Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA 111 14 000005

  • The Armenia USAID Yerevan in the agriculture regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Expanding Economic Ties with Turkey Project" 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 7, 2014 and posted on May 7, 2014.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 12, 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 $500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
  • Applications will only be accepted from Armenian non profit or for profit organizations.
Apply for RFA 111 14 000005

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:

Opportunity Summary:

The Expanding Economic Ties with Turkey Project was a USAID/Armenia grant opportunity designed to strengthen practical, mutually beneficial economic relationships between Armenian and Turkish non-government stakeholders. The core idea of the activity was to encourage real market linkages and business-to-business style partnerships that could generate sustained commercial cooperation across the border, focusing specifically on two sectors viewed as high-potential and relationship-building: agribusiness and tourism. In practical terms, the opportunity aimed to support initiatives that connect organizations, producers, service providers, and other non-government actors in Armenia with relevant counterparts in Turkey in ways that lead to concrete economic outcomes, such as new supply relationships, joint marketing, shared standards or practices, and expanded access to customers and markets.

This funding opportunity was issued by USAID in Yerevan under Funding Opportunity Number RFA 111 14 000005, posted on May 7, 2014, with an application deadline of June 12, 2014, and an archive date of September 30, 2014. It was offered as a discretionary program using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means USAID expected to have substantial involvement during implementation (for example, through collaboration on work planning, coordination, and oversight) rather than operating as a hands-off grant. The activity category was listed under agriculture and regional development, reflecting the economic development emphasis and the sectoral focus on agribusiness, while also capturing broader regional connectivity and cooperation goals.

USAID anticipated making up to two awards under this announcement. The total estimated funding available was $500,000, and the award ceiling was also $500,000, indicating that one project could potentially receive the full amount or the funding could be split across two awards depending on the selected proposals and their budgets. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, so applicants were not required to contribute their own funds as a condition of eligibility, which can be significant for smaller organizations that may have limited resources to provide match financing.

Eligibility was limited to Armenian organizations, whether non-profit or for-profit, meaning only entities legally based in Armenia could apply, even though the project purpose was to build partnerships with Turkish counterparts. This eligibility rule suggests USAID intended to strengthen Armenian institutional capacity to initiate and sustain cross-border economic engagement, while still enabling collaborative activities with Turkish stakeholders as partners or counterparts rather than primary award recipients. The CFDA number associated with the opportunity was 98.001, which corresponds to USAID foreign assistance for overseas programs.

From an implementation standpoint, projects aligned with this opportunity would be expected to do more than hold dialogue events; they would likely need to demonstrate how proposed activities would translate into measurable economic linkages in agribusiness or tourism. For agribusiness, that could imply work such as facilitating connections among producers, processors, distributors, and retailers; improving quality, packaging, certifications, or compliance with buyer requirements; conducting market research and matchmaking to create durable commercial relationships; or organizing trade-related engagements that lead to actual procurement, contracting, or joint ventures. For tourism, it could include developing cross-border tourism products, route-based or thematic packages, joint promotion, operator-to-operator partnerships, service quality improvements, or cooperative marketing that increases visitor flows and revenue opportunities on the Armenian side while creating incentives for continued cooperation.

USAID listed Armen Karapetyan, Acquisition Specialist at USAID/Yerevan, as the point of contact for applicants who had difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, with phone number 37410494493.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Expanding Economic Ties with Turkey Project?

The Expanding Economic Ties with Turkey Project was a USAID/Armenia grant opportunity intended to strengthen practical, mutually beneficial economic relationships between Armenian and Turkish non-government stakeholders. It focused on encouraging real market linkages and business-to-business style partnerships that could sustain commercial cooperation across the border.

What was the main goal of this funding opportunity?

The main goal was to support initiatives that connect Armenian organizations, producers, service providers, and other non-government actors with relevant counterparts in Turkey in ways that lead to concrete economic outcomes. Examples of outcomes mentioned include new supply relationships, joint marketing, shared standards or practices, and expanded access to customers and markets.

