USAID Humanitarian Assistance Grants: Education, Nutrition & Safe Water Programs for Africans and Asians

Introduction — why this matters now

When conflict, cyclone, flood or economic collapse hits a community, children lose school days, families slip into malnutrition, and basic water systems fail. In many African and Asian contexts, the consequences are immediate and devastating: outbreaks of diarrheal disease, surges in acute malnutrition, and long drops in learning outcomes. USAID — through its humanitarian arm, the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and through mission-level funding — is often among the largest and fastest international donors that respond to these crises.

If you represent a local NGO, a community-based group, or a regional consortium in Africa or Asia, understanding how USAID funds education-in-emergencies, nutrition, and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) can position you to be part of life-saving responses and to build long-term resilience in your communities. This guide explains what USAID typically funds, how it funds it, what makes a winning proposal, and the practical steps you should take — from concept note to award — with an emphasis on realities for African and Asian implementers.

Quick orientation: USAID, BHA, NOFOs and Grants.gov

USAID’s humanitarian funding is channeled in several ways, and the institutional structure matters because it determines how competitive solicitations are posted and how awards are managed:

The Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) leads major emergency response funding. BHA issues guidance for emergency applications and posts many large Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) or works through USAID missions for country-level solicitations. BHA’s Emergency Application Guidelines are a key reference for applicants and explain allowable activities, M&E expectations, and pre-award requirements.
USAID Missions (country offices) also run solicitations tailored to national priorities and local contexts — sometimes issuing local NOFOs, sometimes managing awards allocated from Washington.
Grants.gov is the primary public portal where most USAID NOFOs are posted (search “U.S. Agency for International Development” and relevant keywords). If an opportunity is open, the NOFO and submission instructions will be present on Grants.gov.

Bookmark both resources, because they are the official sources for NOFO text, deadlines, and submission routes.

What USAID typically funds in Education, Nutrition and WASH (plain language)

Below is a practical sector-by-sector explanation of the activities USAID commonly funds in humanitarian settings — the things evaluators expect to see in a strong application.

Education in Emergencies

USAID supports interventions that rapidly restore safe learning and protect children, often through:

Temporary learning spaces and school repairs — safe classrooms, furniture, and supplies.
Teacher support and psychosocial services — training for teachers on psychosocial first aid, catch-up or accelerated learning for children who missed months of school.
School feeding or conditional transfers — meals or cash that improve attendance and nutrition.
Safe school practices and protection — measures to prevent recruitment, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention in and around schools, and inclusive access for children with disabilities.

Education in Emergencies proposals are stronger when they show links to local education authorities and clear child-protection measures.

Nutrition (maternal & child; prevention & treatment)

Nutrition interventions are time-sensitive and technically demanding. USAID funds activities such as:

Screening and treatment of acute malnutrition — outpatient therapeutic programs (OTPs), stabilization centres, and supplies like ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF).
Preventive nutrition — micronutrient supplementation, vitamin A campaigns, promotion of optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF), and community-based growth monitoring and promotion.
Nutrition system strengthening — building capacity in ministries and local health systems for surveillance, supply chain and treatment protocols.

Given the complexity and procurement needs (e.g., RUTF), applications must include tight supply-chain plans and clinical oversight.

WASH (safe water, sanitation, hygiene)

WASH interventions address disease prevention and dignity:

Emergency water supply — water trucking, rapid repair of boreholes, emergency distribution of safe water.
Sanitation infrastructure — emergency latrines, desludging, and MHM (menstrual hygiene management) facilities in schools.
Hygiene promotion & behaviour change — handwashing, household water treatment, and community engagement.
WASH in health facilities and schools — infection prevention and control measures critical for health services and learning continuity.

WASH programmes link closely with nutrition (waterborne disease worsens malnutrition) and with education (safe WASH in schools supports attendance and dignity), so integrated proposals often score better.

Why USAID funding is both an opportunity and a discipline

Opportunities: USAID funding can be large enough to transform local systems — enabling scale-up of school feeding, equipping nutrition clinics, or fixing critical water systems. It brings technical support, visibility, and the possibility of long-term partnerships.

Constraints / realities: USAID requires robust compliance (financial management, procurement, safeguarding), and larger awards often favor well-documented organizations. Many big BHA grants are awarded to large international NGOs or UN agencies; smaller local NGOs frequently participate as sub-awardees. The environment has also seen policy shifts and occasional pauses, so applicants must stay updated through official channels.

Comparison table — What each sector typically costs and delivers

Sector	Typical Award Size (practical range)	Common Outputs	Key Risk Factors
Education in Emergencies	$200k — $3M+	Temporary learning spaces, school kits, teacher training, attendance improvement	Access/security, teacher retention, protection risks
Nutrition (treatment & prevention)	$300k — $10M+	OTPs established, RUTF distributed, screening coverage increased	Supply chain for RUTF, clinical quality, referral systems
WASH (emergency + rehab)	$150k — $5M+	Borehole repairs, water trucking, latrine construction, hygiene campaigns	Water source sustainability, O&M capacity, contamination risks

(Actual award sizes vary widely by country, crisis scale, and NOFO specifications. Use this as a planning reference.)

