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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): USAID Growth Through Nutrition Activity (Ethiopia)

1) What is the USAID Growth Through Nutrition Activity?

The USAID Growth Through Nutrition Activity is a competitive government grant opportunity issued by USAID Ethiopia to support a large, multi-year effort focused on reducing malnutrition in Ethiopia. The activity is designed to strengthen and coordinate nutrition programming across sectors by funding an implementing partner that provides sustained technical support to Government of Ethiopia agencies and other stakeholders.

2) Who is the issuing agency for this opportunity?

The issuing agency is USAID Ethiopia.

3) What is the official funding opportunity title?

The official title is "USAID Growth Through Nutrition Activity."

4) What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is RFA 663 16 000004.

5) What type of solicitation was used to request applications?

USAID sought applications through a Request for Applications (RFA).

6) What funding instrument will be used?

The award is a five-year Cooperative Agreement.

7) How is a Cooperative Agreement different from a standard grant in this context?

This opportunity notes that a Cooperative Agreement typically involves substantial involvement by USAID during implementation compared to a standard grant. In practice, the recipient should be prepared for close collaboration with USAID on planning, performance management, and technical direction, while remaining responsible for day-to-day implementation and achieving results.

8) What is the total maximum funding amount?

The maximum total value referenced for the Cooperative Agreement is $73,000,000.

9) How long is the project period?

The anticipated period of performance is five years.

10) How many awards did USAID anticipate making?

USAID anticipated making up to 10 awards.

11) Is the $73 million an award ceiling, a total program ceiling, or both?

The information provided states an award ceiling of $73 million and also describes a maximum total value of $73,000,000 for the five-year Cooperative Agreement. It also indicates USAID anticipated up to 10 awards, which suggests USAID may have structured selection and funding decisions in a way that could involve multiple awards or ceilings depending on final decisions.

12) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on February 4, 2016.

13) What was the application closing date?

The application closing date was March 21, 2016.

14) Was there a later closing date listed?

No later closing date was indicated in the information provided.

15) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was open to any type of entity, subject to any additional requirements or clarifications contained in the full RFA.

16) What is the main goal of the activity?

The central goal is to reduce malnutrition in Ethiopia by strengthening and coordinating nutrition programming across sectors, including sustained technical support to government agencies and other stakeholders so they can plan, deliver, and align nutrition-related interventions more effectively.

17) What is meant by the activity being "multi-sector"?

The activity is deliberately multi-sector because malnutrition is influenced by more than food intake alone. The design expects integration across nutrition, water/sanitation/hygiene (WASH), and agriculture, with approaches that reinforce each other.

18) How is funding allocated across sectors?

Funding is described as blended across three streams: nutrition (50 percent), WASH (30 percent), and agriculture (20 percent).

19) What kinds of integrated approaches does USAID expect under this design?

The activity signals an expectation that the awardee will integrate technical approaches across nutrition, WASH, and agriculture. Examples described include pairing nutrition behavior change and service delivery support with improvements in safe water and sanitation conditions, while also strengthening agriculture-related pathways that can improve dietary diversity, food availability, and household resilience.

20) What is the activity category and CFDA number?

The opportunity is categorized under Agriculture, Food and Nutrition and is associated with CFDA number 98.001.

21) Who is the intended recipient or implementer?

The opportunity is intended to fund an implementing partner (the recipient) capable of operating at scale in Ethiopia and working closely with government systems to improve coordination and effectiveness of nutrition programming.

22) What does "sustained technical support" refer to in this opportunity?

Based on the description, sustained technical support refers to ongoing support to Government of Ethiopia agencies and other stakeholders to help them plan, deliver, coordinate, and align nutrition-related interventions more effectively over the multi-year period.

23) What is the Crisis Modifier mentioned in the opportunity?

The Crisis Modifier is a built-in flexible funding mechanism designed to allow the recipient to rapidly shift resources or activate pre-planned responses during food security emergencies in the target areas.

24) What types of events could trigger use of the Crisis Modifier?

The description mentions shocks such as drought or other crises that cause conditions to deteriorate and lead to food security emergencies in the target areas.

25) Why is emergency responsiveness emphasized in this activity?

The activity prioritizes responsiveness to emergencies so that gains in nutrition outcomes are better protected during periods of acute food insecurity.

26) What is the core implementation expectation regarding government collaboration?

The activity emphasizes working hand-in-hand with Government of Ethiopia systems, with close collaboration and coordination to improve how nutrition programming is planned, delivered, and aligned across sectors.

27) What are the recipient's responsibilities versus USAID's role?

The recipient is responsible for day-to-day implementation and achieving results. USAID is expected to have substantial involvement, including close collaboration on planning, performance management, and technical direction, as is typical for a Cooperative Agreement.

28) Is this opportunity focused only on nutrition services?

No. While reducing malnutrition is central, the opportunity is intentionally multi-sector and blends nutrition, WASH, and agriculture funding to address multiple drivers of malnutrition.

29) What does the opportunity suggest about scale and operating context?

It targets organizations capable of operating at scale in Ethiopia, coordinating across multiple sectors, and engaging closely with government agencies and other stakeholders.

30) Where can applicants find additional eligibility requirements or clarifications?

The information provided indicates that eligibility was unrestricted, but any additional requirements or clarifications would be contained in the full RFA.