Partnership for the Development of Eastern Congo | 72066020RFA00009

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72066020RFA00009

The Partnership for the Development of Eastern Congo (P-DEC) is a USAID-funded grant opportunity designed to support stabilization and longer-term development in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, specifically in Ituri and North Kivu provinces. The opportunity sits within USAID's broader strategic vision of helping the DRC become more stable and prosperous by strengthening resilience among communities, improving governance, and encouraging a more dynamic private sector. It also aligns with the April 2019 U.S.-DRC Privileged Partnership for Peace and Prosperity, which frames U.S. engagement around peacebuilding and economic progress, and with USAID/DRC's 2014-2021 Country Development Cooperation Strategy, particularly Transition Objective 3 focused on building foundations for durable peace.

At its core, P-DEC aims to reduce key drivers of conflict and instability that have enabled armed actors to operate and persist in the region. The program is explicitly oriented toward addressing the conditions that gave rise to, and continue to fuel, groups such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and other armed groups and community-based militias. Rather than treating insecurity as a single-sector issue, P-DEC emphasizes cross-sectoral stabilization, meaning it expects integrated approaches that may combine governance, community security, social cohesion, service delivery, livelihoods, and local economic recovery in ways that reinforce one another. The underlying idea is that durable peace depends on multiple systems working better at the same time, including legitimate local institutions, community trust, and economic alternatives to violence.

A central theme in the opportunity is the transition from humanitarian assistance to development. Eastern Congo has long required emergency response due to displacement, insecurity, and humanitarian needs, but P-DEC is positioned as a mechanism to help communities move beyond repeated crisis cycles by investing in more sustainable structures and capacities. That generally implies programming that not only meets immediate needs, but also strengthens local problem-solving, improves the ability of institutions and communities to manage disputes nonviolently, and supports economic and governance conditions that reduce incentives for joining or supporting armed groups.

The solicitation indicates that USAID intends to focus efforts where there is demonstrated political will to achieve program goals. In practice, this signals a preference for working in geographic areas and with actors (local government, customary leaders, civil society, and other stakeholders) that are willing to engage constructively, cooperate on reforms or conflict-mitigation efforts, and help sustain results. This emphasis matters because stabilization initiatives often depend on credible commitment from local leadership and institutions, as well as community buy-in, to prevent gains from eroding once external support decreases.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary award offered through a Cooperative Agreement, which typically means substantial involvement by USAID in program design refinement, implementation oversight, learning, and coordination. The Funding Opportunity Number is 72066020RFA00009, and it is listed under CFDA 98.001 (USAID foreign assistance). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, indicating that a wide range of applicant types may apply, subject to standard USAID requirements. The award ceiling is $39,500,000, suggesting a large-scale initiative, and the original closing date for submissions was November 24, 2020. Overall, P-DEC is structured as a major stabilization-and-development investment intended to help eastern Congo move toward more secure, governable, and economically viable conditions in places heavily affected by protracted conflict.

• The Agency for International Development in the regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnership for the Development of Eastern Congo" 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 2020-09-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-11-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $39,500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 72066020RFA00009

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: