USAID/Bangladesh Request for Information on USAID’s Community Nutrition and Health Activity | 72038821RFI00002

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72038821RFI00002

USAID/Bangladesh issued a Request for Information (RFI) on May 5, 2021 (Reference Number 72038821RFI00002) to gather input from interested public and private organizations on the planned Community Nutrition and Health Activity in Bangladesh. The response deadline was May 27, 2021 at 16:30 local Bangladesh time. This notice is strictly an information-gathering exercise under FAR 15.201(e) and is not a funding solicitation, not a Request for Applications (RFA), and not an offer to award an agreement. USAID makes clear that responding is voluntary, unpaid, and provides no advantage in any future competition, and that the agency may or may not issue a later solicitation based on the final design.

The RFI is tied to an attached draft concept note and an “Information Requested” attachment, which USAID intended to use for program design and planning. USAID indicates that a final concept note or program description could later be incorporated into a future RFA for technical applications. While no award is being made at the RFI stage (and no award amount is listed), USAID signals it is anticipating a five-year Cooperative Agreement in the future aimed at improving the nutritional status of women and children during the critical “1,000 days” window, defined as pregnancy through a child’s second birthday. The activity sits in the food and nutrition area (CFDA 98.001) and lists eligible applicants as unrestricted, reinforcing that the RFI is open to a wide range of contributors for feedback and ideas.

Programmatically, the planned Community Nutrition and Health Activity focuses on maternal nutrition and infant and young child nutrition through three main pathways. First, it aims to improve the quality of nutrition and health services delivered at the community level, which implies strengthening frontline service delivery where pregnant women and young children most often interact with the health system. Second, it seeks to improve nutrition and health behaviors, pointing to demand-side and household/community practices that influence outcomes (such as feeding practices, care-seeking, and related health behaviors). Third, it intends to strengthen governance for nutrition at both national and sub-national levels, suggesting attention to policy, coordination, accountability, and the enabling environment that supports sustained improvements. In addition to these core objectives, USAID highlights improved community resilience to shocks as a cross-cutting outcome, meaning the activity is expected to help communities maintain or protect nutrition and health gains when facing disruptions such as disasters, economic stressors, or other shocks.

On submissions, USAID required responses by email only (no phone calls or hard copies) to nhilgendorf@usaid.gov and jfarjana@usaid.gov, with the subject line “Response to Request for Information No. 72038821RFI00002.” Responses had to be in English and formatted in 12-point Times New Roman (or similar), single-spaced, on 8.5 x 11 inch pages with consecutive page numbering. Respondents were encouraged to share relevant information, opinions, recommendations, and innovative ideas; they could include relevant reports preferably through embedded links. At the same time, USAID explicitly asked organizations not to submit applications, proposals, or resumes, noting those would be discarded.

USAID also sets expectations and legal/administrative boundaries typical for an RFI. It states that submitted information becomes USAID property, will not be returned, and will not be publicly released; submissions would not be acknowledged and respondents would not receive feedback or review results. Proprietary information was not to be included. Finally, USAID emphasized that organizations interested in any eventual funding opportunity should monitor official posting sites such as beta.sam.gov and grants.gov for any future solicitation announcements related to this activity.

• The Bangladesh USAID-Dhaka in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USAID/Bangladesh Request for Information on USAID’s Community Nutrition and Health Activity" 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 2021-05-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-27. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 72038821RFI00002

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