RFI - Market Research Only - Water and Energy for Food | 7200AA19R00086

Opportunity Information: Apply for 7200AA19R00086

The opportunity titled "RFI - Market Research Only - Water and Energy for Food" (Funding Opportunity Number 7200AA19R00086) is not a grant solicitation or a request for proposals. It is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by USAID strictly for market research purposes, meaning the agency is gathering input from the public to better understand the landscape of organizations, innovations, and approaches relevant to a specific development challenge. Because it is market research only, it is described as a full and open inquiry, and it does not, by itself, signal that an award will be made or that funding is immediately available.

The RFI centers on the Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Challenge Fund, a partnership among three founding partners: Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Netherlands. The core purpose of WE4F, as described in the notice, is to expand the sustainable scale of innovations operating at the intersection of the food, water, and energy sectors. In practice, this means solutions that improve outcomes where agriculture and food value chains depend on water access and energy use, including technologies or business models that address food-water, food-energy, or the full food-water-energy nexus simultaneously.

The types of impacts the partners are looking to accelerate include improving the sustainability of agricultural food value chains, increasing water and energy efficiency, and strengthening climate-resilient agriculture. The geographic and development focus is on developing countries and emerging markets, aligning the overall intent with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The description also highlights an equity emphasis, noting a particular focus on benefits for poor populations and women, which signals that inclusive development outcomes and gender-responsive or gender-beneficial approaches are likely important considerations in whatever future programming might follow from this market research.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under a discretionary category with an "Other" funding instrument type and "Other" activity category, reinforcing that this posting is informational rather than a conventional grant competition. The CFDA listing is 98.001, the issuing agency is USAID, and the original closing date for responses was October 15, 2019 (with a creation date of October 1, 2019). Award amounts, ceilings, and expected number of awards are not provided, which is typical for RFIs since they are not commitments to fund.

In short, this notice is USAID and its WE4F partners casting a wide net to collect information from potential stakeholders and the broader market about scalable innovations in the food-water-energy nexus, especially those that can improve efficiency, sustainability, and climate resilience in low- and middle-income settings while intentionally reaching women and poorer communities.

• The USAID in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RFI - Market Research Only - Water and Energy for Food" 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 2019-10-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-10-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for 7200AA19R00086

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