USAID/Bangladesh and the Private Sector: Partnering to Fight COVID-19

The goal of the USAID Bangladesh and the Private Sector: Partnering to Fight COVID-19 program is to provide a medium through which organizations can work with USAID and the private sector to build Global Development Alliances (GDAs) that will: a) respond to the current outbreak of COVID-19 in Bangladesh; b) address important business interests and objectives; and c) advance USAID’s strategic priorities and objectives. By partnering with USAID, the private sector is able to leverage USAID’s expertise, assets and working relationships in a manner that advances business success to address COVID-19 and fosters the broader economic growth and poverty reduction that is vital to sustaining such success. USAID, though this partnership, is able to leverage private sector markets, expertise, interests, and assets in a manner that solves critical development problems and promotes effective market-led development, thus contributing to Bangladesh’s Journey to Self-Reliance despite the presence and growing negative impact of COVID-19. Interventions awarded through this program may address the immediate concerns and impacts of COVID-19 as well as long term or secondary impacts. Immediate concerns may support activities identified under the COVID-19 Country Preparedness and Response Plan (CPRP) jointly prepared by the Government of Bangladesh and the international community. GDAs originating from the APS may also address secondary economic impacts such as those on food security or the garments sector, as well as promote peace, stability, human rights, and gender equity. The selected participants and USAID/Bangladesh will jointly agree on additional results to be achieved during the performance of the awarded GDA activity. The following note published through Amendment # 3: “While this USAID/Bangladesh APS seeks to build GDAs, this USAID/Bangladesh APS is NOT the Agency's GDA APS. Any GDA developed and supported under this USAID/Bangladesh APS would need to demonstrate the same qualities as a GDA developed under the Agency's GDA APS, since the GDA is an Agency-wide private sector engagement model and approach that is fully detailed in the Agency's GDA APS. However, the Agency's GDA APS and this USAID/Bangladesh APS are distinct and separate. Organizations interested in developing a GDA with USAID/Bangladesh (focused on responses to COVID-19 as detailed in this APS) should submit concepts under the USAID/Bangladesh APS entitled "USAID/Bangladesh and the Private Sector: Partnering to Fight COVID-19" and not under the Agency's GDA APS.”