How to spot real USAID/BHA NOFOs and avoid scams

Green flags (real opportunities):

The NOFO appears on Grants.gov and references USAID/BHA guidance and SAM/Government registration requirements. Grants.gov
Clear application instructions, deadlines, and named USAID contacts (country mission or BHA).
Detailed technical annexes and M&E expectations.

Red flags (beware):

Private requests that ask for payment to access funding. USAID NEVER requires application or processing payments.
NOFO-like postings without Grants.gov references or without clear government contact details.
Overly vague solicitations lacking program-specific indicators.

When suspicious, verify the NOFO on Grants.gov and ask the USAID mission for confirmation.

Step-by-step practical guide — from idea to submission (for NGOs in Africa & Asia)

This section is a detailed how-to that you can follow step-by-step. Treat it as your application checklist.

Step 1 — Read the NOFO carefully (the document is the rulebook)

Identify whether the NOFO is mission-level or BHA (Washington) level.
Note important deadlines, expected award types (cooperative agreement vs grant), eligible applicants, and required forms.

Step 2 — Ensure administrative readiness (SAM, UEI, bank details)

If you expect to be a prime awardee, register in SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity ID (UEI). This may take weeks and is a pre-award requirement for many USAID grants. Many local NGOs partner with international primes to avoid SAM complexity, but getting your UEI early is wise.

Step 3 — Build the technical approach (problem -> objectives -> activities)

Use a theory of change: explain how activities (e.g., school meals + hygiene promotion) will lead to outcomes (increased attendance, decreased diarrhoea).
Make objectives SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Step 4 — Design realistic budgets and budgets narratives

Use unit costs backed by market quotes. For nutrition, calculate RUTF procurement and transport costs precisely. For school feeding, calculate per-meal cost per child.
Include staffing, M&E, administrative overheads (within NOFO caps), and contingency.

Step 5 — M&E & indicators

Use standard humanitarian cluster indicators where possible (e.g., GAM prevalence, attendance rates, litres of water per person per day). Attach baseline data and realistic targets. USAID pays attention to data quality assurances.

Step 6 — Partnerships, letters of support & MOUs

Secure letters from ministries of health/education and local authorities. These demonstrate government buy-in and improve chances of selection. If you plan to be a sub-awardee, secure a lead and a signed MOU early.

Step 7 — Compliance & safeguarding

Include child protection and PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) policies. USAID rigorously checks safeguarding measures.

Step 8 — Quality assurance and submission

Run a final compliance check: mandatory attachments, template formats (the NOFO often prescribes the templates), correct submission portal. Submit before the deadline; do not assume late submissions will be accepted.

Step 9 — Follow-up and negotiation

Be responsive to clarification requests. If selected, expect pre-award assessments and negotiations on scope, budgets, and reporting.

For a detailed walkthrough of programmatic expectations and application formatting, BHA’s Emergency Application Guidelines are indispensable. They explain the agency’s priorities, allowable costs, and monitoring requirements. gbvguidelines.org

What makes a proposal stand out to USAID evaluators?

Clear alignment with NOFO priorities — Don’t write a generic humanitarian proposal. Address the exact needs described in the NOFO and the country’s humanitarian plan.
Strong government partnerships — MOUs with ministries, or letters of support, show sustainability and coordination.
Practical logistics & procurement plans — Especially for nutrition (e.g., RUTF) and WASH (capital works), evaluators want to see procurement sources and distribution plans.
Data-driven M&E — Baseline, target, and feasible indicators with a plan for data validation.
Localization & inclusion — Clearly show local partner roles and how vulnerable groups (girls, disabled children, minorities) will be served.
Risk assessment & mitigation — Show that you have considered security, supply-chain disruption, and contingency plans.

Budget realism: ballpark unit costs & what to justify

(These are illustrative — local market rates vary widely. Always use current market quotes.)

School feeding (per child per day): $0.20 – $0.70 depending on menu and region.
RUTF (ready-to-use therapeutic food): procurement costs vary; ensure supply chain and storage costs are included.
Temporary learning space set-up (per classroom): $2,000 – $7,000 depending on materials.
Emergency borehole repair / water-trucking: highly variable; water trucking often charged per cubic metre or per trip.

USAID expects unit costs to be justified with market references; include quotes and procurement plans.

Integration is powerful: how to design programs that link Education, Nutrition and WASH

Integrated proposals that explain how sectors reinforce each other are compelling:

Example model: School feeding + WASH in schools + nutrition screening. The school feeding reduces hunger and increases attendance; WASH prevents diarrheal disease that worsens malnutrition; school-based screening identifies children needing therapeutic care and links them to health services.
Why it scores: It demonstrates systemic thinking (not siloed), an efficient use of funds, and improved sustainability.

