U.S. Agency for International Development Mission in Zambia (USAID/Zambia) is currently seeking applications for implementation of Zambia Economic Resilience Program for Improved Food Security (ZERS). The purpose of this APS is to disseminate information to prospective applicants so that they may develop and submit applications for USAID funding.
USAID will conduct a two-stage process for this APS. Stage One will consist of concept papers from prospective Applicants. Stage Two is through an invitation process to submit Full Applications from applicants with the most highly-rated concept papers. Concept papers are to be received by the closing date and time specified above in order to be considered for the respective round of review.
Description of the Proposed Program
The Zambia Economic Resilience for Improved Food Security Program (ZERS) will enhance coping skills, build assets, and increase rural incomes for 50,000 vulnerable and poor households in Eastern Province, thereby significantly contributing to Millennium Development Goal 1 of halving the proportion of Zambians living in extreme poverty and suffering from hunger by 2015.
ZERS will be a core activity in implementing U.S. President Obama’s Feed the Future (FTF) global hunger and food security initiative in Zambia. ZERS will contribute to FTF’s overarching goal to sustainably reduce global hunger and poverty by tackling their root causes and employing proven strategies for achieving large scale and lasting impact.
ZERS will aim primarily to increase economic resilience by improving food security and nutrition in vulnerable households through implementing interventions that reduce the number of hunger months, improve nutrition and health practices, and increase the value of household assets and the ability of households to productively use those assets. The geographic focus is in Eastern Province, with the possibility of scaling up successful interventions to other provinces.
ZERS will implement innovative strategies and approaches to enable vulnerable and poor rural households, the “vulnerable yet viable,” as well as the very poor, to improve food security through strengthened economic resilience. Special attention will be given to enabling poor and very poor women to meet food needs, and ultimately to participate in expanding opportunities as producers, service providers and entrepreneurs. The ZERS activity will contribute to the achievement of the USG Zambia Feed the Future strategy.
Estimated Funding Size
USAID may make multiple awards for a total of up to approximately $24,000,000 over 5 years to implement ZERS, where approximately $20 million is for economic resilience and nutrition activities, and approximately $4 million is for HIV/AIDS related components (PEPFAR abstinence/be faithful activities).
Last date for submission of concept papers is October 7, 2011
For more information and details, visit this link and search by Funding Opportunity Number 611-11-000001.
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