Opportunities for Funding: Grant & Partnership Programs

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There are many different opportunities for funding at USAID.  Be sure to review the latest business and grant opportunities and review our business forecast for Washington, DC and our Missions.

Below are several other programs that we manage.  

American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA)

The Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad provides grants to competitively selected private, non-profit universities and secondary schools, libraries, and medical centers abroad. Since the inception of the program, ASHA has assisted 257 institutions in over 76 countries, and facilitated the development and sustainment of superior libraries, schools, and medical centers, positively impacting the regions where these institutions are located.

Denton Program (Transportation)

The Denton Program allows private U.S. citizens and U.S. based non-governmental organizations to use space available on U.S. military cargo planes to transport humanitarian items such as clothing, food, medical and educational supplies, agricultural equipment and vehicles to countries in need. The program is jointly administered by USAID, the Department of State (DOS), and the Department of Defense (DoD). In FY 2003, over 300,000 pounds of humanitarian goods were sent to seven countries through the Denton program.

Since the Denton program is a space available program, it is impossible to predict when transportation will materialize. Therefore, no guarantees can be made regarding completion of a shipment. Although the program is active in most areas of the world, U.S. military engagement in certain places can have an impact on the space that becomes available.

Development Innovation Ventures (DIV)

USAID launched Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) as a way of producing development outcomes more effectively and cost-efficiently while managing risk and obtaining leverage. Through DIV, USAID seeks to identify and rigorously test promising projects with the potential to significantly (rather than incrementally) improve development outcomes, and help replicate and scale projects that are proven successful. DIV expects its most successful of investments will have an accelerated growth path to reach tens of millions of beneficiaries worldwide within 10 years.

Food for Peace

USAID, through funding provided by Public Law 480, Title II, makes commodity donations to Cooperating Sponsors (Private Voluntary Organizations, Cooperatives, and International Organization Agencies) to address the needs of food security in both 5-year development projects and emergency food assistance programs. Food for Peace provides assistance primarily through three types of programs:

Grand Challenges

USAID is defining Grand Challenges for Development to focus global attention on specific development outcomes based on transformational, scalable, and sustainable change. Grand Challenge in Development is a way to describe a large and solvable problem. It is not just a statement of a problem, but a definable, and quantifiable goal, that can be achieved over a specified time frame. The goal itself defines the outcomes by which we will measure success.

Global Development Alliance (GDA)

The Global Development Alliance is an innovative public-private alliance model for improving social and economic conditions in developing countries. It combines the assets and experience of strategic partners, leveraging their capital and investments, creativity, and access to markets, to solve complex problems facing government, business, and communities. Through 2006, USAID had put together more than 600 public-private partnerships, committing $1.5 billion and leveraging $4.8 billion of partner resources.

Limited Excess Property Program

Through the Limited Excess Property Program (LEPP), Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) can acquire U.S. government excess property for use in their programs and projects overseas. To participate they must be registered with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and take the equipment on an as is, where is basis. Through LEPP, USAID makes it possible for millions of dollars of excess property to be utilized in dozens of developing countries.

Ocean Freight Reimbursement

The Ocean Freight Reimbursement (OFR) Program provides small competitive grants to approximately 50 U.S. Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) each year, allowing recipients to ship a wide variety of goods overseas for use in privately funded development and humanitarian assistance programs. Funds are used to reimburse the PVOs' costs to transport donated commodities, such as medical or educational supplies, agricultural equipment and construction equipment to developing countries.

OFR is on a two-year cycle so Requests for Applications (RFAs) are released (bi-annually). The Program reaches out to small and/or newly registered PVOs by providing grants to many first-time applicants. Click here for more information on how to become a registered PVO.