meant to create change beyond the targeted MPAs?
Yes. In addition to applying EBM in targeted MPAs, the opportunity calls for disseminating and sharing (socializing) approaches, tools, and lessons with a broader group of stakeholders, implying knowledge transfer and wider adoption.
Which agency is offering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
What is the funding opportunity number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SOL OAA 14 000106.
What type of award is anticipated?
Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement.
What is the activity category and CFDA number?
The activity category is Environment. The CFDA number listed is 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas).
How many awards did USAID anticipate making?
USAID anticipated making one award.
What is the estimated total funding amount and the award ceiling?
The estimated total funding amount is $10,000,000, and the award ceiling is also $10,000,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The opportunity states that cost sharing or matching is required, meaning applicants must contribute non-federal resources or leveraged support as part of the proposed program approach.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status). USAID also notes that potential partners may include U.S. or non-U.S. nonprofit NGOs, universities, and commercial organizations.
Are for-profit entities allowed to apply?
Yes, for-profit entities are allowed to apply, but USAID policy prohibits payment of fee or profit to the prime recipient under grants and cooperative agreements.
Can a for-profit applicant count forgone profit as cost share?
No. The opportunity states that any profit an organization chooses to forgo cannot be counted as cost share or leveraged contribution.
Does USAID encourage applications from new partners?
Yes. USAID explicitly encourages applications from new partners, suggesting openness to organizations without extensive prior USAID award history if they can demonstrate the capacity to deliver the work.
What was the original closing date, and was it extended?
The original closing date was June 6, 2014, and it was extended to June 20, 2014.
When were submissions due?
Submissions were due before midnight on June 20, 2014.
When was the opportunity posted and archived?
The posting date was May 6, 2014, and the archive date was July 6, 2014.
Who should applicants contact for access issues related to the full announcement?
The contact listed is Sharon Baker, Agreement Specialist at USAID.
What contact details are provided for the USAID point of contact?
Sharon Baker can be reached by phone at 202-567-5098.
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