Free State Province Orphans and Vulnerable Children Activity | RFI 674 23 FREESTATE

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI 674 23 FREESTATE

The Free State Province Orphans and Vulnerable Children Activity is a USAID-Pretoria request for information (RFI) focused on shaping and informing future programming for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in South Africa's Free State Province, with a strong connection to broader HIV epidemic control goals. Rather than being a call for full grant applications, this notice is designed as a listening and market research exercise: USAID is asking stakeholders and organizations to share practical input, ideas, and evidence-based suggestions about what effective OVC programming in Free State should look like, and to help USAID understand what capabilities already exist in the local and regional ecosystem.

A central purpose of the RFI is to map the capacity, experience, and technical strengths of organizations that are currently working, or could credibly work, in areas that support HIV epidemic control in Free State. In the OVC context, that usually includes services and approaches that reduce HIV risk and improve health and social outcomes for children and adolescents affected by HIV, poverty, and related vulnerabilities. The agency is essentially trying to identify who is doing relevant work, what models they use, where they operate, how strong their systems are, what gaps remain, and what partnerships or innovations could make programming more effective at scale in the province.

The opportunity is listed under the health activity category and is associated with CFDA number 98.001. The funding opportunity title is "Free State Province Orphans and Vulnerable Children Activity" and the opportunity number is RFI 674 23 FREESTATE. It is categorized as "Other" for both opportunity category and funding instrument type, which fits with it being an RFI rather than a standard cooperative agreement or contract solicitation. Importantly, the award ceiling is listed as 0 and expected awards are not specified, which reinforces that this is not a funded award announcement. The intent is information gathering to inform potential future procurement or assistance design.

Eligibility is broad and described as "Others," with explicit mention that responses are welcome from local entities as well as international and regional organizations, and across different organizational types such as commercial entities, public sector bodies, educational institutions, and non-profits. The notice also provides a detailed definition of a "local entity" in the South/Southern Africa context: an organization legally organized under the laws of South/Southern Africa, with its principal place of business or operations in South/Southern Africa, majority owned by citizens or lawful permanent residents of South/Southern Africa, and governed by a body majority composed of citizens or lawful permanent residents. Including this definition signals that USAID is paying close attention to local leadership and local institutional capacity as it considers how to structure OVC programming.

Key dates in the source data show the RFI was created on 2022-11-15 and had an original closing date of 2022-12-06. Because it is an RFI, organizations would typically respond with information such as: descriptions of relevant programs already implemented in Free State or similar settings, evidence of impact, technical expertise in OVC and HIV-related service delivery, staffing and management capacity, monitoring and evaluation approaches, safeguarding and child protection systems, referral networks, partnerships with government and community structures, and operational reach into priority districts. While the notice text provided here does not list specific response questions, the stated intent implies USAID is seeking actionable insights on what interventions are most needed, what delivery models work best in the provincial context, and what it would take for capable organizations to deliver quality services that contribute to HIV epidemic control outcomes.

In practical terms, the RFI can be read as an early step in program design: USAID is testing assumptions, identifying implementers and partners, and gathering field-informed recommendations before deciding whether and how to launch a future funded activity. Organizations responding would not be competing for an immediate award through this notice, but a strong RFI response can help position an organization as a knowledgeable stakeholder, highlight proven capabilities, and influence the direction, scope, and requirements of any subsequent solicitation related to OVC and HIV epidemic control in Free State Province.

• The South Africa USAID-Pretoria in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Free State Province Orphans and Vulnerable Children Activity" 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 2022-11-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-12-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for RFI 674 23 FREESTATE

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: