USAID seeks Applications for COVID-19 Relief & Adaptation in Sri Lanka

Deadline: 15-Nov-20

The Palladium is implementing a program, funded by the United States for International Development (USAID) and is seeking qualified sources to implement activities that will respond to the economic effects of the novel Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Sri Lanka.

Seed Grants
The purpose of this funding opportunity notice (FON) is to solicit applications/proposals from interested parties, wishing to receive funding from the CATALYZE Innovative Blended Finance (CATALYZE) program.

The CATALYZE Blended Finance Mechanism is a $250 Million, 8-year contract (5-year base period, with a single 3-year option period) which uses a facilitated partnership model to craft solutions to crowd in $2 Billion in blended finance (i.e. blended concessional and commercial finance) to USAID partner countries and initiatives.

The USAID/Sri Lanka Private Sector Development (PSD) Activity is a 5-year, $19.5 million program designed to bolster SMEs in high growth potential sectors, as well as bolster women’s labor force participation in Sri Lanka.

The Activity will strengthen competitiveness of SMES, catalyze financing for enterprises using new approaches to transaction origination and demand side support, and support financial institutions including banks and investors to expand services.

Funding Information

Palladium intends to provide up to US$1,000,000 in total funding for activities to be implemented no later than July 31, 2021 with individual value of awards expected to be US$25,000-250,000 each.
Program Components

Strengthen SME competitiveness in target sectors
Expand FI service to SMEs
Increase women’s labor force participation
COVID-19 response
Eligibility Criteria

Submission of DUNS in the application/proposal unless exemption applies (awards less than $25,000 performed by foreign entities overseas).
Offeror is legally registered as a non-for profit or for-profit organization in accordance with the laws of Sri Lanka and is in good standing, legally licensed and up to date on all applicable taxes
Offeror has certified that it is not affiliated with any political party nor engaged in any partisan activities.
Offeror submits all mandatory documents prior the deadline stipulated in the FON.
Offeror has certified that it is receptive to participate in learning opportunities and commitment to participate in capacity building.
Types of Entities that May not Apply

The following types of entities may not apply for CATALYZE awards:

Political parties, political party organizations, Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) parastatal institutions or GoSL owned institutions are not eligible for grants or subcontracts;
Organizations that have controlling interest held by a government, government agency, or agent thereof;
Offerors with active exclusions from the working with the US government (www.sam.gov), the UN (Sanctions List), or the US Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control;
Any entity affiliated with Palladium or any of its directors, officers, or employees; and Individuals.
Application/Proposal Information Review

Evaluation Criteria for Concept Paper
Concept papers will be reviewed in terms of responsiveness to the FON Program Opportunity Statement and Instructions, appropriateness of subject matter, and creativity. Offerors are encouraged to demonstrate how their proposed work will contribute to increased SME competitiveness and women’s labor force participation in Sri Lanka.
Evaluation Criteria for Full Application/Proposal
In Phase 2, selected offerors will participate in co-design sessions with Palladium to expand and refine the concept presented in Phase 1. Offerors will then be invited to submit a full application/proposal, which will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Offeror’s demonstrated capability to carry out proposed approach;
Soundness and reasonableness of technical approach;
Incorporation of feedback and guidance from co-design phase;
Alignment with PSD Activity’s goal of contributing to increased SME competitiveness and women’s labor force participation in Sri Lanka by bolstering SME’s resilience to the secondary economic impacts of COVID-19 and SME’s ability to adapt to a new economic landscape and market opportunities and achieving the state desired outcomes;
Sustainability of approach in terms of offeror’s incentives to sustain/expand the activities once USAID funding is completed.
Selected offerors will also be asked to submit a full cost proposal, which will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Realism and reasonableness of the work to be performed;
Cost reflects a clear understanding of the requirements;
Cost is consistent with various elements of the technical requirements;
Incorporation of cost-share where feasible.
Palladium will provide full instructions for the Phase 2 application/proposal to selected offerors.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/36xVNxj