720BHA25RFA00001 Ethiopia RRM NOFO.pdf

Issue Date: November 4, 2024 Deadline for Question: November 8, 2024, 16:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) Closing Date: December 19, 2024 Closing Time: 16:59 p.m. EST

Subject: Notice of Funding Opportunity Number (NOFO): 720BHA25RFA00001

Program Title: Ethiopia Rapid Response Mechanism

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 98.001

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the Ethiopia Rapid Response Mechanism. Eligibility for this award is not restricted.

USAID intends to make an award to the applicant(s) who best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity based on the merit review criteria described in this NOFO subject to a risk assessment. Eligible parties interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and selection process.

To be eligible for an award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this NOFO and meet eligibility standards in Section B of this NOFO. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. It is the responsibility of the applicant to regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity and to ensure that the NOFO has been received from the internet in its entirety.

USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process.

If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

USAID may not award to an applicant unless the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) requirements detailed in Section E.3. The registration process may take many weeks to complete. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to begin registration early in the process.

Please send any questions to the point(s) of contact identified in Section A. The deadline for questions is shown above. Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Christie Savage Agreement Officer

CHRISTIE

CANDYCE

SAVAGE

Digitally signed by CHRISTIE

CANDYCE SAVAGE

Date: 2024.10.24 09:45:26 -04'00'

SECTION A: BASIC INFORMATION 5

1. Executive Summary 5

2. Estimate of Funds Available and Number of Awards Contemplated 5

3. Start Date and Period of Performance for Federal Awards 5

4. Agency Point of Contact 5

5. Acquisition and Assistance Ombudsman 5

6. Expected Performance Indicators, Targets, Baseline Data, and Data Collection 5

7. Substantial Involvement 5

8. Authorized Geographic Code 6

SECTION B: ELIGIBILITY 7

1. Eligible Applicants 7

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 7

3. Other 7

SECTION C: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 9

SECTION D: APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT 17

1. General Content and Form of Application 17

2. Application Submission Procedures 19

3. Technical Application Format 19

4. Business (Cost) Application Format 29

SECTION E: SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES 37

1. Questions and Answers 37

2. Submission Requirements 37

3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and SAM.gov Registration 37

SECTION F: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 38

1. Responsiveness Review 39

2. Merit Review Criteria 39

3. Review and Selection Process 39

4. Risk Review 41

SECTION G: AWARD NOTICES 42

SECTION H: POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION 43

1. Administrative & National Policy Requirements 43

2. Nature of the Relationship between USAID and the Recipient 43

3. Reporting Requirements 43

4. Program Income 44

5. Environmental Compliance 44

ANNEX 2 - STANDARD PROVISIONS 45

ANNEX 3 - ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 48

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SECTION A: BASIC INFORMATION

1. Executive Summary

The overall goal of the Ethiopia RRM activity is to “rapidly respond to urgent humanitarian needs across Ethiopia for vulnerable and shock-affected populations to preserve human dignity and save lives.”

BHA intends to contribute to this goal through the following purposes:

● Establish an effective Rapid Response Mechanism;

● Meet urgent humanitarian needs through a proven community engagement approach;

● Improve adaptive and absorptive capacities of communities.

2. Estimate of Funds Available and Number of Awards Contemplated

USAID intends to award one cooperative agreement pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity. Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide $90 million in total USAID funding over a 3-year period.

3. Start Date and Period of Performance for Federal Awards

The anticipated period of performance is 3 years. The estimated start date will be on/about March 2025.

4. Agency Point of Contact

Email: BHA.RFA.720BHA25RFA00001@usaid.gov

5. Acquisition and Assistance Ombudsman

The A&A Ombudsman helps ensure equitable treatment of all parties who participate in USAID’s acquisition and assistance process. The A&A Ombudsman serves as a resource for all organizations who are doing or wish to do business with USAID. Please visit this page for additional information: https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/acquisition-assistance-ombudsman.

The A&A Ombudsman may be contacted via: Ombudsman@usaid.gov

6. Expected Performance Indicators, Targets, Baseline Data, and Data Collection

Performance indicators for each sector are described in the BHA Indicator Handbook, which is accessed through the BHA Emergency Application Guidelines (EAG) website.

7. Substantial Involvement mailto:BHA.RFA.720BHA25RFA00001@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/acquisition-assistance-ombudsman https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/acquisition-assistance-ombudsman https://www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-assistance/partner-with-bha/bha-emergency-guidelines

This cooperative agreement will require the following elements of substantial involvement by the Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR):

● Approval of annual work plan prior to subsequent incremental funding tranches

● Approval of key personnel

● Approval of subawards

● Monitoring to permit specific kinds of direction or redirection of the work because of the interrelationships with other projects or activities, or to ensure response activity is adequately coordinated with other humanitarian actors

8. Authorized Geographic Code

The geographic code for the procurement of commodities and services under this program is 935 (any area or country including the recipient country but excluding any country that is a prohibited source).

