Request for Information - Partners for Transparency | 72051419RFI00002

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72051419RFI00002

The Request for Information (RFI) titled "Request for Information - Partners for Transparency" (Funding Opportunity Number 72051419RFI00002) is an early market-research step issued by USAID in Colombia through the USAID/Bogota mission. It falls under the broad category of "Other" rather than a standard grant or cooperative agreement announcement, and it is associated with the funding activity area of Law, Justice, and Legal Services (CFDA 98.001). The core purpose of the RFI is not to solicit applications or make awards, but to pressure-test and refine a conceptual program design focused on transparency. USAID is using the RFI to assess whether the proposed approach is sound and robust, and to invite practical, innovative ideas that could improve the design before any formal funding competition is released.

Because it is an RFI and explicitly not a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), respondents should interpret this as a request for feedback rather than a request for full proposals, budgets, or finalized implementation plans. Agencies typically use RFIs to learn what approaches the field considers feasible, what risks or gaps may exist in an initial concept, what kinds of partnerships or capabilities are available, and what innovations could strengthen results. In this case, the "Partners for Transparency" framing suggests a program concept that would likely involve collaboration among civil society, government counterparts, watchdog organizations, the private sector, and possibly media or academic partners, with the goal of improving transparency and accountability. However, the RFI text provided focuses on the process goal (improving the conceptual design) rather than specifying the technical scope in detail.

The listing indicates eligibility is "Unrestricted," meaning USAID was open to input from a wide range of entities rather than limiting participation to a narrow applicant class. That is consistent with an RFI, where the point is to collect perspectives from organizations and experts with relevant experience, including local and international implementers, nonprofits, for-profits, universities, consortia, and independent specialists. The RFI had an original closing date of January 13, 2020, and it was created on November 7, 2019, which places it within a defined window for submitting comments, recommendations, and design suggestions.

The source data also shows an "AwardCeiling" of $19,000,000, which should be read cautiously in the context of an RFI. RFIs sometimes include an estimated funding range or a notional ceiling to communicate the anticipated scale of a future program, but they do not commit the government to funding, do not guarantee that a solicitation will follow, and do not guarantee any respondent will receive an award. The "ExpectedAwards" field is blank, reinforcing that this announcement is not set up as a conventional competitive funding opportunity at this stage.

In practical terms, this RFI signals that USAID/Bogota was exploring a potentially sizable transparency-related initiative and wanted to improve its design by gathering external input. Organizations interested in shaping a future solicitation would typically use an RFI like this to share lessons learned from comparable anti-corruption and transparency programming, propose realistic strategies for strengthening transparency systems, flag political economy and security risks, recommend measurable outcomes and indicators, and suggest partnership models that can operate effectively in Colombia. The key takeaway is that this announcement is about informing and strengthening USAID's program concept, not about submitting an application for immediate funding.

• The Colombia USAID-Bogota in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information - Partners for Transparency" 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 2019-11-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-13. (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 $19,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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