Date Issued:

Closing Date:
Closing Time:

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Thursday, February 12, 2015
4:00 PM EST

Reference:

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand
Challenge for Development (PAEGC) Second Global Innovation Call

Subject:

Request for Applications (RFA)

Solicitation Number: AID-SOL-OAA-00005

Dear Prospective Applicants:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Sweden,
Duke Energy Corporation, the Government of Germany, and the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation (OPIC) invite eligible organizations to respond to Powering Agriculture: An Energy
Grand Challenge for Development (PAEGC) Second Global Innovation Call.
This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is for a funding competition component of PAEGC,
designed to address barriers to increasing access to clean energy services within the agriculture
sectors of developing countries. The BAA describes the purpose of the program and the types of
activities that it will fund; indicates the process for preparing and submitting applications for
funding; and outlines criteria that will be used to evaluate the applications received. Through this
competition, PAEGC anticipates disbursing $10 - $20 million USD in award funding. Individual
awards are expected to be between $500,000 USD and $2,000,000 USD. The period of
performance for individual awards will be up to three years; the actual period of performance for
each award will be determined at the time of award. Awards made through this BAA may be in the
form of grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts, depending on the nature of the activities
proposed in the application. It is expected that between 10 and 20 individual awards will be issued
through this solicitation.
This BAA and any future amendments can be downloaded
from http://www.grants.gov and http://www.fbo.gov. Prospective Applicants that are unable to
retrieve the BAA from the Internet can request an electronic copy by e-mail
at PoweringAg@usaid.gov.
DUE DATE: Applications shall be received no sooner than Monday, December 8, 2014 and no
later than Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 4:00 PM EST via the Online Application Platform
accessed at: http://poweringag.org/call-innovations. Applicants should retain a copy for their
records any and all content and documents that they upload to the Online Application Platform.
QUESTIONS: Prospective Applicants who have questions concerning the contents of this BAA
shall submit them in writing no later than Monday, December 1, 2014 at 4:00 PM EST to the
following e-mail address: PoweringAg@usaid.gov
Issuance of this BAA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of USAID, nor does it
commit USAID or any of the other PAEGC contributing Partners to pay for costs incurred in the
1

preparation and submission of applications. Further, USAID reserves the right to reject any or all
applications received.
Sincerely,
//s//
Stephanie E. Fugate
USAID Contracting and Agreement Officer
Office of Acquisition & Assistance
M/OAA/SIDP/B, Special Initiatives and Development Partners

Table of Contents
Abbreviations and Acronyms5
Commonly Used Terms and Definitions...6
SECTION I. FUNDING DESCRIPTION.13
A.

Broad Agency Announcement..13

B.

Program Description.........................................................................................................13

B.1 Background14
B.2

Cross-cutting Critical Barriers...15

C.

PAEGC Global Innovation Call.....16

C.1

Global Innovation Call Funding Windows.16

C.2

Required Features of all Proposed Clean Energy Solutions.18

C.3

What Will Not Be Funded19

C.4

Acceleration Support19

SECTION II AWARD INFORMATION.22

A.

Authorizing Legislation...22

B.

Authorized Geographic Code..22

C.

Award and Administration Information...22

C.1

Award....22

C.2

Authority to Obligate the Government.22

C.3

USAID Management of Activities22

C.4

Award Administration...23

C.5

Program Profit and Income23

C.6

Funding Information..23

C.7

Period of Performance...23

C.8

Award Budgets..23

SECTION III APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY, COST-SHARE REQUIREMENTS, AND

SELECTION PROCESS...24
A.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements...24

B.

Applicant Cost-Share Requirements.24

C.

Applicant Selection Process..25

D.

Application Submission and Review Schedule.25

SECTION IV APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS27

A.

Points of Contact27

B.

Online Application Platform..27

B.1

Account Creation and Login..28

B.2

Indication of Non-Disclosure.28

B.3

Basic Applicant Information28

B.4

Stage 1: Concept Note Submission..29

B.5

Stage 2: Full Proposal Submission...30

B.6

Supporting Documentation..32

B.7

Stage 3: Presentation to the Innovator Evaluation Board33

SECTION V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION35

A.

Eligibility Screening.35

B.

Stage 1. Concept Note Evaluation35

C.

Stage 2. Full Proposal Review.36

SECTION VI. AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION.....................................39

A.

Additional Requirements.39

B.

Substantial Involvement...39

C.

Representations, Certifications and Administration by Type of Award Mechanism...39

D.

Intellectual Property..39

E.

Title and Rights in Property..41

F.

Branding & Marking Requirements..41

G.

Initial Environmental Examination (IEE).41

H.

Reporting Requirements...42

SECTION VII REFERENCE DOCUMENTS..43

SECTION VIII. APPENDICES44
A.

Appendix 1 Eligible Countries of Implementation .44

B.

Appendix 2 Online Budget Form.45

B.1 Online Budget Narrative Form45

C.

Appendix 3 Past Performance Requirements ..47

Abbreviations and Acronyms

ADA
ADS
AIDAR
AO
AOR
APS
BAA
CA
CCR
CFP
CFR
CO
COR
DUNS
DQA
EMMP
EST
EPA
FAR
FOG
FSN
GHG
IEE
IFB
IR
LOC
M&E
MB
OAA
OAP
OFAC
OMB
NGO
NICRA
PAEGC
PCA
PD
PDF
PMP
R&D
RF
RFA
RFQ
SF
TEC
USAID
USC
USD
USG
5

Americans with Disabilities Act

Automated Directives System
Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulations
Agreement Officer
Agreement Officer Representative
Annual Program Statement
Broad Agency Announcement
Cooperative Agreement
Central Contractor Registration
Call for Proposals
Code of Federal Regulation
Contracting Officer
Contracting Officers Representative
Data Universal Numbering System
Data Quality Assessment
Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan
Eastern Standard Time
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Acquisition Regulation
Fixed Obligation Grant
Foreign Service National
Greenhouse Gas
Initial Environmental Examination
Invitation for Bids
Intermediate Result
Letter of Credit
Monitoring and Evaluation
Megabyte
USAID/Washington's Office of Acquisition and Assistance
Online Application Platform
Office of Foreign Assets Control
Office of Management and Budget
Nongovernmental Organization
Negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement
Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development
Partner Contracted Audit
Program Description
Portable Document Format
Performance Management Plan
Research and Development
Results Framework
Request for Application
Request for Quotation
Standard Form
Technical Evaluation Committee
United States Agency for International Development
United States Code
United States Dollar
United States Government

Commonly Used Terms and Definitions

Within the context of this BAA, potential Applicants shall be aware that these definitions apply to
the following commonly-used terms:

Acquisition Award

Agribusiness

Agricultural Value
Chain

Agreement Officer
(AO)

The acquiring by contract with appropriated funds of supplies or services

(including construction) by and for the use of the US Federal Government
through purchase or lease, whether the supplies or services are already in
existence or must be created, developed, demonstrated, and evaluated.
Acquisition begins at the point when the USG agency needs are established and
includes the description of requirements to satisfy the agency needs, solicitation
and selection of sources, award of contracts, contract financing, contract
performance, contract administration, and those technical and management
functions directly related to the process of fulfilling the agency needs by
contract.
Source: FAR 1 2.101
The various commercial operators along the agricultural value chain (input
providers such producers of inputs (seeds/fertilizers, manufacturers agricultural
machinery); farmers; processors; distributors and marketing companies, traders
(importers, exporters, wholesale, retail).
The full range of participants and activities that move agricultural goods from a
farmers field to the end consumer. Activities within the agricultural value
chain include: input production or supply (i.e. seed, fertilizer, feed, etc.),
irrigation, production (i.e. planting crops, raising livestock), storage, transport,
processing (i.e. sorting, physical transformation, mixing, conserving,
packaging), wholesaling, marketing, retailing, waste management, etc.
The USAID representative with the authority to enter into, administer, terminate
and closeout Assistance Awards, and make related determinations and findings
on behalf of USAID. An Agreement Officer can only act within the scope of a
duly authorized warrant or other valid delegation of authority. The term
"Agreement Officer" includes persons warranted as "Grant Officers." It also
includes certain authorized representatives of the Agreement Officer acting
within the limits of their authority as delegated by the Agreement Officer.
Source: ADS 300 2

Agreement
Officers
Representative
(AOR)

The USAID representative who performs functions that are designated by the
Agreement Officer, or is specifically designated by policy or regulation as part
of the administration of an Assistance Award (grant or cooperative agreement).
Source: ADS 300

All terms sourced as Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) can be found online at USAID Policy website:
http://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/agency-policy
2
All terms sourced as Automated Directives System (ADS) can be found online in the Glossary of ADS Terms located
at: http://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/agency-policy/glossary-ads-terms

Apparently
Successful
Applicant(s)

The Applicant(s) for USAID funding recommended for an award after technical
evaluation, but who has not yet been awarded a grant, cooperative agreement,
contract or other Assistance/Acquisition Award by the Agreement/Contract
Officer. Apparently successful applicant status confers no right and constitutes
no USAID commitment to an award, which still must be obligated by the
Agreement Officer.
Source: ADS 303; 22 CFR 226.91 3

Applicant

Assistance Award

An entity/organization that has submitted an application for funding through this

solicitation, but has not yet been issued an award.
Financial support to accomplish a public purpose, including grants,
cooperative/collaboration agreements, and other agreements in the form of
money, or property in lieu of money, by USAID to an eligible recipient. The
term does not include technical assistance, the provision of services instead of
money; other assistance in the form of loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies,
or insurance; direct payments of any kind to individuals; or contracts which are
required to be entered into and administered under procurement laws and
regulations.
Source: ADS 300

Award

A form of implementing mechanism through which USAID transfers funds to

an implementing partner, generally selected through a competitive process
resulting in a contract, grant, or collaboration/cooperative agreement.
Source: ADS 303

Awardee

Broad Agency
Announcement
(BAA)

An entity/organization that has been selected to receive funding through this

solicitation in the form of an acquisition or assistance award.
A general announcement of an USG Agencys research interest including
criteria for selecting proposals and soliciting the participation of all offerors
capable of satisfying the Governments needs.
Source: FAR 2.101

Business Model

The manner by which an enterprise creates, delivers and captures value

profitably.

Clean Energy

Usable energy (i.e. electricity, illumination, heating/refrigeration,

mechanization) that is derived from renewable sources and supports a reduction
in fossil fuel use, increase in efficiency, and/or limitation of greenhouse gas
emissions. Clean energy sources include solar, hydro, wind, geothermal,
sustainably produced biomass, and biogas.

All terms sourced as Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) can be found online at: http://www.usaid.gov/who-weare/agency-policy/external-reference-links/cfr

Clean Energy
Services

The range of products and services that are derived from/associated with the
clean energy sector, including manufacturing, importing, distribution, servicing
and financing.

Clean Energy
Service Provider /
Clean Energy
Enterprise

A company or organization that sells clean energy technology, services, and/or

solutions to consumers on a sustainable basis in the near to mid-term.

Clean Energy
Solution

A combination of appropriate technology and business model that addresses the

clean energy demands of a selected market. This is synonymous with the term
innovation.

Collaboration
Agreement/ Public
Private Alliance

An agreement between two or more parties involving joint definition of a

development problem and shared contributions to its solution and is
characterized by a shared understanding of the development problem or issue; a
shared belief that collaboration will be more effective than any approach taken
by a single actor; a shared commitment of resources; significant use of limited
resources; and perhaps, most important, a willingness to share risks.
Source: ADS 202

Contract

Contractor

A mutually binding legal relationship obligating the seller to furnish the

supplies or services (including construction) and the buyer to pay for them. It
includes all types of commitments that obligate the USG to an expenditure of
appropriated funds and that, except as otherwise authorized, are in writing. In
addition to bilateral instruments, contracts include (but are not limited to)
awards and notices of awards; job orders or task letters issued under basic
ordering agreements; letter contracts; orders, such as purchase orders, under
which the contract becomes effective by written acceptance or performance; and
bilateral contract modifications. Contracts do not include grants and cooperative
agreements covered by 31 U.S.C. 6301, et seq.
Source: ADS 300
A non-government organization or individual acting as an agent of USAID and
carrying out a scope of work specified by USAID, or a for-profit or non-profit
organization that has a contract with USAID. The seller of the goods and/or
services. It includes both organizations and individuals.
Source: ADS 300

Contracting Officer
(CO)

A person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts
and make related determinations and findings. The term includes certain
authorized representatives of the Contracting Officer acting within the limits of
their authority as delegated by the Contracting Officer. A single Contracting
Officer may be responsible for duties in any or all of these areas.
Source FAR 2.101

Contracting
Officers
Representative
(COR)

Cooperative
Agreement

The USAID representative who performs functions which are designated by the
Contracting Officer, or are specifically designated by policy or regulation as
part of contract administration.
Source: ADS 300
A legal instrument used where the principal purpose is the transfer of money,
property, services or anything of value to the recipient in order to accomplish a
public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute and
where substantial involvement by USAID is anticipated.
Source: ADS 300
Documented mobilization/leveraging of non-USAID resources from the
recipient, and/or partner organization(s), private firms and institutions to
complement implementation of PAEGC activities at the country level. CostSharing may be demonstrated either through direct funding, beneficiary
contributions, in-kind assistance, or a combination thereof. Cost-Share
contributions may come from internal and/or external sources.

Cost-Share

Developing
Country/Advanced
Developing Country

Although contributions from non-US government entities are allowable and

count toward an Applicants External Cost-Share contribution, External CostShare may not be paid by the US Federal Government under another award except where authorized by Federal statute to be used for cost sharing or
matching. USAID does not apply its source and nationality requirements or the
restricted goods provision established in the Standard Provision "USAID
Eligibility Rules for Commodities and Services" to Cost-Share contributions.
Source: 22 CFR 226.23; ADS 303
A developing country means any country categorized by the World Bank as a
low or lower middle income country according to its gross national income per
capita. An advanced developing country means any country categorized by
the World Bank as an upper middle income country according to its gross
national income per capita, except for any such country in which USAID
provides assistance when the procurement is for USAID assistance to that
country (i.e., it is the cooperating or recipient country).
Although prospective Applicants may be based in any country that is not
prohibited 4, activities funded through PAEGC awards must be implemented in
developing and/or advanced developing countries. A complete listing of
developing countries and advanced developing countries as defined by
Geographic Code 937 is provided as Appendix 1 to this solicitation document
Source: ADS 310

As of the date of this BAA based on the Appropriations Act, USAID is prohibited from directly financing any assistance
or reparations for the governments of Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria. Please refer to Automated Directive System
(ADS) 310 entitled Source and Nationality Requirements for Procurement of Commodities and Services Financed by
USAID.

Energy Efficiency

A method, technology, and/or strategy for managing and restraining the growth
in energy consumption of appliances, buildings, as well as end-use applications
such as cooking or lighting.

FedBizOpps

The USG Federal website that posts all Federal procurement opportunities with
a value over $25,000. (www.fbo.gov)

Feed the Future

The USG global hunger and food security initiative (www.feedthefuture.gov)

Finalist

An entity/organization that has submitted an application for funding through this

solicitation, and received a top score during the Full Proposal stage of the
application evaluation process. Finalists are invited to deliver presentations of
their Clean Energy Solutions to the Innovator Evaluation Board through an inperson or video teleconference (VTC).

Food Security

Food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have
physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that
meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Founding Partner

Funding Window

Grant

Public and Private Sector entities that contribute financial and in-kind resources
to support PAEGC. At the time of this solicitation, the PAEGC Founding
Partners are: United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the
Government of Sweden, Duke Energy Corporation, the Government of
Germany, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

A funding level based on USAID requirements for Cost-Share (cash/cash

equivalent) or in-kind contribution and related to the nature of the activities
being proposed by the recipient in this BAA.

A legal instrument used where the principal purpose is the transfer of money,
property, services or anything of value to the recipient in order to accomplish a
public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by USG Federal statute and
where substantial involvement by USAID is not anticipated.
Source: ADS 300

Grants.gov

10

USG-wide website for grants interactions. The Grants.gov portal provides

grantees the ability to electronically find and apply for grants. (www.grants.gov)

Innovation/
Innovative

Innovation and innovative can describe a variety of concepts, from anything

new to something interesting or unexpected. At USAID, innovation refers to
novel business or organizational models, operational or production processes, or
products or services that lead to substantial improvements (not incremental
next steps) in addressing development challenges. Innovation may
incorporate science and technology but is often broader, to include new
processes or business models.
Innovation, whether in USAIDs own business processes or in identifying and
supporting novel approaches to development, can help produce development
outcomes more effectively, more cheaply, that reach more beneficiaries, and in
a shorter period of time.

Innovator

An entity/organization that has developed an innovative Clean Energy Solution

and has submitted an application for PAEGC funding. Regardless whether this
entity/organization has been selected for PAEGC funding, it may be referred to
as an Innovator.

Innovator
Evaluation Board

A standing panel of technical experts, business/financial specialists,

development experts, and researchers with extensive experience in clean energy
and agriculture technology to which Finalists present their Clean Energy
Solution proposals. The Presentation to the Innovator Evaluation Board is the
final stage in the solicitations awardee selection process.

Intervention

Market Driven

Offer

Awardees planned activities intended to increase agricultural productivity

and/or value through the use of clean energy in developing or emerging
countries.
Market driven means investment, production and distribution are determined by
supply and demand and reflected in freely set prices.
Offer means a response to a solicitation that, if accepted, would bind the offer
or to perform the resultant contract. Responses to invitations for bids (sealed
bidding) are offers called bids or sealed bids; responses to requests for
proposals (negotiation) are offers called proposals; however, responses to
requests for quotations (simplified acquisition) are quotations, not offers.
Source: FAR 2.101

Online Application
Platform

The online application platform defines the website that all Applicants will use
to submit an application to the Powering Agriculture solicitation
(www.PoweringAg.org/apply)

Scaling

Increasing the use of a technology or approach while maintaining or improving

effectiveness and affordability

Semi-Finalist

An entity/organization that has submitted an application for funding through this

solicitation, and received a top score during the Concept Note stage of the
application evaluation process. Semi-Finalists are invited to prepare and submit

11

Full Proposals, the next stage in the applicant evaluation process.

Solicitation

Statement of Work

Term used by the US Government to refer to the assorted means by which offers
or proposals are sought for government requirements and programs. Broad
Agency Announcements (BAAs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Invitations for
Bids (IFBs), Tenders, Requests for Applications (RFAs), Annual Program
Statements (APSs), and Requests for Quotes (RFQs) are all examples of types
of US Government solicitations.
Source: ADS 221
Also referred to as a work statement. A document that defines service contract
requirements in clear, concise language identifying specific work to be
accomplished. It must be individually tailored to consider the period of
performance, deliverable items, if any, and the desired degree of performance.
In the case of task order contracts, the statement of work for the basic contract
need only define the scope of the overall contract. Individual task orders must
define specific task requirements.
Source: FAR 37.602-1

Target Area of
Operation
Technical
Evaluation
Committee (TEC)

The target area of operation defines the primary geographic location and/or
market for project implementation and impact.
A collection of a technical evaluators that preform an analysis of each
offerors proposal with respect to the standards and criteria established in the
source selection plan, and as set forth in the solicitation
Source: ADS 300; 48 CFR 715.303-70

12

SECTION I. FUNDING DESCRIPTION

A. Broad Agency Announcement
A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is a solicitation method used for Research and
Development (R&D) efforts based on synopses published on FedBizOpps.gov and/or Grants.gov
that provide for full and open competition in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR 6.102(d)(2)). The BAA solicitation method used: (i) When the United States Government
(USG) desires new and creative solutions to problem statements, (ii) When using a conventional
statement of work could result in unintentionally stifling ideas and concepts given many possible
approaches, (iii) When fulfilling requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed
toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding rather than
focusing on a specific system or hardware solution, (iv) When the USG must be able to state its
objectives in terms of areas of need or interest rather than specific solutions or outcomes, (v) When
meaningful proposals with varying technical/scientific approaches are reasonably anticipated, and
(vi) When evaluation will be based on a peer or scientific review. Awards made through this BAA
may be in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and collaboration agreements depending on the nature of the submitting organization and the proposal.
B. Program Description
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Sweden,
the Government of Germany, Duke Energy Corporation, and the United States Overseas Private
Investment Corporation (OPIC) (collectively, the Founding Partners) have combined resources to
fund this BAA for Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development
(PAEGC). The objective of PAEGC is to support new and sustainable approaches to accelerate the
development and deployment of Clean Energy Solutions (CES) 5 for increasing agriculture
productivity and/or value in developing countries. Such solutions are those that integrate clean
energy technologies and innovative business models to: (i) Enhance agricultural
yields/productivity; (ii) Decrease post-harvest loss; (iii) Improve farmer and agribusiness income
generating opportunities and revenues; and/or (iv) Increase energy efficiency and associated
savings within the operations of farms and agribusinesses - while stimulating low carbon economic
growth within the agriculture sector of developing countries.
The Grand Challenge for Development (GCD) model is designed to focus global attention and
resources on specific, narrowly defined international development problems, and to promote
innovative approaches solving them. 6 GCDs encourage solutions that build on physical and social
science research and technological advancements, and aim to engage new actors that might
5

In the context of this solicitation, the term clean energy refers to usable energy (i.e. electricity, illumination,
heating/refrigeration, mechanization) that is derived from renewable sources and supports a reduction in fossil fuel use,
increase in efficiency, and/or limitation of greenhouse gas emissions. Clean energy sources include solar, hydro, wind,
geothermal, sustainably harvested biomass, and biogas. The term clean energy solution refers to the combination of
appropriate technology and business model that addresses the clean energy demands of a select market. This is
synonymous with the term innovation
6
PAEGC is the third in a series of six Grand Challenges for Development that USAID initiated with international
partners. The previous two Grand Challenges respectively focus on maternal and newborn health and early-age literacy:
(i) Saving Lives at Birth; and (ii) All Children Reading. The final three Grand Challenges focus on citizen
engagement & government responsiveness, addressing Ebola, and the water-food value chain respectively: (iii) Making
All Voices Count, Fighting Ebola, and Securing Water for Food. Further information about these initiatives can be
found online at: www.savinglivesatbirth.net , www.allchildrenreading.org , http://www.makingallvoicescount.org/,
http://www.ebolagrandchallenge.net/ and http://www.securingwaterforfood.org/.

13

otherwise not receive support through traditional international development programs. Importantly,
the model supports solutions with the potential to achieve scale in low resource settings by, among
other things, leveraging investment and financing.
B.1 Background
Historically and globally, agricultural intensification has been largely accompanied with the
increased use of energy inputs - particularly petroleum based products for electricity generation and
liquid fuel - to produce, process, and distribute agricultural products. In getting food from the farm
to the table, there are a number of energy intensive activities within agricultural value chains
including, but not limited to: (i) Pumping water and irrigating crops, (ii) On-farm mechanization,
(iii) Value-added processing, (iv) Refrigerated storage and transformation processes, and (v)
Transporting agricultural goods from the farm/market to end-consumers.
Due to the close relationship [that] exists between rising energy prices and the costs of agricultural
production, 7,8 the price volatility of energy services can adversely affect food insecure populations
- particularly those located in emerging economies and developing countries. There is a growing
concern that if the inexpensive supply of fossil fuels becomes unavailable in the future, options for
increasing food productivity may become severely limited. 9 Figure 1 shows the co-movement
between food prices and energy prices over time. 10,11
Figure 1: Food and Energy Prices over Time

OECD/FAO. (2008). OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, 2008-2017.