SECTION B: ELIGIBILITY

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligibility for this NOFO is not restricted.

USAID will not accept applications under this NOFO from individuals, parastatal organizations, or U.S. Government departments and agencies.

Note that organizations may be proposed as sub-awardees under more than one application.

Applicants may sign and submit with their application, non-exclusive letters of commitment with the sub-awardees they propose to work with if they decide to. However, BHA neither expects, nor desires exclusivity for sub-awardees.

USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID. See WorkWithUSAID.org for more information and resources for organizations new to working with USAID.

Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.

In accordance with Section 2110 of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005, USAID cannot obligate funds in an award to an organization that fails to adopt a Code of Conduct that provides for the protection of beneficiaries of assistance from sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian relief operations. Such Code of Conduct must be consistent with the United Nations Interagency Standing Committee on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is not required. If an applicant proposes cost share and receives an award, the cost share will be incorporated into the award budget. However, since cost sharing is not required, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.306, it will not be considered during the merit review of applications.

3. Other

USAID encourages applications from potential new partners (i.e., those who have not received any USAID funding previously) and local organizations. Applicants are highly encouraged to propose approaches that include local contributions demonstrating strong commitment to sustainability and self-reliance. This may include private sector engagement that supports the activity’s goal and purposes.

As for all applicants, new applicants must ensure they have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration. SAM is managed by the General Services Administration and is the official website for registering to do business with the Federal

Government. Instructions and informational resources for organizations registering for the first time are available on the website. The SAM registration process may take many weeks to complete, so applicants should begin the process early. Applicants must also have a reputable bank account with a U.S. correspondent bank to receive payments from USAID.

Applicants that have never received a cooperative agreement, grant, or contract from the U.S.

Government are required to submit a copy of their accounting manual, or file a self-certificate of compliance with USAID standards. If a copy of the manual has already been submitted to an agency other than USAID, the applicant must list which federal agency or office and provide a point of contact with contact information.

If an applicant has not received U.S. Government or USAID funding in the past five years for grants or cooperative agreements, pursuant to ADS 303.3.9.1, BHA is required to conduct a pre-award survey to assess the risk in providing the organization federal funding. The purpose of the survey is to determine whether a prospective recipient has the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills to achieve the purposes of the activity. Applicants should take this into account during the application process. A pre-award survey can occur before, during, or after applying for BHA funding. BHA will contact organizations before performing a pre-award survey.

As part of the pre-award survey, applicants will be required to provide information demonstrating the organization’s ability to meet requirements and award conditions in ADS 303.3.9.1, ADS 303maa, and ADS 303mab. This includes areas such as accounting, recordkeeping, and overall financial management systems; system of internal controls;

personnel policies; travel policies; property management system; sub-award administration and monitoring; procurement; record retention policies; and program performance monitoring and reporting.

SECTION C: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This funding opportunity is authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. The resulting award will be subject to 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, and USAID’s supplement, 2 CFR 700, as well as the additional requirements found in Section H.

I. Background

The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Ethiopia projects a record number of people in need, with more than 20 million women, men, children, and persons with disabilities requiring humanitarian assistance in 2024. The effects of climate change, recurring droughts and floods, conflict and intercommunal violence, and disease outbreaks continue to drive the need for humanitarian assistance.

The frequency and duration of climatic events, such as drought and flooding, have increased significantly across the Horn of Africa in recent years. Shifting climatic conditions coupled with a protracted drought in the lowlands of Ethiopia, caused by five consecutive failed rainy seasons which ended in 2023, have deteriorated household assets and increased vulnerability to future shocks.

Conflict and intercommunal violence continue to be primary drivers of displacement in Ethiopia.

It is estimated that over 4.5 million individuals are displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance, with the highest concentration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) found in Somali, Oromia, and Tigray regions. While parts of northern Ethiopia are recovering from the two-year-long conflict, areas of Amhara and Oromia face continued conflict and insecurity which limit access to essential services and impede delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance.

Disease outbreaks, including cholera, measles, and malaria, continue to persist throughout the country with the current cholera outbreak being one of the longest ever recorded in Ethiopia.

Furthermore, the compounded effects of the global economic crisis and an inflation rate exceeding 19.9% percent per year have caused dramatic spikes in the prices of essential commodities including food and fuel, and limited availability of essential supplies in many areas of the country.

USAID/BHA has supported various rapid response mechanisms (RRM) for nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), shelter and settlements, and protection in Ethiopia since 2017.

RRMs in Ethiopia have met critical, life-saving needs and undoubtedly reduced human suffering.

Incorporating lessons learned from previous RRMs in Ethiopia, USAID/BHA seeks to support an integrated and countrywide RRM model that addresses a diverse and complex set of humanitarian needs while building adaptive capacity for shock-affected households.

II. Program Scope and Objectives

USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) mission is to save lives, alleviate human suffering, and reduce the impact of disasters by helping people in need become more resilient to humanitarian crises.

In pursuance of this mission, BHA seeks to award $90 million in International Disaster Assistance (IDA) funding to support a rapid response mechanism that is incrementally funded over the course of three years. The overall goal of the Ethiopia RRM activity is to “rapidly respond to urgent humanitarian needs across Ethiopia for vulnerable and shock-affected populations to preserve human dignity and save lives.”

BHA intends to contribute to this goal through the following purposes:

● Establish an effective Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM);

● Meet urgent humanitarian needs through a proven community engagement approach;

● Improve adaptive and absorptive capacities of communities.

Lessons learned from previous RRMs in Ethiopia indicate a need for:

1. Improved coordination: There is a need for improved coordination across RRMs and with other humanitarian programming in Ethiopia. The BHA-funded RRM will be the largest RRM mechanism in Ethiopia and the prime recipient must play a lead role in coordination to ensure that assistance is needs-based, appropriate, well targeted, and timely.

Applicants must incorporate meaningful actions to improve coordination across humanitarian actors in their proposal submissions.

2. Improved responsiveness to shocks: Current RRMs in Ethiopia have been unable to maximize rapid response capability for a wide range of shocks due to limitations in geographic and sectoral coverage. Furthermore, there is often a gap in the handover from the initial response led by the RRM implementers to longer-term response and recovery led by other experienced humanitarian actors. RRMs that are designed to be short-term interventions have often been required to operate for a longer duration in certain geographic responses, while waiting for other organizations to step in, thus preventing the emergency responder from pivoting quickly as new shocks arise.

Considerations for exit and handover strategies must be included in the approach.

3. Increased donor oversight: USAID/BHA requires oversight and engagement with the implementing partner of the RRM in order to be able to provide feedback on the proposed interventions.

4. Improved program quality: There is a tendency for the scope of humanitarian programming to expand beyond urgent life-saving needs. Furthermore, humanitarian interventions often lack capacity to provide a comprehensive and full package of support that adequately responds to multiple types of shock. A successful activity design must include a multisectoral technical approach that anticipates the full range of urgent humanitarian needs to ensure full packages are provided.

Through the RRM, USAID/BHA will support the following areas of focus in accordance with USAID/BHA’s Emergency Application Guidelines (EAGs):

● Nutrition

● Health

● Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

● Shelter and Settlements

● Protection

● Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA)

III. Sectoral Programmatic Overview

A. Nutrition Overview

Acute malnutrition is an ongoing and persistent challenge in Ethiopia, with over 3.2 million children and almost 1.4 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2024. The major direct and indirect causes of malnutrition are persistent lack of an adequate diet, high incidence of infectious diseases, poor hygiene and/or unsafe water consumption, poor maternal and child feeding practices, and limited access to quality preventive nutrition services. Ethiopia is prone to seasonal increases in acute malnutrition due to climate, as well as dramatic increases in acute malnutrition due to conflict and displacement.

Sub-optimal care practices negatively influence children’s and women’s nutritional status, making it paramount that any successful emergency nutrition response must include quality promotion of Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) practices alongside robust community-based screening, referral, treatment, and follow up.

The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) manages the implementation of Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) through its nationwide health extension program at health facilities throughout Ethiopia. CMAM includes the management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) through Outpatient Therapeutic Programs (OTP) and Stabilization Centers (SC) alongside the improvement of Maternal and Infant and Young Child Nutrition in Emergencies (MIYCN-E) practices. In vulnerable woredas, CMAM also includes the management of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) through Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programs (TSFP). While availability of nutrition services continues to improve, the GoE struggles with the following challenges which affect the overall quality of nutrition service delivery: logistics, including ensuring reliable pipelines for specialized nutrition commodities, and delivery of essential medicines; technical capacity of health facility workers; and health facility staff retention.

