U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Cambodia/OP, Phnom Penh, Box P, APO AP 96546

R -- LAOS ECONOMIC ACCELERATION PROGRAM FOR THE SILK SECTOR (LEAPSS) SOL RFA No. 442-99-001 DUE 042099 POC Carey N. Gordon, Grant Officer, USAID/Cambodia, Tel: 855-23-217-640; Fax: 855-23-217-638; Internet: cagordon@usaid.gov.ggo WEB: http://www.info.usaid.gov/, http://www.info.usaid.gov/procurement_bus_opp/procurement/announce/cbd /. E-MAIL: http://www.info.usaid.gov/, cagordon@usaid.gov. USAID invites qualified U.S. applicants and Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) and U.S. not-for-profit organizations to submit applications for a grant or cooperative agreement under the Laos Economic Acceleration Program for the Silk Sector (LEAPSS). For-profit organizations may also submit applications, however, they will not be entitled to receive a fee or profit for this activity. It is anticipated that one or more grants or cooperative agreements will be awarded in a process to be described in the RFA. The total estimated funding will be approximately $1.5 million. USAID may award to more than one applicant if it is determined to be in USAID's interest to do so. As this is a results-oriented activity, it is expected that funding will be based upon an agreeable workplan, verifiable achievement of required results and the availability of funds. LEAPSS is designed to build upon the prior development activities of the Lao American Crop Control Project (LAP), which provided assistance to farmers intwo districts of the northeastern Lao province of Houaphanh. The project was premised on the observation that opium in the region is largely grown for food security reasons. Rice, the staple crop of the region, is planted on the hillsides but yields are insufficient to feed farmer families. Farmers resorted to growing opium to sell or barter for food and to use as medicine. As a result of LAP and other interventions, opium production has almost disappeared in the project area. Recently, LAP begun training interested farming families in Houaphanh to produce silk for the Vientiane market. USAID believes that prospects for the silk sector in Laos are particularly promising and that the lessons learned from development activities in this sector may have applications to broader issues of Lao economic development. Thus, the immediate objective of the LEAPSS program is to foster accelerated economic growth and institutional development in the Lao silk sector while the broader goal of the program is to lay the groundwork for broad private-sector led development in Laos. All questions related to this notice and requests for a copy of the RFA must be addressed in writing, by letter, fax, or e-mail to the Grant Officer at the address stated above. Specify the RFA requested, and include your complete firm name, street address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address. No telephone requests will be honored. The issuance date of the RFA is expected to be on or about March 5, 1999. The closing date for submission of proposals will be approximately 45 days after the actual issuance date of the RFA, and will be specified in the RFA. Applications must be submitted by e-mail. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the Internet or by request of a solicitation on a 3.5" diskette (WordPerfect 5.1/5.2 format). Only in instances where Internet access or utilization of diskettes are not possible will a hard copy of the RFA be distributed upon request. Applicants must confirm to the Grant Officer their inability to access the RFA via the Internet before they request a diskette or hard copy of the document. This notice and the RFA, once issued, can be viewed and downloaded from the USAID external web site. The USAID worldwide web address is http://www.info.usaid.gov. Select "Business and Procurement Opportunities" from the home page, then "USAID Procurements". Receipt of the RFA through the Internet must be confirmed by written notification to the Grant Officer. It is the responsibility of the recipient of the RFA to ensure that it has been received from the Internet in its entirety. USAID is not responsible for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. The publication of this notice does not obligate the U.S. Government to award a grant or cooperative agreement. Posted 03/03/99 (W-SN304433). (0062)

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