Opportunity Information: Apply for 611 2011 01
Apply for 611 2011 01
- The Zambia USAID Lusaka in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Zambia Economic Resilience Program (ZERS) Draft Program Description for Comment" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 22, 2011 and posted on Feb 22, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 4, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $25,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000,000.00 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:
The Zambia Economic Resilience Program (ZERS) Draft Program Description for Comment is a USAID/Zambia notice laying out a planned Request for Applications (RFA) that would fund a major, multi-year effort to strengthen food security and economic resilience among very poor rural households. At the time of this draft release, USAID explicitly instructs organizations not to submit applications yet, because the document is being shared for public comment only. USAID anticipates issuing a cooperative agreement (or potentially more than one award, depending on available funds and USAID decisions) valued at roughly USD 20 to 25 million, with an expected period of performance of up to four years. The opportunity is open to a broad range of applicants (unrestricted eligibility), does not require cost share, and is managed by USAID in Lusaka.
ZERS is positioned as a central Feed the Future activity in Zambia, aligned with the broader goals of reducing hunger and poverty by addressing root causes and scaling approaches that can create lasting impact. Programmatically, it links two big Feed the Future objective areas: (1) accelerating inclusive agricultural sector growth (including improved productivity, expanded markets and trade, and increased resilience in vulnerable rural communities) and (2) improving nutritional status. The draft description frames the program as a shift away from repeated humanitarian relief and staple food subsidies and toward helping households build the capacity, assets, income streams, and coping mechanisms that allow them to withstand shocks and avoid recurring hunger.
The core intended impact is to improve the food security of about 50,000 vulnerable and very poor rural households in targeted areas by reducing the number of hunger months, improving nutrition and health practices, increasing the value of household assets, and strengthening households ability to use those assets productively. Over the four-year period, USAID expects these changes to contribute to measurable improvements in child nutrition outcomes, including reductions in stunting and underweight among targeted households. The concept of the target population is important in this draft: these households are described as having at least a minimal asset base (such as some land access and/or labor) but being unable to translate that into sustained economic well-being due to low productivity, poor health, limited market access, and high vulnerability to shocks.
Geographically, the main emphasis is Eastern Province, with the possibility of including selected districts in Northern and Central Provinces. Applicants would not be required to cover all potential geographic areas, meaning a proposed program could focus on a subset of districts so long as the approach and targeting are strong. USAID also notes standard government discretion language: awards may not be made if the government decides it is not in its best interest, and the number of awards could vary.
The problem analysis in the draft is detailed and reflects several structural constraints in rural Zambia. Even in years with strong maize production nationally, many smallholders remain food insecure because most cultivate very small plots (often under 2 hectares) and achieve low yields, with a small fraction of farmers contributing a disproportionate share of marketed maize. Many households produce less than 1 ton per hectare, far below what could be achieved with improved inputs and practices, which leaves them short of food for part of the year and forces a predictable hunger season that is especially severe from roughly November through February. Compounding this, off-farm income opportunities are limited in the poorest and most land-constrained communities, so even a national surplus year does not prevent widespread household hunger. The draft also highlights how remoteness and weak infrastructure create barriers to services and markets, and how natural resource extraction contributes substantially to rural cash income (cited up to about 30 percent), linking poverty dynamics to environmental degradation and high deforestation rates.
Nutrition is treated as inseparable from livelihoods. The draft cites very high stunting levels (about 45 percent among children under five) and notes that malnutrition underlies a large share of under-five mortality. Dietary diversity indicators are poor as well, with a low proportion of children 6 to 23 months receiving a minimum acceptable diet. USAID emphasizes that improving nutrition is not only about health services; it also requires tackling household food insecurity and the day-to-day practices that shape child feeding, diet quality, food preparation, food allocation within households, and intra-household inequities, including gender-related dynamics.