Nutrition interventions in response to shocks should prevent and treat acute malnutrition, reducing the burden of malnutrition and mortality for shock-affected populations. Nutrition activities must use evidence-based approaches, such as CMAM. They must also adhere to national and international guidelines such as those endorsed by WHO and guidance put out by the Ethiopia Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit.

B. Health Overview

The 2024 HRP underscores multifaceted challenges faced by the health system in disaster affected zones of Ethiopia. Provision of primary essential healthcare services remains a challenge, especially in remote parts of the country, which is exacerbated by a shortage of healthcare workers, closure of health facilities, and supply chain disruption. The most recent Demographic Health Survey (DHS, 2019) indicates that the under-five mortality rate is still high with 47 deaths per 1000 live births, complete vaccination coverage remains low at 44 percent, and the crude death rate remains above the emergency threshold at 8 deaths per 1,000 persons per day (World Bank, 2021).

Access to healthcare services is further impacted by climate- and conflict-related shocks, which contribute to increased morbidity related to disease outbreaks and increased levels of acute malnutrition. Under the RRM, BHA will support the provision of quick-impact, quality, life-saving primary healthcare services to respond to the acute short-term needs of crisis-affected populations. All health interventions should be based on recognized international humanitarian standards, such as those endorsed by the WHO, the Sphere Standards, and the Global Health Cluster.

C. WASH Overview

Ethiopia is vulnerable to climatic shocks and regional conflicts; access to improved water and sanitation and the practice of key hygiene behaviors remains low. The 2022-2023 Horn of Africa drought impacted large swaths of Ethiopia, recent El Niño conditions have resulted in both flooding and drought, and conflict continues to plague disparate parts of Ethiopia.

In arid and drought-affected areas of Ethiopia, limited access to potable water is a critical public health gap causing additional impacts on livelihoods and wellbeing. Communities often rely on contaminated surface water supplies for drinking water, and women and children bear significant burdens for collecting and managing household water supply when drinking water access is distant and dangerous. Ethiopia also remains highly vulnerable to flooding, affecting tens of thousands of people every year, threatening widespread contamination of water supplies which significantly elevates the risk of waterborne disease transmission such as cholera. In addition, conflict leads to population displacement and often results in damaged WASH infrastructure, and insecurity remains a barrier to consistent humanitarian assistance. Each of these shocks require disaster- and population-contextualized WASH responses.

D. Shelter and Settlements Overview

The compounded effects of ongoing conflict-, climate-, and socio-economic crises have caused damage and destruction to homes and communities of millions of Ethiopians, forcing displaced populations into precarious and life-threatening living conditions.

The Ethiopia Shelter Cluster reports in July 2024 that 4.5 million persons are in need of shelter,

3.1 million persons are targeted for shelter support, and 231,200 persons have been assisted with some form of cluster assistance this year. The assistance, or coverage, rate is approximately

5.1 percent of total need, and approximately 7.5 percent of targeted need. By any measure, these assistance levels have a negligible impact on overall shelter needs. Further, these exceedingly low levels of coverage indicate that millions of impacted Ethiopians continue to live in overcrowded and underserved collective shelters and open areas with no shelter whatsoever, compounded by limited resources to respond to needs. The loss of shelter and community has in turn generated related impacts on health, nutrition, protection, livelihoods, food production and security, among other impacts, thereby undermining efforts to address issues in these other sectors.

The significant need for humanitarian shelter and settlements assistance generated by IDPs, refugees, and returnees in recent crises, coupled with the related multisector impacts associated with loss of home and community in the affected zones and woredas of the country, require responses to urgent needs to provide basic habitable covered living space for affected populations, which can serve as the basis for household and community recovery while also supporting the interventions of other sectors.

The goal of all USAID/BHA Shelter and Settlements (S&S) sector activities is the occupancy of covered living space that can serve as minimally adequate shelter for disaster/crisis affected populations in an expeditious and appropriate manner. Greater emphasis should be placed on options to camps and sites, including identification of new sheltering opportunities in host communities. For the purposes of this RRM, BHA supports a renewed emphasis on modest but larger-scale shelter and settlement support to address the very significant sector needs, which will also have the effect of improving outcomes in numerous other sectors.

E. Protection Overview

Recurrent and overlapping humanitarian crises endanger the safety and wellbeing of marginalized and vulnerable people in Ethiopia. Social and gender norms in Ethiopia particularly favor men, putting women, children, and sometimes youth and elderly at greater risk of violence and exploitation. Ethnic and religious status, as well as disability, sexual orientation and or identity may also increase vulnerability. Economic status, household makeup, and availability of essential and social services also influence vulnerability. In Ethiopia, rates of poverty are consistently high (UNDP, 2023), over 26% of households are women headed (USAID DHS, 2024), and social services are lacking, particularly outside of the capital of Addis Ababa.

