Amendment #1 RFA 72044021RFA00008_STEPS.pdf

RFA Issuance Date: June 1, 2021 Deadline for Questions: June 8, 2021, RFA Amendment Date: June 11, 2021 Deadline for Applications: July 1, 2021 by 10:00 am, Hanoi local time

Subject: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Request for Application (RFA) No. 72044021RFA00007 RFA Amendment No. 1

Activity Title: USAID Support for Technical Excellence and Private Sector Sustainability in Vietnam (STEPS)

Dear Potential Applicants:

The purpose of this amendment to NOFO is to respond to all questions received by the due date as specified above.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, /s/

Bryan Moody Agreement Officer USAID/Vietnam/OAA

U.S. Agency for International Development Tel: + 84-4-3935-1260 15/F Tung Shing Square Building Fax: + 84-4-3935-1265 2 Ngo Quyen Street Web: vietnam.usaid.gov Hanoi, Vietnam mailto:bmoody@usaid.gov

Part I. Potential Applicants Questions and USAID/Vietnam’s Responses:

Technical Questions:

General Application Questions:

1. Question: Please confirm that a Table of Contents and Acronyms List may be included in the proposal and is not included in the 15 page limit.?

Answer: Table of Contents and Acronym List are not included in the 15 page limit.

2. Question: On page 18 of the NOFO, USAID asks for ‘a staffing pattern of all planned positions and their roles and responsibilities that will ensure maximum effectiveness in implementing the proposed activities and tasks in the project description’; given the importance and space required to articulate this effectively, can this staffing pattern be submitted as an annex, alongside an organizational chart?

Answer: The roles and responsibilities and qualifications of all planned positions can be submitted as an annex not to exceed a two-page limit alongside a one-page organizational chart.

3. Question: Section C.2 Cost Sharing or Matching: “USAID has established a minimum recipient cost share of 10% of the total estimated cost for this activity, which is approximately $1.5 million [exact amount to be inserted by the time of award]. Applications which include a higher cost-share may be considered favorably in determining the recipient between most highly rated applications.” Can USAID please confirm that the cost share amount and cost share plan are not to be included in the Phase 1 Summary Application submission?

Answer: USAID will conduct a Merit Review of all timely and compliant summary applications based on the Merit Review criteria provided in Section E: Application Review Information. Only the apparently successful applicant, determined after the Phase 1 merit review will be invited to Phase 2. Cost share amount and cost share plan must be included in the Phase 1 Summary Application submission since the applications which include a higher cost-share may be considered favorably in determining the recipient between most highly rated applications.

End of Amendment No. 1 of RFA No. 72044021RFA00007