The United States Government, as represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission, Ethiopia (USAID/Ethiopia), is seeking a Concept Note from prospective applicants for the USAID/Ethiopia Integrated Youth Activity, subject to the availability of funds.

USAID/Ethiopia seeks an integrated, holistic approach - incorporating basic education, higher education, and family planning resources - to empower youth to advance their own social, economic, and civic development. Simultaneously, the activity seeks to strengthen the capacity of Ethiopian higher education institutions, youth-serving organizations, and health and financial service providers to support economic and social opportunities for youth.

The Integrated Youth Activity (IYA) addendum seeks to support a youth-owned, youth-led, and youth-managed system through which Ethiopian youth aged 15-29 will be empowered to advance their own social, economic, and civic development. Simultaneously, the activity seeks to strengthen the capacity of Ethiopian higher education institutions , youth-serving organizations, and health and financial service providers to support economic and social opportunities for youth.

USAID prioritizes learning and adaptive management. In keeping with the aim of the YP2 APS, USAID looks to IYA to contribute towards building the evidence base to advance the Positive Youth Development (PYD) field. It strongly emphasizes synthesis and dissemination of findings and results from the research and learning activities. USAID also encourages the Applicant to include channels for ongoing analysis of results that can be used by worldwide partners in planning future needs in a range of contexts. These channels may also serve to share best practices and lessons learned that will inform future youth programming.

Funding Information

• USAID/Ethiopia anticipates supporting one award of up to a total of $60 million over the life of the award(s).
• The anticipated period of performance for the award made under the IYA Addendum to the YPS APS is five years.

Eligibility Criteria

• U.S. and non-U.S. public, private, for-profit, and non-profit organizations, as well as institutions of higher education (especially minority-serving institutions), public international organizations, and non-governmental organizations are eligible to submit a concept note.
• USAID/Ethiopia’s higher education funds must be responsive to a Congressional directive on U.S.-Host Country Higher Education Partnerships for Capacity Building and must:
  • support institutional capacity development of a host country higher education institution18 , and
  • Involve a partnership with at least one U.S. higher education institution and at least one host country higher education institution. USAID seeks the participation of the U.S. higher education community in this activity, either as a Prime Recipient or member of a consortium

For more information, visit USAID.