When crises hit, great sections of the Ethiopian population may require access to a protection response to mitigate and respond to violence, exploitation and abuse driven or compounded by the crisis. The conflict in northern Ethiopia has been characterized by significant violence towards civilians, with women and girls especially being affected. Gender-Based Violence (GBV), inclusive of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), has been and continues to be a concern.

Widespread arrests and detentions, kidnappings, killings have all been reported. Older persons and persons with disabilities have been left behind when families flee and have been targeted in killings and sexual assaults. Children have been separated from caregivers and at times orphaned. Forced displacements and restrictions on movement have broken apart families, exacerbated tensions in communities, and hindered access to services and livelihoods.

Communities are also victim to high levels of destruction and looting of property.

The goal of a protection response is to ensure civilians are safe and free from violence, exploitation and abuse. This is done primarily by targeting vulnerable and marginalized individuals and communities, providing services that respond to the protection needs and strengthening the capacity of individuals and communities to protect their own (prevention and empowerment activities). The protection concerns to be addressed with this RRM should fall broadly under child protection, GBV, and Psycho-Social Support (PSS). They may also include general protection or coordination and advocacy.

F. Multi-purpose Cash Assistance Overview

Cash and Voucher Assistance have become key modalities to respond to humanitarian needs in Ethiopia. Multipurpose cash, which meets multiple basic needs through a single transfer, has been used increasingly in Ethiopia to respond to immediate needs in the wake of shocks.

Affected populations indicated as part of the 2023 HRP development process that MPCA is their preferred form of assistance, alongside sectoral cash and voucher assistance (CVA). MPCA provided rapidly in the wake of a shock, especially new displacement, has proved to be an effective tool for meeting the most dire needs of the recently displaced, supporting their most urgent food, Non-Food Items (NFI), transportation, and other needs before the larger-scale, longer-term food assistance pipelines or social protection programs can enroll them.

Additionally, MPCA at a reduced value can be used to meet only non-food needs, for populations who receive food assistance, but lack the resources to purchase essential non-food goods/services for their families. The 2024 HRP sets a target of 1.4 million households receiving

MPCA.

The applicant will be responsible for justifying MPCA selection on a case by case basis in accordance with these parameters and as a part of the RRM response cycle. BHA expects the recipient to align with the forthcoming Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) that is under development by the Ethiopia Cash Working Group as of August 2024 and corresponding multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) transfer values and restrictions. MPCA should not be used for the intended purchase of restricted goods which include pharmaceuticals, seeds, livestock, fertilizer, or pesticides. In addition, duration of transfers should be short term and intended to meet immediate needs.

BHA provides food assistance to populations in Ethiopia via well-established food assistance pipelines. BHA will not support duplicative provision of food assistance to shock-affected populations through MPCA. As such, BHA envisions two appropriate uses of MPCA as part of the

RRM.

1. MPCA inclusive of food: In cases where food assistance partners are not present or are not able to respond in a timely fashion, the RRM can respond with MPCA transfers that include food costs. In these cases, MPCA that includes a contribution towards the food transfer value must be explicitly short term and time-bound (1-3 months). Coordination with the Food Security Cluster and other humanitarian actors will be critical to ensure provision of longer term food assistance support for those targeted in the short term, as necessary.

2. MPCA excluding food: If food partners are present and able to provide assistance to identified populations, MPCA where the transfer value excludes food needs and covers other, non-food goods and services can be utilized to complement the food assistance provided by other partners.

Recipients must indicate how they will coordinate and link RRM-served populations with food assistance programming.

A strong application will provide a clear operational plan for MPCA delivery (in terms of delivery mechanisms) including what, if any, preparedness work will be undertaken to ensure timely delivery. Additionally, the application will demonstrate cost-effectiveness, as BHA expects the majority of program resources to directly benefit intended beneficiaries. The application will design and budget for transfer values which adjust for inflation, as well as a clear process indicating how transfer value adjustments will be determined and how often.

IV. Programmatic Coordination

The recipient will be expected to coordinate with other humanitarian actors through the relevant sectoral Clusters and the InterCluster Coordination Group, and other entities including the Ethiopia Humanitarian International NGO Forum. Whenever situations permit, duplication of efforts with other initiatives should be avoided to ensure fair distribution of assistance across the various geographic locations. The recipient will be expected to identify and coordinate with other humanitarian partners in affected areas to ensure handover to protracted humanitarian needs and/or early recovery and resilience programming. The exit strategy should be a critical component of response plan development and integral to the recipient’s overall approach.

