USAID Small Business Applied Research (SBAR) Program - 2021

Problem Statement

What tools, approaches, partnerships, and incentives  may successfully improve sustainable access to and uptake of appropriate, affordable bicycles in sub-Saharan Africa thereby increasing mobility, particularly in rural areas, and aid in alleviating poverty?

USAID expects to receive concept papers that directly address barriers associated with access, affordability, equity, cost-effectiveness, product-market fit, pathways to scale, and financial sustainability for increasing supply and uptake of low-cost, durable, and adjustable bicycles to improve mobility in sub-Saharan Africa. USAID encourages concept papers that use demand-driven incentives and leverage local partnerships to ensure the proposals are locally-rooted and sustainable. Additionally, concept papers may be focused on  all of sub-Saharan Africa or a specific country or region of sub-Saharan Africa.

USAID expects the offeror, in both developing and implementing the action plan, to consult and co-design interventions with a variety of stakeholders, including and not limited to city and regional planners, manufacturers, technical colleges, customs and trade officers, investors, distributors, public safety officers, and bicyclists themselves (current and prospective).  Our research has indicated that significant gender barriers to bicycle uptake exist and we encourage offerors to explore creative and gender sensitive methods to explore how the interests of women and girls are fully represented in the offeror’s research, consultations and interventions.  The result of this process should be a fulsome exploration of  the barriers to increased bicycle use, an action plan to improve bicycle uptake across the system, and a commitment to taking on those actions. 

USAID expects the following results:

1.            Action plan to improve bicycle uptake in a sub-Saharan African country, countries, or in sub-Saharan Africa more generally that includes:

a.            An explanation of why the selected geography is appropriate for your efforts;

b.            Effective intervention(s) for increasing bicycle and bicycle parts market availability and/or use;

c.             Solutions to address consumer needs;

d.            Interventions to improve the enabling environment for bicycling; and

e.            Behavior change interventions, incentives, innovations, and/or partnerships necessary to address barriers and scale up bicycle use.

2.            Implementation of the proposed action plan as a pilot project.

3.            Periodic and final research and learning reports (format and method to be determined) to be shared with the DDI/ITR and host country team (or host countries teams) that could entail, and are not limited to, modifications to the action plan, new findings, assessments of efforts to socialize bicycle use, action plan performance, setbacks, or successes. A final report detailing lessons learned and the adaptations the grantee undertook to design, implement, modify, and socialize the action plan efforts as well as the results of the grant will be a required deliverable. The goal is to contribute to a body of knowledge about the barriers, interventions, and success factors needed to be addressed to improve the use of bicycles for mobility in sub-Saharan Africa.  The grantee should also consider developing materials to communicate the successes and challenges of the pilot program.