U.S. Agency for International Development, (USAID/Mali), Regional Contracting Office, Bamako (ID), Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20521-2050

R -- TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SOL 688-98-P-8816 DUE 111698 POC Contact Point: Lamine Coulibaly, or Annette E. Tuebner, Contracting Officer, Tel: 223-22-36-02; Fax No:223-22-39-35 or 223-22-39-33 Internet: lcoulibaly@usaid.gov and atuebner@usaid.gov The United States Agency for International Development (USAID/Mali) is contemplating the award of a major forty-two month cost-reimbursement, completion type contract in support of USAID/Mali's Youth Strategic Objective in the areas of Youth Health, Education and Skills Development. This activity will focus resources on the following regions: (Kayes, Koulikoro plus Bamako District, Sikasso, Segou and Mopti). The northern region (Gao, Tombuctu and Kidal) is not targeted under this activity. USAID requests proposals from private firms, universities, or PVO'S to implement this performance-based, results oriented activity, in which proposals will be reviewed, award made, and implementation monitored based upon the Contractor's success at planning for and delivering the specified results in the substantive areas of the project. These will include empowering youth and enhancing their use of services in improved 1) child survival services, 2) reproductive health, 3) basic education, 4) skills development, and5) institutional capacity for youth, through increased access to, quality of and demand for such services. USAID encourages the participation to the maximum extent possible of Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, and Women Owned Small Business in this activity as prime Contractor or Subcontractor in accordance with part 19 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. In this respect, it is anticipated that the prime contractor will make every reasonable effort to identify and make maximum practicable use of such concerns. To help identify potential subcontractors, a list of all organizations requesting a copy of the solicitation will be published with the solicitation document. Organizations are encouraged to indicate whether they are small or small disadvantaged entities when requesting the solicitation and may indicate that they do not wish to be included on the list. By providing the list, USAID does not endorse the listed organizations as being capable of carrying out the activity, nor does USAID verify the claimed status of the organizations. Necessarily, the list will contain the names of only those organizations known prior to the issuance of the solicitation document. Proposals shall include small business plans reflecting, to the maximum extent possible, subcontracting with the above-defined entities. Proposals not including such plans will be considered to be non-responsive. All questions related to this notice and requests for a copy of the RFP must be addressed in writing by fax or e-mail to the Regional Contracting Office at the address stated above. Specify the RFP requested, and include your complete firm name, street address, phone, fax no. and internet address. No telephone requests will be honored. The issuance date of the RFP is expected to be approximately fifteen (15) days from the date of publication of this notice. The closing date for submission of proposals will be approximately forty-five (45) days from the actual issuance date, and will be specified in the RFP. The method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the internet. This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded using the Agency web site. The worldwide web address is http://www.info.usaid.gov. Select business and procurement opportunities from the home page, then quote usaid procurement unquote. On the following screen, select quote Download Available USAID Solicitation unquote. Look under the following directory for the RFP:pub/OP/RFP/688988816/688988816.rfp. Receipt of this RFP 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 it has been received from internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Posted 09/16/98 (I-SN250693). (0259)

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