Opportunity Information: Apply for SOL OAA 13 000134
Apply for SOL OAA 13 000134
- 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 Securing Water for Food A Grand Challenge for Development" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 30, 2013 and posted on Aug 30, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 4, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Both individuals and organizations
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Opportunity Summary:
This opportunity is a Request for Information (RFI) tied to a new USAID and Sida initiative called "Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development." Rather than being a standard grant solicitation for immediate funding, it is a formal request for public input: USAID (through its Office of Science and Technology) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency are asking interested parties worldwide to submit comments and questions that can help strengthen and refine the program description before later stages of the challenge move forward. The RFI was posted on August 30, 2013, with responses due by October 4, 2013, and it was made available through FedBizOpps (fbo.gov), with the notice emphasizing that any amendments would be posted to the same site.
The program itself was announced for launch on September 2, 2013 in Stockholm and is positioned as the fifth Grand Challenge for Development (GCD) introduced over roughly two years. The GCD platform, started in 2011, is described as an "innovation and acceleration" effort that seeks to identify, source, and speed up promising science- and technology-driven solutions to specific development problems. The target contributors are not limited to traditional development contractors or NGOs; the language explicitly highlights innovators, entrepreneurs, and businesses, and notes that innovators can come from anywhere in the world. At the same time, there is a clear implementation constraint: whatever solutions are proposed should be implemented in developing or emerging countries, aligning the work with development outcomes rather than domestic deployment.
Substantively, "Securing Water for Food" focuses on the water and food nexus, with the central aim of improving water efficiency along the food value chain. In practical terms, this points to innovations that reduce water use, waste, or loss at multiple points that affect food production and availability, such as agricultural production practices, irrigation and on-farm water management, post-harvest handling, processing, storage, and other steps that influence how much water is embedded in getting food from farms to consumers. The intended development impacts are framed in broad but concrete terms: better water efficiency is expected to boost food security and help alleviate poverty, reflecting the idea that water constraints are a binding limitation on agricultural productivity and livelihoods in many low- and middle-income settings.
Eligibility for providing input under this RFI is broad. The notice indicates that both individuals and organizations may respond, and it lists eligible applicants as "Others," reinforcing that this is meant to draw perspectives from a wide range of stakeholders rather than a narrow class of regulated applicants. The posting also indicates there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which fits the RFI nature of the action, since the immediate request is for information and feedback rather than a funded cooperative agreement or contract.
Administrative identifiers and logistics included in the notice are: Funding Opportunity Number SOL OAA 13 000134, Opportunity Category and Instrument Type listed as "Other," and an archive date of October 5, 2013. For those unable to access the full announcement online, the notice provides an email contact point (securingwaterforfood@gmail.com). Overall, the key takeaway is that this specific posting is an early-stage market and stakeholder sounding exercise for a larger innovation challenge program, aimed at shaping how USAID and Sida will structure support for water-saving, food-system-relevant innovations that can be deployed in developing and emerging country contexts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this opportunity, in plain terms?
This posting is a Request for Information (RFI) for the new USAID and Sida initiative called "Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development." It is a formal request for public input (comments and questions) intended to help improve and refine the program description before later stages move forward. It is not a standard grant solicitation for immediate funding.
2) Is this an open grant or funding opportunity right now?
No. Based on the notice description, this particular posting is for input only. The purpose is to gather feedback to strengthen the program description ahead of subsequent stages of the challenge.
3) Who is issuing the RFI?
The RFI is tied to USAID (through its Office of Science and Technology) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
4) What is the name of the initiative?
The initiative is called "Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development."
5) What is the overall goal of "Securing Water for Food"?
The central aim is to improve water efficiency along the food value chain, focusing on the water and food nexus. The intended development impacts described include improved food security and poverty alleviation, recognizing that water constraints can limit agricultural productivity and livelihoods in many settings.
6) What kinds of ideas or solutions is this initiative interested in?
The description points to innovations that reduce water use, waste, or loss at multiple points across the food value chain. Examples of where water efficiency could be improved include agricultural production practices, irrigation and on-farm water management, post-harvest handling, processing, and storage, as well as other steps that affect how much water is embedded in bringing food from farms to consumers.
7) Does the initiative focus only on farming and irrigation?
No. While irrigation and on-farm water management are specifically mentioned, the scope is broader and includes post-harvest and downstream parts of the food value chain such as handling, processing, and storage, plus other related steps that influence water use and losses.
8) Where should proposed solutions be implemented?
The notice emphasizes an implementation constraint: solutions should be implemented in developing or emerging countries, aligning the work with development outcomes rather than domestic deployment.
9) Who can submit input in response to this RFI?
Eligibility to provide input is broad. The notice indicates that both individuals and organizations may respond, and it highlights a wide range of potential contributors, including innovators, entrepreneurs, and businesses, not only traditional development contractors or NGOs.
10) Do contributors need to be based in a particular country?
No. The language notes that innovators can come from anywhere in the world, with the key constraint being that implementation should be in developing or emerging countries.
11) What exactly is USAID and Sida asking for in this posting?
They are asking interested parties to submit comments and questions that can help strengthen and refine the program description for the challenge before later stages proceed.
12) Is cost sharing or matching required to respond?
No. The notice states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, consistent with the RFI being a request for information and feedback rather than a funded award at this stage.
13) When was the RFI posted, and when were responses due?
The RFI was posted on August 30, 2013, and responses were due by October 4, 2013.
14) Where was the RFI made available?
It was made available through FedBizOpps (fbo.gov). The notice emphasizes that any amendments would be posted to the same site.
15) How will updates or amendments be communicated?
Any amendments to the notice would be posted on FedBizOpps (fbo.gov), according to the posting.
16) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is SOL OAA 13 000134.
17) What is the Opportunity Category and Instrument Type?
Both the Opportunity Category and Instrument Type are listed as "Other" in the notice, reflecting that this is an RFI and not a standard grant or contract action for immediate funding.
18) What does it mean that this is part of a "Grand Challenge for Development"?
The notice describes the Grand Challenges for Development (GCD) platform, started in 2011, as an "innovation and acceleration" effort to identify, source, and speed up promising science- and technology-driven solutions to specific development problems. "Securing Water for Food" is positioned as the fifth GCD introduced over roughly two years.
19) When was the program announced for launch?
The program was announced for launch on September 2, 2013 in Stockholm.
20) What is the archive date listed for this notice?
The notice includes an archive date of October 5, 2013.
21) Is there a contact email for people who cannot access the full announcement online?
Yes. The notice provides this email contact point: securingwaterforfood@gmail.com.
22) What is the main takeaway from this posting?
This specific posting is an early-stage stakeholder and market-sounding exercise. Its purpose is to shape how USAID and Sida will structure support for water-saving, food-system-relevant innovations intended for deployment in developing and emerging country contexts, prior to later stages of the challenge.
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