Expanding Use of Blended Finance Solutions to Support USAID Priorities | BAA OAA PCM 2017

Opportunity Information: Apply for BAA OAA PCM 2017

The grant opportunity titled "Expanding Use of Blended Finance Solutions to Support USAID Priorities" is a USAID solicitation issued as Addendum Number 02 under the broader "Catalyzing Private Investment" Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). It is positioned as a discretionary funding opportunity that sits in the science, technology, and other research and development category, and it uses an "Other" funding instrument type rather than a more standard grant or cooperative agreement label. The central aim is not simply to fund a single project in one country or sector, but to strengthen the overall ability of USAID and the wider development community to use blended finance more quickly, more effectively, and with the right partners and expertise matched to each situation.

At the heart of this addendum is the idea that blended finance transactions and structures often fail to scale because the right mix of skills, investors, implementers, and technical specialists can be difficult to assemble on short timelines. USAID is therefore seeking partners that can research, design, develop, test, and evaluate practical approaches that make it easier for USAID missions, operating units, and investors to access the capabilities they need to structure and deploy blended capital solutions. That includes building or improving pathways for identifying and connecting the right parties, packaging expertise in ways that are easy to tap, and creating repeatable methods that can be adapted across different regions and sectors where USAID works.

The work USAID is asking for is explicitly end-to-end and iterative. "Research" implies mapping what currently exists, identifying gaps in how deals and blended capital products get designed and implemented, and understanding what slows down or prevents effective collaboration between development actors and private capital. "Design" and "develop" suggest creating new tools, models, partnership mechanisms, or process improvements that address those barriers. "Test" and "evaluate" indicate USAID wants evidence that these approaches actually work in real-world settings, including feedback loops that refine the solution based on performance. The goal is speed and efficiency in moving from a development challenge or opportunity to a blended capital approach that is appropriate for that context, rather than forcing one-size-fits-all solutions.

This opportunity is open to an unrestricted pool of eligible applicants, meaning it is not limited to a narrow applicant type in the provided summary. The solicitation is listed under CFDA number 98.001 and is administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The original closing date shown for the addendum was May 10, 2017, and the record does not specify a funding ceiling (it is listed as 0) or a set number of expected awards in the provided data. In practice, that typically means the public summary is not providing those figures, not necessarily that no funding is available, but applicants would have needed to consult the full addendum and BAA terms to understand budget expectations, award size ranges, and the anticipated award approach.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a request for partners that can help USAID and the broader development ecosystem build more reliable and faster "connective tissue" between development priorities and investable, well-structured blended finance solutions. Rather than focusing narrowly on delivering services in a single program area, it emphasizes building and validating approaches that help multiple USAID missions and investors repeatedly identify the right expertise and partnerships to design, deploy, and evaluate blended capital products tailored to specific challenges across regions and sectors.

• The Agency for International Development in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Expanding Use of Blended Finance Solutions to Support USAID Priorities" 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 2017-04-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-05-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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