The USAID’s Agricultural Value Chains (AVC) Project in Bangladesh is implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI). The objective of the five-year project is to improve food security through strengthened agricultural value chains in twenty southern districts which is part of the “USAID’s Feed the Future Zone of Influence – FTF-ZoI” area and “the Southern Delta of Bangladesh”. The goal of this project will be achieved through increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening agricultural market systems, upgrading value chains with new technology and innovations, and building local capacity to sustain improvements beyond the life of the project.

The AVC grants component announces its first Annual Program Statement (APS). The AVC project has identified eight agricultural food and non-food value chains (pulses, potatoes, tomatoes, groundnuts, summer basket, mango, natural fibers, and cut flowers). The AVC project will address opportunities and constraints associated with each of these value chains described in Annex A of the APS.

The AVC project hereby invites qualified and capable Bangladeshi entities to submit concept papers that improve food security through strengthened value chains in Southern Delta of Bangladesh. Only Bangladeshi entities (private sector organizations, businesses, NGOs, foundations, research institutions, universities, associations, producer groups and/or cooperatives, etc.) are eligible to apply. Interested Applicants are requested to visit the AVC website at http://www.avcbd.com/currentgrants.html to download the full APS which includes eligibility requirements and instructions for submitting the concept paper.

DAI anticipates awarding approximately 20 grants to fund successful applications submitted in response to this APS. The length of the small projects under the grant may be 1-2 years. The total amount of funding currently available for this APS is approximately USD 1 million.

Competition for this APS will be open for one year. All concept papers will be reviewed once a month on an ongoing basis throughout the year. At the discretion of DAI, applications received after the first round of evaluations may be considered on a rolling basis or as part of another round of evaluations. Based on the evaluation of the concept papers, organizations may be invited by DAI to submit a full application based on their concept papers. Any question concerning this APS shall be submitted by e-mail to AVCgrants@dai.com no later than December 14, 2014 at 4:00 PM Dhaka Time.

All concept papers must be in English and shall be submitted electronically or hard copy (signed and stamped) no later than December 1, 2015 at 4:00 PM Dhaka Time.