PGO Request for SSH Proposals | PGO MRT FY2022

Opportunity Information: Apply for PGO MRT FY2022

The "PGO Request for SSH Proposals" is a U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Nouakchott (Mauritania) grant opportunity run through the Embassy's Program and Grants Office (PGO). It is issued as a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under CFDA 19.220 and uses a grant as the assistance instrument. The Embassy is seeking full proposals from locally rooted organizations for small, practical projects that promote socioeconomic activity and visible community benefit, funded through the Ambassador's Special Self-Help (SSH) program. The legal authority cited for this funding is the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

In terms of funding, the Embassy expects to award roughly five to ten grants, using a combined total of up to USD 60,000 (pending availability of funds). Individual projects are meant to be small and tightly scoped: typical awards fall in the USD 3,000 to USD 10,000 range, and proposals are not supposed to exceed USD 10,000 (noted as about 3.7 million MRU). The NOFO also notes a period of performance of about 12 to 16 months for the overall award structure, while emphasizing that SSH projects themselves are designed to be implemented quickly, generally in less than one year, reflecting the program's "small project, immediate impact" model.

The opportunity is aimed primarily at local applicants, including local communities, cooperatives, associations, local NGOs, and municipalities. A central expectation is that projects are community-based and locally initiated, with administration and ownership at the local level rather than driven externally. Another defining requirement is meaningful community contribution, which can take the form of cash, labor, or materials. This is not just a budget preference; it is part of the program's underlying intent to strengthen self-reliance and help communities build the habit and capacity to carry out similar improvements on their own in the future.

Programmatically, SSH is designed to fund small development activities that are highly visible and that help build public awareness of U.S. foreign assistance, particularly in spaces that do not fit neatly within larger, established U.S. assistance programs. The Embassy describes the program as intentionally flexible so the Ambassador can respond directly to community requests and support projects that align with mission policies and objectives. Expected results are framed around practical socioeconomic gains: improved access to services, small development improvements, income generation, and poverty reduction.

The NOFO provides a clear sense of what kinds of projects fit this model. Examples include small construction projects under 10,000 square feet, such as classrooms, community centers, basic health facilities, foot bridges, housing for a government- or community-paid nurse or teacher, workshops, community abattoirs, grain storage structures, a rural airstrip connected to hospital access, or dormitories for students who travel long distances. Water and sanitation projects are also specifically encouraged, including wells, latrines, pumps, boreholes, shower stalls, sinks, and even fishponds where appropriate. Education-related support is another category, such as desks and chairs, laboratory equipment, and library items, along with shared-use construction equipment like a brick-making machine. The program also allows for certain durable goods that serve public institutions, like a stove or refrigerator for a school or hospital, or a washing machine for a clinic. Finally, income-generating equipment is eligible in principle (for example weaving looms, furniture-making tools, or a rice-milling machine), but the Embassy flags a practical constraint: proposals should avoid equipment purchases that the community cannot realistically maintain over time.

Key dates are straightforward. Full applications are due by 11:59 PM EDT on June 30, 2023, and questions are also due by 11:59 PM EDT on June 30, 2023, indicating applicants should not wait until the last moment if they need clarifications. The Embassy anticipates notifying selected projects and completing award signing around August 2023. For application and technical questions, the point of contact is Nouakchottgrants@state.gov, and the NOFO emphasizes reading the full solicitation package carefully because there are immediate steps applicants should take to ensure a compliant submission by the deadline.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Mauritania in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PGO Request for SSH Proposals" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.220.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 20, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2023. (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 $10,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for PGO MRT FY2022

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