Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAKAB 14 CA 017 SCA 07012014
Apply for SCAKAB 14 CA 017 SCA 07012014
- The U.S. Mission to Afghanistan in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening the Capacity of Private Universities in Northern Afghanistan to Provide Quality Education" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501 Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 1, 2014 and posted on Jul 1, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 31, 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 $200,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligibility is open to all U.S., Afghan, and international organizations or companies with direct experience in the higher education market and with substantive experience in helping to provide quality higher education to private universities. Organizations must demonstrate appropriate expertise in the higher education sector, including previous work with internationally recognized institutions of higher education, and a proven track record of success implementing projects in this sector. Afghan organizations must demonstrate current country registration license (when applicable), competent programmatic ability and be able to meet reporting requirements. Non Afghan organizations or companies are required to partner with an Afghan organization or company, including PUUNA itself, to facilitate implementation of the project.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity, titled "Strengthening the Capacity of Private Universities in Northern Afghanistan to Provide Quality Education," was issued by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul under Funding Opportunity Number SCAKAB 14 CA 017 SCA 07012014. It is a discretionary education-focused program funded through CFDA 19.501 (Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan) and is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. government expects to be actively involved in the project’s direction and coordination rather than simply providing funds with minimal interaction. The competition anticipated one award, with an estimated total funding level of $200,000, an award ceiling of $200,000, and an award floor of $150,000. No cost sharing or matching funds were required. The opportunity opened on July 1, 2014, and closed on July 31, 2014, with the archive date listed as August 30, 2014.
The main purpose of the award was to strengthen the developing private university sector in northern Afghanistan by building the capacity of a regional association called the Private Universities Union in Northern Afghanistan (PUUNA). PUUNA is described as a 16-member association, and the project is designed to help PUUNA function more effectively as a coordinating and support body for its member institutions. The selected awardee would work closely with PAS in Kabul and in coordination with the PAS office at the U.S. Consulate in Mazar-e Sharif, reflecting a strong regional focus and an emphasis on on-the-ground engagement in northern Afghanistan.
At the core of the project is an organizational assessment of PUUNA, aimed at understanding how the association is structured and how well it can support collective improvement across its member universities. The assessment is expected to produce practical recommendations and a pathway for PUUNA to strengthen its ability to guide and elevate private higher education in the region. While the assessment scope is flexible, the announcement highlights several priority recommendation areas: first, helping PUUNA develop integrated academic standards that encourage critical thinking, diversity, and open-mindedness; second, helping the association establish and grow partnerships with appropriate universities in the region to support those academic and institutional goals; and third, identifying how PUUNA can help its members deliver education that equips Afghan students with skills relevant to success in the 21st century, which implies attention to employability, modern pedagogy, and institutional quality improvements.
A particularly emphasized component is English language instruction. The awardee is expected to give special attention to evaluating the quality of English teaching across PUUNA member schools and to propose steps the association can take to improve English instruction and related learning environments. This includes recommendations on teaching facilities and resources, suggesting that the project is not limited to curriculum advice alone but may extend to capacity-building around instructional materials, teacher development approaches, language labs or learning spaces, and other practical supports that can raise instructional quality across multiple institutions through association-led action.
Eligibility was intentionally broad but skills-based. The competition was open to U.S., Afghan, and international organizations or companies, but applicants needed to show direct experience in the higher education market and substantial, demonstrated experience improving the quality of higher education at private universities. Applicants were also expected to have expertise working with internationally recognized institutions of higher education and a proven record of successful implementation in this sector, indicating that PAS was looking for implementers with credible academic quality assurance experience and the ability to translate best practices into workable reforms in Afghanistan. Afghan organizations, when applicable, had to show current registration and the ability to meet program management and reporting requirements. Non-Afghan organizations or companies were required to partner with an Afghan organization or company (including potentially PUUNA itself) to ensure local implementation capacity and contextual grounding.
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a capacity-building and quality-improvement initiative aimed at strengthening an education association so it can drive shared standards, partnerships, and better learning outcomes across a network of private universities in northern Afghanistan. Rather than funding direct scholarships or construction, the emphasis is on systems-level improvement: diagnosing organizational needs, building a framework for academic standards and collaboration, and targeting a key cross-cutting skill area (English) that affects student access to modern academic resources and broader professional opportunities. For access issues related to the full announcement, the listed point of contact was Deborah B. Smith, Grants Manager in the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Strengthening the Capacity of Private Universities in Northern Afghanistan to Provide Quality Education."
