Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI USAID AZERBAIJAN
The opportunity titled "Azerbaijan Business and Professional Association Development" is not a traditional grant solicitation yet, but a Request for Information (RFI) issued by USAID in Azerbaijan (USAID-Baku). An RFI is essentially an information-gathering step used to understand what kinds of organizations are active in a space, what they can do, and what ideas they have, before an agency decides whether and how to design a future program. In this case, USAID is asking interested public and private parties to submit written input describing their capabilities and their interest in joining a possible "co-creation" process, meaning a structured, collaborative design effort where multiple stakeholders help shape potential solutions and program approaches rather than receiving a fully pre-designed plan from the donor.
The core goal behind the RFI is to surface innovative ways to build partnerships between civil society organizations (CSOs) and the private sector that can strengthen business and professional associations in Azerbaijan. These associations can include sector-based business groups, professional networks, and other membership organizations that support firms and professionals through services such as advocacy, training, standards development, market linkages, and collective problem-solving. USAID links this association-strengthening focus directly to a broader economic objective: promoting economic growth in Azerbaijan's non-oil sector. That framing reflects an emphasis on economic diversification, reducing reliance on oil revenues by supporting other industries and improving the business enabling environment through stronger private-sector institutions and collaboration with civil society.
A notable element of the opportunity is USAID's stated intent to work together with the Government of Azerbaijan during the co-creation process. The RFI positions this collaboration as part of sustaining and advancing USAID's longer-term partnership with the government, and also with Azerbaijan's private sector and citizens. Practically, this suggests the agency is exploring a model that is not only donor-driven but aligned with national priorities and grounded in local stakeholder engagement, which can influence everything from program governance to which sectors and regions are prioritized.
The information collected through the RFI is intended to inform planning for a USAID/Azerbaijan Industry Day in Baku, as well as the design of a potential later co-creation process. Industry Day events typically function as market research and stakeholder convenings where implementers, companies, associations, CSOs, and other actors share ideas, discuss constraints and opportunities, and signal what kinds of partnerships or interventions are realistic. The RFI responses therefore serve as an early signal to USAID about who is interested, what expertise exists locally and internationally, what partnership models could work, and what kinds of activities might be feasible and impactful.
From the source details, the opportunity is categorized broadly as "Other" for opportunity category, funding instrument type, and funding activity category, reinforcing that it is not yet a standard competitive funding announcement. Eligibility is listed as "Unrestricted," meaning USAID was open to receiving information from any type of respondent, without limiting it to nonprofits, universities, companies, or specific nationalities. The CFDA number is 98.001, which is associated with USAID's foreign assistance programs. The RFI was created on 2019-09-20 and had an original closing date of 2019-10-01. No award ceiling or expected number of awards is provided because an RFI does not typically commit funds or specify award structures; instead, it helps USAID decide whether to issue a subsequent solicitation such as a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Request for Applications (RFA), or Request for Proposals (RFP).
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as USAID testing the landscape for a future initiative focused on strengthening Azerbaijan's business and professional associations through CSO-private sector collaboration, with the strategic purpose of expanding growth in non-oil parts of the economy. Organizations reading this RFI would generally be expected to respond by describing relevant experience (for example, association capacity building, public-private partnerships, workforce development, policy advocacy support, member services design, or sector competitiveness work), proposing ideas or models for collaboration, and explaining how they could participate in an Industry Day and later co-creation activities.Apply for RFI USAID AZERBAIJAN
- The Azerbaijan USAID-Baku in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Azerbaijan Business and Professional Association Development" 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 2019-09-20.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-10-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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FAQs: Azerbaijan Business and Professional Association Development (USAID/Azerbaijan RFI)
1) What is this opportunity, in plain terms?
This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by USAID in Azerbaijan (USAID-Baku) for the opportunity titled "Azerbaijan Business and Professional Association Development." An RFI is an information-gathering step used to learn who is active in the space, what they can do, and what ideas they have before USAID decides whether and how to design a future program.
2) Is this a grant or a funding announcement?
No. Based on the provided details, this is not a traditional grant solicitation yet. It does not function like a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Request for Applications (RFA), or Request for Proposals (RFP). It is meant to collect input that may inform a future solicitation or program design process.
3) What is USAID trying to learn from respondents?
USAID is seeking written input that describes (1) respondents' capabilities and experience, (2) their interest in participating in a possible co-creation process, and (3) ideas for innovative approaches that build partnerships between civil society organizations (CSOs) and the private sector to strengthen business and professional associations in Azerbaijan.
