Mitigation of FGM and Child Marriage Practices in the North and South of Sierra Leone | 72063624RFI00001

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72063624RFI00001

The opportunity titled "Mitigation of FGM and Child Marriage Practices in the North and South of Sierra Leone" (Funding Opportunity Number 72063624RFI00001) is not a grant competition or a request for full project proposals. It is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of market research under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. In practical terms, USAID is collecting input from organizations and stakeholders to help shape and improve the design of a future activity that would address Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage in Sierra Leone, particularly in rural areas of the Northern and South-Eastern Regions.

The RFI sits under the Sierra Leone Local Works Program (SLLWP) and is focused on learning directly from local Sierra Leonean entities that already have experience working on FGM/C and child marriage mitigation. USAID is looking for grounded, locally informed feedback on what is happening on the ground, what approaches have worked or failed, what gaps remain, and what kinds of programming would be most effective and realistic in the targeted regions. Responses are expected to address questions contained in "Attachment B" (referenced in the notice), which typically includes specific prompts to guide what information USAID wants to gather.

A central theme of the planned activity is local leadership and community-level engagement. The draft concept emphasizes cooperation with and empowerment of local civil society organizations (CSOs), as well as young women and men, suggesting that USAID is interested in approaches that build community ownership, strengthen local organizations, and support youth participation as part of shifting norms and reducing harm. The emphasis on local engagement also signals that USAID is likely exploring ways to ensure the eventual activity is designed and implemented in ways that are credible within communities, sensitive to local realities, and sustainable beyond external funding.

Although the listing shows "Eligible Applicants: Unrestricted," the RFI text makes clear that USAID is specifically seeking feedback from "local entities" in Sierra Leone and provides a detailed definition of what qualifies as local. To be considered a local entity for the purposes of this activity design, an organization must be legally organized under Sierra Leonean law, have its principal place of business or operations in Sierra Leone, be majority-owned by Sierra Leonean citizens or lawful permanent residents, and be governed by a body where the majority are Sierra Leonean citizens or lawful permanent residents. This definition strongly indicates that the primary intended respondents are Sierra Leone-based organizations rather than international implementers, even if the overall system category is marked as unrestricted.

The notice also includes several important administrative details that clarify the nature of the opportunity. The instrument type is listed as "Other," and the award ceiling is shown as 0, which is consistent with an RFI rather than a funded award. No expected number of awards is provided because USAID is not making awards through this notice; it is collecting information to inform a later procurement or assistance action. The activity category is labeled community development, and the CFDA number referenced is 98.001. The issuing agency is shown as USAID (with the bureau/mission context listed as Guinea USAID-Conakry), and the original closing date for responding to the RFI is October 14, 2024, with a creation date of September 17, 2024.

Overall, this is best understood as an early planning step: USAID is testing assumptions, learning from existing local efforts, and identifying feasible strategies for reducing the impacts of FGM/C and child marriage in Sierra Leone's Northern and South-Eastern rural communities. Organizations currently engaged in these issues can use the RFI to share evidence, lessons learned, community perspectives, and recommendations that may directly influence the design, priorities, and structure of a future USAID-funded activity under the Sierra Leone Local Works Program.

• The Guinea USAID-Conakry in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mitigation of FGM and Child Marriage Practices in the North and South of Sierra Leone" 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 2024-09-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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