Report on Results of the Request for Applications (RFA) RFA No. 15.02.0-N2.3-15247 Marginalized Populations Support Activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (USAID/PPMG)

The program aimed to contribute to the competitiveness of local economies and create employment opportunities for difficult-to-employ categories. The program was launched in March 2020, with a Request for Applications (RFA) issued by USAID/PPMG. The RFA called for local self-government units in Bosnia and Herzegovina to submit applications to participate in the implementation of the program. The program focused on supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and farms owned by women victims of violence, single mothers, unemployed young women under 35, women with disabilities, or women with children with disabilities. The program's interventions included developing a solicitation and evaluation criteria with concurrence from the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), developing a timeline for the solicitation and evaluation of applications, and announcing the RFA and collecting all applications. The Contractor also evaluated all applications and submitted a report with recommendations to the COR. The program's deliverables included drafting the official award, memorandum of negotiation, and awarding the grant to the selected local governments. The Contractor also worked with local governments to transfer grant funds to the appropriate financial systems, made monitoring visits to grantees, and reviewed quarterly and final reports. The program's goal was to support marginalized groups of women in developing businesses and contributing to the competitiveness of local economies. The program's eligibility criteria included local self-government units in Bosnia and Herzegovina that were willing to apply a cooperatively developed concept, issue a public call, and make budget funds available by June 2020 at the latest. The municipalities were also required to ensure that reputable representatives of the local community's business sector were included in the application selection process and were willing to provide advisory support to women grantees throughout the grant. The program's timeline included a solicitation period that ended on March 2, 2020, and a deadline for submitting applications on March 2, 2020. The Contractor developed a timeline for the solicitation and evaluation of applications, which included the submission of a summary solicitation report, an evaluation report with recommendations, and a grant agreement, memorandum of negotiation, and post-award conference. The program's budget included a minimum amount of $15,150 and a maximum amount of $30,300 requested from USAID by a municipality. The program's goal was to support marginalized groups of women in developing businesses and contributing to the competitiveness of local economies.