Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI 306 14 000100
Apply for RFI 306 14 000100
- The Afghanistan USAID Kabul in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Early Grade Reading and Access to Education" 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 Sep 25, 2014 and posted on Sep 25, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 5, 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 $1.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- 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 Early Grade Reading and Access to Education opportunity (RFI 306 14 000100) is a USAID/Afghanistan Request for Information issued to gather market research and practical input from organizations and companies that have relevant experience designing and implementing early grade reading and basic education access programs. It is not a funding solicitation yet, and it does not invite full proposals or applications. Instead, USAID is using this RFI to shape a future education activity that would be implemented entirely in Afghanistan and is expected to reflect Afghan cultural norms, local context, and on-the-ground constraints. USAID indicates that it may later release a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Applications (RFA), but the RFI itself creates no obligation to fund anything and does not reimburse any costs incurred by respondents.
Programmatically, the concept is a five-year activity financed with basic education funds and managed by USAID/Afghanistan's Office of Social Sector Development, Education. The final award instrument had not been chosen at the time of posting (USAID notes it could be a contract or a cooperative agreement), and the geographic scope was also still to be determined. The activity is positioned within USAID/Afghanistan's broader education portfolio and is aligned with Afghanistan's National Priority Program Cluster 2 (Education for All), the USAID Education Strategy, and the USAID/Afghanistan Strategy for Transformation. Within that framing, USAID emphasizes three linked results areas: strengthening education systems, improving access to education, and improving the quality of reading instruction.
The early grade reading portion focuses on grades 1 and 2, with an explicit learning target: children should be able to read grade-level text after two years of school through evidence-based instruction. USAID describes an approach grounded in decades of international research on how children learn to read and informed by USAID's prior early grade reading experience. The proposed work with Afghanistan's Ministry of Education (MoE) includes producing or providing technically sound reading materials, training teachers to use those materials effectively, and delivering ongoing coaching to support classroom implementation rather than relying on one-time trainings. It also includes helping the MoE improve how it assesses early grade reading achievement, along with higher-level policy engagement to encourage guidelines and procedures that match best practices in reading instruction and school management. Taken together, the concept blends inputs (materials and training), continuous support (coaching), measurement (assessment systems), and enabling environment (policy dialogue).
The access-to-education portion is designed to complement the reading work by increasing enrollment, attendance, and retention in formal MoE schools, including efforts to bring back children who have dropped out or are considered permanently absent. USAID signals that the access work should use evidence-based approaches and be implemented in a way that can be showcased for eventual MoE scale-up, implying a focus on sustainability and government ownership. The RFI highlights common access barriers in Afghanistan, especially for girls, and gives examples of the kinds of interventions USAID is considering: community awareness campaigns to build support for schooling, small-scale rehabilitation such as boundary walls and/or toilets (often tied to safety and dignity concerns), and school safety measures. The underlying idea is that learning gains in early reading are difficult to achieve if children cannot safely reach school, do not attend regularly, or leave school early, so the project concept integrates instruction quality with practical access solutions.
USAID asks respondents to provide concise, experience-based comments that improve the likelihood of success for an integrated early grade reading and access activity in Afghanistan. Beyond general feedback, USAID lists eight specific question areas to guide responses: what has already been tried in Afghanistan to improve early grade reading and what results and lessons came from those efforts; what is needed to create demand for formal MoE schools, increase access, and improve student retention; what is needed to increase girls' enrollment and regular attendance; how parents and communities can be engaged to strengthen oversight and accountability at local and provincial levels; how USAID can work with other private and public institutions to leverage additional resources; how USAID can help the MoE sustain and scale successful reading and access interventions; how implementation can build provincial and district capacity and strengthen communication across central, provincial, and local levels; and how to monitor and measure results despite insecurity and limited infrastructure. These questions make it clear USAID is looking for implementers who understand both technical literacy instruction and the operational realities of delivering education services in hard-to-reach, high-risk settings.
Administratively, the RFI was posted September 25, 2014, with comments due by October 5, 2014 at 23:59 Washington, DC time (corresponding to the morning of October 6 in Kabul). Submissions were to be sent electronically to kabulaidoaamailbox@usaid.gov, with Naseer Sardari listed as a point of contact (nsardari@state.gov). The notice also states that eligibility is unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any further clarifications in the announcement) and that cost sharing or matching is expected as part of the eventual opportunity. Overall, the document is best read as an early signal of USAID/Afghanistan's direction: a single, integrated education activity aimed at getting more children into school and ensuring that children in the first two grades learn to read through structured materials, teacher training, coaching, improved assessment, community mobilization, and MoE-led systems and policy improvements that can endure beyond the life of the award.
FAQs: Early Grade Reading and Access to Education (RFI 306 14 000100) - USAID/Afghanistan
1) What is RFI 306 14 000100?
RFI 306 14 000100 is a USAID/Afghanistan Request for Information (RFI) for the Early Grade Reading and Access to Education concept. It is a market research and information-gathering notice meant to collect practical input from organizations and companies with relevant experience in early grade reading and basic education access programming in Afghanistan.
2) Is this a funding opportunity or a solicitation for proposals?
No. This notice is not a funding solicitation. It does not request full proposals or applications, and it should not be treated as a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Applications (RFA).
3) Will USAID fund responses to this RFI?
The RFI itself creates no obligation for USAID to fund anything. USAID also states it will not reimburse any costs incurred by respondents for preparing or submitting comments.
