African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM)

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The United States Agency for International Development, (USAID/East Africa), invites applications from regional organizations in East Africa for programs under the African Institutions Innovation Mechanism (AIIM).  AIIM is intended to expand and diversify the pool of partners USAID collaborates with by providing grants to regional indigenous African institutions (See Definition in Appendix 1). Programs under AIIM will support the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future strategy for East Africa, which can be found at: (http://www.feedthefuture.gov/sites/default/files/country/strategies/files/EastAfricaFTFMulti-YearStrategy.pdf). This program is authorized in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Successful applicants must be operational in at least two of the following countries and legally registered in one: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and/or Uganda.  Applicants must have the experience, presence and organizational mandate to operate in a regional context and contribute to the regional goals and objectives of the East Africa Feed the Future strategy.

USAID/East Africa anticipates that a total of approximately $6.3 million will be available during this second round of AIIM solicitations under an Annual Program Statement (APS). Additional funds may be available in subsequent rounds.  Individual applications for this round should be in the range of $100,000 to $1,000,000, with project length of a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of up to the life of the Feed the Future strategy (calendar years 2011-2016). USAID anticipates multiple awards under this APS,subject to availability of funds. Funding opportunities resulting from this APS are limited to regional indigenous organizations. Interested parties can locate the APS at http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=230933 to find the announcement and other supporting documents.

All concept notes must be submitted by the above final closing date.  However, concept notes received no later than 5:00 pm on July 1, 2013 will be reviewed as an initial batch.  Subsequent concept notes will be reviewed beginning on January 1, 2014.  However, as resources are limited and we expect a significant number of submissions, the earlier a concept note is received, the greater the chance that funding might be available. Applicants are, therefore, strongly encouraged to submit concept notes by the first closing date.

All application packages are to be submitted via e-mail to AIIM@usaid.gov. Please quote the APS number on the subject line of your e-mail application. Applications must respond to the specific format, instructions and deadlines provided in the APS to be considered valid.

Any questions regarding this solicitation should be submitted no later than 12:00 hrs, Noon Local Time - Nairobi Kenya, May 1, 2013 in writing to Michael Makosala at MMakosala@usaid.gov.

There will be two conferences for interested applicants: in Kenya on May 13, 2013, at The Lord Erroll Restaurant in Gigiri, Nairobi and in Uganda on May 16, 2013, at Protea Hotel, Kampala. The conferences will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Interested applicants that are not able to attend either conference in person have the option of attending the Nairobi conference on May 13, 2013, virtually through a webinar. Conference participants must cover all personal costs of attending. Participation is limited to two individuals per organization. To register for either conference or the webinar, or to submit questions regarding conference logistics, please e-mail:info@aiim-assist.org. Please indicate your name, contact information, title, organization and specify the conference you plan to attend.