Opportunity Information: Apply for 72038819RFA00007 CONCEPT PAPER
USAID/Bangladesh issued this grant opportunity to solicit concept papers from organizations that can advance the equal rights of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community in Bangladesh. The call is grounded in USAID's Disability Policy and explicitly aligns with Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which focuses on independent living and community inclusion. The central expectation is that proposed concepts identify the real barriers people with disabilities face in Bangladesh and lay out practical, rights-based approaches to reduce discrimination, expand access to services, and strengthen community participation so that people with disabilities can make choices about their own lives rather than being separated or excluded.
A major emphasis of the opportunity is advocacy and public awareness. USAID highlights that many citizens are not familiar with disability rights protections in Bangladesh, including those laid out in Section 16 of the Bangladesh Disability Rights and Protection Act (DRPA) 2013. Applicants are encouraged to design culturally appropriate education and communications campaigns that reach not only persons with disabilities but also the people and systems around them, such as families, community members, local authorities, DRPA committee members, schools, and service providers. These efforts are meant to shift public attitudes, increase knowledge of rights and available supports, and build a stronger climate of non-discrimination. USAID also expects active engagement with key stakeholders like the Ministry of Social Welfare, Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs), and service providers to help translate the DRPA from a law on paper into meaningful implementation at national and local levels.
Another core focus is improving access to existing services by creating or strengthening practical mechanisms that connect people with disabilities to support systems. The DRPA establishes committees at both national and local levels intended to resolve disability rights disputes and coordinate action, but USAID notes that many local committees are inactive in practice. Proposed activities can include revitalizing or supporting these local DRPA committees and building partnerships with grassroots DPOs, local government, private sector entities, educational institutions, disability service centers, and employers. The goal is to make these actors more proactive in identifying needs, responding to rights violations, and linking people with disabilities to community-based services such as education, healthcare, livelihoods training, and employment opportunities.
Mainstreaming persons with disabilities into everyday community activities and broader development programs is also prioritized. USAID frames this as requiring strong coordination across stakeholders to ensure services and community participation are not fragmented or dependent on isolated projects. Concepts may focus on helping institutions and employers better understand disability inclusion and meet obligations around reasonable accommodation. Economic empowerment is highlighted as a key pathway to sustainable inclusion, with specific attention to ensuring both men and women with disabilities can participate in and benefit from livelihood and employment pathways. USAID also underscores the importance of including people with disabilities as active members of local decision-making structures, including union-level committees and DRPA local committees, so they can articulate needs, influence community priorities, and be present in national policy dialogue as part of mainstream development agendas.
Beyond these broad pillars, USAID lists additional illustrative areas that concept papers may address within the Living Independently and Being Included in the Community (LIBC) framework. These include supporting deinstitutionalization strategies that shift away from institutional care toward community living; expanding accessible, affordable, and sustainable community-based supports that make independent living feasible; and strengthening laws, policies, and practices that protect legal capacity and personal autonomy. In this context, USAID points to approaches that favor supported decision-making over substituted decision-making, reinforcing the idea that people with disabilities should have maximum control over decisions that affect their lives. The opportunity also encourages establishment or strengthening of consumer-controlled disability resource centers, similar to independent living centers in the United States, which can provide peer support, information, referrals, skills-building, and advocacy. Finally, USAID is interested in monitoring mechanisms that track progress on independent living and inclusion, with a clear expectation that these monitoring systems meaningfully prioritize DPO participation.
Equity and participation requirements run through the entire opportunity. USAID states that gender equality and women's empowerment should be intentionally integrated into objectives, activities, and monitoring and evaluation plans, not treated as an add-on. The solicitation prioritizes applications that demonstrate robust participation and leadership of DPOs, and it requires significant involvement of persons with disabilities, especially women with disabilities, across design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. USAID also explicitly encourages projects that address the needs of marginalized groups within the disability community, including women and girls, people who are deaf or deaf-blind, individuals with developmental or psychosocial disabilities, and members of the LGBTI community.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a USAID/Bangladesh-managed opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 72038819RFA00007) requesting concept papers. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types may apply, subject to any additional clarifications in the full notice. The opportunity anticipated a single award with a ceiling of $1,000,000. Proposed projects are expected to complement and align with USAID/Bangladesh's Country Development Cooperation Strategy and other relevant strategy documents, while being guided by the values and provisions of the CRPD. Overall, the solicitation is looking for practical, locally grounded, disability-led concepts that can strengthen rights implementation, expand service access, and make community inclusion the default rather than the exception.Apply for 72038819RFA00007 CONCEPT PAPER
- The Agency for International Development, Bangladesh USAID-Dhaka in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Living Independently and Being Included in the Community (LIBC) with Disabilities." 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 May 28, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 18, 2019. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this USAID/Bangladesh grant opportunity about?
This opportunity invites concept papers for activities that advance the equal rights of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community in Bangladesh. It focuses on reducing discrimination, improving access to supports and services, and strengthening community participation so people with disabilities can make choices about their own lives rather than being separated or excluded.
What is the official funding opportunity number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 72038819RFA00007.
What type of application is USAID requesting right now?
USAID/Bangladesh is requesting concept papers from interested organizations.
Who can apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types may apply, subject to any additional details in the full notice.
How many awards does USAID expect to make?
USAID anticipates making a single award under this opportunity.
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling is $1,000,000.
What rights framework or policies guide this opportunity?
The call is grounded in USAID's Disability Policy and aligns explicitly with Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which focuses on independent living and community inclusion.