Recipients will also be required to develop a coherent approach that promotes close coordination with and linkage to existing humanitarian actors, including humanitarian food actors.

Furthermore, recipients will be required to demonstrate an ability to establish a robust NFI commodity supply chain and navigate government regulations on imports of such commodities, if local procurement is unfeasible.

The Ethiopia RRM Activity will align with the following key strategies, policies, and legislative requirements:

● USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS): USAID/Ethiopia’s Strategic Framework will support the CDCS goal statement, “Ethiopia transitions to a more democratic, prosperous, and resilient society, with accountable institutions and private-sector led growth” and will link to and/or incorporate the following Development Objectives (DO):

○ DO1: Disaster Risk Management Strengthened

○ DO2: Resilience of Vulnerable Populations to Key Shocks Increased

● Relevant Host Government Strategy: This Rapid Response Mechanism activity aligns with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Disaster Risk Management Policy (2024) and Ethiopia’s Humanitarian Response Plan (February 2024).

● Relevant Sector or Cluster Strategy: As a multi-sectoral response mechanism, the proposed activity and interventions will leverage and contribute to relevant sector or cluster strategies and guidance documents, where consistent with USAID and U.S.

Government (USG) objectives, principles, policy, rules, and regulations. These include (but are not limited to): The Health Policy of Ethiopia (as administered by the Ministry of

Health), Environmental Policy of Ethiopia (as prepared by the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority), Ethiopian Water Resources Management Policy, Pastoral Development Policy, National Guidelines for the Management of Acute Malnutrition in Ethiopia and the National Hygiene and Sanitation Strategy (by the Ministry of Health), the One WASH National Program’s Framework signed by the (Ministries of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Health, Education, and Finance), the National Water Trucking Guidelines of the WASH Cluster, and relevant Cluster Emergency Response Guidelines.

● Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) Country Plan: The GFSS objectives for Ethiopia include:

● The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) targets chronically food insecure households. The GFSS and PSNP align with one another and the RRM will target the most vulnerable with acute needs that are impacted by conflict or a natural hazard;

● Inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth;

● Strengthened resilience among people, communities, countries, and systems; and

● Achieving the GFSS requires well-nourished populations in which everyone, especially women and children, have the chance to live healthy and productive lives.

While the RRM will not directly provide in-kind emergency food assistance, the rapid, multi-sector assistance provided will help preserve community assets and reduce the likelihood of vulnerable populations from backsliding into higher levels of food insecurity.

● Localization: The activity will encourage the recipient to engage local organizations who have demonstrated technical and organizational experience, including community engagement approaches, as possible implementers of this RRM to rapidly respond to urgent humanitarian needs.

● Private Sector Engagement (PSE): Whenever possible, the RRM will encourage private sector engagement in the delivery of rapid humanitarian assistance. Priority will be given to private sector entities that have demonstrated experience in responding to urgent humanitarian needs, rather than building relationships with new, private sector entities.

● Inclusive Development: Throughout the design and implementation, the program should integrate the ‘Do No Harm’ approach. The program should also ensure that positions of importance are inclusive.

The activity will intentionally consider gender dynamics at the community level by developing programming that aligns with USAID’s Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Policy (USAID, 2023) to:

● Reduce gender disparities in access to, control over and benefit from resources, wealth, opportunities and services, in- economic, social, political, and cultural aspects of society;

● Reduce gender-based violence and mitigate its harmful effects on individuals and communities; and

● Increase capability of women and girls to realize their rights, determine their life outcomes, and influence decision making in households, communities, and societies.

V. Response Triggers and Targeting Requirements

USAID/BHA expects the recipient to develop and utilize clear pre- and post-shock indicators to inform response interventions. In order to better anticipate the most shock-prone areas, the recipient should consider developing a risk “scorecard” that establishes a baseline assumption of risk for humanitarian shocks across geographical areas. The recipient should be able to collaborate with and share information with the UN system, relevant clusters, partners, and assessment results to obtain relevant information that justifies the need for triggering a response through the RRM in a given locality.

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SECTION D: APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

1. General Content and Form of Application

Preparation of Applications:

Each applicant must furnish the information required by this NOFO. Applications must be submitted in two separate parts: the Technical Application and the Business (Cost) Application.

This subsection addresses general content requirements applying to the full application. Please see subsections 5 and 6, below, for information on the content specific to the Technical and Business (Cost) applications. The Technical application must address technical aspects only while the Business (Cost) Application must present the costs, and address risk and other related issues.

