Civil Society Support Contract

The purpose of this notice is to comply with the synopses and pre-solicitation notice requirements of FAR 5.2, Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions. Any solicitation resulting from this notice will be handled in accordance with FAR 5.102(d); therefore, availability of any resulting solicitation package will be limited to this electronic medium. Accordingly, interested vendors, especially small business, are encouraged to register themselves as an interested vendor. The United States Agency for International Development, Cambodia (USAID/Cambodia) intends to release a solicitation for a project titled "Civil Society Support Contract" (CSSC). The purpose of this activity is to provide USAID/Cambodia with a set of interventions aimed at empowering and connecting segments of Cambodian civil society to serve in a more influential role in the country's transformation to an enduring democratic and prosperous country. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have and will continue to play an important role in delivering services, raising public awareness, monitoring and holding government accountable as well as engaging with government on policy development and implementation. However, in order for the CSOs to fully realize their potential, they will need to improve their effectiveness and cohesiveness, advocacy tools and methods, research and analysis capabilities, as well as expanding networks and collaboration with each other and with other actors around specific issues. CSOs will also need to strengthen their outreach and accountability to Cambodian citizens. CSSC will focus on strengthening the effectiveness of a selected number of CSOs to improve government responsiveness and accountability to Cambodian citizens and long term needs of the nation, including the protection of human rights. The U.S. government is one of several supporters of civil society and also seeks to make its assistance to the sector more effective through improved coordination among donors and their implementing partners, establishment of commonly accepted standards of conduct, and progress towards to a Cambodian-led and funded civil society. Support under this contract will be to both national-level organizations, and locally based. For the latter, support should be targeted to provinces and districts where other USAID projects are operating, to include: Battambang, Siem Reap, Pursat, Kampong Thom, and the Prey Lang and the Eastern Plains landscapes. The anticipated solicitation date is on or about March 24, 2014. The approximate ceiling of the award is estimated at $4-$10 million subject to the availability of funds over the period of performance. There is currently no incumbent contractor performing the work. Except for the above information, no additional information regarding this planned RFP is available at this time. All necessary information will be supplied at the time the RFP is posted at www.fedbizopps.gov. Questions/requests for information will not be responded to until RFP issuance. Interested parties are advised to periodically monitor the above website for updates concerning this procurement. No proposals for funding should be submitted until after the RFP is issued. This notice does not obligate USAID to release a solicitation or award a contract nor does it commit the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. In addition, final award cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed and internal USAID procedures have been completed.