Who issued the funding opportunity?
The grant was issued by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SCAKAB 14 CA 017 SCA 07012014.
What CFDA program funds this opportunity?
The program is funded through CFDA 19.501, listed as Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
What type of award mechanism is used?
This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. government expected to be actively involved in the project’s direction and coordination rather than only providing funds with minimal interaction.
How many awards were anticipated?
The competition anticipated one award.
How much funding was available?
The estimated total funding level was $200,000.
What was the award ceiling?
The award ceiling was $200,000.
What was the award floor?
The award floor was $150,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement stated that no cost sharing or matching funds were required.
When did the opportunity open and close?
The opportunity opened on July 1, 2014, and closed on July 31, 2014.
What is the archive date listed for the opportunity?
The archive date was listed as August 30, 2014.
What is the primary purpose of the grant?
The main purpose was to strengthen the developing private university sector in northern Afghanistan by building the capacity of a regional association called the Private Universities Union in Northern Afghanistan (PUUNA), helping it function more effectively as a coordinating and support body for its member institutions.
What is PUUNA?
PUUNA is described as a 16-member association (the Private Universities Union in Northern Afghanistan) intended to coordinate and support collective improvement across its member private universities in northern Afghanistan.
Where is the project geographically focused?
The project is strongly focused on northern Afghanistan, with coordination involving PAS in Kabul and the PAS office at the U.S. Consulate in Mazar-e Sharif.
What role would the awardee play with PAS?
The selected awardee would work closely with PAS in Kabul and coordinate with the PAS office at the U.S. Consulate in Mazar-e Sharif, reflecting expected on-the-ground engagement and active coordination typical of a cooperative agreement.
What is the central activity at the core of the project?
At the core of the project is an organizational assessment of PUUNA to understand how the association is structured and how well it can support collective improvement across its member universities.
What is the expected outcome of the organizational assessment?
The assessment was expected to produce practical recommendations and a pathway for PUUNA to strengthen its ability to guide and elevate private higher education in northern Afghanistan.
Is the scope of the assessment fixed or flexible?
The announcement indicates the assessment scope is flexible, while highlighting several priority recommendation areas.
What priority recommendation areas were highlighted in the announcement?
The announcement highlighted these priority areas for recommendations: (1) helping PUUNA develop integrated academic standards that encourage critical thinking, diversity, and open-mindedness; (2) helping PUUNA establish and grow partnerships with appropriate universities in the region to support academic and institutional goals; and (3) identifying how PUUNA can help its members deliver education that equips Afghan students with skills relevant to success in the 21st century.
How does the opportunity define "21st century" skills in this context?
It implies attention to employability, modern pedagogy, and institutional quality improvements that help Afghan students succeed in contemporary academic and professional environments.
Why is English language instruction emphasized?
English language instruction is described as a particularly emphasized component. The awardee was expected to evaluate the quality of English teaching across PUUNA member schools and propose steps PUUNA could take to improve English instruction and related learning environments.
What English language-related improvements could be addressed under the project?
Based on the announcement, recommendations could include steps related to teaching facilities and resources, indicating the work could extend beyond curriculum guidance to practical capacity-building such as instructional materials, teacher development approaches, language labs or learning spaces, and other supports that raise instructional quality across member institutions through association-led action.
Does the grant focus on direct scholarships or construction?
No. The opportunity is framed as a systems-level capacity-building and quality-improvement initiative, not a direct scholarship or construction program.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad but skills-based. The competition was open to U.S., Afghan, and international organizations or companies.
What experience did applicants need to demonstrate?
Applicants needed to show direct experience in the higher education market and substantial, demonstrated experience improving the quality of higher education at private universities. They were also expected to have expertise working with internationally recognized institutions of higher education and a proven record of successful implementation in the sector.
Were there special requirements for Afghan organizations?
Yes. Afghan organizations, when applicable, had to show current registration and the ability to meet program management and reporting requirements.
Were there partnership requirements for non-Afghan organizations or companies?
Yes. Non-Afghan organizations or companies were required to partner with an Afghan organization or company (potentially including PUUNA itself) to ensure local implementation capacity and contextual grounding.
What does "cooperative agreement" imply for project management?
It implies the U.S. government expected active involvement in the project’s direction and coordination, rather than a low-touch relationship where the grantee operates independently with minimal interaction.
Who was the listed point of contact for access issues related to the full announcement?
The listed point of contact was Deborah B. Smith, Grants Manager in the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
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