Practical tips for local NGOs in Africa & Asia (real-world constraints)

Start early with primes: If you don’t have SAM registration, start conversational partnerships with INGOs who serve as primes. Show them your local knowledge and capacity.
Document past performance carefully: Past success stories with data (e.g., increased attendance, numbers treated) are gold. Package them as short one-pagers.
Invest in safeguarding: PSEA and child protection training are not optional — include evidence of staff training and a complaints mechanism.
Plan for audits: USAID awards may be audited — keep financial records ready, use transparent procurement, and maintain documentation.

Statement of Purpose / Concept Note — short template tailored to USAID NOFOs

Use a 2–3 page concept note for initial contacts. Sample structure:

Title & context: “Integrated School-based Nutrition & WASH Emergency Response — Region X”
Problem statement (1 paragraph): Data-driven, cite prevalence rates or education losses.
Goal & objectives (bullets): SMART objectives (e.g., “Reduce GAM prevalence among under-5s from 14% to 10% in 12 months”).
Key activities (bullets + brief timeline): School feeding, WASH repairs, nutrition screening, referral networks.
Partners & roles: Ministry of Education (lead technical), local NGO (community mobilization), INGO prime (funding/oversight).
Estimated budget range: High-level figures and per-beneficiary cost.
Sustainability & exit plan: Handover to local authorities, cost-sharing.
Monitoring & indicators: Top 3 indicators with baselines & targets.

This concise format is perfect to initiate discussions with potential primes or to respond to concept-note calls.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake	Why it fails	How to avoid
Weak government coordination	USAID prefers government-aligned programs	Secure Ministry letters; show alignment with national plans
Vague M&E	Hard to judge impact	Use clear cluster indicators and a data collection plan
No PSEA/child protection safeguards	High-risk; disqualification	Include policies, reporting mechanisms, staff training plans
Unrealistic budgets	Credibility lost	Use market quotes; explain assumptions
Single-sector thinking	Misses synergies	Show integrated, cost-effective approaches (education + WASH + nutrition)

FAQs — concise but useful

Q: Can small local NGOs apply directly to USAID/BHA NOFOs?
A: Often large BHA awards go to international primes; small NGOs can participate as sub-awardees or apply to mission-level NOFOs designed for local partners. Start partnerships early and demonstrate capacity.

Q: Where are USAID NOFOs posted?
A: Most open competitive NOFOs are posted on Grants.gov and sometimes on USAID mission websites. Sign up for alerts and monitor cluster coordination channels.

Q: Does USAID provide funding for RUTF procurement?
A: Yes — nutrition NOFOs commonly include RUTF procurement lines, but proposals must show rigorous supply-chain plans and storage. Procurement often needs to follow LRIP (local/regional/international procurement) rules in the NOFO. gbvguidelines.org

Q: How long does it take from submission to award?
A: Timeline varies: initial reviews, clarifications and pre-award checks can take weeks to months. Emergency rapid-response awards can be faster but still require compliance checks.

Q: What is the difference between a grant and a cooperative agreement?
A: Both are assistance mechanisms; cooperative agreements usually imply greater USAID engagement in program implementation, while grants are more hands-off. Read the NOFO carefully to know which applies.

Real-world examples and recent trends (what evaluators notice)

Integrated Nutrition + WASH programming in Yemen & Somalia: USAID/BHA has funded integrated responses that show higher programmatic impact and better resource use. Example grants have supported both OTPs and WASH rehabilitation to reduce relapse. (See BHA press examples of integrated awards.) UNICEF
Localization push: Donors increasingly require local partner inclusion and capacity strengthening. Demonstrate explicit roles for local NGOs and plan for progressive leadership transfer.
Data & digital tools: Use of mobile data collection and real-time monitoring improves performance and is looked upon favorably.

Practical post-award realities: implementation, reporting & audits

If you win, the heavy lifting begins:

Implementation fidelity — follow the agreed activities, adapt to context, and document changes. USAID expects adaptive management but also expects you to notify them of major scope changes.
Reporting cadence — narrative & financial reports will be periodic (monthly/quarterly), plus donor-required indicators. Have a calendar & assign staff.
Procurement & audits — procurement must follow USAID rules; maintain procurement logs and receipts. Expect external audits and spot checks.

Final checklist — are you ready to apply?

SAM/UEI registration (if you’re applying as a prime)
Concept note + full proposal templates ready (aligned to NOFO)
Letters of support from ministries / local authorities
Safeguarding & PSEA policies + staff training plan
Realistic budget with procurement plans and market quotes
M&E plan with baselines and cluster indicators
Partnerships & MOUs in place (if applying as a sub/consortium)

Conclusion — be strategic, be local, be accountable

USAID humanitarian assistance is a major opportunity to scale lifesaving education, nutrition and WASH interventions in Africa and Asia — but it demands preparedness, partnership, and transparency. The most competitive proposals are not simply ambitious; they are practical, data-driven, locally anchored, and compliant with USAID’s detailed rules.

If you represent a local NGO, begin now: strengthen partnerships with international primes, document your past impact, upgrade your compliance systems, and learn the language of NOFOs. With careful preparation and a strong local presence, you can turn USAID funding into meaningful, measurable change for children and families in crisis.