4) Could this RFI lead to a future RFP or RFA?
Yes. USAID indicates it may later release a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Applications (RFA). However, the RFI alone does not guarantee a future competition.
5) What is the purpose of USAID issuing this RFI?
USAID is using this RFI to shape and improve the design of a future education activity in Afghanistan. The agency is seeking experience-based feedback to improve the likelihood of success for an integrated early grade reading and education access activity under real on-the-ground constraints.
6) Where would the future activity be implemented?
The concept described would be implemented entirely in Afghanistan and is expected to reflect Afghan cultural norms, local context, and operational constraints.
7) What is the planned duration and general scope of the activity concept?
USAID describes a concept for a five-year activity financed with basic education funds and managed by USAID/Afghanistan's Office of Social Sector Development, Education. At the time of the RFI, the geographic scope was still to be determined.
8) What type of award instrument is USAID considering?
USAID had not selected the final award instrument at the time of posting and noted it could be either a contract or a cooperative agreement.
9) How does this concept align with broader strategies or national plans?
USAID positions the activity within its broader education portfolio and describes alignment with Afghanistan's National Priority Program Cluster 2 (Education for All), the USAID Education Strategy, and the USAID/Afghanistan Strategy for Transformation.
10) What are the main results areas USAID highlights?
USAID emphasizes three linked results areas: strengthening education systems, improving access to education, and improving the quality of reading instruction.
11) Which grades does the early grade reading component focus on?
The early grade reading portion focuses on grades 1 and 2.
12) What reading outcome is USAID targeting?
USAID sets an explicit learning target: children should be able to read grade-level text after two years of school through evidence-based instruction.
13) What approach does USAID describe for improving early grade reading?
USAID describes an approach grounded in decades of international research on how children learn to read and informed by USAID's prior early grade reading experience.
14) What types of early grade reading activities are described with the Ministry of Education (MoE)?
The concept includes working with Afghanistan's Ministry of Education (MoE) to produce or provide technically sound reading materials, train teachers to use those materials effectively, and deliver ongoing coaching to support classroom implementation rather than relying on one-time trainings.
15) How does the concept address assessment and measurement for reading?
USAID indicates the activity would help the MoE improve how it assesses early grade reading achievement, which supports tracking learning progress and strengthening education systems.
16) Does the concept include policy or systems-level work?
Yes. USAID references higher-level policy engagement to encourage guidelines and procedures that match best practices in reading instruction and school management.
17) What is the access-to-education component intended to achieve?
The access portion is designed to increase enrollment, attendance, and retention in formal MoE schools, including efforts to bring back children who have dropped out or are considered permanently absent.
18) How is the access component connected to early grade reading outcomes?
USAID frames the activity as integrated, noting that early reading gains are difficult to achieve if children cannot safely reach school, do not attend regularly, or leave school early. The concept links instruction quality with practical access solutions.
19) What access barriers does USAID highlight?
The RFI highlights common access barriers in Afghanistan, especially for girls, and signals that programming should address those barriers using evidence-based approaches.
20) What are examples of access interventions USAID is considering?
Examples listed include community awareness campaigns to build support for schooling, small-scale rehabilitation such as boundary walls and/or toilets, and school safety measures.
21) What does USAID mean by approaches that can be "showcased" for scale-up?
USAID suggests the access work should be implemented in a way that can be demonstrated and then scaled up by the MoE, implying a focus on sustainability and government ownership.
22) What kind of input does USAID want from respondents?
USAID asks for concise, experience-based comments that improve the likelihood of success for an integrated early grade reading and access activity in Afghanistan.
23) What specific topic areas does USAID list for responses?
USAID provides eight guiding question areas: (1) what has already been tried in Afghanistan to improve early grade reading and the results/lessons; (2) what is needed to create demand for formal MoE schools, increase access, and improve retention; (3) what is needed to increase girls' enrollment and regular attendance; (4) how parents and communities can be engaged to strengthen oversight and accountability at local and provincial levels; (5) how USAID can work with other private and public institutions to leverage additional resources; (6) how USAID can help the MoE sustain and scale successful reading and access interventions; (7) how implementation can build provincial and district capacity and strengthen communication across levels; and (8) how to monitor and measure results despite insecurity and limited infrastructure.
24) What does the RFI suggest about the kind of implementer USAID is looking for?
The questions and concept indicate USAID is looking for implementers who understand both technical literacy instruction and the operational realities of delivering education services in hard-to-reach, high-risk settings, including constraints related to insecurity and limited infrastructure.
25) When was the RFI posted and when were responses due?
The RFI was posted on September 25, 2014. Comments were due by October 5, 2014 at 23:59 Washington, DC time (corresponding to the morning of October 6 in Kabul).
26) How were submissions supposed to be sent?
Submissions were to be sent electronically to kabulaidoaamailbox@usaid.gov.
27) Who were the listed points of contact?
The notice lists Naseer Sardari as a point of contact, with the email addresses nsardari@state.gov and kabulaidoaamailbox@usaid.gov provided for submission and contact purposes.
28) Who is eligible to respond to this RFI?
The notice states eligibility is unrestricted and open to any entity type, subject to any further clarifications in the announcement.
29) Is cost sharing or matching mentioned?
Yes. The notice states that cost sharing or matching is expected as part of the eventual opportunity.
30) Does responding to the RFI create any right to an award later?
No. The RFI is for information only, creates no obligation to fund, and does not function as a commitment that a future award will be made.
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