Opportunity Information: Apply for AID RFA 624 14 000005
Apply for AID RFA 624 14 000005
- The Ghana USAID Accra in the community development environment health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USAID/West Africas Sanitation Service Delivery Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001 USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 25, 2014 and posted on Apr 2, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 19, 2014 EXTENDED TO 05/19/2014 AT 1500 HRS GMT.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $15,800,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $15,800,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- 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.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
USAID/West Africas Sanitation Service Delivery (SSD) Program is a regional WASH-focused grant opportunity designed to expand access to improved sanitation and strengthen sanitation markets in West Africa, with a strong emphasis on urban and peri-urban areas and on reaching poor and underserved households. The program is positioned as part of USAID/West Africas broader health and WASH portfolio and is intended to complement ongoing health investments by addressing sanitation as a major determinant of public health outcomes. Rather than relying mainly on short-lived, infrastructure-heavy approaches, the opportunity frames the sanitation challenge as a persistent market and systems problem, where scale and long-term sustainability have historically been difficult to achieve. The program therefore aims to play a catalytic role, helping governments, bilateral donors, and multilateral partners advance more durable sector-wide solutions while also placing USAID in a regional leadership role on sanitation innovation.
A core theme of the opportunity is sanitation sector reform through private sector cultivation and market-based service delivery. In targeted countries (noted as three targeted countries in the narrative, though they are not specified in the excerpt), the program is expected to stimulate and strengthen private enterprises and service models that can deliver sanitation products and services at scale. The focus is not just on increasing the number of toilets installed or facilities constructed, but on building viable delivery systems: demand creation, affordable financing or payment mechanisms, supply chains for sanitation goods, service providers for installation and maintenance, and reliable fecal sludge management services. This reflects the programs emphasis on solving root causes of low sanitation access, such as weak markets, limited household ability to pay, fragmented service provision, and poor incentives for sustained service quality over time.
The SSD Program is organized around three technical components. Component 1 focuses on increasing the use of improved sanitation, which typically implies expanding adoption of hygienic sanitation facilities that safely separate people from waste, especially among urban and peri-urban poor populations. Component 2 targets the safe disposal and reuse of fecal waste, signaling a strong interest in the full sanitation value chain, particularly fecal sludge management in dense settings where onsite sanitation is common and where unsafe emptying and dumping create serious environmental and health risks. This component also leaves room for resource recovery approaches, where treated waste can be reused (for example, as soil amendments or energy inputs) when managed safely and in line with public health safeguards. Component 3 is dedicated to disseminating learning on market-based approaches across West Africa, meaning the program is expected to generate evidence, document what works and what does not, and share practical lessons so that successful models can be replicated beyond the immediate areas of implementation. The design explicitly notes that the most important results may be structural and regional rather than immediately visible through short-term beneficiary counts, because the intent is to pilot, test, refine, and scale models that change how sanitation is financed, delivered, and maintained.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this opportunity was issued as a discretionary award under a Cooperative Agreement, indicating USAIDs intent to have substantial involvement during implementation (such as collaboration on strategy, learning agendas, and adaptive management). The total estimated funding is $15,800,000, with an award ceiling and floor both listed as $15,800,000, implying an expectation of a single award at that full amount (the announcement also lists ExpectedAwards: 1). There is no cost sharing or matching requirement. The assistance listing is CFDA 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas). Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The issuing agency is USAID in Accra, Ghana (USAID/Ghana), under USAID/West Africa.
Key dates in the notice include a posted date of April 2, 2014, an original closing date of May 12, 2014, and an extended closing date of May 19, 2014 at 1500 hours GMT, with an archive date of June 11, 2014. The primary contact listed for access issues is Naveen Srivastava, with a phone number provided in the announcement. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a regionally oriented sanitation systems and market-development program: it aims to increase adoption of improved sanitation, ensure safe management (and potential reuse) of fecal waste, and spread scalable, private sector-led approaches that can be replicated across West Africa for lasting health and environmental impact.
FAQs: USAID/West Africa Sanitation Service Delivery (SSD) Program
1) What is the USAID/West Africa Sanitation Service Delivery (SSD) Program?
The Sanitation Service Delivery (SSD) Program is a regional, WASH-focused grant opportunity intended to expand access to improved sanitation and strengthen sanitation markets in West Africa. It is designed to be part of USAID/West Africa's broader health and WASH portfolio, with sanitation positioned as a major determinant of public health outcomes.
2) What is the main goal of this opportunity?
The main goal is to increase access to improved sanitation while building stronger, more durable sanitation markets and service delivery systems in West Africa. The program is framed as a catalytic effort to support sector-wide solutions that can scale and last, rather than short-lived, infrastructure-heavy approaches.
3) What problem does the program say it is trying to solve?
The opportunity describes the sanitation challenge as a persistent market and systems problem where scale and long-term sustainability have historically been difficult to achieve. It highlights root causes such as weak markets, limited household ability to pay, fragmented service provision, and poor incentives for sustained service quality over time.
4) What geographic area does the SSD Program cover?
The program is regional in scope across West Africa. The narrative references three targeted countries, but the excerpt provided does not specify which countries those are.
5) Who is the program especially intended to reach?
