USAID Promoting Access to Quality, Low-Fee Non-State Education Finance | 72066024RFI00008

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72066024RFI00008

USAID Promoting Access to Quality, Low-Fee Non-State Education Finance (Funding Opportunity Number 72066024RFI00008) is a market research and information-gathering notice issued by USAID/Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rather than being a traditional grant solicitation with an application package and a defined program budget, this posting is structured as a Request for Information (RFI) under an "Other" opportunity category and "Other" funding instrument type. The central aim is to collect feedback, perspectives, and practical input from the education finance and non-state education sectors to help USAID shape a potential future initiative focused on improving access to quality, affordable non-state education through financing approaches.

The opportunity is tied to the education sector (Funding Activity Category: Education) and is listed under CFDA 98.001, which is commonly used for USAID foreign assistance listings. The title signals a specific focus: supporting financing mechanisms that can expand or strengthen low-fee, non-state education providers while maintaining or improving education quality and affordability for families. In practice, "non-state" typically refers to private, faith-based, community, and other nongovernmental education providers, and "low-fee" implies schools intended to be accessible to lower-income households. The use of the word "finance" indicates that USAID is likely exploring tools such as lending, credit enhancement, risk-sharing, school improvement loans, working capital for education providers, or other blended and market-based approaches that can increase access without raising costs to families.

Eligible respondents are listed as unrestricted, meaning any interested party may provide comments. This can include financial institutions, impact investors, education companies, school networks, NGOs, implementers, technical assistance providers, researchers, and other stakeholders with relevant experience in education finance, low-fee schooling models, quality assurance, consumer protection, or inclusive education. Because it is an RFI, the intent is not to make an immediate award based on proposals; it is to inform USAID's thinking, gather evidence about what is feasible, and understand what the market can offer in the DRC context.

A key feature of this notice is its confidentiality statement. USAID indicates that information received through the RFI will be held in confidence and not disclosed publicly unless a responding source specifically requests disclosure. This is meant to encourage candid input, including business-sensitive details such as financing terms, operational constraints, risk considerations, pipeline estimates, and lessons learned from prior programs. At the same time, respondents should still assume that submissions may be used internally by the government to refine program design, shape a future solicitation, or conduct broader market analysis.

The listing provides several administrative details that signal the nature and scale of the inquiry. The posting was created on 2024-10-04, with an original closing date of 2024-10-24, which suggests a relatively short window typical of RFIs designed to quickly collect industry feedback. The award ceiling is shown as 1, and expected awards as 1, but in the context of an RFI these fields are often placeholders and should not be read as a confirmed funding commitment. The description also includes "N/A," reinforcing that this is not a standard competitive funding announcement with a defined program budget, a formal application process, or guaranteed award outcomes.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as an invitation to shape a potential USAID effort in the DRC that could mobilize financing to expand access to quality, low-fee non-state education. Organizations that respond effectively would typically focus on sharing concrete, experience-based insights: what financing gaps exist for low-fee providers, what risk factors matter most in the DRC market, which financial products have worked elsewhere, how to protect families from over-indebtedness or hidden fees, how to link financing to measurable improvements in learning and school quality, and what partnerships (banks, MFIs, school associations, EdTech, government bodies) would be necessary for a workable model.

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo USAID-Kinshasa in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USAID Promoting Access to Quality, Low-Fee Non-State Education Finance" 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 2024-10-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 72066024RFI00008

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