Targeting is a major design expectation. While Zambia has mechanisms such as a Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) vulnerability assessment committee that monitors vulnerability, the draft states there are no definitive official figures for vulnerable rural households overall. It points to Eastern Province poverty analysis showing that a very large share of smallholder households are extremely poor, with many earning less than USD 0.70 per person per day, relying heavily on agriculture, and cultivating very small land areas. Female-headed households are identified as a significant portion of the poorest group. The draft instructs applicants to use available data to clearly define the key characteristics of vulnerability and to select beneficiaries accordingly. Minimum defining characteristics include being rural, having at least a minimal asset base (land and/or labor), and being below the USD 1.25/day poverty line. Additional vulnerability markers that may be used include female-headed status (including widowed or divorced), HIV/AIDS or other chronic illness burden, households caring for or headed by orphans and vulnerable children, disability, and other locally validated indicators linked to food insecurity risk.
Rather than prescribing a single implementation model, USAID signals an interest in integrated, complementary interventions that address food availability, access, and utilization while deliberately linking agriculture, nutrition, health, and gender. The draft references several approaches as examples of what has worked or shows promise. One is the Positive Deviance/Hearth model for addressing child undernutrition through community-based behavior change and improved diets using locally available foods (for example, legumes and other protein sources), combined with improved hygiene, sanitation, and access to clean water. Another is a microfinance approach inspired by positive deviance principles, where revolving loan funds are built from community capital rather than external seed capital, thereby strengthening ownership and sustainability. The draft also highlights household-level approaches that engage both men and women to improve decision-making and resource use, recognizing that household dynamics can determine whether productivity gains translate into better nutrition outcomes.
A notable Zambian example included is the Food Security Pack, a government-implemented input and training package originally developed by the Program Against Malnutrition and later managed through GRZ ministries. It targets vulnerable but viable farmers with inputs such as seed and fertilizer and training in conservation farming and food processing over a two-year period. Beneficiaries repay a portion of the input value in grain, which local committees can then reallocate to the neediest households. The draft notes reported high participation by women and claims that a substantial share of beneficiaries can graduate to self-financing input purchases after the program period. By referencing this model, USAID appears to be signaling interest in pragmatic, scalable packages that combine inputs, knowledge, and community-level accountability mechanisms, while still leaving room for innovation.
The program is also designed to connect with other USAID investments. USAID indicates it will implement complementary activities in the same areas to support staple food value chain development as well as population, health, and nutrition programming. ZERS implementers would be expected to align with these parallel efforts by coordinating messages, sharpening targeting so the right households are reached with the right combination of services, and monitoring results in ways that fit the broader Feed the Future results framework. The draft frames this as an opportunity to improve cost efficiency, strengthen sustainability, and increase the likelihood that household-level change is durable.
Several required design parameters are spelled out clearly. Proposals would need to address USAID mission cross-cutting priorities, specifically environment, gender, HIV/AIDS, and microenterprise. Gender is not treated as optional: applicants must show how women will fully participate and benefit, and must include appropriate gender capacity in staffing (which may include staffing balance) to work effectively with women as beneficiaries, producers, service providers, and entrepreneurs. HIV/AIDS is also a defined budget and programming requirement within the overall activity, with the draft indicating that approximately USD 1.5 million should be effectively used for HIV prevention activities under PEPFAR, specifically Abstinence and Faithfulness (A/B) activities. In addition, applicants must present a detailed Performance Management Plan (PMP) with indicators, baselines, and targets linked to the Feed the Future results framework. Applicants must also specify how they will work through Zambian partners, including concrete steps, targets, and associated funding amounts for implementation by GRZ provincial agriculture offices or other ministries and agencies, as well as Zambian civil society organizations. Finally, the draft asks applicants to describe how a Development Innovation Venture Fund component of up to 10 percent of the total budget could be used to identify, test, and promote innovative approaches that connect agriculture and nutrition to reduce undernutrition.
USAID outlines the main result areas it expects ZERS to deliver. These include increased access for very poor farming households to commercial input suppliers and non-financial services like extension and agronomic support; adoption of improved crop production and post-harvest handling practices; measurable productivity increases; increased access to financial services; increased incomes and assets through improved food self-sufficiency, sales of staple and higher-value crops, and non-farm sources; and expanded non-farm employment and enterprise opportunities. The draft also lists minimum performance standards that applicants should propose targets for, including: increased household expenditures (used as a proxy for income), including among female-headed households; increased resilience reflected in improved Household Hunger Index scores; reduced prevalence of moderate or severe household hunger; improved agricultural productivity measured through gross margin per unit of land or animal for selected products; and improved child diet quality measured by the share of children 6 to 23 months receiving a minimum acceptable diet.