4) What is the main goal behind the RFI?
The core goal is to surface innovative ways to build CSO-private sector partnerships that strengthen business and professional associations in Azerbaijan, with a broader economic objective of promoting economic growth in Azerbaijan's non-oil sector (economic diversification beyond oil revenues).
5) What kinds of organizations or groups are the focus of this effort?
The RFI centers on business and professional associations in Azerbaijan. These can include sector-based business groups, professional networks, and other membership organizations that support firms and professionals through services such as advocacy, training, standards development, market linkages, and collective problem-solving.
6) What does "co-creation" mean in this context?
Co-creation is described as a structured, collaborative design effort where multiple stakeholders help shape potential solutions and program approaches. Instead of receiving a fully pre-designed plan from the donor, interested parties may collaborate with USAID and other stakeholders to develop the program concept and approach.
7) Does USAID plan to involve the Government of Azerbaijan?
Yes. USAID states an intent to work together with the Government of Azerbaijan during the co-creation process. The RFI frames this as part of sustaining and advancing USAID's longer-term partnership with the government, as well as with Azerbaijan's private sector and citizens.
8) How will the information submitted to the RFI be used?
The information collected is intended to inform planning for a USAID/Azerbaijan Industry Day in Baku and to inform the design of a potential later co-creation process. RFI responses serve as an early signal to USAID about interested organizations, available expertise, and feasible partnership models or activities.
9) What is "Industry Day" and why does it matter here?
Based on the description provided, an Industry Day is typically a market research and stakeholder convening where implementers, companies, associations, CSOs, and other actors share ideas, discuss constraints and opportunities, and indicate what kinds of partnerships or interventions are realistic. USAID intends to use RFI inputs to help plan an Industry Day in Baku.
10) Who is eligible to respond to this RFI?
Eligibility is listed as "Unrestricted." That means USAID was open to receiving information from any type of respondent, without limiting responses to a specific type of organization (such as only nonprofits, universities, or companies) or restricting by nationality, based on the information provided.
11) What opportunity category and instrument type is listed?
The opportunity is categorized as "Other" for the opportunity category, funding instrument type, and funding activity category. This supports the idea that it is not a standard competitive funding announcement at this stage.
12) What is the CFDA number and what does it indicate?
The CFDA number listed is 98.001, which is associated with USAID foreign assistance programs. In this context, it serves as a program identifier tied to USAID assistance activities.
13) Are there details about funding amount, award ceiling, or number of awards?
No. The provided information states that no award ceiling or expected number of awards is provided, which is typical for an RFI because it does not commit funds or specify an award structure.
14) What are the key dates included in the listing?
The RFI was created on 2019-09-20 and had an original closing date of 2019-10-01.
15) What kinds of experience or capabilities would be relevant to describe in an RFI response?
The description suggests respondents would generally be expected to outline relevant experience such as association capacity building, public-private partnerships, workforce development, policy advocacy support, member services design, sector competitiveness work, and related expertise that could strengthen business and professional associations through CSO-private sector collaboration.
16) What types of ideas or models is USAID looking for?
USAID is looking for innovative ideas to build partnerships between CSOs and the private sector that strengthen associations. The associations may provide services like advocacy, training, standards development, market linkages, and collective problem-solving, so proposed models could relate to those functions and to strengthening the association ecosystem in the non-oil economy.
17) Does submitting to the RFI guarantee future funding or selection?
The provided information does not state any guarantee of funding or selection. An RFI is described as a planning and information-gathering step used to decide whether and how to design a future program, which may or may not result in a later solicitation.
18) What might happen after the RFI stage?
The information notes that the RFI may help USAID decide whether to issue a subsequent solicitation such as a NOFO, RFA, or RFP, and it may lead to a later co-creation process informed by Industry Day discussions and written inputs.
19) What is the strategic economic rationale mentioned for focusing on associations?
USAID links strengthening business and professional associations to promoting economic growth in Azerbaijan's non-oil sector, reflecting an emphasis on diversification and improving the business enabling environment through stronger private-sector institutions and collaboration with civil society.
20) What should an organization indicate about its interest in participation?
The RFI asks respondents to describe their interest in joining a possible co-creation process and their capabilities. The description also implies organizations may indicate their ability and interest to participate in the planned USAID/Azerbaijan Industry Day in Baku and later co-creation activities.
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