Request for Information for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) outcomes for Children with Disabilities (CwD) | 72038622RFI00002

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72038622RFI00002

This opportunity is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by USAID/India (USAID-New Delhi) focused on improving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) outcomes for Children with Disabilities (CwD) in India. An RFI is not a grant competition or a promise of funding; it is a market and stakeholder consultation used to gather ideas, recommendations, and practical input before an agency decides whether to release a future solicitation or Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). In this case, USAID is signaling that it is exploring a potential future program in the education sector and wants to shape it around new and innovative approaches that can strengthen early-grade reading and math for children with disabilities.

The stated purpose is to collect comments and suggestions that could be incorporated into a later funding opportunity, if USAID chooses to move forward. The emphasis on "new, innovative solutions" suggests USAID is looking for approaches that go beyond standard interventions and that can respond to real implementation barriers affecting children with disabilities in foundational learning settings. While the RFI notice itself does not lay out a final program design, budget, or performance targets, it frames the problem space clearly: foundational learning (basic literacy and numeracy) remains a critical priority, and children with disabilities often face additional barriers that prevent them from accessing instruction, materials, assistive supports, and inclusive classroom practices needed to reach grade-level outcomes.

USAID is explicitly seeking input from a broad set of stakeholders, which signals that the agency wants perspectives from across the ecosystem rather than from one narrow segment of implementers. The RFI invites participation from private sector actors, public institutions, organizations of and for persons with disabilities, development partners, NGOs, industry associations, think tanks, and academia. That wide net indicates an interest in solutions that may involve government systems, community-based support, disability rights and inclusion expertise, research evidence, technology or assistive products, and scalable service delivery models. It also implies USAID is paying attention to inclusion and disability-led or disability-focused voices, not just general education organizations.

From the posted opportunity data, the funding opportunity title is "Request for Information for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) outcomes for Children with Disabilities (CwD)," and the opportunity number is 72038622RFI00002. The activity category is Education, and the CFDA listing is 98.001. The instrument type is listed as "Other," which aligns with the fact that an RFI is a pre-solicitation information-gathering tool rather than a standard grant or contract competition. Eligibility is marked "Unrestricted," which is typical for RFIs because agencies want to hear from anyone with relevant ideas, capabilities, or evidence. No award ceiling or expected number of awards is provided because the RFI does not itself award funds. The posting date (creation date) is 2022-04-05, and the original closing date for submitting information was 2022-05-04.

In practical terms, the outcome of an RFI like this is that USAID collects written inputs and uses them to refine how a potential future program might be structured. Stakeholder feedback can influence what kinds of interventions USAID prioritizes, what geographic or demographic focus areas it selects, how it defines success and measures FLN outcomes for children with disabilities, what partnerships it encourages, and what implementation constraints it anticipates (for example, teacher capacity, accessibility of materials, assessment accommodations, data limitations, or coordination with government education systems). The notice also references "Attachment 1" for more details, indicating that the most specific guidance on what USAID wanted respondents to address (such as thematic questions, preferred solution areas, or submission instructions) was contained in that attachment.

Overall, the key takeaway is that USAID/India used this RFI to consult the field on how to improve foundational reading and math outcomes for children with disabilities in India, with the intent of using the feedback to design a stronger, more relevant future funding opportunity. The RFI itself is a planning step rather than a direct funding opportunity, but it is an important signal that inclusive foundational learning for children with disabilities is a priority area under consideration for future USAID programming.

• The India USAID-New Delhi in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) outcomes for Children with Disabilities (CwD)" 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 2022-04-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-05-04. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 72038622RFI00002

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