Opportunity Information: Apply for AID RFI RESEARCH 01
Apply for AID RFI RESEARCH 01
- The Agency for International Development in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information - Applied Innovation Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 03, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 18, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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:
This opportunity is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) titled "Request for Information - Applied Innovation Research," with the funding opportunity number AID RFI RESEARCH 01. An RFI is not a grant or contract competition; it is a market and stakeholder research tool the government uses to gather ideas, evidence, and feedback before deciding whether to create a future program, funding notice, or acquisition. In this case, USAID is seeking input on "Approaches for Applied Innovation in USAID Activities," meaning the agency is interested in practical, implementable ways to generate, test, adapt, and scale innovations within the context of development programming, rather than purely academic or theoretical research.
The listing is categorized as discretionary and uses "Other" as the funding instrument type, which reinforces that this is an information-gathering notice rather than a standard financial assistance announcement (like a grant or cooperative agreement) or a procurement solicitation (like an RFP). It is also placed under an "Other" funding activity category, with the note that additional clarification would normally appear in a related explanation field. The CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number provided is 98.001, which is broadly associated with USAID foreign assistance activities and is often used as an umbrella identifier for USAID opportunities.
Eligibility is described as "Unrestricted," meaning USAID was open to receiving input from essentially any kind of organization or entity, assuming any additional eligibility details in the full notice did not narrow that scope. In practice, RFIs like this typically welcome responses from a wide range of stakeholders such as universities, research institutions, nonprofits, private sector firms, social enterprises, implementing partners, consultancies, and individual subject matter experts. The point is to capture diverse perspectives on what applied innovation should look like in real USAID programs, including what methods work, what fails, and what barriers tend to prevent promising ideas from becoming sustainable solutions at scale.
Several fields in the notice make clear that this is not an immediate funding opportunity. The award ceiling is listed as 0, and the expected number of awards is 0, which is a common way of signaling that USAID does not intend to make awards directly from this announcement. Instead, USAID is collecting information that could shape later solicitations, program designs, research agendas, or internal guidance on innovation practice. Organizations responding to the RFI would not be applying for funding now; they would be positioning their ideas, approaches, and capabilities in front of the agency and potentially influencing what future funding might support.
The timing details show the RFI was created on October 3, 2016, with an original closing date of October 18, 2016. That short response window is typical for an RFI, since the agency is usually trying to gather targeted input quickly to support near-term planning decisions. The key takeaway is that the action requested from the public was to submit information, recommendations, and possibly examples or evidence related to applied innovation approaches in USAID activities by the closing date, rather than to submit a full proposal with budgets and program implementation plans.
Overall, this notice represents USAID exploring how to better integrate applied innovation into its development work. It suggests the agency was looking for practical frameworks and strategies for identifying development challenges, sourcing or generating innovative solutions, piloting them in real-world settings, learning from results, and deciding what is ready to scale. RFIs in this space often seek insight on topics like how to run effective pilots without wasting resources, how to measure innovation outcomes beyond basic activity metrics, how to manage risk in experimentation, how to partner with local actors and the private sector, how to design procurement and award mechanisms that do not unintentionally block innovation, and how to move from proof-of-concept to institutional adoption and long-term sustainability. Even though no awards are attached to the RFI itself, responding can matter because it helps shape future USAID solicitations and can increase an organization’s visibility and relevance when formal funding opportunities are later released.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this USAID opportunity?
This is a Request for Information (RFI) from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) titled "Request for Information - Applied Innovation Research," funding opportunity number AID RFI RESEARCH 01. It is a government information-gathering notice used to collect ideas, evidence, and feedback from stakeholders.
2) Is this an actual grant or contract competition?
No. An RFI is not a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract solicitation. It is not a competition and is not used to make awards directly. USAID is using it to inform planning and potential future programs or solicitations.
3) What is USAID asking for in this RFI?
