The United States agency for International Development in the DRC (USAID/DRC) is seeking concept papers from qualified organizations for the USAID/DRC funded Foundational Literacy for Improved Educational Resilience (FLIER).

USAID/DRC is currently focusing many of its development efforts in the East of the country, and/or in zones highly susceptible to insecurity or instability. This background section discusses education sector trends first in the East, and then in the two other areas of the country currently of interest through this particular opportunity: Équateur Province and the outskirts of Kinshasa.

Purpose

The purpose of the Foundational Literacy for Improved Educational Resilience (FLIER) activity is to leverage USAID/DRC’s prior experience in supporting improved reading & literacy and social & emotional learning outcomes to ensure that children ages 6-9 in select marginalized and underserved zones in Ituri, South Kivu, Équateur Province, and Kinshasa gain foundational literacy and social & emotional skills enabling them to function in school at a grade 2 level or above.

Funding Information

• Applications may address any number of principles/elements (1-6) and must have proposed costs that match the activities planned for the elements chosen. Subject to funding availability, USAID/DRC intends to make multiple awards up to a total of $38,000,000 USAID funding, with no set amount for individual awards.
• Applications must offer a period of performance. The initial period of performance must be 60 months or less. USAID/DRC anticipates making its first award(s) within ten months after the effective date of this Annual Program Statement. After 8 months of the inception period the recipient will provide to USAID a clear report on progress, challenges and lessons learned. The recipient will provide to USAID a detailed work plan for the next phase for approval.

Geographic Focus

FLIER will identify marginalized and underserved peri-urban and rural zones, towns, and villages in Ituri 25%, South Kivu 25%, Tanganyika 25%, Équateur Province 25%, and up to 10 schools on the outskirts of Kinshasa. These are suggested percentages, and the applicant may suggest adjustments with a detailed explanation for their reasoning. A specific focus in Ituri, South Kivu and Tanganyika will be on identifying zones fitting this description in or near parks and forested areas where recent Pygmy/Bantu territorial clashes have abated to leave an uneasy calm and a significant need for education investments that support the transition from humanitarian to development assistance. In these areas, this will increase opportunities for collaboration with USAID/DRC environment, peace and security, and DCHA programming.

Eligibility Criteria

USAID/DRC is targeting both potential Resource Partners and Implementing Partners for FLIER.

• Resource Partners are US and non-US private sector businesses, foundations, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists and others who can identify and suggest ways to use their financial or other resources to collaborate with USAID/DRC. Resource Partners can also be public sector (e.g., other bilateral or multilateral donors).
• Implementing Partners are US and non-US non-governmental, private sector entities (for-profit or non-profit) that can engage and work with Resource Partners. Implementing Partners must provide the 1:1 leveraging themselves, or they must secure private sector funding for the projects they are proposing to implement.

To be eligible, all Implementing Partners must be legally registered entities under applicable law and eligible under the relevant laws to receive funding from a foreign source. Individuals are not eligible to be Implementing Partners, although they may be Resource Partners.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.