The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to fund a limited number of programs through the USAID/Malawi’s Economic Growth Functional Objective of improving conditions in biologically significant areas through community based natural resource management. The overall objective is to support Malawi’s rural poor in transforming management and protection of their natural resources and biologically significant areas from practices that degrade to approaches that revitalize and protect these important areas for the good of the society and future generations.

Information on this opportunity is available at www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=43185. The closing date for applications is Apr. 30, 2009.

Pending the availability of funding, USAID/Malawi anticipates awarding one or two grants or cooperative agreements to fund applications submitted in response to this APS. Each agreement will run from approximately May, 2009 until September, 2012. The total amount available for funding is $10 million. If two agreements are awarded; one agreement will receive a maximum individual amount of $7 million and a second with a minimum of $1 million and a maximum of $3 million. USAID reserves the right to fund one or more or none of the applications which may be submitted. Out of an estimated $10 million total award, USAID is planning an initial funding of approximately $955,000 for the programs for fiscal year 2009. The projects will be funded primarily through Biodiversity funding though will be supplemented with Agriculture funding pending future budget levels. Upon satisfactory evaluation of the projects at the end of the funding period, USAID/Malawi may make a determination to extend the project agreement(s) by a further 2 (two) years.