GIZ. (2011). Modern Energy Services for Modern Agriculture. A Review of Smallholder Farming in Developing
Countries
9
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2011). Energy-Smart Food for People and Climate:
Issue Paper. United Nations.
10
FAO. (2014). Food Price Index. 2014. www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/.
11
IndexMundi. Crude Oil Price Index. (2014). http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=crudeoil&months=120
8

14

By 2050, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects that an increase in
70 percent of 2005-2007 food production levels will be needed to meet the demand of a growing
world population expected to reach 9.6 billion people. 12,13 If left unchecked, and if current trends
continue, this significant agricultural intensification will result in an even greater demand for fossil
fuels worldwide. Such a path could contribute to greater food insecurity, and prominent increase in
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the agricultural sector 14.
While there is a growing recognition of challenges associated with energy intensive agriculture
operations, efforts made to date to address interrelated concerns of water usage, food
production/processing, and energy consumption have been rather fragmented and mono-sectoral in
focus. This isolated, siloed approach has resulted in a lack of coordination, and inconsistencies
between laws and regulatory frameworks within both sectors, 15 which may delay global efforts to
sustainably support climate-resilient agricultural intensification. However, the adoption of a
nexus approach that concurrently focuses on both sectors could enable better collaboration and
coordination among the numerous countries/donors that dedicate resources to energy and
agriculture programs. 16,17,18 A combined clean energy/agriculture approach could help maximize
the impact of finite energy resources to: (i) Increase farmers and agribusiness use of clean energy
technologies, (ii) Improve on-farm/agriculture processing energy efficiency, (iii) Introduce new
income generating opportunities in developing countries, (iv) Reduce food insecurity in vulnerable
regions, and (iv) Mitigate adverse climate change effects that stem from the agriculture sector.
PAEGC seeks to address the aforementioned concerns by supporting innovation within the
energy/agriculture nexus in emerging markets and developing countries where many farmers and
agribusinesses lack access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy services. As such, these farmers
and agribusinesses are less able to adopt sustainable agricultural techniques to increasing crop
yields, engage in opportunities for value-added processing, and benefit from broad-based,
environmentally-sound economic growth.
B.2 Cross-cutting Critical Barriers
In the context of the energy/agriculture nexus, PAEGC has identified four broad categories of
barriers that hinder the adoption and use of clean energy technologies within the agriculture sectors
of developing countries.

Limited Demand: In many locations, farmers and agribusinesses are not aware of
clean energy technologies that may assist them in enhancing the productivity, profitability,
and/or efficiencies of their operations. Though awareness is a necessary condition for
demand, prospective adoptees must also note clear, verified benefits to switching from longstanding agriculture practices to new methods/technologies.
12

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2009). How to Feed the World by 2050. United
Nations.
13
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). (2013). World Population Prospects: The
2012 Revision (http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Documentation/publications.htm)
14
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2011). Energy-Smart Food for People and Climate:
Issue Paper. United Nations.
15
United Nations World Water Assessment Programme. (2014). World Water Development Report 2014 Volume 1.
16
Scott, et.al. (2011). Policy and institutional dimensions of the waterenergy nexus. Energy Policy. (39). Pg. 6622
6630
17
Hoff, H. (2011). Understanding the Nexus. Background Paper for the Bonn 2011 Conference: The Water, Energy and
Food Security Nexus. Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm
18
United Nations. (2013). The Status of the Water-Food-Energy Nexus in Asia and the Pacific. Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific

15


Inappropriate Technology Design/Cost: Often, technologies that are readily
used in modern agriculture operations do not match the performance characteristics and/or
price points required in emerging markets. Technologies need to be appropriate for local
operating conditions and also affordable for the target users.

Few Commercially Replicable Business Models: Few examples exist of proven

business models that can be commercially replicated and/or adapted to link clean energy
enterprises with farmers and agribusinesses in relevant supply chains. There are even fewer
examples of profitable clean energy service companies in rural areas with resource
constrained customers. Moreover, the agriculture value chain itself is fragmented and has
generally not developed beyond trading of raw commodities as an investment asset class,
which makes it harder to develop and finance replicable commercially sustainable business
models.

Limited Access to Financing: The problems of risk and design are compounded
by lack of access to affordable credit to distributors of clean energy products and services
who then in turn cannot provide or direct customers to end user financing. Banks and other
financial institutions which may already skeptical about lending to farmers and
agribusinesses - are unfamiliar with clean energy products and services that frequently have
relatively high initial capital costs.
PAEGC is looking for innovative CESs that involve comprehensive approaches to overcoming one
or more of these aforementioned barriers that exist in the agriculture sectors emerging markets.
C. PAEGC Global Innovation Call
PAEGCs second Global Innovation Call is designed to source innovative technologies/business
models applicable to the clean energy/agriculture nexus. 19 Through this BAA, PAEGC is seeking
innovative approaches to effectively integrate new CESs within the agriculture sectors of
developing countries and emerging markets. PAEGC is agnostic in regards to the specific clean
energy technologies, target geographic locations, and target agriculture value chains proposed by
Applicants. However, all CESs proposed must demonstrate a prominent clean energy component,
prominent agriculture component, and a viable business model with an identified target market in a
developing country(ies).
Through this BAA, PAEGC anticipates disbursing up to $20 million USD in awards. Individual
awards are expected to range is from $500,000 to $2,000,000 USD. This range in award size is
reflective of an understanding that the financial and non-financial needs of prospective Applicants
will vary greatly according to the nature of their proposed activities, and the current state of
development of the solutions they are proposing to pursue. The actual value of individual awards
will be dependent on the need for financing, and the nature of the proposed activities. It is expected
that between 10 and 20 individual awards will be issued through this BAA.
C.1

Global Innovation Call Funding Windows

PAEGC recognizes that at different stages of development, prospective Applicants proposed

solutions will have different levels of risk, financial/technical needs, and evidence/data on which to
base their potential for impact and scale. For this reason, the PAEGC Global Innovation Call
19

Descriptions of the projects that PAEGC selected for funding through the first Global Innovation Call can be found at:
http://www.poweringag.org/2013-winners

16

channels resources through two separate Funding Windows tailored to support a portfolio of CES at
both: (i) the early stages of research and design; and (ii) at the later stage of product/business model
development to assist Clean Energy Solutions expand to commercial scale and/or replicate
successfully piloted solutions elsewhere.

Funding Window 1 Clean Energy Solution Design:

This Funding Window is for new clean energy technologies and business models that show
promise of being viable in supporting the objective of PAEGC, but have yet to demonstrate
their proven applicability in a developing country context through extensive field tests.
These Clean Energy Solutions, may be at the early stages of research and development
(R&D), and could benefit from PAEGC funding to refine/improve the design of the
technologies, establish proof of concept, pilot field tests, and adapt technologies/business
models for a new markets. All awards made through this Funding Window for early stage
development of Clean Energy Solutions will be up to $500,000 USD. All Applicants that
receive awards through this Funding Window are encouraged to demonstrate a Cost-Share
contribution of at least 15 percent (up to 75,000) of the total award value. 20

Funding Window 2 Clean Energy Solutions Scale-up/Commercial Growth:

This Funding Window is intended to support clean energy technologies and business models
that have been successfully piloted in a developing country/emerging market on a small
scale, and are now ready for market expansion and scaling-up. Funding Window 2
Applicants are those that have already demonstrated a viable technology and business
model, and are generating revenue in an existing market. It is expected that these solutions
will have already demonstrated technical feasibility and market acceptance, and that
Applicants will be able to provide evidence supporting these accomplishments.
These Applicants may seek PAEGC funding for commercial activities, including but not
limited to: adaptation of the innovation for larger scale production, market adoption, and
distribution. Awards made through this Funding Window will be between $500,000 USD
and $2,000,000 USD. The actual value of individual awards will be dependent on the need
for financing, and the nature of the proposed activities. All Applicants that receive awards
through this Funding Window shall demonstrate a 35 percent Cost-Share contribution.
Through this BAA, Applicants will apply for either Window 1 or Window 2 funding. Those
applications for Window 1 funding will only be evaluated against other Window 1 applications.
Likewise, Window 2 applications will be evaluated only against other Window 2 applications
PAEGC does not have a pre-determined ratio regarding the number of projects/amount of
funds/types of technology applications that will be channeled through the two Windows. However,
Applicants shall note that PAEGC is interested in funding a diverse portfolio, comprising CES that
are in various stages of development across different types of technology applications and business
models.
PAEGC shall be regarded by prospective Applicants as just one source of funding for a potential
project. Applicants shall not expect to have their entire project financed by PAEGC, nor shall they
drop components of a viable project design just because they are not funded by PAEGC. It is likely
that PAEGC funding will finance only a portion of a larger project design, in which case Applicants
20

Further discussion about what constitutes internal and external contributions in the context of this solicitation is
provided in Section III.

17

shall look to other sources of financing/technical assistance to raise the total amount of capital
needed. These other sources of financing/technical assistance will be supported through the
Applicants Cost-Share contributions to the projects. PAEGC awards are intended to help de-risk
projects to help them achieve more commercially acceptable levels of risk and returns and to
technically pilot/fine tune new promising CESs. PAEGC funding is meant to finance early stages of
projects that are difficult to finance commercially, with the intention to assist those Awardees reach
a project development phase that is easier to access conventional sources financing.
C.2

Required Features of all Proposed Clean Energy Solutions

Regardless of what Funding Window individual Applicants are interested, PAEGC expects the
following features to be reflected in all competitive applications for funding.

Strong Emphasis on the Clean Energy/Agriculture Nexus Approach:

Applicants must be able to describe how their Clean Energy Solution will have an impact on
both increasing use of clean energy/increasing energy efficiency & on increasing agriculture
production and/or value. All Applicants must have a clear plan on how they intend to
monitor/measure the impact(s) of their CES.

Promote User-Centered Design Not Technology for the Sake of Technology:

Many renewable energy/energy efficiency technologies that exist worldwide are not
accessible/known to farmers/agribusinesses in developing countries. PAEGC is looking to
support CES that are truly market-driven; Applicants must describe the specific developing
country agricultural market they are targeting, and articulate how their solutions meet an
existing market demand on the ground. Applicants must also describe how small-scale
farmers and small to medium scale enterprises (SMEs)/operators along the agricultural value
chain benefit from the proposed measures.

Support Low Emissions Development (LEDs) Growth:

Applicants must be able to describe how their Clean Energy Solution/innovation supports
low emissions economic growth and development amongst target end user groups. The
applications must describe in what manner the adoption of their proposed CES will
contribute to indicators that PAEGC uses to monitor the results of global climate change
mitigation/adaptation efforts GHG emission reduction, increased investment in climate
change mitigation/adaptation activities, clean energy generation, and/or energy efficiency.

Support for Gender Equality:

Applicants must be able to show how their CES will contribute to reducing gender
disparities in access to, control over and benefit from clean energy resources, wealth,
opportunities and services: economic, social, political, and cultural. In this regard,
Applicants must familiarize themselves with USAIDs Gender Equality and Female
Empowerment Policy 21

Have a Local Presence and Develop Market-Driven Partnerships:

Applicants must have a presence in the country(ies) in which they propose to work or at
21

USAIDs Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy can be found at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pdact200.pdf

18

least one local partner in the country(ies). Prior developing country experience with the
proposed clean energy solutions and/or agricultural segment chosen and/or
delivery/distribution/financing models is preferred, including in the chosen country(ies).
We also encourage applicants to develop market-driven partnerships that can help clean
energy solutions/innovations achieve economies of scale.

Integrated Use of Grant Funding:

Applicants must communicate in what way that PAEGC grant funding will be integrated
into an established business plan. Regardless of the their proposed CES development stage,
Applicants must demonstrate why grant funding as opposed to other sources of financing
is the most effective means to fill an identified funding gap in their business model. Rather
than regarding grant funding as free money, it shall be regarded as resource that will assist
the Applicant in further developing its CES so that it is better positioned to attract other
sources of financing after the PAEGC grant funding has expired.
C.3

What Will Not Be Funded

It is important for Applicants to note that there are certain types of activities that are not eligible for
funding through this PAEGC solicitation. These include:
Project ideas that are managed from or include activities to be implemented in ineligible
countries 22
Approaches that reinforce harmful gender norms;
Approaches that reinforce harmful environmental or social practices;
Activities focused on research and development for a product without a clearly defined
market demand or credible commercialization prospects;
One-off renewable energy installations or pilot projects to support proven technologies for
proven applications - unless they include an innovative component(s) that clearly outline
realistic potential for replication and/or ability to achieve commercial scale;
Projects that are based solely on fossil fuel-based generation technologies. Please note:
Hybrid technologies that couple fossil fuel-based power generation with clean energy
generation are acceptable;
Projects focused on increase in utilization of mechanized agriculture utilizing fossil fuelbased technologies
Projects that jeopardize the resiliency of agricultural practices or sustainable supply chains;
and
While it is understood that policy and trade reforms are often critical for technology
development/deployment and for increasing energy access, such issues are better addressed
through more conventional international development programs and/or bi-/multi-lateral
and/or para-statal negotiations. Thus, proposed remedial interventions of this nature will not
be eligible for funding.
C.4

Acceleration Support

After award, a third party/ies funded by the Founding Partners will offer limited acceleration
support in the form of online training and group skills development to all Finalists (those invited
for face-to-face interviews). More in-depth acceleration support from this third party/ies will be
offered to Awardees only. The level of support provided to awardees will be optional and will
depend on the needs and stage of the Awardee. This support may include advisory services,
22

Please see Appendix 1 for a list of eligible countries

19

technical services, and partnership facilitation. Supply side interventions may include: improving
the innovation, capacity building of the management team, improving distribution models, gaining
operational efficiency, and expanding access to capital to finance the growth strategy. Demandside interventions may include: improving market linkages, securing contracts, building
partnerships, enabling penetration of new markets, and support in attracting a growing customer
base. If Finalists/awardees are not interested in receiving accelerator support through PAEGC,
then they will not be required to participate.
Awardees will have the option to work with an Acceleration Facilitator to create a work-plan that
identifies relevant and specific services from the acceleration support program. These services
should directly complement the innovators ability to reach technical and financial milestones.
The Acceleration Facilitator will either be a USAID staff member with a background in marketdriven sustainable development from one of the Founding Partners, or a representative of an
outside incubator or accelerator.
While all acceleration support will be needs-based and tailored to the innovator, we anticipate that
the third party/ies will offer three broad sub-programs, described below. Services under each of
the sub- programs will, ideally, be provided by existing and proven accelerators, incubators,
industry experts, and recognized business development service providers. If there are specific
services that an innovator requires that are outside of these sub-programs, we will do our utmost
to provide them.
The three sub-programs are envisioned to include:
a. Biz-Tech Development Services: The Acceleration Facilitator may provide access to
prequalified firms and consultants who can provide the services identified in the
innovators acceleration work-plan. These services may include access to technology and
engineering, pricing, human resource management, marketing, IT, legal, procurement,
supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution experts and business model innovation
advisory services.
b. Investment Facilitation:
Investment-preparedness workshops. The Acceleration Facilitator may help prepare
innovators to successfully attract capital partners. Innovators may participate in
investment workshops with successful entrepreneurs, investors, other capital
providers, and lawyers to help them analyze their growth strategy and determine
capital requirements. In addition, the workshops will help innovators develop their
pitches and prepare for questions from potential investors.

20

Investors circles. The Acceleration Facilitator may help bring together investors and
select innovators for structured pitch presentations. Grant, debt and equity capital
providers will be invited, depending on the needs of the innovators. Additionally, s/he
may invite relevant corporations to catalyze product development, licensing
agreements, mergers, acquisitions, etc., as appropriate.

Deal management. The Acceleration Facilitator may integrate feedback from the
investors circles into the acceleration work plan and support the innovators to address
identified challenges and prepare for future rounds of investment pitches. The
Acceleration Facilitator may also track potential interest from the investors and
support the innovators to respond and follow-up during diligence and negotiation
process.

c. Market Partnership Facilitation: The Acceleration Facilitator may facilitate market

linkages and help build partnerships. Where relevant, the Acceleration Facilitator may
help awardees (especially Funding Window 2 awardees) secure contracts, penetrate
multiple markets, and build and serve a growing customer base. Services will include:

21

Sales and business development. The Acceleration Facilitator may provide access to
advisors and build capacity around sales and new business development.

Partnership development. The Acceleration Facilitator may work with awardees, and
prequalified firms and consultants to support the creation of partnerships with
manufacturers, distributors and other B2B partners, donors, civil society
organizations, local governments, etc. to facilitate uptake of the innovation and
thereby growth of the business

International marketing. The Acceleration Facilitator may facilitate winning

innovators participation at international conferences (e.g. trade shows, technology
fairs).
[END SECTION I]

SECTION II AWARD INFORMATION

A. Authorizing Legislation
The authorizing legislation for this Award is the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as Amended, and
the award is subject to 22 CFR 226 Administration of Assistance Awards to U.S. NonGovernmental Organizations. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) may apply.
B. Authorized Geographic Code
The authorized geographic code for source and nationality of Applicants is 935 defined as any area
or country including the recipient country, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source.
The authorized geographic code for country of implementation is 937 defined as the United States,
the recipient country, and developing countries other than advanced developing countries, but
excluding any country that is a prohibited source. A complete listing of developing countries and
advanced developing countries as defined by Geographic Code 937 is provided as Appendix 1.
As of the date of this BAA based on the Appropriations Act, USAID is prohibited from directly
financing any assistance or reparations for the governments of Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria.
Please refer to Automated Directive System (ADS) 310 entitled Source and Nationality
Requirements for Procurement of Commodities and Services Financed by USAID.
C. Award and Administration Information
C.1 Award: Although there are multiple international government and private sector partners
contributing financial and technical resources to PAEGC , all awards made through this
competition will be issued and administered by USAID. USAID may (i) reject any or all proposals,
(ii) accept more than one proposal, and (iii) waive informalities and minor irregularities in
proposals received.
Awards made through this BAA may be in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, contracts,
and collaboration agreements - depending on the nature of the submitting organization and the
proposal. A USAID Contract and Agreements Officer (CO/AO) will determine the appropriate
award instrument for the selections resulting from this solicitation. Grants and cooperative
agreements will be subject to the provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as Amended,
and the award is subject to 22 CFR 226 Administration of Assistance Awards to U.S. NonGovernmental Organizations. Contract awards will be subject to the provisions of the Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the USAID FAR Supplement
(see http://transition.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf). Collaboration agreements will be subject
to the policies in AAPD 04-16.
The USG may make an award on the basis of initial proposals received, without discussions.
Therefore, each initial proposal must contain the Applicants best terms from a technical and cost
standpoint.
C.2
Authority to Obligate the Government: The CO/AO is the only individual authorized to
commit the USG to the expenditure of public funds. No costs chargeable to the proposed Award
may be incurred before receipt of either a fully executed Award or a specific, written authorization
from the CO/AO.
C.3
USAID Management of Activities: The CO/AO shall serve as the primary agreement
contact between USAID and the recipient of the Award. The Contract and Agreement Officers
22

Representative (C/AOR) will serve as the primary technical contact between USAID and the
recipient of the Award.
C.4
Award Administration: Award administration will be determined at time of award based
on the mechanism chosen by the CO/AO.
C.5
Program Profit and Income: Applicants seeking information about program profit and
program income or other issues regarding USAIDs administration of assistance awards shall
consult 22 CFR 226 and for acquisition awards shall consult the FAR and AIDAR for applicable
regulations.
C.6
Funding Information: Funds may be provided in increments subject to availability of
funds, successful implementation and continued relevance to USAID. USAIDs obligation to make
awards is contingent upon the availability of sufficient appropriated and partner funds from which
payment can be made and the receipt of proposals that USAID determines are acceptable for Award
under this BAA.
C.7
Period of Performance: The period of performance for new Awards for proposals
submitted in response to this BAA is up to three years from date of Award. Any period of
performance must be justified in the proposal.
C.8
Award Budgets: The estimated ceiling for this BAA is $10-20 Million USD. Subject to
the availability of funds, the individual Award(s) will range from $500,000- $2,000,000. Further
information about factors that will determine the funding level of individual awards is provided in
Section III. It is anticipated that 10 20 proposals will be funded.
[END SECTION II]

23

SECTION III APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY, COST-SHARE REQUIREMENTS, AND

SELECTION PROCESS
A. Applicant Eligibility Requirements
Applicants from any category of organization or institution, US or non-US 23, are welcome to
respond to this solicitation. Specific categories of organizations and institutions and entrepreneurs
that are welcome to respond include, but are not limited to: educational, industrial, and not-forprofit and for-profit organizations, faith-based, foundations, academic institutions, civic groups,
regional organizations, vendors, start-ups, and project developers.
Government entities and individuals are not eligible to apply for funding. For the purposes of this
BAA, publicly-funded universities or universities with government affiliations are not considered
government entities. Applicants are allowed to submit multiple applications to this solicitation on
behalf of the organization(s) that they represent.
USAID welcomes proposals from organizations which have not previously received funding from
USAID or the other PAEGC Founding Partners. However, entities that have previously received
funding from PAEGC Founding Partners in any capacity including through PAEGCs first Global
Innovation Call are also eligible to apply. Successful Applicants will be subject to a responsibility
determination issued by a warranted Contracting Officer/Agreement Officer (CO/AO) in USAID.
Responsibility determinations review an Applicants financial management, monitoring and
evaluation, internal control systems, and policies and procedures to ensure compliance with
established USG standards, laws, and regulations.
The CO/AO may determine a pre-award survey is required and if so, would establish a formal
survey team to conduct an examination that will determine whether the prospective recipient has
the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills
or ability to obtain them in order to achieve the objectives of the program.
B. Applicant Cost-Share Requirements
The level of funding awarded to individual selected Applicants will be dependent on: (i) The
Funding Window to which they are applying and (ii) The nature of the activities they are planning
to implement with PAEGC funding. As illustrated in Table 2 below, the value of individual
Window 1 awards will be up to $500,000; the value of individual Window 2 awards will be
between $500,000 and $2,000,000.
Additionally, for each award made, the Applicants must demonstrate some level of Cost-Share
contribution. The required minimum monetary value the Cost-Share contribution is expressed as a
percentage of the total award value, and varies according to the two different Funding Windows.
Window 1 Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate a Cost-Share contribution of at least 15
percent of the total award value; Window 2 Applicants shall demonstrate a minimum Cost-Share
contribution of 35 percent of the total award value. Cost-Sharing may be demonstrated either
through direct funding, beneficiary contributions, in-kind assistance, or a combination thereof.
Cost-Share contributions may come from internal or external sources. Examples of internal
23

As of the date of this BAA based on the Appropriations Act, USAID is prohibited from directly financing any
assistance or reparations for the governments of Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria. Please refer to Automated Directive
System (ADS) 310 entitled Source and Nationality Requirements for Procurement of Commodities and Services
Financed by USAID.

24

contributions could include the value of salaries for staff, goods, and/or services that the Applicant
will donate to the project, or self- investment in project activities. Examples of external
contributions include the value of time donated by technical or business experts and technology,
communications, or fixed capital assets as well as private equity/debt investments, an advance
purchase order, a share of royalties, rights in the technology, a percentage of profit, or any other
similar combination thereof. Resource-sharing from non-US publically-funded programs could also
qualify. However, resources from another US Federal Government program may not be
counted towards a Cost-Share contribution. In the Full Proposal stage of the evaluation process,
Applicants will be asked to describe the nature of their Cost-Share, and the manner in which that
contribution has been monetized and can be verified.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to refer to ADS Chapter 303 24 and 22 CFR 226.23 25 to review
the standards and criteria that must be met in order for resources to be considered by USAID as
Cost-Share contributions. USAID does not apply its source and nationality requirements or the
restricted goods provision established in the Standard Provision "USAID Eligibility Rules for
Commodities and Services" to Cost-Share contributions. Table 2 summarizes the Cost-Share
requirements for the two Funding Windows.
Table 2: PAEGC Funding Window Award Value and Cost-Share

Funding Window
Window 1 Clean Energy
Solution - Design
Window 2 Clean Energy
Solution ScaleUp/Commercial Growth

Award Value

Cost-Share

Up to $500,000

up to15 percent of award value (up to

$75,000)

$500,000 $2,000,000

35 percent of award value (Required)

C. Applicant Selection Process

After applications have been screened initially for eligibility and completeness, there are three
stages to the PAEGC Applicant selection process: (Stage 1) Concept Note Submission, (Stage 2)
Full Proposal Submission, and (Stage 3) Presentation to Innovator Evaluation Board (IEB).
Applicants who are deemed ineligible or who submit incomplete applications will not progress
through the selection process. Section IV provides detailed guidance regarding the proposal
submission process and what information is required from the Applicants at each stage of the
selection process. Section V describes the evaluation criteria that will be used at each stage of the
selection process.

Stage 1: Concept Note Submission:

For the first stage of the selection process, PAEGC invites Applicants from any eligible country to
submit through the OAP basic information about their organization, and a 600-word Concept Note
that succinctly describes their CES, and why it is appropriate from PAEGC Funding. All applicants
are asked to respond to two questions that relate to: (i) Innovation; and (ii) Relevance to Clean
Energy/Agriculture Nexus. Funding Window 1 Applicants are asked to respond to an additional
24

Content related to Cost-Share contributions in ADS Chapter 303 can be found at:
http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf
25
Content related to Cost-Share contributions in 22 CFR 226.23 can be found at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR2011-title22-vol1/xml/CFR-2011-title22-vol1-part226.xml#seqnum226.23

25

third question that relates to: (iii.a) Market Potential. Funding Window 2 Applications are asked to
respond to an additional third question that relates to (iii.b) Potential to Scale. For each individual
question, the response is limited to 200 words. The responses to these three questions will
comprise the Concept Notes of the Applicants, and will be reviewed by the Stage 1 Technical
Evaluation Committee (TEC) 26 against a standard set of criteria, and given a score. The Stage 1
evaluation criteria and the weighting methodology that will be applied - are presented in Section
V of this BAA.

Stage 2: Full Proposal Submission:

Following evaluation of the Concept Notes, PAEGC will invite those Applicants that received the
highest scores (the Semi-Finalists) to submit a 10 page Full Proposal and associated supporting
documentation. Similar to the Concept Note stage, all Full Proposals will be evaluated against a
standard set of criteria, and given a score. At this stage in the selection process, Semi-Finalist
Applicants will also be asked to submit: (i) An illustrative budget, outlining their expected
expenditures throughout the performance of the award - as well as the internal/external sources of
their Cost-Share contributions; (ii) Letters of commitment from any partners in their consortia; (iii)
Resumes/CVs of their proposed key personnel; and (iv) Past Performance Reference sheets that
outline their experience to date managing projects with a relevant focus. The Stage 2 TEC will
review the Full Proposals against a standard set of evaluation criteria, and give each a score. The
Stage 2 evaluation criteria and the weighting methodology that will be applied - are presented in
Section V of this BAA.

Stage 3: Presentation to Innovator Evaluation Board (IEB):

PAEGC will invite those Applicants whose Full Proposals received the highest scores (the
Finalists) to present their CES to an Innovator Evaluation Board (IEB) - a panel of technical
experts, business specialists, sustainable development experts, and researchers experienced in clean
energy and agriculture technology. Prior to delivering their presentations, the IEB may contact the
Finalists to ask them to provide further clarification about certain aspects of their proposed
activities and implementation plans, The presentations to the IEB will either be conducted through
in-person or video teleconferences (VTC) interviews. Through this process, PAEGC will determine
which Applicants will receive funding through this BAA.
D. Application Submission and Review Schedule
At the release of this BAA, it is expected that the application submission and review schedule will
proceed as follows:
December 1, 2014:
Deadline for submitting questions regarding the BAA
February 12 , 2015: Deadline for Applicants to submit PAEGC Concept Notes
September 2015:
PAEGC Awards are issued to top Finalist Applicants
Dates presented above are subject to change. If there are any changes to this schedule, all
Applicants/potential Applicants will be informed through an amendment to this BAA published
on www.FedBizOps,gov, www.grants.gov, and the PAEGC website www.PoweringAg.Org.
[END SECTION III]

26
It is anticipated that the composition of the TEC and IEB will include members from USAID, SIDA, GIZ, OPIC, Duke
Energy, technical experts, business specialists, sustainable development experts, and researchers. Technical and business
specialists may include individuals under contract to the Powering Agriculture Support Task Order implemented by Tetra
Tech. All TEC and IEB members are required to sign non-disclosure agreements.

26

SECTION IV APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Points of Contact
This BAA is administered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The primary points of contact for this BAA are as follows, who can both be reached at:
PoweringAg@usaid.gov.
Stephanie Fugate, Agreement/Contracting Officer
Tameka J. Laws, Agreement/Contracting Officer
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Questions and Answers: Questions regarding this BAA must be submitted no later than 4:00PM
EST on Monday, December 1, 2014 to the email address: PoweringAg@usaid.gov to provide
sufficient time to address the questions and incorporate the questions and answers as an amendment
to this solicitation (if necessary). All questions must be submitted in English. Verbal explanations
or instructions given before the issuance of an Award will not be binding. Any information given to
a prospective Applicant concerning this BAA will be furnished promptly to all other prospective
Applicants as an amendment to this BAA, if that information is necessary in submitting proposals
or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other prospective Applicant.
B. Online Application Platform
All Concept Notes and Full Proposals (if requested) and supporting documentation from Applicants
will be submitted through the PAEGC Online Application Platform (OAP) found
at: http://poweringag.org/call-innovations. Complete instructions regarding how to register as an
Applicant and submit applications are provided on the website. Proposals submitted via post,
facsimile, or e-mail will not be accepted.
If an Applicant experiences any technical difficulties with submitting an application through the
OAP, the Applicant should send an e-mail to tlaws@usaid.gov.
All applications received by the submission deadline will be reviewed for responsiveness to the
specifications outlined in this solicitation. Applicants must ensure that their applications are
received by USAID in their entirety. No additions or modifications to the applications will be
accepted after submission deadline stated in this solicitation. USAID bears no responsibility for
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic
submissions.
NOTE: All application content and supporting documentation must be submitted in English.
Applicants should retain for their records a copy of all information and documentation that they
input/upload to the OAP. It is the Applicants responsibility to ensure that files are complete and
transmitted by the deadline. The Applicant bears full responsibility for data errors or omissions.
Following are the instructions that are to be followed for submitting applications to the PAEGC
OAP, and an outline of the three stages of the Applicant selection process: (i) Concept Note
Submission; (ii) Full Proposal Submission; and (iii) Presentation to the Innovator Evaluation Board
(IEB). All eligible Applicants are invited to submit Concept Notes. Only those Applicants whose
Concept Notes are evaluated the most favorably and given the highest scores will be invited to
submit Full Proposals. Only those Applicants whose Full Proposals are evaluated the most
favorably and given the highest scores will be invited to present their CES to the IEB.
27

B.1

Account Creation and Login

Upon first visiting the OAP, the Applicant will be asked to create an account. On this initial page,
the Applicant will be asked to provide a: (i) Full Name and Position Title; (ii) Username; (iii)
Password (selected by Applicant); and (iv) E-mail address. The Applicant will subsequently receive
an e-mail and asked to activate the account and login using the Username and Password they
provided. Once they have created an account, Applicants will be able to submit more than one
application on behalf of the organization(s) that they represent.
B.2

Indication of Non-Disclosure

Upon first logging in to the OAP, and prior to submitting any information about their organization
or proposed CES, the Applicant will be asked to agree to a statement of non-disclosure. Applicants
that include data/information in their applications that they do not want disclosed to the public for
any purpose or used by the USG except for this solicitations evaluation purpose, shall indicate so
through the OAP, and mark as instructed the box that references the following text:
This application includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the U.S. Government and shall
not be duplicated, used, or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than to evaluate
this application. If, however, a grant is awarded to this Applicant as a result of or in connection
with the submission of this data, the U.S. Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or
disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting grant. This restriction does not limit the U.S.
Governments right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source
without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets and, mark each sheet
of data it wished to restrict with the following legend: Use or disclosure of data contained on this
sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this application.
B.3

Basic Applicant Information

Applicants are asked to submit the following information about their organization and the CES for
which they are seeking PAEGC funding. This information will be submitted to the OAP through a
combination of drop-down menus and text input fields.
a.

Name and full address of Applicant - including country where Applicant is incorporated or
registered.

b.

Type of organization/firm (e.g., for-profit, non-profit, academic institution, etc.).

c.

Point of Contact information (name, position title, phone number, fax number, e-mail
address) of individual preparing application.

d.

Names of other organizations/firms that are partnering organizations in the proposal. Where
joint partnerships include innovators from developing countries, we encourage the
partnership to designate the developing country partner as the primary Applicant.

e.

Size of organization in terms of employed staff (for partnerships and consortia, list the
combined total staff).

f.

Descriptive title of CES (project) being proposed.

g.

Country(ies) where PAEGC-funded activities are proposed to be implemented

28

h.

Specific agricultural value chain(s) and point in value chain where the proposed Clean
Energy Solution will be integrated. These value chains may include, but are not limited to:
staple crops, horticulture dairy, meat, aquaculture, agro-forestry products, etc.

i.

Broad category of technology chosen for the proposed Clean Energy Solution which
could include one or more of the following: solar, wind, biomass, waste, hydro,
geothermal, tidal, and energy efficiency.

j.

Funding Window being applied (Window 1: Clean Energy Solution Design; Window 2:
Clean Energy Solution - Scale-Up/Commercial Growth).

B.4

Stage 1: Concept Note Submission

The Concept Notes submitted by the Applicants will consist of responses that they provide to
standard questions that are presented in the OAP. Both Window 1 and Window 2 Applicants that
are asked to provide 200-word responses to two standard questions that relate to: (i) Innovation;
and (ii) Relevance to Clean Energy/Agriculture Nexus.
Applicants that are applying for Window 1 funding are asked to provide a 200-word response to a
third question that relates to: (iii.a) Market Potential. Applicants that are applying for Window 2
funding are asked to provide a 200-word response to a third question that relates to (iii.b) Potential
for Scale. All responses are to be entered into using text input fields that are embedded in the OAP.
For Window 1 Applicants, the response to the Innovation Question will be scored on a scale from
0 10, and the responses to the Relevance to Clean Energy/Agriculture Nexus Question and
Market Potential Question will be scored on a scale of 0- 5 each. The highest possible score
Window 1 Applicants can receive is 20.
For Window 2 Applicants, the response to the Potential for Scale Question will be scored on a
scale from 0 10, and the responses to the Innovation Question and the Relevance to Clean
Energy/Agriculture Nexus Question will be scored on a scale of 0- 5 each. The highest possible
score Window 2 Applicants can receive is 20.
All of the Window 1 Concept Notes will only be evaluated against other Window 1 Concept Notes.
All of the Window 2 Concept Notes will only be evaluated against other Window 2 Concept Notes.
The evaluation criteria that will be used to score the responses received are included in Section V.

Innovation Question: What is your proposed Clean Energy Solution and how it is
remarkably different from currently available technologies, applications of
technologies, business models, and/or practices? (200 words)
(10 points for Window 1 Applicants; 5 points for Window 2 Applicants)

Relevance to Clean Energy/Agriculture Nexus Question: In what measurable

manner will your proposed Clean Energy Solution contribute to increasing
agriculture productivity and/or value in developing countries? (200 words)
(5 points for Window 1 Applicants, 5 points for Window 2 Applicants)

Only Funding Window 1 Applicants are asked to provide a response to the following third
question:

29

Market Potential Question: What is your target market(s) for the proposed Clean
Energy Solution and how will PAEGC resources be used to support the distribution,

maintenance, and commercialization of this proposed Clean Energy Solution? (200

words) (5 points for Window 1 Applicants)
Only Funding Window 2 Applicants are asked to provide a response to the following third
question:

Potential for Scale Question: In what manner will you be able to leverage PAEGC
resources to bring your Clean Energy Solution to a significantly expanded scale?
(200 words) (10 points for Window 2 Applicants)

Every Concept Note received will be independently reviewed by at least three Evaluators. The
Evaluators will give a numerical score for each response. The average of the total scores given by
each Evaluator will account for the score of the Applicants Concept Note.
B.5

Stage 2: Full Proposal Submission

Those Applicants whose Concept Notes received the highest scores will be invited to submit a Full
Proposal and supporting documents through the OAP. The Full Proposal is meant to provide
evaluators with in-depth information about the Applicants CES and their implementation plan.
Every Applicant regardless of Funding Window being pursued will upload a 10-page Full
Proposal in PDF format that does not exceed ten MB in size.
The Full Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria: (i) Innovation and Relevance;
(ii) Project Design/Technical Approach; (iii) Business/Financial Viability; and (iv) Operational
Capacity. All Applicants are required to use these criteria as section headings in their Full
Proposals. For both Window 1 and Window 2 Applicants, all evaluation criteria are weighted
equally. Each evaluation criteria is worth a total of 5 points and will be scored on a scale of 0- 5
each. The highest score a Full Proposal can receive is 20 points. It is up to the individual
Applicant to determine how many words/pages they would like to allocate in the Full Proposal to
each evaluation criteria/section heading. Applicants may include charts/images/schematics in their
Full Proposal, but they are to be included within the 10 page limit. Cover pages are not necessary.
Applicants need not include CVs/resumes of key personnel or budget information as part of the 10
pages these will be uploaded/entered separately as supporting documents. The evaluation criteria
that will be used to score the Full Proposals are described in Section V of this BAA. Full
Proposals that exceed 10 pages in length and/or do not use the stated evaluation criteria as
section headings will not be reviewed.
a.
Innovation and Relevance
The Applicant is asked to describe its Clean Energy Solution and the specific manner in which it
will advance the objective of PAEGC.
Under this heading of their Full Proposals, Applicants must clearly address the following:

Why the proposed CES is considered as innovative and/or transformative in the proposed
area of implementation?

How the CES is notably different and better than available technologies, business models,
and or practices?

What are the specific barrier(s) to clean energy technology adoption that the CES will
address?

In what manner will the CES will lead to a measurable increase in productivity, agricultural
yields, increase in income/livelihoods for farmers or other beneficiaries, sustainable
agriculture practices, and/or other benefits of agricultural value chain activities in
developing countries?
30

In what manner will the CES measurably contribute to USAID Global Climate Change
mitigation/adaptation efforts 27: GHG emissions reduction, increased investment in climate
change mitigation/adaptation, clean energy generation, and/or energy efficiency?

b.
Project Design/Technical Approach
The Applicant is asked to describe what concrete result(s) PAEGC funding will enable them to
achieve, and what are the associated steps that need to be taken over the three years of funding to
achieve these results.
Under this heading of their Full Proposals, Applicants must clearly address the following:

What is the stated definition of success of the proposed CES and what are the tangible
result(s) will be achieved after three years?

What are the various stages of implementation of the proposed CES, and what are
measurable results that will be achieved at the completion of each stage?

What are the performance measures, indicators, and evaluation methods that will be used to
monitor progress and capture results of the planned activities?

In what manner will benefits of the proposed CES be gender equitable within the target
area of implementation? 28

What are the pre-identified associated risks/barriers to implementation that may hinder the
planned implementation of activities, and how significant are these risks?
c.
Business/ Financial Viability
The Applicant is asked to define the specific market in developing country/countries that their
Clean Energy Solution is targeting, and describe the key aspects and approach of the sustainable
business model that PAEGC resources will support.
Under this heading of their Full Proposals, Applicants must clearly address the following:

Detailed demographic information about the proposed target market and agricultural value
chain segment, specifying the actual/potential size of market, and portion of market that the
Applicant plans to capture with its Clean Energy Solution.

Analysis of how demand for the proposed CES was determined within the target market,
and why the proposed technical approach is viable for local country conditions.

Description of the proposed business model:

o For Funding Window 1 Applicants: Provide a clear description of total
estimated cost and partnerships if intended to get to success proof of
concept, demonstration, and/or field testing of the proposed CES. Describe
the funding gap of the total resources needed, how much will still need to
be raised if PAEGC funding is awarded, and any other pre-identified
sources of financing/co-financing.
o

27

For Funding Window 2 Applicants: Present a financial model with

estimated expenses, revenues, and projected profitability over the threeyears of implementation. Describe the business strategy, marketing, and
sales and distribution channels envisioned.
Describe the sources/nature/value of the required internal and external Cost-Share
contributions, and how will they complement PAEGC funding.

Please see USAIDs Global Climate Change and Development Strategy 2012-2016 for more information:
http://www.usaid.gov/climate/strategy
28
Applicants are encouraged to review/reference USAIDs Gender Equity Policy http://transition.usaid.gov/our_work/policy_planning_and_learning/documents/GenderEqualityPolicy.pdf

31

State how it is anticipated that operations/business will be sustained/expand after PAEGC

funding expires.

d.
Organizational Capacity
The Applicant is asked to explain how it and its partners (if any) are qualified to implement all
planned activities associated with their Clean Energy Solution.
Under this heading of their Full Proposals, Applicants must clearly address the following:

The relevant skills and experiences of the key personnel and partners and strategic role of
partners in the project design - that will be engaged in the implementation of the CES.

Specific examples of how relevant activities previously conducted/managed and illustrate

the experience gained and lessons learned that are relevant to the proposed CES.

Experience working in the proposed area of implementation and/or similar environments,

as well as country(ies) of implementation. This experience can be further substantiated with
the submission of Past Performance References that are submitted as supporting
documentation.

What is the envisioned project management structure, and what are the reasons for
choosing this structure?
B.6

Supporting Documentation

To complement the submission of their Full Proposals, Semi-Finalist Applicants are also asked to
provide supplemental information about their organization and their proposed activities through
forms embedded in the OAP and by uploading associated documents.
a.
Budget and Budget Narrative
Embedded in the OAP is a form which all Applicants must complete that provides PAEGC with
their estimate expenditures over three years of implementation within various cost categories.
Through the online form, Applicants will also provide a brief Budget Narrative explaining the basis
for estimating each cost category, including reference to sources used in substantiating the cost
estimate (e.g. organization's policy, payroll document, vendor quotes, etc.), and the level/nature of
their Cost-Share Contribution. Applicants should budget one team member to attend PAEGC
event(s) in the first year, and estimate a cost of $5000 for airfare, accommodation, registration and
meals. The Budget portion of the Full Proposals will be reviewed for cost realism and cost
effectiveness. A sample of the online Budget and Budget Narrative form is included in Appendix 2.
b.
Past Performance Reference
Through the OAP, Applicants are asked to upload a form that describes up to three (3) previous
work experiences they have conducted that is relevant to the activities they are proposing for
PAEGC funding. A sample of the online Past Performance Reference form is included in
Appendix 3.
If an Applicant is proposing to use partners or sub-awardees that will provide 20% or more of the
work under the proposal, it must provide the same information for partnering organizations.
USAID may contact references and use past performance data, along with other information, to
determine the Applicants past performance. USAID reserves the right to obtain this information
from any and all sources inside or outside the government, and to use the information in evaluating
an Applicants past performance.
A prior USAID-funded contract, grant, or cooperative/collaboration agreement is not a prerequisite
to apply. Lack of prior USAID experience will not impact the scoring of the Applicants proposal.
32

c.
Resumes of Key Personnel
Through the OAP, Applicants are asked to upload no more than three resumes as PDF files, which
are each limited to two pages in length and one page for the Letter of Commitment. Resumes must
be ordered chronologically, starting with most recent experience. Each resume for the proposed
Key Personnel positions must be accompanied by a signed Letter of Commitment from the
candidate indicating his/her: (i) Availability to serve in the stated position, in terms of days after
award; (ii) Intention to serve for a stated term of the service; and (iii) Agreement to the
compensation levels set forth in the cost application.
Resumes for Key Personnel shall include at least three references for each proposed individual,
including up-to-date telephone numbers and e-mail contact information.
d.
Letters of Agreement with Partnering Organizations
If the Applicant has established a consortium or another relationship among its partners, the
Applicant shall upload a copy of the agreement letter. The agreement shall include a full discussion
of the relationship between the Applicant and partner organization(s), including identifying the
Applicant responsible for Award administration and the Applicant responsible for accounting. Also
the agreement shall discuss how the Award effort will be allocated and the expressed agreement of
the principals thereto to be held jointly and severely liable for the acts or omissions of the other.
Individual Letters of Agreement must be uploaded to the OAP as PDF files, and shall not be more
than one page in length
Note: Applicants are not required to partner with other organizations for the submission of
proposals. However, if Applicants do intend to partner with another organization, then they must
upload a Letter of Agreement.
e.
Data Universal Number (DUNS) and Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
All Finalist Applicants are asked this stage to obtain a Data Universal Number (DUNS) and be
registered with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). This process can be slow; it is strongly
encouraged that organizations begin this process early. A DUNS number is a unique identifier that
verifies the existence of a business entity globally. DUNS numbers are assigned for each physical
location of a business. The CCR is the primary registrant database for the U.S. Federal
Government.
For more information about this process can be found here: Obtaining a DUNS
Number: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Registering with CCR: https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/
If a Finalist Applicant is not able to obtain a DUNS and register with CCR prior to submitting its
Full Proposal that is not a problem the Full Proposal will still be reviewed by USAID. However,
it is important to note that no award can be issued to an Apparent Awardee until these steps have
been taken.
B.7

Stage 3: Presentation to the Innovator Evaluation Board

Finalist Applicants those Full Proposals received the highest scores will be invited to present
their Clean Energy Solution to the Innovator Evaluation Board (IEB) through a face-to-face pitch
and due diligence session. These presentations will take place either in person or via video
teleconference (VTC). Key team members from each applicant/project may participate in the
presentation. The pitch sessions/presentations will be a 20 minutes long, followed by questions
from the IEB. Prior to delivering their presentations, the IEB may contact the Finalists to ask them
33

to provide further clarification about certain aspects of their proposed activities and implementation
plans.
The presentations shall include an overview of the most salient aspects about the Clean Energy
Solution and will give Applicants an opportunity to address weaknesses identified by reviewers.
The question and answer (Q&A) session following the presentations will enable the IEB to validate
responses regarding the key evaluation criteria of relevance, innovation, business and financial
viability (includes market potential), and technical approach/organizational capacity. This will
allow them to assess the quality of the management team and the project itself.
[END OF SECTION IV]

34

SECTION V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

USAID will review all applications received in response to the subject BAA. Any proposal
including activities listed in Section I, C.3will not be eligible for funding. All other factors being
technically equal, the PAEGC Partners reserve the right to ensure project and geographic
diversity as well as USAID capacity for implementation of proposed activities in proposals
selected for award. The Founding Partners expressly reserve the right to not fund ideas that are or
will be receiving other USG funding for the same or essentially the same concept.
The Government reserves the right to select for negotiation all, some, one, or none of the proposals
received in response to this BAA and to make awards without discussions with Applicants. The
Government also reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Source Selection Authority later
determines them to be necessary. USAID reserves the right to accept proposals in their entirety or
to select only portions of proposals for award. In the event that USAID desires to award only
portions of a proposal, negotiations may be opened with that Applicant.
A. Eligibility Screening
At the initial Basic Applicant Information and Concept Note submission stage, all applications
will be reviewed for the following: (i) The application is in English; (ii) The application is
complete and not missing any required responses to the Concept Note questions; (iii) The Concept
Note does not describe any activities that are listed in Section I, C.3; (iv) The Applicant is not
based-in or proposing to implement activities in a country not authorized by this BAAs
authorized Geographic Code; and (v) the Applicant is not a government entity nor an individual.
Applications may be disqualified from further review if they do not satisfy eligibility
requirements.
B. Stage 1. Concept Note Evaluation
After passing the Eligibility Screening, the Concept Notes of the submitted applications will be
reviewed. The provided responses to the Concept Note Questions will be evaluated as follows:
For Window 1 Applicants, the response to the Innovation Question will be scored on a scale from
0 10 while the responses to the Relevance to Clean Energy/Agriculture Nexus Question and
Market Potential Question will be scored on a scale of 0- 5 each. The highest possible score
Window 1 Applicants can receive is 20.
For Window 2 Applicants, the response to the Potential for Scale Question will be scored on a
scale from 0 10, and the responses to the Innovation Question and the Relevance to Clean
Energy/Agriculture Nexus Question will be scored on a scale of 0- 5 each. The highest possible
score Window 2 Applicants can receive is 20.

Innovation Question: What is your proposed Clean Energy Solution and how it is
remarkably different from currently available technologies, applications of technologies,
business models, and/or practices? (200 words)
Evaluation Criteria: Demonstrate the manner in which the Clean Energy Solutions
combined technology and business model are new and clearly different from exiting
products/approaches within the proposed area of implementation. (10 points for Window
1 Applicants; 5 points for Window 2 Applicants)

Relevance to Clean Energy/Agriculture Nexus Question: In what measurable

manner will your proposed Clean Energy Solution contribute to increasing agriculture
35

productivity and/or value in developing countries? (200 words)

Evaluation Criteria: Demonstrate how the Clean Energy Solution will address identified
barriers to clean technology adoption in developing countries, and articulate quantifiable
metrics that will be used to measure performance. (5 points for Window 1 Applicants; 5
points for Window 2 Applicants)
Only Funding Window 1 Applicants:

Market Potential Question: What is your target market(s) for the proposed Clean
Energy Solution and how will PAEGC resources be used to support the distribution,
maintenance, and commercialization of this proposed Clean Energy Solution? (200
words)
Evaluation Criteria: Articulate an identified target market, and demonstrate that the
Clean Energy Solution responds to a specific market demand and has the potential for
positive, sustainable impact on beneficiaries beyond the awards period of performance.
(5 points for Window 1 Applicants)
Only Funding Window 2 Applicants

Potential for Scale Question: In what manner will you be able to leverage
PAEGC resources to bring your Clean Energy Solution to a significantly expanded scale?
(200 word)
Evaluation Criteria: Clearly articulate how scaling-up the Clean Energy Solution will
satisfy and expand market demand, and the manner in which PAEGC funding will be
leveraged against other resources to facilitate this scaling. (10 points for Window 2
Applicants)
For each Concept Note Question, the USAID-led Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) will
review the responses given and give a numerical score for the response to each question. Funding
Window 1 Applicants will only be evaluated against other Funding Window 1 Applicants;
Funding Window 2 Applicants will only be evaluated against other Funding Window 2
Applicants.
Those Applicants whose Concept Notes receive the highest scores will advance to Stage 2 of the
selection process, and will be asked to submit a Full Proposal and supporting documentation.
Those Applicants whose Concept Notes did not receive competitive scores will be notified by
USAID that they did not advance to the next stage of evaluation. Given the large volume of
Concept Notes that PAEGC is expecting to receive, there will be no further feedback from USAID
regarding the strengths/weaknesses of individual applications that did not advance past Stage 1 of
the evaluation.
C. Stage 2. Full Proposal Review
Those Applicants that received the highest scores for their Concept Notes will be asked to submit
Full Proposals and supporting documentation. Each evaluation criteria is worth a total of 5 points
and will be scored on a scale of 0- 5 each. The highest score a Full Proposal can receive is 20
points. It is important to note that the evaluation criteria for the Business and Financial Viability
Full Proposal heading differ depending on whether Applicants are applying to Funding Window 1
or Funding Window 2. Full Proposals that are not formatted with each evaluation criteria
36

presented as separate section heading will not be reviewed. The Full Proposals will be
evaluated against the following criteria:
Innovation and Relevance
Evaluation Criteria: Demonstrate the manner in which the CES combined technology
and business mode: (i) Are innovative and clearly different from existing
products/approaches within the proposed area of implementation; (ii) Will address
barrier(s) to clean energy technology adoption in the agriculture sector; (iii) Will lead to a
measurable increase in productivity of agricultural value chain activities in
developing/advanced developing countries; and (iv) Will contribute to USAID Global
Climate Change mitigation/ adaptation efforts.
Project Design/Technical Approach
Evaluation Criteria: Demonstrate what are (i) The tangible result(s) that the proposed
Clean Energy Solution will have achieved after three years; (ii) The various stages of
implementation of the proposed CES; (iii) The indicators to be measured and the
evaluation methods that will be used to monitor progress, the gender equity of the
proposed CES; (iv) The associated social, economic, environmental, legal and regulatory
risk in the country(ies) that may hinder the planned implementation of activities, and (v)
The manner in which the benefits of the CES will be equitably realized from a gender
perspective within the proposed area of implementation.
Business/Financial Viability
Only Funding Window 1 Applicants:
Evaluation Criteria: Demonstrate what is: (i) The actual/potential size & demographic
characteristics of the target market; (ii) The estimated demand & willingness to pay for the
proposed CES within the target market; (iii) The source/nature/value of the required
internal and external Cost-Share contributions and how will they complement PAEGC
funding; (iv) The anticipated approach for maintaining and expanding operations after
PAEGC funding expires; and (v) The business model that provides total estimated cost
and partnerships if intended to get to success proof of concept, demonstration, and/or field
testing of the proposed CES.
Only Funding Window 2 Applicants
Evaluation Criteria: Demonstrate what is: (i) The actual/potential size & demographic
characteristics of the target market; (ii) The estimated demand & willingness to pay for the
proposed CES within the target market; (iii) The source/nature/value of the required
internal and external Cost-Share contributions and how will they complement PAEGC
funding; (iv) The anticipated approach for maintaining and expanding operations after
PAEGC funding expires; (v) The financial model that provides the estimated costs,
revenues, and profitability over the three years of implementation, and (vi) The business
strategy, marketing, and sales and distribution channels envisioned.
Organizational Capacity
Evaluation Criteria: Demonstrate what are (i) The relevant skills and experiences of the
key personnel and partners that will be engaged in the implementation of the Clean
37

Energy Solution; (ii) The specific examples of relevant previous activities related to
managing and conducting pilots, scaling, and validation activities; and (iii) Tour
experiences working in the proposed area of implementation and/or similar environments,
as well as the country(ies) of implementation.
Non-weighted Evaluation Factors for Semi-Finalist Applications:
Cost. In the later stages of review, costs included in the proposed budget will be
reviewed to ensure they are allowable, allocable, and reasonable. Cost effectiveness
will be considered in relation to any proposed Cost-Share.
If requested, budget proposals will also be subject to cost realism analysis. The cost
realism analysis will verify the applicant's understanding of the requirements, assess
the degree to which the cost application reflects the approaches in the technical
application, and assess the degree to which the costs included in the application
accurately represent the programmatic requirements set forth in the application.
Applications that do not present realistic costs may risk not being considered for
award.
[END SECTION V]

38

SECTION VI. AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

Awards made through this BAA may be in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, contracts,
and collaboration agreements, depending on the nature of the submitting organization and
proposal. A USAID Contracting and Agreements Officer will determine the appropriate Award
instrument for the selections resulting from this solicitation. Prior to Award execution, USAID
may solicit additional information necessary to execute the Award.
A. Additional Requirements
1. DUNS and CCR Registration
Award nominees need to obtain a Data Universal Number (DUNS) and be registered with the
Central Contractor Registration (CCR) before award. This process can be slow; it is strongly
encouraged that organizations begin this process early. A DUNS number is a unique identifier that
verifies the existence of a business entity globally. DUNS numbers are assigned for each physical
location of a business. The CCR is the primary registrant database for the U.S. Federal
Government.
For more information about this process can be found here: Obtaining a DUNS
Number: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform Registering with CCR: https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/
B. Substantial Involvement
In accordance to ADS 303.3.11, USAID substantial involvement, applicable to Assistance
Awards, is described at http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/303.pdf.
C. Representations, Certifications and Administration by Type of Award Mechanism
Assistance Awards to U.S. non-governmental organizations will be required to submit
certifications in accordance with Chapter 303 of USAIDs Automated Directives System (ADS303), 22 CFR 226, 2 CFR 220 for universities (formerly OMB Circular A-21), 2 CFR 230 for
non-profit organizations (formerly OMB Circular A-122), and OMB Circular A-133 for both
universities and non-profit organizations or 48 CFR 31.2 (for for-profit organizations), and
Standard Provisions for U.S. Nongovernmental Organizations.
These policies and federal regulations are available at the following web sites:
ADS 303: http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/303.doc
22 CFR 226: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/22cfr226_03.html
22 CFR 228: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_10/22cfr228_10.html
Applicable OMB Circulars: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html
48 CFR 31.2: http://www.arnet.gov/far/
Standard Provisions for U.S. Nongovernmental
Organizations: http://www.usaid.gov/pubs/ads/300/303maa.pdf
Assistance Awards to non-U.S. non-governmental organizations will be required to submit
certifications in accordance with Chapter 303 of USAIDs Automated Directives System (ADS303), 2 CFR 220 for universities (formerly OMB Circular A-21), 2 CFR 230 for non-profit
organizations (formerly OMB Circular A-122), or 48 CFR 31.2 (for for-profit organizations), and
Standard Provisions for non-U.S. Nongovernmental Organizations. Standard Provisions for NonU.S. Nongovernmental organizations are available
39

at http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/303mab.doc.
Assistance Awards to public international organizations will be required to submit certifications in
accordance with Chapter 308 of USAIDs ADS (ADS-308), including the Standard Provisions set
forth in ADS-308.5.15.
These documents are available for further information at:
ADS-308: http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/308.pdf
Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants:
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/surveyeo.pdf
SF-424 Cost application/Cost Application
Documents: http://www.grants.gov/agencies/approved_standard_forms.jsp.
Contracts to U.S. and non- U.S. governmental organizations and private organizations will be
required to submit certifications in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations and the
Agency for International Regulations (AIDAR) Supplemental, Chapter 302 of USAIDs
Automated Directives System (ADS-302), and Standard Provisions for U.S. and Non-U.S.
Nongovernmental Organizations.
These documents are available for further information at:
FAR: http://www.acquisition.gov/far/
AIDAR: http://transition.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf
ADS-302: http://transition.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/302.pdf
Standard Provisions for U.S. and Non-U.S. Nongovernmental
Organizations: http://www.usaid.gov/pubs/ads/300/303maa.pdf
& http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/303mab.doc.
D. Intellectual Property
Intellectual property provisions applicable to contract awards are subject to the provisions of the
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the USAID FAR Supplement (AIDAR) (available at
http://transition.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf). When the awardee is a college, university,
nonprofit organization or small business firm, FAR clause 52.227-11 and FAR clause 52.227-14
shall apply. When the awardee is a large business firm, FAR clause 52.227-14 will apply. USAID
may include FAR Clause 52.227-16 Additional Date Requirements in the resulting contract if
appropriate.
USAID will utilize the following regulations for intellectual property (IP) issues arising from (1)
patent development, including USAID-funded research, technology development, and technology
transfer for commercialization or other distribution, (2) the creation and funding of copyrighted
material and marks; and (3) the handling of information that are trade secrets:
17 U.S.C. 101, 105
17 U.S.C. 301 305
22 CFR Part 226
35 U.S.C. 100-212
37 CFR Part 401, "Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit and Small Business Firms
under Government Grants, Contracts, and Corporate Agreements" (implementing the
Bayh-Dole Act) AIDAR Subchapter E Part 727
FAR Part 27 Patents, Data, and Copyrights
FAR 52.227-11, Patent Rights Ownership by the Contractor (short form) (for U.S.
nonprofit firms or small businesses)
FAR 52.227-13, Patent Rights Ownership by the Government (for other than U.S.
40

nonprofits and small businesses with work to be performed overseas.

