U.S. Agency for International Development, (USAID), Cambodia/OP, Box P, APO AP 96546

R -- MONGOLIA RURAL CIVIL SOCIETY PROGRAM (RCSP) SOL RFA No. 442-98-004 DUE 073098 POC Contact Point: Carey N. Gordon, Grant Officer, USAID/Cambodia, Tel: (855)23-217-640, Fax: (855)23-217-638; Internet Address: cagordon@usaid.gov USAID invites qualified applicants and U.S. Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) and U.S. not-for-profit organizations to submit applications for a grant (or cooperative agreement) under the Mongolia Rural Civil Society Program (RCSP). For-profit organizations may also submit applications, however they will not be entitled to receive a fee for this activity. It is anticipated that one or more grants will be awarded, under a two-step competition process to be described in the RFA, for an initial period of up to five years with a possible extension of the completion date. USAID plans to provide a total amount of approximately $12 million over the 5-year period if a grantee achieves a strong record of success in implementing the program under the RCSP. As this is a results-oriented activity, it is expected that annual funding will be made based upon the achievement of planned results and the availability of funds. The goal addressed by the RCSP effort for which a grant is expected to be awarded is to develop a program that will focus on economic and business growth in rural Mongolia and development at the rural level and civic society, to address the present causes of rural economic development and form a basis for long-term civil society building in rural Mongolia. The objectives of this program will include: improved information dissemination in rural areas and among local governments, NGOs and the private sector; improved private sector organizational structures; improved government capacity to support the private sector; private enterprise development; enhancing the role of women and enhancing capacity to engage in policy dialogue at the national level and between the local governments and the central government in Ulaanbaatar. All questions related to this notice and requests for a copy of the RFA must be addressed in writing, by letter, fax or e-mail to the Grant Officer at the address stated above. Specify the RFA requested, and include your complete firm name, street address, telephone and fax no. and email address. No telephone requests will be honored. The issuance date of the RFA is expected to be approximately fifteen (15) days from the date of publication of this notice. The closing date for submission of proposals for step one in the competition process will be approximately thirty (30) days from the actual issuance date, and will be specified in the RFA. Initial applications will be requested to be submitted via email. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the internet or by request of a solicitation on a 3.5" diskette (Wordperfect 5.1/5.2 Format). Only in instances where internet access or utilization of diskettes are not possible will a hard copy of the RFA be distributed upon request. Applicants shall not request a diskette or hard copy of the RFA until confirmation that they are unable to access the document via the internet, and you have communicated with the Grant Officer regarding this inability to achieve internet access. This CBD notice, and the RFAonce issued, can be viewed and downloaded from the USAID external web site. The USAID Worldwide Web address is http://www.info.usaid.gov. Select Business and Procurement Opportunities from the home page, then "USAID Procurements." On the following screen, select "Download Available USAID Solicitations." Receipt of this RFA through INTERNET must be confirmed by written notification to the Grant Officer. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this RFA to ensure that it has been received from INTERNET in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. The publication of this notice does not obligate the U.S. Government to award a grant or cooperative agreement. (0159)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0066 19980610\R-0006.SOL)