USAID/South Sudan Integrated Youth Engagement Activity | IYEA

FAQs: USAID/South Sudan Integrated Youth Engagement Activity (IYEA) - Request for Information (RFI)

1) What is the USAID/South Sudan Integrated Youth Engagement Activity (IYEA) notice?

It is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the USAID Mission in South Sudan to collect ideas, recommendations, and market feedback to inform a possible future youth-focused program in South Sudan.

2) Is this notice a grant competition or a request for applications?

No. The posting is explicitly an RFI, not a solicitation. USAID is not asking for applications, bids, or funding proposals through this notice.

3) What is the purpose of issuing this RFI?

The purpose is to support USAID design planning over an anticipated five-year period by gathering practical, field-informed input on how to better address the needs of young people in South Sudan, especially vulnerable and at-risk youth.

4) When was the RFI posted and what was the response deadline?

The RFI was posted on November 19, 2021. Responses were due by December 9, 2021, no later than 16:30 Juba local time.

5) Who was the intended audience for responding to this RFI?

The RFI was open broadly to all interested public and private entities. This could include NGOs, local organizations, private sector actors, academic institutions, and other organizations with relevant youth programming experience.

6) What kinds of input was USAID seeking from respondents?

USAID was seeking innovative, evidence-informed approaches that could work under South Sudan conditions, including conflict dynamics, limited services, protection risks, and unequal access to education and livelihoods. USAID also emphasized that youth are not a single uniform group and that different youth profiles face different needs and risks depending on location and context.

7) What were the main components of the RFI response?

USAID requested two types of input: (1) responses to questions contained in Attachment 1 (a structured questionnaire referenced in the notice), and (2) information to gauge the interest and capabilities of potential partners related to work described in a Draft Design Concept Paper (Attachment 2).

8) What are Attachment 1 and Attachment 2 referenced in the RFI?

Attachment 1 is referenced as the structured set of questions respondents should answer as part of the RFI. Attachment 2 is referenced as a Draft Design Concept Paper describing an early program concept that USAID wanted external input on to refine.

9) What does it mean that USAID is conducting market research under FAR 52.215-3?

It means the submissions are treated strictly as informational for market research purposes. They are not evaluated as proposals and are not used to make an award decision under this RFI.

10) Will USAID pay organizations for the time and cost of preparing an RFI response?

No. USAID stated it does not intend to pay for information submitted in response to the RFI, and respondents must cover their own preparation and submission costs.

11) If an organization submits something that looks like a proposal, will it be considered?

No. USAID indicated that any submission that resembles a funding proposal will not be considered because the RFI is not a funding competition.

12) Will USAID provide feedback or respond to questions submitted as part of an RFI response?

No. USAID noted it will not provide feedback, replies, or individualized responses to submissions, including questions embedded in responses.

13) What language were responses required to be submitted in?

All submissions had to be in English.

14) Should respondents include proprietary, sensitive, or restricted information in their submission?

No. The notice warned respondents not to include proprietary or sensitive information.

15) What happens to materials submitted in response to the RFI?

USAID stated that materials submitted become USAID property, will not be returned, and USAID reserves the right to use the information for its own planning purposes.

16) Does the RFI confirm that a new five-year program will definitely be funded?

No. The RFI signals USAID interest in designing a potential future activity and collecting input to shape it, but it is not itself a commitment to award funding through this notice.

17) How should the listed award ceiling of $30,000,000 be interpreted for this RFI?

The listing metadata includes an award ceiling of $30,000,000, but because this posting is an RFI rather than a solicitation, the figure should be understood as indicative planning information rather than a guaranteed or currently available grant amount.

18) What does the CFDA number 98.001 indicate in this context?

The listing metadata associated with the opportunity includes CFDA 98.001. In the context provided, it appears as part of the opportunity listing information, but the notice itself is an RFI and not an active grant competition.

19) What sector or activity category is associated with the notice?

The funding record lists the activity category as Education, though the RFI content focuses more broadly on integrated youth engagement needs in South Sudan and is not an application process.

20) What strategic context is the RFI aligned with?

The RFI is grounded in USAID/South Sudan strategic priorities and references the USAID/South Sudan Strategic Framework for geographic locations and broader development context that the activity would align with.

21) What types of conditions in South Sudan did USAID highlight as important for program design?

USAID highlighted that approaches must be practical for South Sudan conditions, including conflict dynamics, limited services, protection risks, and unequal access to education and livelihoods.

22) Why does the RFI emphasize that youth are not a single, uniform group?

USAID emphasized that youth needs and risks vary by profile, location, and context, and that effective program design should reflect differences among youth, including greater emphasis on vulnerable and at-risk youth.

23) Is USAID using the RFI to identify potential implementing partners?

Yes. One stated purpose was to gauge the interest and capabilities of potential partners who could carry out work described in the Draft Design Concept Paper, which could inform a later, formal solicitation.

24) Will information submitted in response to the RFI be used to make an award decision?

No. The notice indicates submissions are not evaluated as proposals and will not be used to make an award decision for this RFI.

25) Where might a future official funding opportunity be posted if USAID proceeds?

The notice indicates a future solicitation could be released later on official U.S. government platforms such as beta.SAM.gov (the notice references fbo.gov, which has since been integrated into SAM) and Grants.gov.

26) What kind of future solicitation might USAID issue after the RFI?

The notice suggests the RFI could inform a future solicitation that could take the form of an RFA, RFP, or NOFO, if USAID decides to proceed.

27) Does USAID guarantee that a specific grant instrument will be used?

No. While the listing metadata includes a high-level reference to a grant instrument, the document described here is an RFI and indicates only that a future solicitation may be issued later.

28) What is the main takeaway for organizations that are interested in this area of work?

The key point is that this posting was used to collect ideas and test assumptions for a potential major, integrated youth engagement activity in South Sudan, and to identify capable organizations for a possible future competition once a formal funding opportunity is released.