Both the Technical and Business (Cost) Applications must include a cover page containing the following information:

● Name of the organization(s) submitting the application;

● Identification and signature of the primary contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number and email address) and the identification of the alternate contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number and email address);

● Program name

● Notice of Funding Opportunity number

● Name of any proposed sub-recipients or partnerships (identify if any of the organizations are local organizations, per USAID’s definition of ‘local entity’ under ADS 303.

Any erasures or other changes to the application must be initialed by the person signing the application. Applications signed by an agent on behalf of the applicant must be accompanied by evidence of that agent’s authority, unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

Applicants may choose to submit a cover letter in addition to the cover pages, but it will serve only as a transmittal letter to the Agreement Officer. The cover letter will not be reviewed as part of the merit review criteria.

USAID will not review any pages in excess of the page limits noted in the subsequent sections.

Please ensure that applications comply with the page limitations.

Applications must comply with the following:

● You must write all documents in English;

● General text in all documents must be single-spaced and in 12-point Arial font. Text in tables or charts may be 8-, 10-, or 12-point Arial font;

● Narratives must be:

○ Microsoft Word or a compatible equivalent and saved in Word 2000 or newer versions,

○ Print areas set to 8.5 x 11 inch letter-sized paper,

○ One-inch margins,

○ Left justification, and

○ A header or footer on each page including

■ Page number,

■ Date of submission or revision,

■ Proposed country, and

■ Your organization’s name;

● You must label all documents as either an original or revised submission in the file name and if possible, in the header;

● Spreadsheets must be

○ Microsoft Excel or a compatible equivalent and saved in Excel 2000 or newer versions, and

○ Print areas set to 8.5 x 11 inch letter-sized paper;

● All signed documents must be submitted as PDF files. You may also submit other official documents, memoranda, and certifications as PDF files;

● All documents, including budgets, must be in a print-ready format; and

● All costs must be in U.S. dollars (USD) rounded to the nearest dollar.

Applicants must review, understand, and comply with all aspects of this NOFO. Failure to do so may be considered as being non-responsive and may be evaluated accordingly. Applicants should retain a copy of the application and all enclosures for their records.

2. Application Submission Procedures

Applications in response to this NOFO must be submitted no later than the closing date and time indicated on the cover letter, as amended. Late applications will not be reviewed nor considered. Applicants must retain proof of timely delivery in the form of system generated documentation of delivery receipt date and time.

Applicants may upload applications to http://www.grants.gov. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic submissions.

3. Technical Application Format

The Technical Application must be specific, complete, and presented concisely. The application must demonstrate the applicant's capabilities and expertise with respect to achieving the goals of this program. The application should take into account the requirements of the program and merit review criteria found in this NOFO. The technical application must not exceed 35 pages, inclusive of all elements.

a) Cover Page (See Section D.1 above for requirements)

b) Table of Contents

Include major sections and page numbering to easily cross-reference and identify merit review criteria.

c) Executive Summary

The Executive Summary must provide a high-level overview of key elements of the Technical Application.

d) Technical Approach http://www.grants.gov/

This section must incorporate all of the technical requirements of the Program Description (PD) (Section C above), in addition to all of the following details:

● Activity Scope / Objectives

○ Activity Goal

○ Theory of Change (ToC) Statement

○ Activity Purposes

● Sectors: Applicants must include a detailed technical description and design for each of the following sectors (suggested page limit: 2 per sector):

○ Nutrition

○ Health

○ Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

○ Shelter and Settlements

○ Protection

○ Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA)

● Participant Targeting

● Programmatic Coordination and Transition or Exit Strategy

● Management & Staffing

While adherence to the BHA Emergency Application Guidelines is not required for the first tranche of applications received in response to this NOFO, applicants are encouraged to reference these guidelines for support on Theory of Change statements, general parameters, and typical sectoral requirements for technical descriptions and technical activity design.

Furthermore, applicants should keep in mind that the apparently successful applicant, once selected by the merit review committee, will be invited to supplement its submission with an application that fully aligns with BHA’s Emergency Application Guidelines and Sector Requirements.

Applicants must include a context analysis demonstrating a deep understanding of the social, political, economic, and cultural landscape, opportunities, strengths, and needs of the targeted participants and communities, and the constraints they face. A conceptual framework, incorporating the sectors listed in Section C, must demonstrate the sectoral expertise and linkages between the underlying causes of vulnerability specific to the target area, and a preliminary Theory of Change (TOC) that provides a clear causal pathway linking the set of interventions to the objectives and goal of the activity.

