Alvera Reichert; USAID Contracting Officer; U.S. Embassy; Madani Avenue; Baridhara; Dhaka-1212, Bangalesh; Department of State; Washington, D.C. 20521-6120

F -- MANAGEMENT OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH COMMUNITY HUSBANDRY (MACH) SOL RFA 388-98-001 DUE 061898 POC Contact Point: Carrie M. Williams, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., ANE/ORA/F, Room 4.09-126; Washington, D.C. 20523-4100. Submit written requests for copy of RFA to Carrie M. Williams. Mail-2 weeks delivery period. Questions about RFA: contact Alvera Reichert, Contracting Officer; Dhaka, Bangladesh, Fax: 880-2-883648 or 883744, Telephone: 880-2-884700, Internet areichert@usaid.gov. USAID/Bangladesh seeks qualified organization(s) and/or institution(s) to develop a program to promote ecologically sound management of floodplain resources (fisheries and other wetland products) for sustainable supply of food to the poor of Bangladesh. The specific objectives of the project are to: maintain and recover the selected natural floodplain fisheries and associated ecosystems; obtain equitable access of local people to the natural resources of the floodplain; develop systems for the co-management of the floodplain resources by communities and local governments; identify activities to generate alternative income and reduce the pressure on the floodplain fisheries; raise awareness of the potential of natural floodplain processes to secure food and income for the poor people of Bangladesh. The activities will be underpinned by a comprehensive program that gathers baseline data, monitors ecosystems health, and gauges productivity and human consumption of floodplain resources. The goal and objectives will be reached through support for co-management approaches (between communities and government) to enhance sustainable utilization of fish and other wetland resources. Awareness-raising will constitute a significant component of the activity, with the field models shared through a variety of communication media. USAID/Bangladesh intends to award a cooperative agreement. The selected partner should be prepared to start implementation of the program within 30 days of award of the Agreement. USAID anticipates that approximately U.S. $5,000,000 will be available for the life of the program. Issuance of this notice does not constitute an award commitment on the part of USAID. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the Internet or by request of an application on a 3.5" floppy disk (WordPerfect 5.1/5.2 format). This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded using the Agency Web Site. The RFA, once issued, can be downloaded from the Agency web site. The Worldwide Web address is: http://www.info.usaid.gov. Select Business and Procurement Opportunities from the home page, then "USAID Procurement." On the following screen, select "Download Available USAID Solicitations." Receipt of this RFA through INTERNET must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this application document to ensure that it has been received from INTERNET in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. (0120)

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