USAID LEBANON Request for Information for Initiative to Deliver Essential Assistance and Services (IDEAS) and Water Sanitation and Conservation (WSC) Programming | RFI 268 19 LDO 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI 268 19 LDO 01

This notice is a USAID/Lebanon Request for Information (RFI), not a grant competition or solicitation for funding. Issued on October 30, 2019 under RFI-268-19-LDO-01, it invites input from any interested organization to help USAID plan and shape two potential future activities in Lebanon: the Initiative to Deliver Essential Assistance and Services (IDEAS) and Water, Sanitation, and Conservation (WSC) programming. The core purpose is market research and design support: USAID is collecting ideas, perspectives, and practical information that can improve planning decisions and ultimately strengthen development results. The RFI is published under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 (market research) and FAR 15.201(e) (exchanges with industry for planning purposes), which is a standard way the U.S. Government gathers feedback before deciding whether, when, and how to launch a formal procurement or assistance opportunity.

The request emphasizes several important limits. It is not a Request for Proposals (RFP) and does not represent any promise that USAID will issue a future solicitation, provide funding, or make an award. USAID also states clearly that it will not pay for the time or costs of preparing an RFI response, and that any proposals or funding applications sent in response will not be reviewed or considered. In other words, the only thing USAID is seeking at this stage is information and comments that can inform program design. Responding is voluntary and does not create any right to claim compensation or any basis for claims against the U.S. Government related to USAID using the submitted information.

USAID encourages participation broadly. Eligibility is effectively unrestricted for purposes of providing information, and the notice explicitly invites responses from all types of organizations and firms. This is meant to widen the range of perspectives, including implementers, private sector actors, NGOs, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders who may have relevant on-the-ground experience related to essential services delivery, water and sanitation systems, or conservation approaches in Lebanon. The funding listing classifies the opportunity category as discretionary and the instrument type as "other" because an RFI is not itself a funding instrument. It is also associated with CFDA 98.001, which is the umbrella listing often used for USAID foreign assistance programs.

The notice lays out handling and confidentiality expectations in a way that is common for RFIs. All information submitted becomes USAID property, will not be returned, and will not be released publicly. USAID also reserves the right to use the information for its own purposes, including potentially incorporating some, all, or none of the feedback into later design documents or solicitations. At the same time, respondents are warned not to submit proprietary information. This combination matters: USAID is signaling that anything sent could influence future planning, but respondents should avoid including trade secrets or sensitive, proprietary content because the government is not offering protections for that kind of material in this context.

Operationally, the submission instructions are straightforward. Responses had to be submitted electronically, in English, using the format in "Annex 1." They were to be emailed to the Contracting Officer, Amy McQuade (amcquade@usaid.gov), with a copy to Joseph Kawal (jkawal@usaid.gov). The deadline was November 12, 2019 at 5:00 PM Beirut local time. The notice also reminds potential applicants that they are responsible for monitoring for any follow-on announcements, and that responding to the RFI does not provide any competitive advantage in any later procurement, which is meant to keep the process fair if USAID later launches a formal solicitation related to IDEAS or WSC.

Finally, the RFI incorporates FAR Clause 52.215-3, "Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes" (Oct 1997). That clause reinforces the main legal message of the announcement: this is purely for planning and market research, the government is not obligated to proceed with a solicitation or award, and respondents bear their own costs. The listing also shows no award ceiling and no expected number of awards, which aligns with the fact that an RFI is not an award-making action.

• The Agency for International Development in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USAID LEBANON Request for Information for Initiative to Deliver Essential Assistance and Services (IDEAS) and Water Sanitation and Conservation (WSC) Programming" 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 2019-10-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-11-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for RFI 268 19 LDO 01

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