USAID/Afghanistan Support for Higher Education | RFI 306 18 00001

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI 306 18 00001

The USAID/Afghanistan Support for Higher Education opportunity (RFI 306 18 00001) is a Request for Information issued by USAID-Kabul to gather ideas from the public on how to strengthen Afghanistan's higher education system. Rather than announcing a standard grant competition with defined activities, this notice is positioned as part of USAID's learning agenda and market research. The goal is to collect practical input on what has worked in prior USAID-funded higher education efforts, how those gains can be sustained over time, and what additional or alternative interventions might be needed to improve results.

USAID frames the purpose of its past and ongoing support around three linked outcomes. First, it has aimed to help produce more employable graduates by encouraging market-driven degree programs aligned with labor market needs. Second, it has invested in developing leadership and soft skills for both students and faculty, recognizing that technical knowledge alone is not enough for workplace success or for effective academic leadership. Third, it has supported the Ministry of Higher Education and public universities to strengthen the quality of university-level instruction, improve organizational and administrative capacity, and advance policy reform at the national system level. In short, the agency is interested not only in what happens in classrooms, but also in the institutional management and policy environment that determines whether quality improvements can last.

A central focus of the RFI is sustainability and next steps. USAID notes that it has learned from previous investments and now wants feedback on how to maintain achievements after program support ends, and what else should be added or changed to improve performance. The RFI references a chart (included in the full RFI document) that contrasts existing program activities with illustrative new or expanded interventions. Respondents are invited to comment on whether those illustrative interventions are likely to improve higher education delivery and impact, and to suggest modifications based on experience and evidence.

The agency organizes the discussion around three priority focus areas: access, quality, and management. Submissions can build on current efforts or propose different approaches, as long as they speak to one or more of those areas. USAID is also explicitly asking whether important elements are missing from the conversation about improving higher education in Afghanistan, and it invites additional ideas on topics specified in the RFI. This open-ended framing is meant to surface perspectives from universities, NGOs, private sector actors, researchers, and other stakeholders who can identify gaps, constraints, and promising solutions.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as discretionary and uses an "Other" funding instrument type, with the education activity category and CFDA number 98.001. Eligibility is unrestricted, meaning any type of organization may respond, subject to any eligibility clarifications contained in the official RFI text. The notice was created on May 15, 2018, with an original closing date of June 1, 2018. Although an award ceiling is listed as 1 and expected awards as 1, the document itself is an RFI, so the primary purpose is to collect information that may shape future programming rather than to directly fund a set of activities described in this notice.

• The Agency for International Development, Afghanistan USAID-Kabul in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USAID/Afghanistan Support for Higher Education" 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 15, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 01, 2018. (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 $1.00 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 RFI 306 18 00001

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