E. Title and Rights in Property
During negotiations, Applicants should identify where title to all property types acquired for
PAEGC activities is critical to their commercialization efforts. USAID will determine whether
title to property will remain with Applicants for a specified period to be negotiated prior to award.
F. Branding & Marking Requirements
In accordance to ADS 303.3.6.3(f) Branding and Marking are required and Applicants should
budget accordingly. See http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/303.pdf for more information.
G. Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)
Section 117 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, requires that the impact of
USAIDs activities on the environment be considered and that USAID include environmental
sustainability as a central consideration in designing and carrying out its development programs.
This mandate is codified in Federal Regulations (22 CFR 216) and in USAIDs Automated
Directives System (ADS) Parts 201.5.10g and 204 (http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/200/), which,
in part, require that the potential environmental impacts of USAID-financed activities are
identified prior to a final decision to proceed and that appropriate environmental safeguards are
adopted for all activities. The environmental compliance obligations of the Applicant under these
regulations and procedures are specified in the following paragraphs of this RFA.
An Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) has been approved for this BAA. The IEE covers
activities expected to be implemented under this agreement. USAID may determine that a
Negative Determination with Conditions applies to one or more of the proposed activities. This
indicates that if these activities are implemented subject to the specified conditions, they are
expected to have no significant adverse effect on the environment. The recipient shall be
responsible for implementing all IEE conditions pertaining to activities to be funded under this
Award.
As part of its initial Work Plan, and all Annual Work Plans thereafter, the Applicant, in
collaboration with the USAID Contract and/or Agreement Officers Representative (C/AOR) and
Mission Environmental Officer or Bureau Environmental Officer, as appropriate, shall review all
ongoing and planned activities under this Award to determine if they are within the scope of the
approved Regulation 216 environmental documentation.
Unless the approved Regulation 216 documentation contains a complete environmental mitigation
and monitoring plan (EMMP) or a project mitigation and monitoring (M&M) plan, the recipient
shall prepare an EMMP or M&M Plan describing how they will, in specific terms, implement all
IEE and/or EA conditions that apply to proposed project activities within the scope of the Award.
The EMMP or M&M Plan shall include monitoring the implementation of the conditions and their
effectiveness.
If the recipient plans any new activities outside the scope of the approved Regulation 216
environmental documentation, it shall prepare an amendment to the documentation for USAID
review and approval. No such new activities shall be undertaken prior to receiving written USAID
approval of environmental documentation amendments.
41

Any ongoing activities found to be outside the scope of the approved Regulation 216
environmental documentation shall be halted until an amendment to the documentation is
submitted and written approval is received from USAID. In addition, the recipient must comply
with host country environmental regulations unless otherwise directed in writing by USAID. In
case of conflict between host country and USAID regulations, the latter shall govern
H.

Reporting Requirements

Specific reporting requirements will be stipulated at the time of Award negotiation. Applicants
should anticipate the following deliverables to demonstrate the projects progress and success:
A detailed monitoring and evaluation plan, with expected timelines to completion
Annual progress report detailing the technical and programmatic achievements
A clear proof-of-principle demonstration described in the original proposal and
documented as part of the final report, including detailed documentation of the technical
work accomplished and success and lessons learned from the project.
Dissemination of knowledge through publications in peer-reviewed literature, patent
applications, etc.
In addition, awardees will likely be responsible for the following activities and documentation
during the life of the program:
Conducting ongoing assessment of progress and a final evaluation, and submitting
periodic reports according to the requirements outlined in the Award;
Briefing Powering Agriculture Partners on project progress and outcomes;
Cooperating with Powering Agriculture Partners to facilitate rigorous program
evaluations; and
Maintaining communication with key Powering Agriculture staff.
[END SECTION VI]

42

SECTION VII REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

USAID Feed the Future Strategy: www.feedthefuture.gov

USAID Climate Change Strategy: http://www.usaid.gov/content/global-climatechange/usaids-global- climate-change-and-development-strategy

USAIDs Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

Policy: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pdact200.pdf

USAID Grand Challenge Program: http://www.usaid.gov/grandchallenges

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR): http://transition.usaid.gov/policy/ads/far.html

Automated Directives System (ADS): http://transition.usaid.gov/policy/ads/glossary.pdf

Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for

Development: http://poweringag.org/

[END SECTION VII]

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SECTION VIII. APPENDICES

A. Appendix 1 Eligible Countries of Implementation Countries designated as
Developing Countries or Advanced Developing Countries according to Authorized
Geographic Code 937 29
Developing Countries (Low Income)
Afghanistan
Gambia, The
Myanmar
Bangladesh
Guinea
Nepal
Benin
Guinea-Bisau
Niger
Burkina Faso
Haiti
Rwanda
Burundi
Kenya
Sierra Leone
Cambodia
Korea, Dem Rep.
Somalia
Central African Republic
Kyrgyz Republic
Tajikistan
Chad
Liberia
Tanzania
Comoros
Madagascar
Togo
Congo, Dem. Rep
Malawi
Uganda
Eritrea
Mali
Zimbabwe
Ethiopia
Mozambique
Developing Countries (Lower Middle Income)
Angola
India
So Tom and Principe
Armenia
Iraq
Senegal
Belize
Kiribati
Solomon Islands
Bhutan
Kosovo
Sri Lanka
Bolivia
Lao PDR
Sudan
Cameroon
Lesotho
Swaziland
Cape Verde
Marshall Islands
Syrian Arab Republic
Congo, Rep.
Mauritania
Timor-Leste
Cte d'Ivoire
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Tonga
Djibouti
Moldova
Turkmenistan
Egypt, Arab Rep.
Mongolia
Tuvalu
El Salvador
Morocco
Ukraine
Fiji
Nicaragua
Uzbekistan
Georgia
Nigeria
Vanuatu
Ghana
Pakistan
Vietnam
Guatemala
Papua New Guinea
West Bank and Gaza
Guyana
Paraguay
Yemen, Rep.
Honduras
Philippines
Zambia
Indonesia
Samoa
Advanced Developing Countries
Albania
Ecuador
Namibia
29

Activities implemented in the following countries may be eligible to receive funding from at least one of the Founding
Partners. Country eligibility is subject to change without notice.

44

Algeria
American Samoa
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile

Gabon
Grenada
Iran, Islamic Rep.
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Lebanon
Libya
Lithuania
Macedonia, FYR

China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic

Malaysia
Maldives
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Montenegro

Palau
Panama
Peru
Romania
Russian Federation
Serbia
Seychelles
South Africa
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines
Suriname
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uruguay
Venezuela, RB

B. Appendix 2 Online Budget Form

Budget Category
Direct Labor
Fringe Benefits
Travel and Transportation
PAEGC Event(s)
Allowances
Supplies and Equipment
Proposed Sub-awards
Other Direct Costs
Indirect Costs
Pre-Cost Share Total
Cost Share Value
Cost Share Percentage
Award Value plus Cost Share

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Total

$5,000

B.1 Online Budget Narrative Form

Budget Narrative: For Full Proposal Applicants, the following headings should be used with
a separate text box/input field under each heading. The budget narrative should provide
information on the basis for estimating each line item, including reference to sources used in
substantiating the cost estimate (e.g. organization's policy, payroll document, vendor quotes,
etc.).

45

Direct Labor: Direct salaries, wages and annual increases for all personnel proposed under
the application must be in accordance with the Applicant's established personnel policies.

To be considered adequate, the policies must be in writing, applicable to all employees of

the organization, subject to review and approval at a high enough organizational level to
assure its uniform enforcement, and result in costs which are reasonable and allowable in
accordance with applicable cost principles. The narrative should include a level of effort
analysis specifying personnel, rate of compensation, and amount of time proposed.
Anticipated salary increases during the period of the agreement should be included.

46

Fringe Benefits: If the Applicant has a fringe benefit rate that has been approved by a USG
agency, such rate should be used and evidence of its approval should be provided. If a
fringe benefit rate has not been so approved, the application should propose a rate and
explain how the rate was determined. If the latter is used, the narrative should include a
detailed breakdown comprised of all items of fringe benefits (e.g., unemployment
insurance, workers compensation, health and life insurance, retirement, FICA, etc.) and the
costs of each, expressed in dollars and as a percentage of salaries.

Travel and Transportation: The application should indicate the number of trips,
domestic, regional, and international, and the estimated costs. Applicants should budget
one team member to attend PAEGC event(s) in the first year, and estimate a cost of $5000
for airfare, accommodation, registration and meals. Specify the origin and destination for
proposed trips, duration of travel, and number of individuals traveling. Per diem should be
based on the Applicants normal travel policies.

Allowances: Allowances must be broken down by specific type and by person and must be
in accordance with the Applicant's established policies.

Supplies and Equipment: Differentiate between expendable supplies and nonexpendable

equipment (NOTE: Equipment is defined as tangible nonexpendable personal property
including exempt property charged directly to the Award having a useful life of more than
one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 USD or more per unit, unless the Applicant's
established policy establishes nonexpendable equipment anticipated to be required to
implement the program, specifying quantities and unit cost).

Sub-awards (contracts/grants) (if any): Applicants who intend to utilize subawardees

should indicate the extent intended and a complete cost breakdown, as well as all the
information required herein for the Applicant. Sub-awards cost applications should follow
the same cost format as submitted by the Applicant.

Other Direct Costs: This could include any miscellaneous costs such as office rent and
utilities, communications, transportations, supplies, public outreach, sub-awards, audits,
report preparation costs, passports, visas, medical exams and inoculations, insurance (other
than the Applicant's normal coverage), etc. The narrative, or supporting schedule, should
provide a complete breakdown and support for each item of other direct cost

Indirect Costs: The Applicant should support the proposed indirect cost rate with a letter
from a cognizant U.S. Government audit agency, a Negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement
(NICRA), or with sufficient information for USAID to determine the reasonableness of the
rates (For example, a breakdown of labor bases and overhead pools, and the method of
determining the rate).

Cost Sharing: Documented mobilization/leveraging of non-USAID resources from the

recipient, and/or partner organization(s), private firms and institutions to complement
implementation of PAEGC activities at the country level. Cost-Sharing may be

demonstrated either through direct funding, beneficiary contributions, in-kind assistance, or

a combination thereof. Cost-Share contributions may come from internal and/or external
sources. Although contributions from non-US government entities are allowable and count
toward an Applicants External Cost-Share contribution, External Cost-Share may not be
paid by the US Federal Government under another award - except where authorized by
Federal statute to be used for cost sharing or matching. USAID does not apply its source
and nationality requirements or the restricted goods provision established in the Standard
Provision "USAID Eligibility Rules for Commodities and Services" to Cost-Share
contributions.
C. Appendix 3 Past Performance Requirements
Past Performance Narrative: For Full Proposal Applicants, the following headings should be
used with a separate text box/input field under each heading. Applicant Past should provide
performance information for up to three (3) past performance references. These references
should describe any contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements which the applicant
organization, as well as any consortia or joint venture partners and any subcontractors or
subawardees that will perform a substantive role in the applicants program, has implemented
involving similar or related programs over the past three years will be required.
It is recommended that the applicant alert the contacts that their names have been submitted and
that they are authorized to provide past performance information when requested.

PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION FORM

PART I: Applicant Information (to be completed by
Applicant)
Applicants Name:
1.

Name of Awarding/Funding Entity:

2.

Title of Award:

3.

Award Number:

4.

Award Type (i.e. Grant, Contract etc.):

5.

Value of Award:

6.
Period of Performance/Duration of Award (Start
Date Closing Date):
7.
Technical Focus/Objective of Award:
8.
Problems Encountered (if any) during Award
Implementation:
9.
Contact details for Awarding/Funding Entity:
9a. Contract/Grant/Agreement Officers Name:
9b. Technical Officers Name:
9c. Current Phone Number of Awarding/Funding Entity:
9d. Current E-Mail Address Awarding/Funding Entity:

47

Information Provided in Response to USAID

Solicitation Number:

PART II: Performance Assessment

(APPLICANTS DO NOT COMPLETE responses to be
provided by Awarding/Funding Entity)
1. Quality of product or service provided by Awardee including consistency in meeting performance targets and
effectively supporting objective of Award.
Comment:
2. Cost control, including forecasting costs as well as
accuracy in financial reporting. Comment:
3. Timeliness of performance, including adherence to
agreed-upon implementation schedules and other timesensitive project conditions, and effectiveness of Award
management to make prompt decisions and ensure
efficient operation of tasks.
4. Customer satisfaction, including satisfactory business
relationship with Awarding/Funding Entity, coordination
among sub-awardees/partners (if applicable), prompt and
satisfactory correction of problems, and cooperative
attitude in fixing problems.
Comment:
5. Effectiveness of key personnel including: effectiveness
and appropriateness of personnel for the job; and prompt
and satisfactory changes in personnel when problems
with clients where identified. Comment:
[END SECTION VIII]

48