Developing and Strengthening Services and Systems that Support Family Cohesion and Respond to the Separation of Children in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The grant opportunity titled "Developing and Strengthening Services and Systems that Support Family Cohesion and Respond to the Separation of Children in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)" is a USAID solicitation issued by the USAID mission in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was released as a Request for Applications (RFA) under Funding Opportunity Number SOL 660 11 000003, and it focuses on improving the way children and families are supported when children are separated from their caregivers, as well as strengthening broader systems that prevent unnecessary separation and promote family cohesion. The activity is framed under USAID foreign assistance programming overseas and is categorized under a humanities-related activity area (noted as aligned with cultural affairs in CFDA terms), reflecting a strong emphasis on social systems, community structures, and family-based support rather than purely infrastructure or clinical service delivery.

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which matters because it typically implies substantial involvement by USAID during implementation. In practice, that often means the selected partner should expect close collaboration with USAID on technical direction, coordination with other stakeholders, performance monitoring, and adaptive management as conditions in the operating environment change. The opportunity anticipated making one award, suggesting USAID was looking for a single lead implementer capable of organizing a comprehensive response across multiple components, geographies, and partner relationships. The total estimated funding for the award is USD 8,000,000, with an award ceiling of USD 8,000,000 and an award floor of USD 6,000,000. No cost sharing or matching was required, meaning applicants were not obligated to contribute their own funds as a condition of eligibility, although they still would typically be expected to show efficiency, leverage partnerships, and demonstrate value for money.

Eligibility was intentionally broad and described as "full and open competition." USAID invited applications from qualified U.S. and non-U.S. organizations and institutions, including large or small entities, for-profit firms, faith-based organizations, and non-profit organizations. A key emphasis is that applications should be submitted in the form of partnerships or consortia that include organizations based in the DRC. That requirement signals the intent to anchor programming in local capacity, local knowledge, and local legitimacy, while still allowing international technical support or management capacity where needed. The solicitation references geographic code 935 in relation to eligibility, indicating a regional or country code constraint used in USAID procurement and assistance processes. The overall message is that any capable organization could compete, but proposals needed to be structured to include Congolese partners and reflect realistic operating knowledge of the DRC context.

The core purpose of the program is to develop and strengthen services and systems that (1) support family cohesion and (2) respond effectively to the separation of children. While the short source summary does not list specific technical components, the title itself points to two complementary tracks: preventing separation by reinforcing family and community support structures, and responding when separation occurs by ensuring appropriate services, case management, and system coordination. In the DRC context, child separation can be driven by conflict and displacement, economic stress, exploitation, family breakdown, or social stigma. A program under this title would generally be expected to improve how children are identified and supported, how families are traced and reunified when safe and appropriate, how alternative care is handled when reunification is not possible, and how government and community systems coordinate to reduce the likelihood of long-term separation. "Systems strengthening" also implies work beyond direct service delivery, such as developing standard procedures, training social service personnel, improving referral pathways, strengthening information management practices, and helping institutions coordinate policies and roles so that responses are consistent and accountable.

Administratively, the opportunity was posted on October 18, 2011, with a closing date of November 30, 2011. The record indicates a creation date of November 14, 2011 and an archive date of December 30, 2011, which together place the solicitation firmly as a time-bound, competed opportunity that has since closed. Only one award was expected, reinforcing that the implementing partner likely needed strong management systems, robust safeguarding and accountability practices, and the ability to work across a consortium structure that includes DRC-based organizations. The CFDA number referenced is 98.001, labeled as USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas, which is a common umbrella CFDA for USAID-funded international development and humanitarian assistance activities.

For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement at the time, USAID provided points of contact: Johnny Damian as the main contact and Salome Bamaka Safi as the alternate. The contact listing includes a DRC telephone number (243 81 555 4430 Ext. 4441) and identifies the role involved as a Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist, which is consistent with a USAID-funded cooperative agreement competition administered through the mission's acquisition and assistance office.

In plain terms, this opportunity was designed to fund one major partner-led effort, backed by Congolese organizations, to reduce child-family separation and to build stronger, more coordinated local systems that keep children in safe family care whenever possible. The available funding level indicates USAID expected a substantial, multi-year style intervention (even though the specific period of performance is not shown in the provided data), with enough scale to influence not just individual beneficiaries but also the institutional and community mechanisms that determine how separated children are identified, protected, and supported in the DRC.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Democratic Republic of the Congo USAID Kinshasa

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA)

Next opportunity: Total Costs of Ownership of Future Light Duty Vehicles

Previous opportunity: Materials Solicitation with focus on Structural Materials, Blanket First Walls, and Divertor Plasma Facing Components

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for SOL 660 11 000003

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (SOL 660 11 000003) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "SOL 660 11 000003", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.