Youth Empowerment Activity | RFI001EDY

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI001EDY

The Youth Empowerment Activity opportunity is a USAID Kenya (USAID-Nairobi) Request for Information (RFI) focused on identifying and shaping practical, county-level approaches that strengthen youth livelihoods and overall well-being. It is explicitly not a funding solicitation, not a request for applications or proposals, and it does not represent a promise that USAID will issue a future solicitation or make any award. Instead, the purpose is to gather input from organizations and stakeholders on what has worked, what is working, and what could work better in empowering youth through models that are grounded in evidence and that can also generate new evidence through implementation and learning.

Programmatically, the RFI centers on youth empowerment models that connect young people directly to social and economic opportunities. In plain terms, USAID is signaling interest in approaches that go beyond training alone and that create real pathways into jobs, income generation, entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, mentorship networks, community services, or other tangible opportunity structures. The emphasis on “county-level models” suggests an interest in solutions that are designed for local contexts, coordinated with local systems and actors, and capable of being implemented and evaluated within specific counties. The focus on being both “evidence-based” and “evidence-producing” indicates that USAID is looking for interventions supported by credible data and experience, while also expecting thoughtful measurement, learning, and adaptation so that results can be demonstrated and lessons can inform future programming.

From the listing details, the opportunity is categorized under Education, with CFDA number 98.001, and the eligible applicants field is listed as “Unrestricted,” meaning USAID is open to hearing from a broad range of potential respondents (such as NGOs, local organizations, private sector entities, academic institutions, and other stakeholders). The funding instrument type and opportunity category are labeled “Other,” reinforcing that this is an information-gathering notice rather than a standard grant or contract announcement. The posting date is October 23, 2019, and the original closing date for responses is November 6, 2019. No award ceiling is provided (listed as 0) and expected awards are not specified, which is consistent with an RFI that is not offering funding at this stage.

Overall, this RFI is best read as an early market and stakeholder research step by USAID Kenya to understand promising youth empowerment approaches that can improve livelihoods and well-being by linking youth to concrete social and economic opportunities, with a strong preference for interventions that can demonstrate results and produce usable learning at the county level.

• The Kenya USAID-Nairobi in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Youth Empowerment 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 2019-10-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-11-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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