Opportunity Information: Apply for SCA SCAAQM 17 001
The South Asia Regional Connectivity Program is a discretionary U.S. government grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of State through the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA). It was published under Funding Opportunity Number SCA SCAAQM 17 001 and uses a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument, meaning the Department of State expects to remain substantially involved in the project during implementation rather than simply providing funds and stepping back. The overall purpose is to support and strengthen regional connectivity across South Asia by combining technical assistance with efforts that encourage practical cooperation among countries and institutions in the region.
At its core, the program is designed to make cross-border and regional systems work better in ways that produce long-term development gains. The opportunity emphasizes that U.S. assistance should help create sustainable, broad-based, and participatory outcomes, which signals an interest in projects that reach beyond narrow or short-lived benefits and instead improve how economies and institutions function over time. The description highlights three major focus areas: economic growth and trade facilitation, security, and environmental resource management. In practice, this could include work that reduces barriers to trade and transit, improves coordination and standards that affect regional commerce, strengthens the capacity of relevant agencies or stakeholders to manage security-related risks that impact connectivity, and supports cooperative approaches to shared environmental challenges and natural resources that cross borders.
The eligible activity scope is intentionally broad, reflected in the listed funding activity categories that span agriculture, business and commerce, community development, education, employment and workforce development, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, natural resources, regional development, and transportation. This breadth suggests the program is open to a wide range of project models as long as they credibly tie back to the central objective of regional connectivity and cooperation in South Asia. The award is associated with CFDA number 19.700, which is commonly used for State Department public diplomacy and related assistance programming.
Applicants may include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status, as well as other eligible entities as permitted by the solicitation. The notice also references foreign public entities in the program description, indicating that certain governmental or quasi-governmental organizations outside the United States may be relevant or potentially able to participate, depending on the specific terms and requirements of the funding announcement. The funding opportunity anticipated a maximum award (ceiling) of $685,000. The posting indicates an original closing date of June 9, 2017, and a creation date of April 26, 2017.
Overall, this opportunity is aimed at organizations that can deliver hands-on technical support, convene or coordinate regional stakeholders, and advance cooperation that improves how South Asian countries connect through trade, infrastructure-relevant policies, shared environmental management, and related security considerations. The program’s emphasis on long-term, participatory development points toward proposals that incorporate local and regional stakeholder engagement, strengthen institutional capacity, and produce measurable improvements in regional coordination rather than isolated, single-country interventions.Apply for SCA SCAAQM 17 001
- The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the agriculture, business and commerce, community development, education, employment, labor and training, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, natural resources, regional development, transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "South Asia Regional Connectivity Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.700.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-04-26.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-06-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $685,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): South Asia Regional Connectivity Program (SCA)
What is the South Asia Regional Connectivity Program?
The South Asia Regional Connectivity Program is a discretionary U.S. government grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of State through the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA). It supports projects that strengthen regional connectivity across South Asia by pairing technical assistance with efforts that encourage practical cooperation among countries and institutions in the region.
Which U.S. government agency is offering this grant?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SCA SCAAQM 17 001.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement.
What does it mean that this is a Cooperative Agreement?
A Cooperative Agreement means the Department of State expects to remain substantially involved during project implementation, rather than only providing funding and stepping back.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The program aims to support and strengthen regional connectivity across South Asia. It focuses on making cross-border and regional systems work better in ways that produce long-term development gains and encourage practical regional cooperation.
What kinds of outcomes does the program emphasize?
The opportunity emphasizes sustainable, broad-based, and participatory outcomes. This points toward projects that create lasting improvements in how economies and institutions function over time, rather than short-lived or narrowly targeted results.
What are the main focus areas of this funding opportunity?
The description highlights three major focus areas: (1) economic growth and trade facilitation, (2) security, and (3) environmental resource management.
What does "economic growth and trade facilitation" mean in this program?
In this context, it can include work that reduces barriers to trade and transit and improves coordination and standards that affect regional commerce, in ways that strengthen cross-border or regional economic connections.
How does "security" relate to regional connectivity under this program?
Security-related activities may include strengthening the capacity of relevant agencies or stakeholders to manage security-related risks that impact connectivity across borders and the region.
How does "environmental resource management" fit into regional connectivity?
The program supports cooperative approaches to shared environmental challenges and natural resources that cross borders, recognizing that regional connectivity can depend on coordinated environmental and resource management.
Is the scope of eligible activities narrow or broad?
The eligible activity scope is intentionally broad, as reflected in the wide range of funding activity categories listed in the opportunity.
What activity categories are included in the eligible scope?
The listed funding activity categories include agriculture, business and commerce, community development, education, employment and workforce development, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, natural resources, regional development, and transportation.
Do proposed activities need to involve more than one country?
The program emphasizes regional connectivity, cross-border and regional systems, and practical cooperation among countries and institutions in South Asia. Proposals are therefore expected to credibly tie activities to regional connectivity and cooperation rather than isolated, single-country interventions.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants may include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), as well as other eligible entities as permitted by the solicitation.
Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to apply?
No. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status.
Can universities and colleges apply?
Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.
Are foreign public entities allowed to participate?
The notice references foreign public entities in the program description, indicating such entities may be relevant or potentially able to participate depending on the specific terms and requirements of the funding announcement.
What is the maximum award amount for this opportunity?
The anticipated maximum award (ceiling) associated with this opportunity is $685,000.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The award is associated with CFDA number 19.700.
When was this funding opportunity posted?
The creation date listed for the opportunity is April 26, 2017.
What was the original application closing date?
The posting indicates an original closing date of June 9, 2017.
What kinds of project approaches seem aligned with the program goals?
Based on the description, aligned approaches include delivering hands-on technical support, convening or coordinating regional stakeholders, strengthening institutional capacity, and advancing cooperation that improves how South Asian countries connect through trade, infrastructure-relevant policies, shared environmental management, and related security considerations.
What does the program suggest about stakeholder engagement?
The emphasis on participatory development and regional cooperation suggests proposals should incorporate local and regional stakeholder engagement and aim for measurable improvements in regional coordination.
Is this opportunity focused on one sector only?
No. The opportunity lists many activity categories across multiple sectors, indicating it is open to varied project models as long as they are clearly tied to regional connectivity and cooperation in South Asia.
What is the central theme applicants should connect their proposal to?
The central theme is improving regional connectivity and cooperation across South Asia, including making cross-border and regional systems function more effectively to support long-term development gains.
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