There is a strong emphasis on urban and peri-urban areas and on reaching poor and underserved households, particularly those with low access to improved sanitation services.
6) How does this opportunity differ from traditional sanitation projects?
Rather than focusing mainly on construction-heavy interventions that can be difficult to sustain, the program emphasizes market-based and systems approaches. The intent is to build viable delivery systems and cultivate private sector service models that can operate at scale over the long term.
7) What role does the private sector play in this program?
Private sector cultivation is a core theme. In the targeted countries, the program is expected to stimulate and strengthen private enterprises and service models that can deliver sanitation products and services at scale, including models that support installation, maintenance, and fecal sludge management.
8) Is the focus only on building toilets?
No. The opportunity explicitly says the focus is not just on increasing the number of toilets installed or facilities constructed. It emphasizes building the full delivery system, such as demand creation, financing or payment mechanisms, supply chains, service providers for installation and maintenance, and reliable fecal sludge management services.
9) What types of sanitation services and systems are emphasized?
The program emphasizes end-to-end sanitation service delivery, including demand creation, affordability mechanisms, supply chains for goods, installation and maintenance services, and fecal sludge management. This reflects an interest in sustainable systems that keep services functioning over time.
10) What are the three technical components of the SSD Program?
The program is organized around three components: (1) increasing the use of improved sanitation; (2) safe disposal and reuse of fecal waste (including fecal sludge management); and (3) disseminating learning on market-based approaches across West Africa.
11) What does Component 1 (increasing use of improved sanitation) focus on?
Component 1 focuses on increasing adoption and use of improved sanitation, described as hygienic sanitation facilities that safely separate people from waste. The emphasis is especially on urban and peri-urban poor populations.
12) What does Component 2 (safe disposal and reuse of fecal waste) focus on?
Component 2 targets safe disposal and reuse of fecal waste, reflecting interest in the full sanitation value chain. It highlights fecal sludge management in dense settings where onsite sanitation is common and where unsafe emptying and dumping create serious environmental and health risks.
13) Does the opportunity support reuse or resource recovery from fecal waste?
Yes. Component 2 leaves room for resource recovery approaches, where treated waste can be reused (for example, as soil amendments or energy inputs), as long as it is managed safely and aligned with public health safeguards.
14) What does Component 3 (disseminating learning) involve?
Component 3 is dedicated to sharing learning across West Africa on market-based approaches. The program is expected to generate evidence, document what works and what does not, and share practical lessons so successful models can be replicated beyond immediate implementation areas.
15) What kinds of results does USAID appear to prioritize for this program?
The design notes that the most important results may be structural and regional rather than immediately visible through short-term beneficiary counts. The intent is to pilot, test, refine, and scale models that change how sanitation is financed, delivered, and maintained.
16) How does the SSD Program relate to health outcomes?
The program is positioned to complement ongoing health investments by addressing sanitation as a major determinant of public health outcomes, linking sanitation improvements to broader health and environmental benefits.
17) What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
This opportunity is issued as a discretionary award under a Cooperative Agreement. That indicates USAID expects to have substantial involvement during implementation, such as collaborating on strategy, learning agendas, and adaptive management.
18) How much funding is available?
The total estimated funding is $15,800,000. The award ceiling and floor are both listed as $15,800,000, which implies an expectation of a single award at the full amount.
19) How many awards does USAID expect to make?
The announcement lists ExpectedAwards: 1, indicating USAID expects to make one award.
20) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.
21) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be contained in the full announcement.
22) What is the assistance listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The assistance listing is CFDA 98.001, described as USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas.
23) Which USAID office issued the opportunity?
The issuing agency is USAID in Accra, Ghana (USAID/Ghana), under USAID/West Africa.
24) When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The posted date is April 2, 2014. The original closing date was May 12, 2014, and the closing date was extended to May 19, 2014 at 1500 hours GMT.
25) When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date listed in the notice is June 11, 2014.
26) What time zone is used for the extended closing deadline?
The extended closing deadline is stated as 1500 hours GMT.
27) Who is the contact for access issues?
The primary contact listed for access issues is Naveen Srivastava. A phone number is provided in the announcement.
28) What is USAID's expected level of involvement during implementation?
Because the award is a Cooperative Agreement, USAID indicates it intends to have substantial involvement during implementation, including collaboration on strategy, learning agendas, and adaptive management.
29) What kinds of markets and services is the program trying to strengthen?
The opportunity emphasizes strengthening sanitation markets and delivery systems, including demand creation, affordable financing or payment mechanisms, supply chains for sanitation goods, installation and maintenance services, and fecal sludge management services that reduce unsafe dumping and related risks.
30) What is the overall way to understand the SSD Program in one sentence?
It is a regionally oriented sanitation systems and market-development program intended to increase adoption of improved sanitation, ensure safe management (and possible reuse) of fecal waste, and spread scalable, private sector-led approaches across West Africa for lasting health and environmental impact.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Community Development Environment Health
Next opportunity: Evaluation of Health Promotion and Prevention Programs for Blood Disorders
Previous opportunity: U.S. Science Support Program associated with the International Ocean Discovery Program
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for AID RFA 624 14 000005
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "AID RFA 624 14 000005", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.