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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Suaahara II (USAID/Nepal) Grant Opportunity

1) What is the Suaahara II grant opportunity?

Suaahara II was a USAID/Nepal discretionary funding solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number RFA 367-15-000001) issued by USAID Kathmandu for a large, multi-year nutrition and health program in Nepal. It was designed as an integrated initiative to improve the nutritional status of women and children.

2) Who issued this funding opportunity?

The solicitation was issued by USAID Kathmandu (USAID/Nepal).

3) What type of award was USAID planning to make?

USAID planned to make one award under a Cooperative Agreement. This generally indicates substantial USAID involvement in program direction and oversight compared with a standard grant.

4) How many awards were expected?

USAID planned to make a single award.

5) What was the planned period of performance?

The project was designed as a five-year initiative.

6) What geographic area did the program cover?

The program was focused on Nepal and was intended to operate across 40 districts.

7) What was the main purpose of the program?

The overarching goal was to improve the nutritional status of women and children by using a comprehensive approach that connects nutrition services with related sectors that influence nutrition outcomes.

8) Why did the opportunity emphasize an integrated, multi-sectoral approach?

The solicitation treated nutrition as dependent on multiple factors, including health services, access to and diversity of food, caregiving practices, and the household and community environment. The intent was to link nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions rather than implement disconnected activities.

9) What were the four core program pillars?

Suaahara II centered on four interconnected pillars: (1) direct nutrition interventions, (2) water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), (3) homestead food production (HFP), and (4) maternal, newborn, and child health services, explicitly including family planning.

10) What did "direct nutrition interventions" include in this opportunity?

Direct nutrition interventions were described in terms of behavior change and counseling around maternal diet, infant and young child feeding, and related practices. These practices influence outcomes like stunting, wasting, anemia, and overall growth and development.

11) Why were WASH activities included?

WASH was included because poor sanitation and hygiene are strongly linked to diarrheal disease and intestinal infections, which can impair nutrient absorption and undermine child growth even when food is available.

12) What is homestead food production (HFP) in the context of this program?

HFP was described as an approach to strengthen household access to diverse, nutrient-rich foods through home-based systems such as gardens and small livestock, with the aim of improving diet quality and resilience.

13) What health services were integrated into Suaahara II?

The opportunity integrated maternal, newborn, and child health services and explicitly included family planning, recognizing that service delivery and reproductive health factors shape maternal nutritional status, birth outcomes, child survival, and healthy spacing of pregnancies.

14) How were the four pillars intended to work together?

The solicitation emphasized coordination so households receive mutually reinforcing messages and services across nutrition, WASH, food production, and health care, rather than separate interventions delivered in isolation.

15) What were the activity categories for this opportunity?

The listed activity categories were Food and Nutrition and Health.

16) What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed was 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas).

17) What was the total potential funding amount?

The solicitation listed an award ceiling of USD 65,000,000.

18) Was there a minimum guaranteed award amount?

The award floor was listed as USD 0, meaning the posting itself did not guarantee a minimum funding amount.

19) Was cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. The opportunity required cost sharing or matching, meaning applicants were expected to contribute a portion of project costs using allowable non-federal resources, as defined in the full announcement.

20) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, described as open to any type of entity, subject to any additional details or clarifications provided in the full eligibility section of the announcement.

21) What were the key dates for this solicitation?

The announcement was created and posted on August 3, 2015. The original and current closing date was September 28, 2015. The archive date was September 29, 2015.

22) Is this funding opportunity still open?

No. Based on the closing date (September 28, 2015) and the archive date (September 29, 2015), the competition is long closed and the record is preserved for reference.

23) Where were applicants directed to find more information?

The posting directed applicants to the USAID/Nepal website for additional information.

24) Who was the point of contact listed for this opportunity?

The point of contact listed was Tejendra Paudel.

25) How were applications and questions submitted?

The posting provided a generic email address for submitting applications and questions and noted support for those who had difficulty accessing the announcement electronically.

26) What does it mean that this was a discretionary funding solicitation?

It means the opportunity was a competitive solicitation under USAID/Nepal, rather than an entitlement program, with applicants expected to respond to the posted requirements and selection process described in the full announcement.

27) What does the Funding Opportunity Number identify?

The Funding Opportunity Number (RFA 367-15-000001) is the identifier used to reference this specific USAID/Nepal solicitation.