The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications from qualified entities to implement the Investing in Diversified Agriculture-led Growth Poles for Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Wealth Creation (Growth Poles) Activity. There are no eligibility restrictions for this notice of funding opportunity. Any U.S. or Regional/International/ Local organizations submitting applications may be considered by USAID.
USAID/Malawi intends to address Malawi’s environmental degradation, economic growth, food security, resilience, and poverty challenges that have persisted for generations. Thus, the goal of this activity is to advance a more inclusive, diversified, and resilient private sector that drives sustainable wealth creation1. More specifically, USAID/Malawi has five main strategic objectives for this activity: 1) Develop and/or strengthen growth poles that leverage and expand private sector investments; 2) Strengthen systems resilience through improved climate and natural resource management; 3) Expand inclusive development so that smallholders, youth and women increase incomes, assets, and jobs, strengthening household and community resilience; 4) Mobilize innovative, impact-oriented credit and finance, and 5) Play a networking, facilitating, coordination and adaptive role based on evidence and data within Malawi. This is a five-year, up to $40 million activity that will work nationally in geographies and/or value chain poles centered around approximately 15-20 growth poles. This activity will contribute to the USAID/Malawi Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) (2020-2025) and the US Malawi Embassy Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) and will work together with Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact II.
In addition, Investing in Diversified Agriculture-led Growth Poles for Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Wealth Creation (Growth Poles Activity) is designed as an integrated flagship activity to achieve CDCS Development Objective Three (DO-3), through the Agency’s Feed the Future (FtF) initiative, the Agency’s Climate Change strategy, and Agency’s Resilience approach2 – Malawi is designated as an FtF Aligned Country, a Resilience Focus country, and a Nutrition Focus Country, all with cross-sectoral, integrated approaches. The strategic direction for the activity, like USAID/Malawi’s CDCS, reflects the USG Global Food Security Initiative 2022- 2026 (GFSS)3 – an integrated whole-of-government approach that aims to end global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition by following both USAID’s Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Policy and the USG’s new Climate Change Strategy.
The purpose of this activity is to accelerate environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, resilient, and more inclusive wealth generation in Malawi by mobilizing ruralbased private sector investments and partnerships with anchor firms and their surrounding communities, smallholder organizations, cooperatives, and MSMEs in a growth pole approach, with a youth and gender lens. It will build on the strong foundation of early growth pole development established by the FTF Agricultural Diversification (AgDiv) activity.
Deadline: Nov. 14, 2022
Eligibility for this RFA is unrestricted. Applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID are welcome if the Applicant determines that it has the necessary capacity to implement activities of the magnitude such as this one.
USAID/Malawi intends to award one Cooperative Agreement pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity. Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID anticipates one award at an estimated total amount of $39,780,462.00 over 5 years.