In short, ZERS is described as a sizable, four-year Feed the Future-aligned cooperative agreement focused on moving extremely poor rural households from chronic vulnerability toward resilience by combining agriculture-led livelihood improvements with strong nutrition linkages, explicit gender integration, HIV prevention requirements, and rigorous performance measurement. The draft stresses that success depends on clear vulnerability targeting, integrated and locally appropriate interventions, strong coordination with other USAID and GRZ initiatives, and practical pathways for households to build assets and incomes so they rely less on repeated relief and subsidies over time.
FAQs: Zambia Economic Resilience Program (ZERS) - Draft Program Description for Comment
1) What is ZERS?
Zambia Economic Resilience Program (ZERS) is a planned USAID/Zambia Feed the Future activity intended to strengthen food security and economic resilience among very poor rural households through an integrated approach linking agriculture, livelihoods, nutrition, health practices, and gender.
2) Is this document an active funding opportunity?
No. The document described is a Draft Program Description for Comment. USAID has explicitly instructed organizations not to submit applications at this stage because the draft is being shared for public comment only.
3) What type of award is USAID expecting to issue?
USAID anticipates issuing a cooperative agreement. The draft also notes that USAID could potentially make more than one award depending on available funds and USAID decisions.
4) What is the estimated funding amount?
The anticipated total value is roughly USD 20 to 25 million.
5) What is the expected period of performance?
Up to four years.
6) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is open to a broad range of applicants.
7) Is cost share required?
No. The draft states that cost share is not required.
8) Where is the opportunity managed?
USAID in Lusaka is managing the opportunity.
9) What is the main goal of ZERS?
The core intended impact is to improve the food security of about 50,000 vulnerable and very poor rural households in targeted areas by reducing the number of hunger months, improving nutrition and health practices, increasing the value of household assets, and strengthening households ability to use those assets productively.
10) What nutrition outcomes is ZERS expected to influence?
Over the four-year period, USAID expects improvements to contribute to measurable child nutrition gains among targeted households, including reductions in stunting and underweight.
11) What problem is ZERS trying to solve in rural Zambia?
The draft highlights chronic rural food insecurity driven by very small landholdings (often under 2 hectares), low yields (many households producing less than 1 ton per hectare), limited off-farm income options, remoteness and weak infrastructure limiting access to services and markets, and high vulnerability to shocks that create a predictable hunger season (noted as especially severe from roughly November through February).
12) What provinces or districts are expected to be included?
The main emphasis is Eastern Province, with a possibility of including selected districts in Northern and Central Provinces.
13) Must an applicant cover all target provinces or districts?
No. The draft notes that applicants would not be required to cover all potential geographic areas. A proposal may focus on a subset of districts as long as the approach and targeting are strong.
14) Who is the intended target population?
ZERS targets vulnerable and very poor rural households that have at least a minimal asset base (such as access to land and/or labor) but are unable to translate that into sustained economic well-being due to factors like low productivity, poor health, limited market access, and high vulnerability to shocks.
15) What are the minimum defining characteristics for beneficiary targeting?
The draft identifies minimum defining characteristics including: (1) being rural, (2) having at least a minimal asset base (land and/or labor), and (3) being below the USD 1.25/day poverty line.
16) What additional vulnerability markers may be used for targeting?
Examples listed include female-headed households (including widowed or divorced), HIV/AIDS or other chronic illness burden, households caring for or headed by orphans and vulnerable children, disability, and other locally validated indicators linked to food insecurity risk.
17) Does the draft provide definitive official figures for vulnerable rural households in Zambia?
No. It notes that while Zambia has mechanisms such as a GRZ vulnerability assessment committee, there are no definitive official figures for vulnerable rural households overall.
18) How does ZERS relate to Feed the Future objectives?
ZERS is positioned as a central Feed the Future activity in Zambia linking two objective areas: (1) accelerating inclusive agricultural sector growth (improved productivity, expanded markets and trade, and increased resilience in vulnerable rural communities) and (2) improving nutritional status.
