Asia Resilient Cities (ARC) | 7200AA22RFA00019

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Asia Resilient Cities (ARC) USAID Funding Opportunity

1) What is the Asia Resilient Cities (ARC) opportunity?

The Asia Resilient Cities (ARC) opportunity is a discretionary funding program from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) intended to support work that aligns with the Energy funding activity area.

2) Which U.S. government agency is offering this funding?

This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

3) What is the legal authority for this opportunity?

The opportunity is issued under the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. This is a primary statute USAID commonly uses to fund international development and humanitarian assistance programs.

4) What type of award mechanism will USAID use?

USAID plans to make an award through a cooperative agreement.

5) What does a cooperative agreement mean for implementation?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates USAID expects substantial involvement during implementation. Examples can include active collaboration on technical direction, coordination with partners, review of workplans, or participation in key decisions, rather than a more hands-off grant structure.

6) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 7200AA22RFA00019.

7) What is the Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) number for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under Assistance Listing number 98.001 (formerly CFDA 98.001), a broad USAID assistance listing used for many foreign assistance awards.

8) Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant pool is listed as unrestricted. This indicates the competition is open to a wide range of potential applicants rather than being limited to a narrow category (such as only U.S. nonprofits or only universities), subject to the specific requirements and any limitations contained in the full notice.

9) Does "unrestricted eligibility" mean both U.S. and non-U.S. organizations can apply?

The posting indicates unrestricted eligibility and notes that, in practice, this often allows applications from U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including nonprofits, for-profits, universities, and potentially public international organizations, as long as they meet the requirements and any limitations described in the full solicitation.

10) What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is $15,000,000. This means USAID does not expect to fund an individual award above that amount under this opportunity.

11) How many awards does USAID expect to make?

The provided data does not specify the number of expected awards (the field is blank). The full solicitation would need to be reviewed to confirm whether USAID intended to make one award or multiple awards and how funding might be allocated.

12) When was this funding opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on April 28, 2022.

13) What was the application deadline (closing date)?

The original closing date shown in the source data is June 3, 2022, which reflects the deadline for submitting applications under the initial posting unless it was later amended.

14) What compliance rules apply to this USAID award?

The award will be subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards found at 2 CFR 200, along with USAID-specific requirements in 2 CFR 700.

15) What kinds of topics are covered by 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 700?

These rules cover areas such as financial management standards, allowable and unallowable costs, procurement rules, internal controls, subaward oversight, documentation expectations, and audit responsibilities.

16) Are there additional award requirements beyond 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 700?

Yes. The notice states there are additional requirements found in Section F. This indicates the full solicitation includes further award-specific conditions that would become binding on the recipient if selected.

17) What might be included in the additional requirements referenced in Section F?

Based on what is typical for USAID solicitations, Section F often includes requirements related to reporting, branding and marking, environmental compliance, monitoring and evaluation, key personnel requirements, and other special terms. The specific binding requirements would be those stated in the ARC solicitation's Section F.

18) Where should applicants look to confirm details not provided in the summary information?

Applicants should consult the full solicitation (the complete funding notice) to confirm details such as the intended number of awards, any specific eligibility limitations, and the complete set of award terms and conditions, including those in Section F.