Request for Information (RFI) for the Centers of Excellence Activity | AID RFI 263 18 00001

Opportunity Information: Apply for AID RFI 263 18 00001

This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by USAID/Egypt (USAID-Cairo) related to a planned "Centers of Excellence Activity." It is not a funding solicitation or an award announcement by itself. Instead, it is a market research step the agency uses to collect input from potential partners and stakeholders before deciding whether, and how, to launch a future competitive funding opportunity. The RFI is tied to the education sector and is intended to inform USAID/Egypt's thinking about possible approaches, implementation options, and the types of organizations that might be capable of carrying out the work.

The central purpose described in the notice is to gather information that will help USAID/Egypt explore options for providing technical assistance and support to Egyptian public universities. In practical terms, this suggests USAID is considering an activity that would strengthen university capacity through advisory services, institutional support, and potentially programmatic enhancements associated with "Centers of Excellence." While the short summary provided does not list specific technical focus areas, Centers of Excellence programs commonly involve improving academic quality, research capacity, governance and management systems, industry and labor-market linkages, curriculum modernization, faculty development, quality assurance, and applied research or innovation platforms. The RFI signals that USAID wants feedback to shape the scope and design of such assistance, as well as to understand what types of entities are interested in and able to compete for a future award.

Several basic administrative details are included. The opportunity title is "Request for Information (RFI) for the Centers of Excellence Activity" and the funding opportunity number is AID RFI 263 18 00001. The agency is USAID/Egypt, based in Cairo. The opportunity category is listed as "Other," and the funding instrument type referenced is a Cooperative Agreement, which is a form of U.S. federal assistance where the agency expects to have substantial involvement during performance (for example, through collaboration on work planning, approvals, or technical direction). However, because this is only an RFI, these elements should be read as indicative of how a later opportunity might be structured rather than as final award terms.

The assistance area is categorized under Education, with CFDA number 98.001 (a broad USAID foreign assistance listing). Eligibility is shown as "Others," which is a broad label and typically means the agency is open to receiving input (and potentially later applications) from a wide variety of organization types rather than restricting participation to a narrow category. The notice does not specify an award ceiling or the number of expected awards, reinforcing that USAID had not yet defined the budget scale or award strategy at the time of issuing the RFI.

Key dates show the RFI was created on 2017-10-26 and had an original closing date of 2017-11-17. Interested parties would have been expected to review the full RFI document (referenced as "see RFI") for the specific questions USAID posed and for the required format and submission instructions. In general, responses to RFIs often include information about organizational capabilities, relevant past performance, technical approaches or models that could work in-country, partnerships and local engagement strategies, anticipated risks and constraints, rough cost considerations, and recommendations for how USAID could structure a future program for maximum impact and sustainability.

Overall, the notice signals USAID/Egypt's intent to consult the field before moving forward with a potential technical assistance program supporting Egyptian public universities through Centers of Excellence. The practical takeaway is that the agency was testing interest and gathering design input, with the possibility that a later formal solicitation could follow, likely using a cooperative agreement mechanism, but with details to be determined based on what USAID learned through the RFI process.

• The Egypt USAID-Cairo in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information (RFI) for the Centers of Excellence Activity" 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 2017-10-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-11-17. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for AID RFI 263 18 00001

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