19) What is the programmatic shift described in the draft?
The draft frames ZERS as moving away from repeated humanitarian relief and staple food subsidies and toward building household capacity, assets, income streams, and coping mechanisms so households can withstand shocks and avoid recurring hunger.
20) Are specific intervention models required?
No single implementation model is prescribed. USAID signals interest in integrated, complementary interventions addressing food availability, access, and utilization while deliberately linking agriculture, nutrition, health, and gender.
21) What example approaches does USAID reference?
The draft references several approaches as examples, including the Positive Deviance/Hearth model for community-based nutrition behavior change using locally available foods (and links to hygiene, sanitation, and clean water), and a microfinance approach inspired by positive deviance principles using revolving loan funds built from community capital rather than external seed capital.
22) What is the Food Security Pack, and why is it mentioned?
The Food Security Pack is a Zambian government-implemented input and training package targeting vulnerable but viable farmers, providing inputs (such as seed and fertilizer) and training (including conservation farming and food processing) over two years. Beneficiaries repay a portion of the input value in grain for local reallocation. Its inclusion suggests USAID interest in practical, scalable packages combining inputs, knowledge, and community accountability, while still allowing innovation.
23) What cross-cutting priorities must proposals address?
The draft requires proposals to address USAID mission cross-cutting priorities: environment, gender, HIV/AIDS, and microenterprise.
24) What does the draft require regarding gender integration?
Gender is treated as a required element. Applicants must show how women will fully participate and benefit, and must include appropriate gender capacity in staffing (which may include staffing balance) to work effectively with women as beneficiaries, producers, service providers, and entrepreneurs.
25) What does the draft require regarding HIV/AIDS activities and funding?
HIV/AIDS is a defined budget and programming requirement. The draft indicates that approximately USD 1.5 million should be effectively used for HIV prevention activities under PEPFAR, specifically Abstinence and Faithfulness (A/B) activities.
26) What monitoring and evaluation planning is expected?
Applicants must present a detailed Performance Management Plan (PMP) with indicators, baselines, and targets linked to the Feed the Future results framework.
27) What partnership expectations are included for Zambian entities?
Applicants must specify how they will work through Zambian partners, including concrete steps, targets, and associated funding amounts for implementation by GRZ provincial agriculture offices or other ministries and agencies, as well as Zambian civil society organizations.
28) What is the Development Innovation Venture Fund component?
The draft asks applicants to describe how a Development Innovation Venture Fund component of up to 10 percent of the total budget could be used to identify, test, and promote innovative approaches that connect agriculture and nutrition to reduce undernutrition.
29) What result areas does USAID expect ZERS to deliver?
Expected result areas include improved access for very poor farming households to commercial input suppliers and non-financial services (extension and agronomic support), adoption of improved crop production and post-harvest practices, measurable productivity increases, increased access to financial services, increased incomes and assets (through self-sufficiency, sales, and non-farm sources), and expanded non-farm employment and enterprise opportunities.
30) What minimum performance standards does the draft mention?
The draft lists performance areas applicants should propose targets for, including increased household expenditures (as a proxy for income), including among female-headed households; improved resilience reflected in improved Household Hunger Index scores; reduced prevalence of moderate or severe household hunger; improved agricultural productivity measured through gross margin per unit of land or animal for selected products; and improved child diet quality measured by the share of children 6 to 23 months receiving a minimum acceptable diet.
31) How does the draft describe the relationship between livelihoods and nutrition?
Nutrition is treated as inseparable from livelihoods. The draft emphasizes that improving nutrition is not only about health services, but also about addressing household food insecurity and day-to-day practices affecting child feeding, diet quality, food preparation, food allocation within households, and intra-household inequities, including gender-related dynamics.
32) Does ZERS connect to other USAID activities?
Yes. USAID indicates it will implement complementary activities in the same areas to support staple food value chain development and population, health, and nutrition programming. ZERS implementers are expected to align with and coordinate alongside these efforts.
33) Can USAID decide not to make an award?
Yes. The draft includes standard government discretion language that awards may not be made if the government decides it is not in its best interest, and that the number of awards could vary.
