How to Apply
US4LLD concepts are accepted on a rolling basis. You can submit a concept at any time by following these guidelines.
Application Steps
Step 1: Confirm your eligibility
Double check the specific US4LLD eligibility requirements and list of ineligible countries on the main US4LLD page.
Eligible organizations must:
- Have received less than $5 million from USAID directly (as a prime recipient) over the previous five fiscal years and
- Be a small local, international, or United States-based non-governmental organization, educational institution, or other small entity.
Eligible concepts must:
- Clearly demonstrate a unique, innovative, or proprietary program that advances locally led development (see step three).
- Be independently originated, developed, and completed without U.S. Government supervision, endorsement, direction, or direct involvement.
- Not be an advance application for a current or planned competitive solicitation.
Step 2: Begin your application
Download our concept template to use for your submission. The template includes eligibility requirements and other considerations to develop a strong application. Responses must be a maximum of 10 pages using single-spaced formatting.
Step 3: Ensure your concept advances locally led development
Does your concept show how the proposed activity utilizes locally led development approaches? Consider these questions as you draft your concept:
- Local input: How have the local stakeholders, who will be involved in the proposed activities and impacted by your work, been directly engaged in developing the ideas presented in this concept? Who was consulted, and what was learned specifically from different groups? How were these ideas from local stakeholders specifically incorporated into the design of the activity? What local demand exists for taking the specific approaches proposed in your activity?
- Local leadership: How will a diverse set of local community stakeholders lead the design and implementation of the effort? How will the activities creatively tap into existing in-country resources, assets, and networks (e.g. universities, think tanks, associations, the private sector, philanthropy, or other local resources or expertise as relevant)?
- Innovation: What is different or unique about what you are proposing to do in relation to traditional solutions to the development challenge you have identified? How does your approach incorporate lessons learned from previous efforts in your country or region to address this development challenge?
- Sustainability: What factors and approaches will ensure the outcomes of the activity are sustained over the long-term? How will local communities and other stakeholders involved in the activity sustain the outcomes beyond the duration of the award?
- Locally Informed Adaptation: How will you involve local communities and activity participants in monitoring and learning? See further information in the FAQs.
- Local Capacity Strengthening (as relevant): If the capacity strengthening of program participants or organizations is central to your concept and approach, how did you identify or will you identify which capacities to strengthen, the capacity strengthening goals, and the methods to be used (e.g. peer to peer learning, network strengthening, training)?
- Organizational Capacity Strengthening (optional, but encouraged): How would your organization need to be strengthened in order to operate more effectively in your local system, better achieve your organizational goals, and ensure the proposed activity outcomes are sustained? See further information on organizational capacity strengthening in the FAQs.
Have more questions? Explore the Frequently Asked Questions.
Step 4: Submit your concept
Submit your completed concept to unsolicited-solutions4LLD@usaid.gov.
What Happens After Submission?
Due Diligence Review
First, the Washington-based US4LLD program team will review your concept to ensure it meets the basic eligibility requirements. This includes clearly demonstrating how your proposed activity advances locally led development. Explore step 3 in the “How to Apply” section where you’ll find guiding questions that will help to ensure that your concept thoroughly incorporates local input, local leadership, innovation, sustainability, and locally informed adaptation. You can also explore questions to determine if local capacity strengthening is relevant to your concept, and considerations for integrating organizational capacity strengthening.
Additionally, you and/or your organization must have received less than $5 million directly from USAID over the previous five fiscal years.
Finally, US4LLD is unable to support activities primarily focused on construction.
If the US4LLD program team determines that the concept is not eligible for US4LLD funding, you will receive feedback on why it was ineligible. You may then choose to submit your concept for general USAID Mission consideration via the Unsolicited Submissions portal.
USAID Mission Review
If your concept is eligible for US4LLD funding, the US4LLD Program team will notify you and send it to the USAID Mission in the country your concept focuses on for review.
USAID Missions share technical feedback on eligible concepts with the US4LLD Program team within 60 calendar days of receiving the concept. If the Mission does not accept your concept, the US4LLD Program team will share technical feedback and tailored resources on other USAID partnership opportunities. If the Mission is interested in further exploring your concept, the process will move to the next step.
USAID Mission Engages Applicant
If the USAID Mission decides to move forward with your application, the US4LLD program team will reach out to you to set up an introduction to the US4LLD program. Then, the Mission will reach out to you for further discussion.
To move forward, USAID will either collaborate with you to co-create the award directly or co-create and request for you to submit a full application. Please note that the offer to collaborate through co-creation does not commit USAID to fund an award or pay for costs incurred to prepare the application or participate in co-creation. Learn more about different types of USAID awards and funding mechanisms here.
The US4LLD program team may offer support to the USAID Mission as necessary throughout this stage.
Have more questions on this stage? WorkWithUSAID.gov has answers to many frequently asked questions about:
You can also refer to this reference guide on responding to a USAID funding opportunity for more quick tips.
Final Step: US4LLD Award!
From the date you submit your concept to the date of award finalization, the process may take anywhere from 6 to 24 months. This estimated timeline may be shorter or longer, depending on a variety of factors.
Still have questions? Explore the Frequently Asked Questions.