Strengthening Civil Society and Community Resilience Program in Cameroon | 72062421RFA00005

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72062421RFA00005

The Strengthening Civil Society and Community Resilience Program in Cameroon is a USAID funding opportunity seeking proposals to implement a program focused on civil society strengthening and community resilience, within the broader domain of law, justice, and legal services. USAID is soliciting applications under a Cooperative Agreement, which typically means the awardee should expect a collaborative relationship with USAID during implementation, including ongoing communication and substantial involvement from the agency compared to a more hands-off grant structure. The opportunity is identified as an earmark funding category and is listed under CFDA 98.001.

The notice indicates USAID plans to make a single award, with an award ceiling of up to USD 16,000,000, based on the application that best meets the program objectives and performs strongest against the merit review criteria described in Section E of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), subject to a risk assessment. In practical terms, this means technical quality is necessary but not sufficient; applicants should also be prepared to demonstrate sound organizational capacity, compliance readiness, and financial and operational controls that can withstand USAID scrutiny.

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of qualified entity may apply, as long as it meets the eligibility standards spelled out in Section C of the NOFO and provides all required information in the application package. Because the eligibility statement can sometimes be refined by additional eligibility language within the NOFO itself, prospective applicants are advised to read the full NOFO carefully rather than relying only on the summary posting.

Applications are submitted through Grants.gov, and the posting may be amended, so applicants are expected to monitor the listing for updates and ensure they are working from the most current version of the NOFO and all attachments. USAID explicitly notes it is not responsible for transmission or conversion errors that may occur when downloading materials, which is a reminder to verify that the full package has been received and is readable. For access or registration issues, applicants are directed to the Grants.gov Helpdesk (1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov).

A key compliance requirement is that USAID may not make an award unless the applicant has completed all applicable Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) requirements referenced in Section D.6.f. The notice emphasizes that SAM registration can take many weeks, so organizations that are not already registered (or that need to renew or correct their records) should start early to avoid missing the submission window or becoming ineligible at the point of award.

The opportunity also provides a formal question-and-answer process: applicants must submit questions to the point(s) of contact listed in Section D by the stated deadline, and USAID will issue responses to timely questions via an amendment posted on Grants.gov, making the answers available to all potential applicants equally. Finally, the notice clarifies that publishing the NOFO does not obligate the US Government to make an award or reimburse any costs incurred in preparing or submitting an application; all proposal development expenses are borne by the applicant.

Key administrative details from the posting include the funding opportunity number 72062421RFA00005, creation date May 13, 2021, and an original closing date of June 28, 2021. The listed issuing office is USAID (Agency for International Development), Ghana USAID-Accra, even though the program focus is Cameroon, which is not unusual when regional or neighboring missions manage procurements and assistance awards.

• The Agency for International Development, Ghana USAID-Accra in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Civil Society and Community Resilience Program in Cameroon" 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 May 13, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 28, 2021. (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 $16,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for 72062421RFA00005

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