What is USAID looking for in concept papers?
USAID is looking for practical, locally grounded, rights-based concepts that identify the real barriers people with disabilities face in Bangladesh and propose workable approaches to reduce discrimination, expand access to services, and strengthen community participation. Concepts are expected to be disability-led and to prioritize meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in decision-making.
What does Article 19 of the CRPD mean in the context of this opportunity?
In this opportunity, Article 19 is reflected as an expectation that people with disabilities can live independently, have real choices about their lives, and be included in community life with the supports needed to participate on an equal basis with others.
What is the Bangladesh Disability Rights and Protection Act (DRPA) 2013 and why is it relevant here?
USAID references the DRPA 2013 as a key national law protecting disability rights in Bangladesh. The opportunity emphasizes helping translate the DRPA from a law "on paper" into meaningful implementation at national and local levels.
Why does USAID emphasize public awareness and advocacy?
USAID notes that many citizens are not familiar with disability rights protections in Bangladesh, including those in Section 16 of the DRPA 2013. Advocacy and education campaigns are intended to shift public attitudes, increase knowledge of rights and supports, and strengthen a climate of non-discrimination.
Who should awareness and communications efforts target?
USAID encourages culturally appropriate campaigns that reach persons with disabilities and the people and systems around them, including families, community members, local authorities, DRPA committee members, schools, and service providers.
What kinds of stakeholders does USAID expect applicants to engage?
USAID expects active engagement with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs), and service providers, along with other relevant community and institutional actors.
What are DRPA committees and what role do they play in this opportunity?
The DRPA establishes committees at national and local levels intended to resolve disability rights disputes and coordinate action. USAID notes many local committees are inactive and suggests concept papers may include activities to revitalize or support local DRPA committees so they can better respond to rights violations and connect people to services.
What does "improving access to existing services" mean here?
It refers to creating or strengthening practical mechanisms that connect people with disabilities to available support systems, including education, healthcare, livelihoods training, and employment opportunities, by working through partnerships and coordination structures.
What types of partnerships are encouraged?
USAID highlights partnerships with grassroots DPOs, local government, private sector entities, educational institutions, disability service centers, and employers to make community actors more proactive in identifying needs, addressing rights violations, and linking people to community-based supports.
What does USAID mean by "mainstreaming" persons with disabilities?
Mainstreaming is described as integrating persons with disabilities into everyday community activities and broader development programs so inclusion is not fragmented or dependent on isolated projects. It relies on strong coordination among stakeholders.
How does the opportunity address inclusion in employment and livelihoods?
Economic empowerment is highlighted as a pathway to sustainable inclusion. Concepts may focus on improving understanding of disability inclusion among institutions and employers, supporting reasonable accommodation, and expanding livelihood and employment pathways for both men and women with disabilities.
What is "reasonable accommodation" in the context of this opportunity?
USAID points to the need for institutions and employers to meet obligations around reasonable accommodation as part of disability inclusion, particularly in employment and participation settings.
How does the opportunity promote participation in decision-making?
USAID underscores including people with disabilities as active members of local decision-making structures, including union-level committees and DRPA local committees, so they can articulate needs, influence community priorities, and participate in national policy dialogue and mainstream development agendas.
What additional activities may concept papers address under the LIBC framework?
USAID lists illustrative areas including deinstitutionalization strategies; expanding accessible, affordable, and sustainable community-based supports; strengthening laws, policies, and practices that protect legal capacity and personal autonomy; establishing or strengthening consumer-controlled disability resource centers; and developing monitoring mechanisms that track progress on independent living and inclusion with meaningful DPO participation.
What does USAID mean by deinstitutionalization?
USAID describes deinstitutionalization as shifting away from institutional care toward community living, supported by community-based services and supports that make independent living feasible.
What is the focus on legal capacity and personal autonomy?
USAID emphasizes strengthening protections for legal capacity and personal autonomy, encouraging approaches that favor supported decision-making over substituted decision-making so people with disabilities retain maximum control over decisions affecting their lives.
What are consumer-controlled disability resource centers?
USAID encourages establishing or strengthening consumer-controlled disability resource centers, similar to independent living centers in the United States, which can provide peer support, information, referrals, skills-building, and advocacy.
Is monitoring and evaluation part of what USAID wants?
Yes. USAID is interested in monitoring mechanisms that track progress on independent living and inclusion, with a clear expectation that these systems meaningfully prioritize DPO participation.
How are gender equality and women's empowerment treated in this solicitation?
USAID states that gender equality and women's empowerment must be intentionally integrated into objectives, activities, and monitoring and evaluation plans, rather than treated as an add-on.
What level of participation from persons with disabilities is expected?
USAID requires significant involvement of persons with disabilities across design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, with specific emphasis on the participation and leadership of DPOs and on women with disabilities.
Are there specific disability or identity groups USAID wants applicants to consider?
Yes. USAID explicitly encourages projects that address the needs of marginalized groups within the disability community, including women and girls, people who are deaf or deaf-blind, individuals with developmental or psychosocial disabilities, and members of the LGBTI community.
How should proposed projects align with USAID strategies?
Proposed projects are expected to complement and align with USAID/Bangladesh's Country Development Cooperation Strategy and other relevant strategy documents, while being guided by the values and provisions of the CRPD.
What is the overall outcome USAID is trying to achieve?
The solicitation seeks practical, disability-led concepts that strengthen rights implementation, expand access to supports and services, and make community inclusion the default rather than the exception in Bangladesh.
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