U.S. Agency for International Development, (USAID), Office of Microenterprise Development, (G/EGAD/MD), RRB, Room 2.10-024, Washington, D.C. 20523

R -- IMPLEMENTATION GRANT PROGRAM, THE MICROENTERPRISE INNOVATION PROJECT SOL G/EGAD/MD-99-A-001 POC Contact Point: Angela Drive, Phone (202)712-0030; Facsimile (202)216-3228 On or about October 1, 1998, Request for Applications (RFA) RFA G/EGAD/MD-99-A-001 will be issued by the Office of Microenterprise Development in the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Bureau for Global Affairs (G/EGAD/MD). The RFA will request Cooperative Agreement proposals from a wide range of organizations including U.S. PVOs, cooperatives, credit unions, commercial banks, international organizations, developing country organizations capable of working in more than one country, and for-profit firms. Applicants must have demonstrated capacity to implement microenterprise development programs. While for-profit firms may submit applications, it is USAID's policy not to award fees/profits under assistance instruments. Cooperative Agreements will finance expansion of service provision to microenterprises by local institutions, particularly by means of increasing the financial viability of those institutions that provide financial services. Types of financial service programs eligible include poverty lending, village banking, solidarity group lending, individual lending, savings mobilization and other program methodologies that demonstrate a capability to serve the poor. This RFA will fund expansion of financial services programs and start-up financial services programs that have a local institution in place. It is anticipated that a new Request for Applications will be issued during FY 99 which will cover business development services and other non-financial services. A separate CBD Notice will be issued for this second RFA. Cooperative Agreements will be fully or incrementally funded, depending on the availability of funds. Satisfactory progress will be measured in terms of achievement of specific program targets set for the local implementing organization. The progress will be verified by assessments conducted by G/EGAD/MD. Approximately 5 to 10 Cooperative Agreements will be awarded. Proposed programs must: 1) receive USAID Mission concurrence for each proposed country, 2) contribute at least 25% of the proposed program's cost in cash or in kind cost-share, 3) cover a period of 3 to 5 years, and 4) be generally within a range of $250,000 to $700,000 of USAID funding per year, and total no more than $3.5 million. Each proposal must be for one country only chosen from among those countries world-wide currently eligible for USAID funding. An applicant may submit more than one proposal. Interested applicants should request the RFA in writing by faxing (202)216-3228 or writing via the U.S. Postal Service to the Office of Microenterprise Development, Economic Growth and Agricultural Development Center, Bureau for Global Affairs, United States Agency for International Development, RRB Room 2.10-024, Washington, D.C. 20523. Attention: Angela Davis. Any mail sent by courier should be sent to Angela Davis at the Office of Microenterprise Development, Economic Growth and Agricultural Development Center, Bureau for Global Affairs, United States Agency for International Development, RRB Room 2.10-024, Washington, D.C. 20523. 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 Procurements." On the following screen, select "Download Available USAID Solicitations." Receipt of the RFA through INTERNET must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that is has been received from INTERNET in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Posted 09/11/98 (I-SN248532). (0254)

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