DRC Rural and Peri Urban Market based Sanitation (MBS) Activity

Background
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the DRC Rural and Peri Urban Market Based Sanitation (MBS) Activity. The activity aims to fund programs that implement high impact interventions to strengthen sanitation markets and increase sustained access to and use of basic sanitation services in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector is characterized by low access rates, disparities between urban and rural areas, and poor hygiene practices, hindering improvements to health, education, economic development, and the environment. The activity aligns with USAID's Global Water Strategy 2022-2027 and USAID/DRC's Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), prioritizing activities that strengthen the government's ability to provide and regulate services equitably.

Grant Details
The DRC Rural and Peri-Urban MBS Activity seeks to sustainably improve access to and use of sanitation in rural and peri-urban areas by strengthening the sanitation business and enabling environment, increasing consumer demand, and strengthening the supply of sanitation products and services. The activity will focus interventions in selected USAID DRC’s zones of intervention which include rural and peri-urban areas of North and South Kivu, Kasai Oriental, Kasai Central, and Lomami. It aims to achieve results such as improving governance of sanitation, strengthening sanitation markets, increasing access to sanitation financing, and facilitating sustained sanitation and hygiene behavior change. The program will prioritize coordination with other activities in the target zone, reinforce local capacity, engage with local actors/donors, prioritize alignment with private sector core business functions, strengthen relevant inclusive governance at local and/or national scales, consider gender and social inclusion in its approach.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility for this award is not restricted. Interested parties must provide all information as required in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) posted on www.grants.gov. Applicants are encouraged to begin registration early in the process as the registration process may take many weeks to complete.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for this cooperative agreement will be over a five (5) year period. The issue date for this opportunity is September 27, 2023. The pre-application conference is scheduled for October 20, 2023 at 2:30pm Kinshasa time/9:30am ET. The deadline for questions is October 24, 2023 at 4pm Kinshasa time. The closing date for applications is November 30, 2023 at 5pm Kinshasa time.

Grant Value
USAID anticipates two Transition Awards up to $25M each ($50 million combined) in USAID funding over a five (5) year period.

Place of Performance
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), focusing on rural and peri-urban areas of North and South Kivu, Kasai Oriental, Kasai Central, and Lomami.