USAID has issued an Annual Program Statement (APS) seeking innovative ideas in the form of concept notes at the first stage from a variety of organizations that aim to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the agriculture sector, and expand the knowledge base and evidence for greater gender integration in food security programming.
Goals
This APS aims to pilot and collect evidence of impact from innovative and bold interventions that increase women’s leadership in the agriculture sector, improve women’s access to and utilization of technology to increase agricultural productivity, increase labor saving technologies, strengthen gender equality in land, credit and other policies, and enhance nutritional outcomes for women and children.
Overall Program Objectives
To further these Feed the Future goals, this APS seeks to encourage the development of programs and research addressing the following priorities: Promotion of women’s leadership in agriculture (e.g., including ownership and management of SMEs, producer and trade associations, participation in marketing boards and in key line ministries), Development, dissemination, and adoption of new agricultural technology aimed at increasing productivity (e.g., access to extension services, labor saving technologies and more effective inputs such as seeds and soil fertility enhancement) in ways that reduce women’s unpaid work and enhance their productive activity. , Improving nutrition outcomes (e.g., through production of, access to and utilization of vitamin or protein rich foods), and Policy changes that promote gender equality (e.g., in land ownership and tenure security, access to financial services) and impact evaluation and research to document how reduction of gender gaps and promotion of women’s empowerment affects household outcomes and larger-scale agricultural productivity and growth.
Eligible Organizations
Registered U.S. and non-U.S. non-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations and for-profit organizations may apply.
Eligible organizations could include, for example, foundations, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations (FBOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), private organizations affiliated with public academic institutions and international non-governmental organizations, private companies, professional associations and consortiums of the above.
Note. At the discretion of USAID, concept papers received after the first round of evaluations may be considered on a rolling basis or as part of another round of evaluations.
Last date for first submission of concept notes is October 17, 2011.
For more information, visit this link or visit grants.gov and search by funding opportunity number for: “APS-OAA-11-000003”