Sectors For each of the sectors listed above, Applicants must provide 1) a brief sector overview describing the overarching sectoral issues faced by the target population, and 2) the sectoral-level technical design of proposed interventions that clearly links to the RRM goal and purposes outlined in Section C above and the applicant’s Theory of Change. The sectoral-level technical design should demonstrate a knowledge of strategies that are appropriate and effective within the context of Ethiopia. In addition, the applicant should reference the following sector-specific guidance in drafting sector-specific technical design approach:

https://www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-assistance/partner-with-bha/bha-emergency-guidelines https://www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-assistance/partner-with-bha/bha-emergency-guidelines https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uv2N9MpWVWR0PqDGcurxUhexQeFLFhgeMLpPtuwy5UI/edit

1.) Nutrition

● BHA will support nutrition interventions that focus on:

○ Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN)

○ Prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition, including Severe Acute

Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM)

○ Micronutrient deficiency prevention and control

○ Supplemental nutrition assistance, and

○ Collection and analysis of nutrition information in humanitarian emergencies.

● Activities must use evidence-based approaches and must also adhere to national and international guidelines.

● The application must include the Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition in Emergencies (MIYCN-E), given the importance of protecting maternal, infant, and young child feeding practices to prevent morbidity and mortality.

● The application must demonstrate a clear understanding of the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) structure and requirements in Ethiopia;

specifically applicants must specify how they will work with the Ministry of Health (MoH), Emergency Nutrition Coordination Unit (ENCU) and other relevant nutrition partners.

● The application must be able to specify how they will monitor the nutrition situation throughout Ethiopia; and how they will determine where and when to prioritize RRM resources, particularly within the existing ENCU prioritization system.

● An applicant must demonstrate how they will support and build capacity for general supply chain management of supplies for the management of SAM and MAM, including specialized nutrition commodities and essential medicines. In addition, the applicant must further specify how they will manage a pipeline of in-kind nutrition commodities for the management of MAM.

● Proposals should include a clear exit or transition strategy for scenarios where the crisis ends or becomes a protracted situation.

2.) Health

● Under the RRM, BHA will support the provision of quick-impact, quality, life-saving primary healthcare services to respond to the acute short-term needs of crisis-affected populations. BHA-supported health activities should address the major causes of morbidity and mortality. BHA supports health interventions that:

○ Support primary care and mobile facilities (when appropriate);

○ Prioritize support for essential services, including prevention and treatment of communicable diseases; reproductive, maternal, child, and newborn health; care for noncommunicable diseases; trauma-related injuries and mental health (when appropriate); and emergency community-based health;

○ Provide additional health services on a short-term basis (3-6 months) as required by the circumstances of the crisis and appropriate to the local context; and

○ Wherever possible, BHA supports the integration of health, WASH, and nutrition interventions.

● Applicants must demonstrate their ability to conduct an independent assessment of humanitarian health needs and describe health needs that emerge from shocks that the Ministry of Health (MoH) is unable to address on its own.

● Design a comprehensive package of health service delivery and describe how the selected approach will address the specific shock.

● Proposed interventions should be short duration projects (3-6 months) intended as quick-impact emergency response activities that will not undermine longer-term recovery efforts, and will not result in a substitution for government health service provision. Note that health activities under the RRM are not meant for health system strengthening or to fill gaps in longer term strategies.

● In most instances, the extent of approved health activities under the RRM will be limited to supporting mobile health teams that would ideally include nutrition activities, reproductive health services, and referral pathways for protection services.

● Any proposed activities related to ‘humanitarian construction’ must be limited to minor repairs for functionality purposes for the acute crisis and interventions. Health facility rehabilitation will not be considered due to the short nature of the RRM.

Details of the specific proposed repairs required to safely occupy the structure and deliver health services must be described as well as a justification that includes why the repairs are required for providing emergency health services. Since most proposed health activities will be via mobile strategy, BHA does not expect this to be a major component of the proposal.

● Due to the nature of an RRM, procurement of pharmaceuticals will not be feasible, due to long procurement lead times of pharmaceuticals from BHA prequalified vendors. Sub Awardees are expected to work within the humanitarian architecture to leverage pharmaceuticals from existing health partners in the area and/or the health cluster pipeline.

● Depending on the response, the prepositioning of some medical commodities might be appropriate. A detailed description would be required, including reasoning and proposed logistics (i.e. transportation and storage).

● Proposals should include a clear exit or transition strategy for scenarios where the crisis ends or becomes a protracted situation.

3.) Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

● Applicants must clearly explain how they will monitor conditions in Ethiopia, how they will determine when and where conditions have changed negatively due to a shock, and how responses will be prioritized. It is not sufficient to simply monitor absolute indicators (e.g. liters of water/person/day) to determine when and where to intervene.