Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA 663 11 000008
Apply for RFA 663 11 000008
- The Ethiopia USAID Addis Ababa in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development (GRAD)" 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 Apr 29, 2011 and posted on Mar 15, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 23, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $23,400,000.00 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 Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development (GRAD) opportunity was a USAID/Ethiopia funding announcement (Funding Opportunity Number RFA 663 11 000008) seeking one partner to carry out a five-year cooperative agreement focused on reducing chronic food insecurity by strengthening household livelihoods and community resilience. The program was positioned in the agriculture funding activity area and tied to USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas (CFDA 98.001). With an award ceiling of $23,400,000 and no cost-sharing or matching requirement, the solicitation was broadly open to eligible applicants without restrictive applicant-type limitations, unless further conditions were spelled out in the full announcement.
The core purpose of GRAD was to help chronically food insecure households move toward more stable, self-sustaining livelihoods by improving both the ways they earn income and their capacity to withstand shocks. The announcement emphasized promoting and supporting on-farm and off-farm income-generating activities, which points to a mix of agricultural production improvements alongside diversification into non-agricultural or value-added work. It also prioritized building practical market connections by facilitating output and input market linkages, meaning support for getting farm products to buyers more reliably and affordably, as well as improving access to inputs like seeds, fertilizer, tools, and services through stronger supply channels.
A major component of the effort was expanding access to microfinance services, suggesting the program expected applicants to address common barriers to financial inclusion that prevent poor households from investing in productive activities. In parallel, GRAD aimed to improve the nutritional status of communities, indicating that livelihood gains were not the only objective; the program also wanted measurable improvements in food consumption, diet quality, and related community nutrition outcomes. Finally, GRAD explicitly included helping communities adapt to climate change, signaling attention to climate-related risks such as drought, rainfall variability, and land degradation, and the need to integrate climate-smart practices and resilience planning into livelihood strategies.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted March 15, 2011, with an original closing date of April 22, 2011, later extended to May 23, 2011. The record shows a creation date of April 29, 2011 and an archive date of June 6, 2011. Interested applicants who could not access the full announcement electronically were directed to contact Girma Debelu, Acquisition and Assistance Management Specialist at USAID Addis Ababa, by phone (+251 111 306002) or email (gdebelu@usaid.gov).
GRAD (Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the GRAD opportunity?
GRAD stands for Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development. It was a USAID/Ethiopia funding announcement seeking one partner to implement a five-year cooperative agreement focused on reducing chronic food insecurity by strengthening household livelihoods and community resilience.
Which agency issued this funding announcement?
The opportunity was issued by USAID/Ethiopia.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number was RFA 663 11 000008.
What type of award was anticipated?
The announcement described a five-year cooperative agreement.
How many partners did USAID plan to fund under this opportunity?
The announcement sought one partner.
What was the main goal of the GRAD program?
The core purpose was to help chronically food insecure households move toward more stable, self-sustaining livelihoods by improving income generation and strengthening the ability of households and communities to withstand shocks.
What funding activity area was GRAD associated with?
The program was positioned in the agriculture funding activity area.
Was this opportunity tied to a CFDA number?
Yes. It was tied to USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas, CFDA 98.001.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $23,400,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement specified no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
The solicitation was broadly open to eligible applicants and did not include restrictive applicant-type limitations, unless additional conditions were specified in the full announcement.
What kinds of livelihood activities did GRAD intend to support?
GRAD emphasized promoting and supporting both on-farm and off-farm income-generating activities. This suggests support for agricultural production improvements along with diversification into non-agricultural or value-added work.
Did GRAD include support for market linkages?
Yes. A stated priority was facilitating output and input market linkages, including improving reliable access to buyers for farm products and improving access to inputs such as seeds, fertilizer, tools, and services through stronger supply channels.
Did GRAD address access to financial services?
Yes. A major component was expanding access to microfinance services, implying efforts to address barriers to financial inclusion that limit poor households from investing in productive activities.
Was nutrition part of the program focus?
Yes. GRAD aimed to improve the nutritional status of communities, indicating an expectation of measurable improvements in food consumption, diet quality, and related community nutrition outcomes alongside livelihood gains.
Did GRAD include climate change adaptation?
Yes. The program explicitly included helping communities adapt to climate change, with attention to risks such as drought, rainfall variability, and land degradation, and the integration of climate-smart practices and resilience planning into livelihood strategies.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on March 15, 2011.
What was the original closing date, and was it extended?
The original closing date was April 22, 2011. It was later extended to May 23, 2011.
What are the record creation and archive dates listed for this opportunity?
The record shows a creation date of April 29, 2011 and an archive date of June 6, 2011.
Who should applicants contact if they cannot access the full announcement electronically?
Applicants were directed to contact Girma Debelu, Acquisition and Assistance Management Specialist at USAID Addis Ababa.
What contact details were provided for questions or access issues?
Phone: +251 111 306002. Email: gdebelu@usaid.gov.
What was the overall development problem GRAD was designed to address?
GRAD was designed to reduce chronic food insecurity by strengthening household livelihoods and improving community resilience to shocks.
What does "graduation" imply in the context of this opportunity?
Based on the program description, "graduation" refers to chronically food insecure households progressing toward more stable, self-sustaining livelihoods through improved income generation and resilience capacity.
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