Support for the socio-economic development of communities in Niger | NG SSH FY21

Opportunity Information: Apply for NG SSH FY21

The U.S. Department of State, through the U.S. Embassy in Niamey and the Bureau of African Affairs (Office of Economic and Regional Affairs), announced a funding opportunity under the Ambassador's Special Self-Help (SSH) program to support socio-economic development in communities across Niger. This program is designed as a small-scale, grass-roots grant mechanism that lets U.S. embassies respond quickly to locally identified needs. The core idea is that projects should be community-based and community-driven: they are initiated by local groups, implemented and managed at the local level, and backed by meaningful community contributions, whether in cash, labor, or materials. The broader aim is to encourage self-reliance so communities can replicate similar improvement efforts in the future without depending entirely on external support.

Funding is provided as a fixed amount award of up to USD 10,000 per project, supported by FY 2021 Economic Support Funds through the Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund, subject to availability of funds. The performance period is expected to run between six months and one year, reflecting the program's focus on practical, short-term initiatives with visible local impact. The legal authority for the funding comes from the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. The opportunity was posted on July 6, 2021, with an original application deadline of August 2, 2021. The notice anticipated up to around 10 awards, indicating that multiple communities or groups could be supported through separate small projects rather than one large intervention.

The opportunity is framed around Niger's development context, emphasizing persistent vulnerability despite progress in recent years. Niger remains near the bottom of the UN Human Development Index, and the notice cites an extreme poverty rate of about 42.9 percent in 2020, affecting more than 10 million people. The country is described as heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture and challenged by multiple structural issues, especially rapid population growth paired with relatively low economic growth. With a fertility rate noted as over seven live births per woman, population growth is said to outpace the government's ability to consistently provide basic services. In that environment, local communities often organize themselves to address urgent needs, and the SSH fund is positioned as a way to give these local groups modest resources to carry out concrete improvements in living and social conditions.

For this cycle, the SSH program specifically prioritizes projects connected to girls' education; water and sanitation; livelihoods, agriculture, and household food security; youth employment; women and girls' empowerment; sports and cultural programs; disability inclusion and empowerment for people living with disabilities; reducing gender gaps (especially in education access and benefits); and environmental protection. In practical terms, that means the program is looking for proposals that can translate limited funding into tangible community assets or services, such as repairing or improving classrooms, supporting basic health-related facility improvements, expanding access to clean water points or sanitation infrastructure, enabling small livelihood activities that raise incomes, or creating community initiatives that increase opportunities for youth and women.

The stated program objective is straightforward: improve socio-economic development of communities in Niger. The expected results, as described in the notice, include improvements to educational and health facilities, better access to water and sanitation, increased youth employment opportunities, stronger social and economic empowerment for women and girls, a reduction in gender gaps in educational benefits, improved household food security, increased household income, expanded opportunities for people living with disabilities, and reduced environmental degradation. Overall, the opportunity is geared toward small, locally managed projects that can quickly deliver visible improvements, while also reinforcing community participation and ownership through required local contributions.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Niger in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Support for the socio-economic development of communities in Niger" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.220.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 06, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 02, 2021. (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 $10,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NG SSH FY21

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