Civil Society and Media Activity | 72012224RFA00001

FAQs - USAID Civil Society and Media Activity (CSMA) - Uzbekistan

What is the Civil Society and Media Activity (CSMA)?

The Civil Society and Media Activity (CSMA) is a USAID funding opportunity to support a five-year bilateral program in Uzbekistan focused on strengthening the country's civil society and media sectors.

What is the overall purpose of CSMA?

The overall purpose is to increase citizen engagement in decision-making processes by helping civic actors and media organizations become more capable, resilient, and effective in informing the public, representing community interests, and participating in or influencing policy discussions.

Which country and location is this program focused on?

The program is focused on Uzbekistan. The opportunity is administered by USAID Uzbekistan in Tashkent.

What type of funding instrument is this opportunity?

This opportunity is framed as a cooperative agreement. This typically means USAID expects substantial involvement during implementation, such as collaboration on technical direction, monitoring, and learning, rather than a hands-off grant structure.

How long is the program expected to run?

The opportunity supports a five-year bilateral program.

What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is up to 10,000,000 USD.

Will USAID make one award or multiple awards?

The posting indicates an award ceiling of up to 10,000,000 USD and lists "ExpectedAwards" without specifying a number. This could indicate a single large activity or potentially multiple awards, depending on USAID's final determination.

What is the opportunity number and title?

The opportunity number is 72012224RFA00001, and the title is Civil Society and Media Activity.

What is the CFDA number and activity category?

The CFDA number is 98.001, and the opportunity falls under the Law, Justice and Legal Services activity category.

Is this a discretionary funding opportunity?

Yes. The funding opportunity is described as discretionary.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. Both U.S. and non-U.S. organizations may apply, listed under "Others," which generally signals that a range of entity types may be considered as long as they meet USAID qualification requirements.

What kinds of organizations are likely to be competitive?

Based on the description, competitive applicants are likely to be qualified organizations with the capacity to deliver results over a multi-year period in Uzbekistan. This likely includes having a solid local presence or partnerships, credible safeguarding and compliance systems, and a practical strategy for strengthening institutions and engagement mechanisms.

What outcomes is USAID seeking through CSMA?

USAID is aiming to increase meaningful citizen participation in governance and public decision making, supported by stronger civil society organizations and more capable media organizations that can inform the public and represent community interests.

How will USAID select the awardee(s)?

USAID plans to make an award to the applicant or applicants that most strongly align with the objectives described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), using merit review criteria and a separate risk assessment.

What does "merit review" mean in this context?

The description indicates that applications will be evaluated against merit review criteria described in the NOFO. These criteria are used to assess how well an application aligns with the objectives and how strong the proposed approach is.

What is the "risk assessment" mentioned in the selection process?

In addition to merit review, USAID will conduct a separate risk assessment. The description implies applicants should be prepared to demonstrate strong financial management, compliance controls, and overall organizational capacity to manage risk during implementation.

When was the NOFO created?

The NOFO was created on 2023-12-20.

What is the application deadline?

The original closing date for applications is 2024-05-22.

What program approaches are suggested by the description?

While specific components are not listed in the short description, activities of this type often include capacity building for civil society groups, support for coalition building and advocacy, assistance to improve organizational governance and sustainability, training and resources for independent or professional journalism, efforts to improve access to information, and initiatives that connect citizens with decision makers through consultations, community forums, or feedback mechanisms.

What should an application emphasize to be competitive?

A competitive application would be expected to present a clear theory of change showing how strengthening civil society organizations and media can translate into more meaningful citizen participation in governance and public decision making. The description also implies the importance of demonstrating strong financial management, compliance controls, monitoring and evaluation capacity, and understanding of the operating context in Uzbekistan.

Does USAID expect monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) capacity?

Yes. The cooperative agreement structure and the mention of collaboration on monitoring and learning, along with the emphasis on merit review and risk assessment, imply that applicants should have monitoring and evaluation capacity and be prepared for active engagement with USAID during implementation.

Where can applicants find the detailed requirements for submission?

Applicants are encouraged to read the full NOFO and all attachments closely. That is where USAID will specify required application format, programmatic and cost submission instructions, evaluation criteria, and the exact selection process.