Food Security, Nutrition and Resilience Activity | 72066922RFA00002

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72066922RFA00002

The Food Security, Nutrition and Resilience (FSNR) Activity is a USAID/Liberia grant opportunity designed to drive agriculture-led economic growth while directly improving food security and nutrition. The core idea is to raise agricultural productivity in ways that translate into better diets and stronger livelihoods, especially for households that are most vulnerable to food shocks. A central feature of the activity is shifting Liberia away from an overreliance on rice and cassava by supporting a broader portfolio of diverse, nutritious, and higher-value crops. By expanding what farmers grow and what markets offer, FSNR aims to improve not only how much food is produced, but also the nutritional quality of that food and the overall resilience of communities to economic and climate stresses.

FSNR plans to strengthen food security and nutrition by working across the full chain of outcomes: increasing production, improving availability in local markets, supporting better utilization at the household level, and building stronger demand for nutritious and high-value crops. In practice, this means supporting sustainable intensification, or producing more and better outputs from the same land base while protecting natural resources. The expectation is that improved production methods and diversified cropping systems will raise farmer incomes, reduce vulnerability to crop failures or price swings tied to a single staple, and generate broader economic benefits through stronger rural markets and value chains. The activity also emphasizes climate-smart agriculture, signaling an intent to promote practices that are better adapted to climate variability while also reducing environmental degradation and helping sustain productivity over time.

The opportunity is structured as a five-year cooperative agreement with an estimated total funding level of about $20 million, and an award ceiling listed at $20,583,587. USAID anticipates making one award, meaning a single prime implementer would lead the activity and coordinate implementation, likely through partnerships and subawards as needed. Because it is a cooperative agreement rather than a traditional grant, USAID typically expects substantial involvement in the activity’s implementation, such as collaboration on technical direction, monitoring, and adaptive management during the project period.

The primary intended beneficiaries are smallholder and subsistence farmers, along with agricultural cooperatives and organized women’s and youth groups. The focus on these groups reflects both the role they play in Liberia’s agricultural production and the recognition that women and youth often face additional barriers to resources, training, finance, and market access. FSNR explicitly includes cross-cutting priorities that are meant to shape how interventions are designed and delivered, including inclusive development, gender equality, and youth engagement. This suggests that proposed activities would be expected to identify and address constraints faced by marginalized populations and to create meaningful opportunities for women and young people to participate and benefit economically.

Geographically, implementation is planned for USAID/Liberia’s zone of influence, covering Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Margibi, Grand Bassa, and Montserrado counties. The solicitation also leaves room for limited activities outside these areas when there is a clear programmatic rationale, such as alignment with FSNR objectives, strong leverage of other USAID, Government of Liberia, donor, or stakeholder initiatives, and minimal additional logistical burden. This flexibility is meant to allow targeted coordination with complementary programs or value chain nodes that may sit just beyond the primary counties but are important for market linkages, inputs, or services.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under the Agriculture funding activity category, with CFDA number 98.001, and it was issued by the Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Monrovia, Liberia. The funding opportunity title is "Food Security, Nutrition and Resilience Activity" and the opportunity number is 72066922RFA00002. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning proposals could be submitted by a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility conditions that might be included in the full announcement. The original posting date is June 27, 2022, and the original closing date is July 27, 2022, indicating the intended application window for submissions under this specific notice.

• The Agency for International Development, Liberia USAID-Monrovia in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Food Security, Nutrition and Resilience Activity" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 27, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $20,583,587.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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