Which sectors did the opportunity prioritize?

The opportunity prioritized two sectors described as high-potential and relationship-building: agribusiness and tourism.

Who issued this grant opportunity?

This opportunity was issued by USAID in Yerevan under USAID/Armenia.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number was RFA 111 14 000005.

When was the opportunity posted?

It was posted on May 7, 2014.

What was the application deadline?

The application deadline was June 12, 2014.

When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date was September 30, 2014.

What type of funding mechanism was used?

The opportunity used a cooperative agreement mechanism.

What does a cooperative agreement imply about USAID's role?

Based on the description provided, a cooperative agreement typically means USAID expected to have substantial involvement during implementation. This could include collaboration on work planning, coordination, and oversight, rather than operating as a hands-off grant.

What program type was this opportunity categorized as?

It was offered as a discretionary program.

What was the activity category listed under?

The activity category was listed under agriculture and regional development, reflecting the economic development emphasis, the agribusiness focus, and broader regional connectivity and cooperation goals.

How many awards did USAID expect to make?

USAID anticipated making up to two awards under this announcement.

How much total funding was estimated to be available?

The total estimated funding available was $500,000.

What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling was $500,000. This meant one project could potentially receive the full amount, or the funding could be split across two awards depending on selections and proposed budgets.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, so applicants were not required to contribute their own funds as a condition of eligibility.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to Armenian organizations, whether non-profit or for-profit. In other words, only entities legally based in Armenia could apply.

Could Turkish organizations apply as the main applicant?

Not under the eligibility rule described. The information provided states eligibility was limited to Armenian organizations, even though the project purpose involved building partnerships with Turkish counterparts.

Does the opportunity require working with Turkish counterparts?

The stated purpose was to strengthen economic relationships between Armenian and Turkish non-government stakeholders and to build cross-border economic engagement. The opportunity emphasized linking Armenian actors with relevant counterparts in Turkey to achieve concrete economic outcomes.

What kinds of results was USAID looking for (beyond meetings and dialogue)?

The opportunity emphasized that projects would be expected to do more than hold dialogue events. Proposed activities would likely need to show how they translate into measurable economic linkages in agribusiness or tourism, such as supply relationships, joint marketing, shared standards/practices, or improved access to customers and markets.

What types of agribusiness activities were aligned with the opportunity?

Examples described for agribusiness included facilitating connections among producers, processors, distributors, and retailers; improving quality, packaging, certifications, or compliance with buyer requirements; conducting market research and matchmaking to create durable commercial relationships; and organizing trade-related engagements that lead to actual procurement, contracting, or joint ventures.

What types of tourism activities were aligned with the opportunity?

Examples described for tourism included developing cross-border tourism products; route-based or thematic packages; joint promotion; operator-to-operator partnerships; service quality improvements; and cooperative marketing intended to increase visitor flows and revenue opportunities on the Armenian side while creating incentives for continued cooperation.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed was 98.001, which corresponds to USAID foreign assistance for overseas programs.

Who was the point of contact for applicants?

USAID listed Armen Karapetyan, Acquisition Specialist at USAID/Yerevan, as the point of contact for applicants who had difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically.

What contact phone number was provided?

The phone number provided for the point of contact was 37410494493.

What should applicants do if they cannot access the full announcement electronically?

The announcement specified that applicants who had difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically could contact Armen Karapetyan, Acquisition Specialist at USAID/Yerevan, at 37410494493.

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Armenia USAID Yerevan

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Agriculture Regional Development

Next opportunity: Preserve and Protect Archeological Sites by Completing Cliffline Survey

Previous opportunity: Museum Samples of LCT

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 RFA 111 14 000005

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

 

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

 

USGrants.org applicant portal membership

 

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 "RFA 111 14 000005", 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.