Request for Information for Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (UWASH) | 720 663 21 RFI 00005

Opportunity Information: Apply for 720 663 21 RFI 00005

The "Request for Information for Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (UWASH)" (Reference Number 720-663-21-RFI-00005) is a planning-focused notice issued by USAID/Ethiopia in Addis Ababa dated April 13, 2021. It is explicitly not a funding opportunity and should not be read as a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Applications (RFA). The agency is using this RFI strictly to gather information, ideas, and feedback from the public to shape a possible future activity focused on improving urban and peri-urban water, sanitation, and hygiene services in Ethiopia.

The core intent of the RFI is to collect public input on a draft concept for a potential "Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (UWASH)" activity. USAID indicates this potential activity is expected to run for five years and could have an estimated total value in the range of $40 million to $50 million, but the agency emphasizes that this estimate does not represent a commitment to fund or launch the activity. The envisioned direction of UWASH is to accelerate access to inclusive and resilient drinking water and sanitation services, with a strong focus on strengthening these services against climate-related shocks and stresses. In practical terms, USAID is looking for recommendations on how to expand access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation and how to improve system resilience in targeted urban and peri-urban settings.

Participation is open and unrestricted, meaning organizations across government, non-governmental organizations, academia, and the private sector are invited to respond. However, respondents should treat their submissions as informational only, not as proposals, and should understand there is no competitive advantage gained in any later procurement by responding to this RFI. USAID also states it may use the information provided without restriction or limitation, and that it will not pay for any costs incurred by respondents in preparing or submitting their feedback.

Logistically, responses were required to be submitted electronically by May 3, 2021 at 8:00 AM Addis Ababa time. Submissions had to be emailed to tyifru@usaid.gov (Ms. Tigist Yifru) with a copy to caddis@usaid.gov, using the subject line "RFI USAID/Ethiopia Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (UWASH) Activity." Hard copy submissions were not accepted, and phone inquiries were not entertained. USAID also makes clear it is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt, answer questions, or provide feedback on what is submitted, and it will not provide answers to questions sent in response to the RFI.

Finally, the notice reminds interested parties that official competitive opportunities, if they are ever issued later, will be posted on beta.sam.gov and grants.gov, and it is the responsibility of potential offerors/applicants to monitor those sites. Overall, this RFI is best understood as an early market research and concept-development step by USAID/Ethiopia to refine a possible large-scale urban WASH initiative, rather than an announcement that funding is currently available.

• The Ethiopia USAID-Addis Ababa in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information for Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (UWASH)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-04-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 720 663 21 RFI 00005

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