USAID Calls Private Sector to Partner on Establishing Regional Leadership Centers

Deadline: 1 July 2014

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is inviting Partnership Concept Papers from private sector on Regional Leadership Centers under the President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).

YALI is an effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. The initiative was lunched by US President Obama to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. The goal of YALI is to develop a prestigious network of young female and male leaders across critical sectors who use innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to strengthen democratic institutions and spur economic growth, as well as to build stronger ties to the United States.

The specific objectives of the partnership program are – to support establishment of YALI Regional Leadership Centers that would offer gender-sensitive short-term leadership training and connect young African leaders between the ages of 18-35 with each other and the world.

Approximate budget for the establishment of five YALI Regional Leadership Centers is $12 million.

Partnerships might include entities from the public, private and non-profit sectors that together bring relevant technical expertise, a strong track record in the development of young leaders, and necessary resources

Eligibility Criteria –

• Eligible partners are the private sector organizations which include (but not limited to) African and multinational corporations, financial institutions, chambers of commerce, industry associations, foundations, entrepreneurs, investors and other private sector organizations.
• The applicant must incorporate the expertise, experience and resources of academia (including African and US universities and training academies, as well as executive training or similar organizations) and of a broad range of civil society organizations and initiatives, including US and non-US governmental organizations.
• Preferred physical locations for the Centers include South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique, and Kenya. Concept papers can be submitted for work that is conducted within one or more of these sub-regions to support one or more centers.

For more information, please visit grants.gov and search for funding opportunity RFA-OAA-14-000037. Click ‘Full Announcement’ and download relevant documents.