The USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean’s Community Resilience Initiative Broad Agency Announcement | BAA ESC GDO 2019

Opportunity Information: Apply for BAA ESC GDO 2019

The USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean (USAID/ESC) Community Resilience Initiative Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is an open call for organizations to partner with USAID on research and development-style interventions aimed at strengthening community resilience in Trinidad and Tobago, with a particular focus on challenges linked to the recent influx of Venezuelan migrants. Rather than presenting a fully defined program and requesting standard proposals, USAID is using the BAA model to identify potential collaborators who can help shape the program through co-creation and co-design. The central idea is to build partnerships that move quickly and efficiently by pooling ideas, expertise, and resources, and by sharing responsibility and risk across multiple actors.

The opportunity is designed for broad participation. It is open to for-profit and non-profit entities, as well as public and private organizations, with eligibility described as unrestricted in the notice. USAID is explicitly looking for partners willing to co-invest or contribute resources in ways that make sense for a given solution. That can include cash contributions, but it can also include in-kind inputs like technical expertise, intellectual property, staff time, brand or convening power, high-value coordination capacity, or access to key stakeholders and information. USAID notes that co-investment does not need to be a 1:1 match; the expectation is that each partner contributes in a way that reflects its comparative advantage and the project objectives.

In terms of what USAID wants to accomplish, the problem statement centers on strengthening communities facing both internal and external destabilizing pressures, with special attention to municipalities experiencing high crime and violence. The activity is expected to provide targeted community-strengthening services in these areas, expand opportunities for highly vulnerable migrants and local residents, and reduce the likelihood that children and youth are recruited into crime, violence, exploitation, or extremist activity. USAID also signals that implementation should be collaborative, working closely with regional corporations, civil society organizations, and other key actors. A major emphasis is placed on developing and testing new, innovative, and actionable approaches that can be applied at the municipal or community level, with specific locations expected to be identified later during a subsequent stage of the BAA process.

Innovation, scalability, and sustainability are repeated priorities in the announcement. USAID is looking for solutions that can be replicated and scaled beyond an initial pilot, sustained over time, and eventually transferred to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago or other local stakeholders. Because the migration and security context can evolve quickly, USAID also stresses flexibility, meaning partners should expect to adapt activities as conditions change and as learning emerges from implementation.

To engage, interested applicants must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), not a full technical proposal. The EOI must be written in English, limited to two pages, and use at least 12-point font. It must be submitted electronically to dropportunities@usaid.gov with a copy to andiaz@usaid.gov, and provided in an editable PDF or Microsoft Word format. The EOI must include a header (counting toward the page limit) listing the respondent name/group and contact information, a response title, and the BAA name/number; an optional graphic that fits on a standard 8.5x11 inch or A4 page is allowed within the page limit. Organizations are permitted to submit more than one EOI if they have multiple distinct ideas or approaches.

USAID indicates it will review EOIs using three main criteria. First is the quality of the idea or approach, with attention to whether it brings fresh, informed, and realistic thinking supported by evidence and analysis; USAID also notes it will consider not only the idea itself but also what the applicant contributes to the broader co-design discussion. Second is partnership expectations and value, including the strengths, talent, and capabilities the organization brings, and any ability to provide financial, in-kind, or leveraged contributions at different stages. Third is diversity of perspectives and capabilities, since USAID intends to convene a mix of partners to broaden thinking and increase the likelihood of innovative solutions.

The selection process is staged. In Stage 1, selected respondents will be invited to participate in co-creation workshop(s) in Trinidad and Tobago (estimated in March 2019) to collaboratively develop the program concepts with USAID and other partners. A practical detail is that USAID states travel costs for participants will not be reimbursed, which means organizations should plan to cover their own travel if invited. USAID also makes clear that issuing this BAA does not guarantee a future award; the agency is not obligated to issue any financial instrument as a result of the announcement, even if an organization participates in co-design.

Key dates included in the notice are a question deadline of close of business (COB) February 8, 2019 (directed to andiaz@usaid.gov), and an EOI submission deadline of noon (12:00 pm) EST on February 19, 2019. The listing identifies the opportunity as “Other” in category, with a cooperative agreement listed as the funding instrument type, a CFDA number of 98.001, and an “expected awards” count of 1. The award ceiling is shown as 0 in the source listing, which typically indicates that a specific funding amount was not defined in the public synopsis and would be clarified later during co-design or a subsequent solicitation step.

• The Agency for International Development, Dominican Republic USAID-Santo Domingo in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean’s Community Resilience Initiative Broad Agency Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 01, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 19, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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