34) About how many households are expected to be reached?
Approximately 50,000 vulnerable and very poor rural households in targeted areas.
35) What timeframe for hunger season is highlighted in the draft?
The draft notes a predictable hunger season that is especially severe from roughly November through February.
36) What environmental and natural resource issues are mentioned?
The draft links poverty and income dynamics to natural resource extraction, noting it can contribute substantially to rural cash income (cited up to about 30 percent) and connects this to environmental degradation and high deforestation rates.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Food and Nutrition
Next opportunity: Whats Climate Change to You
Previous opportunity: Diagnostic, field, and training assistance for avian health and disease monitoring
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 611 2011 01
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (611 2011 01) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| CHC-TP-01 Apply for 01 10593 Funding Number: 01 10593 Agency: USDA-FNS1 Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| RFI-696-16-000001 - Sustainable Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Activity in Rwanda Apply for RFI 696 16 000001 Funding Number: RFI 696 16 000001 Agency: USAID-RWA Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| IFRP-DRAFT-RFA-FFP-DRAFT Apply for IFRP DRAFT RFA FFP 00001 Funding Number: IFRP DRAFT RFA FFP 00001 Agency: USAID Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| USDA-FNS-SNAP-PTI-FY16 Apply for USDA FNS SNAP PTI FY16 Funding Number: USDA FNS SNAP PTI FY16 Agency: USDA-FNS1 Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| USDA FNS FY 2016 ART Apply for ART16 Funding Number: ART16 Agency: USDA-FNS1 Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| IFRP-2016-RFA-00001 Apply for IFRP 2016 RFA 00001 Funding Number: IFRP 2016 RFA 00001 Agency: USAID Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| PARTICIPANT RESEARCH INNOVATION LABORATORY Apply for USDA FNS WIC PRIL 2017 Funding Number: USDA FNS WIC PRIL 2017 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| FY 17 Farm to School Grant Program Apply for USDA FNS F2S 2017 Funding Number: USDA FNS F2S 2017 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| CN-SFSP-SNAP-FB-2017 Apply for CN SFSP SNAP FB 2017 Funding Number: CN SFSP SNAP FB 2017 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $6,000,000 |
| CN-SFSP-WIC-ADMIN-2017 Apply for CN SFSP WIC ADMIN 2017 Funding Number: CN SFSP WIC ADMIN 2017 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| CN-SFSP-WIC-FB-2017 Apply for CN SFSP WIC FB 2017 Funding Number: CN SFSP WIC FB 2017 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $7,400,000 |
| FY17 FDPNE Projects Apply for USDA FNS FDD FDPNE FY17 Funding Number: USDA FNS FDD FDPNE FY17 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| IFRP-DRAFT-2017-RFA-DRAFT Apply for IFRP DRAFT 2017 RFA 00001 Funding Number: IFRP DRAFT 2017 RFA 00001 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Team Nutrition Training Grants Apply for USDA FNS TNT FY17 Funding Number: USDA FNS TNT FY17 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| USDA-CN-FY17-OPS-Mobile Technology for CN Innovation Laboratory Apply for USDA CN FY17 OPS MOBILE TECH INNO LAB Funding Number: USDA CN FY17 OPS MOBILE TECH INNO LAB Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs Apply for USDA FNS CFSR 17 Funding Number: USDA FNS CFSR 17 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $1,800,000 |
| IFRP-2017-RFA-FINAL Apply for IFRP 2017 RFA 00001 Funding Number: IFRP 2017 RFA 00001 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| FEED THE FUTURE SENEGAL CILTIVATING NUTRITION Apply for RFA 685 17 000007 Funding Number: RFA 685 17 000007 Agency: Agency for International Development, Senegal USAID-Dakar Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $40,000,000 |
| Kenya Feed the Future Livestock Market Systems Leader with Associates Apply for RFA 615 17 000003 Funding Number: RFA 615 17 000003 Agency: Agency for International Development, Kenya USAID-Nairobi Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $95,000,000 |
| USDA-FNS-CACFP-FY 17 Apply for USDA FNS CACFP FY17 Funding Number: USDA FNS CACFP FY17 Agency: Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Category: Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
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 "611 2011 01", 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.