USAID is seeking input on "Approaches for Applied Innovation in USAID Activities." The focus is on practical, implementable ways to generate, test, adapt, and scale innovations within real development programming, rather than purely academic or theoretical research.
4) What does "applied innovation" mean in the context of this RFI?
Based on the notice description, "applied innovation" refers to real-world innovation practices that can be used inside USAID activities: identifying development challenges, sourcing or generating solutions, piloting in operational settings, learning from results, adapting, and deciding what is ready to scale and sustain.
5) Does this RFI provide funding?
No. The notice lists an award ceiling of 0 and an expected number of awards of 0. That is a common indicator that USAID does not intend to make awards directly from this announcement.
6) If there is no funding, why should an organization respond?
Responding can still be valuable because it can shape how USAID designs future programs, funding notices, acquisition strategies, research agendas, or internal guidance related to innovation. It can also help an organization put its ideas and capabilities in front of the agency ahead of any future formal opportunities.
7) What is the funding instrument type listed, and what does it imply?
The instrument type is listed as "Other," which reinforces that this is not a standard financial assistance announcement (like a grant/cooperative agreement) or a procurement solicitation (like an RFP). It is an information request.
8) What is the funding activity category for this listing?
The funding activity category is also listed as "Other." The description notes that additional clarification would typically appear elsewhere in a full notice, but the key point is that the posting is categorized as an information-gathering action rather than a standard program award.
9) Who is eligible to respond?
Eligibility is described as "Unrestricted," meaning USAID was open to receiving input from essentially any type of entity, unless the full notice included additional limits not reflected in the summary information provided here.
10) What types of respondents does an RFI like this usually seek?
RFIs of this kind commonly welcome perspectives from universities, research institutions, nonprofits, private sector firms, social enterprises, implementing partners, consultancies, and individual subject matter experts. The goal is to capture diverse experience on what works (and what does not) in applied innovation for development programming.
11) What kinds of topics might USAID want feedback on for applied innovation?
The notice context suggests interest in practical questions such as: effective ways to run pilots without wasting resources; how to measure innovation outcomes beyond basic activity metrics; how to manage risk in experimentation; how to partner with local actors and the private sector; how procurement or award mechanisms can enable or block innovation; and how to move from proof-of-concept to adoption, scale, and sustainability.
12) What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number and what does it represent?
The Assistance Listing number provided is 98.001. It is broadly associated with USAID foreign assistance activities and is often used as an umbrella identifier for USAID-related opportunities.
13) When was this RFI posted?
The notice was created on October 3, 2016.
14) What was the deadline to respond?
The original closing date listed was October 18, 2016. The short response window is typical for RFIs, which are often designed to collect targeted input quickly for near-term planning.
15) What is the main action requested from respondents?
The main action is to submit information, recommendations, and potentially examples or evidence related to applied innovation approaches in USAID activities by the closing date, rather than submitting a full proposal with budgets and implementation plans.
16) Does responding to this RFI guarantee future funding or an award?
No. Because this is an RFI and not a competition, responding does not result in an award under this notice and does not guarantee selection or funding in any future opportunity. Its purpose is to inform USAID decision-making.
17) What might USAID do with the information collected?
USAID may use the responses to shape later solicitations, program designs, internal guidance on innovation practice, or related planning decisions. The RFI is intended to help the agency decide what future programming or funding mechanisms might be appropriate.
18) How should organizations interpret the "expected number of awards: 0" field?
It should be interpreted as a clear signal that USAID does not plan to make any direct awards from this posting. The posting is purely for gathering input and insights.
19) Is the RFI focused on academic research or implementation?
The description emphasizes applied, practical, implementable approaches within USAID development activities, rather than purely academic or theoretical research. The intent is connected to how innovation is generated and used in real programs.
20) What is the overall goal of this RFI?
The overall goal is for USAID to explore how to better integrate applied innovation into its development work, including practical frameworks and strategies for piloting, learning, adapting, and scaling solutions, and understanding common barriers to sustained adoption.
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