Opportunity Information: Apply for 72061219RFA00002
Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi (REFRESH) is a USAID Malawi grant opportunity designed to conserve Lake Malawi's freshwater biodiversity by rebuilding the lake's natural fisheries productivity and improving how fishing resources are managed along the lakeshore. The activity focuses on eight lakeshore districts: Karonga, Rumphi, Likoma, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Salima, Dedza, and Mangochi. At its core, REFRESH is meant to bring Lake Malawi's fisheries back toward a healthier, more productive state while supporting livelihoods that depend on fishing, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability rather than short-term extraction.
The program lays out three linked sub-purposes that define what success should look like. First, it seeks to ensure that key aquatic habitats in targeted parts of Lake Malawi are healthy and well-managed, recognizing that fish populations cannot recover without functioning ecosystems and protected breeding and nursery areas. Second, it aims for endemic fish populations in targeted lake areas to be healthy and self-sustaining, which speaks directly to Lake Malawi's global significance for endemic fish diversity and the need to prevent declines driven by habitat damage and overfishing. Third, it targets sustainable fisheries management in these areas by 2024, meaning the activity is expected to help establish practical systems, rules, and behaviors that keep fishing pressure within ecological limits over time.
REFRESH is structured around five major outcomes. Outcome 1 focuses on strengthening fisheries governance and the regulatory framework. In practical terms, this points to improving the rules that govern fishing and the institutions that set, communicate, and enforce those rules, so regulations are clearer, more consistent, and more effective at preventing destructive or illegal practices. Outcome 2 emphasizes improving ecosystem-based fisheries management, which generally means managing fisheries with the broader lake ecosystem in mind, including habitat protection, species interactions, seasonal patterns, and other environmental drivers, rather than treating fish stocks as isolated resources. Outcome 3 aims to strengthen decentralization of fisheries management, indicating an intent to shift more management responsibilities and decision-making closer to local levels, which can support stronger community ownership, more responsive oversight, and better alignment with district realities. Outcome 4 is oriented toward catalyzing and supporting commercialization of conservation enterprises to counter unsustainable fishing, suggesting REFRESH intends to promote alternative or complementary income-generating activities that reduce pressure on fish stocks while still benefiting lakeshore communities. Outcome 5 seeks to advance broader Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) integration priorities, meaning the activity is also expected to align with and reinforce wider USAID development objectives in Malawi through coordinated, cross-sector approaches where relevant.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, REFRESH was released by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Malawi Mission in Lilongwe, under Funding Opportunity Number 72061219RFA00002. It is categorized as a discretionary opportunity and will be implemented through a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial engagement by the funding agency during implementation compared to more hands-off grant structures. The opportunity sits within the Environment funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 98.001. USAID anticipated making a single award, with an award ceiling of USD 12,000,000, indicating a sizable, multi-year project intended to operate at meaningful scale across multiple districts. The opportunity was created on March 13, 2019, with an original closing date of May 29, 2019. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the opportunity's additional eligibility information, implying applicants needed to consult the full solicitation text to confirm whether they qualified and under what conditions.
Overall, the opportunity is essentially a large, focused fisheries and biodiversity effort aimed at reversing ecological decline in Lake Malawi while improving governance, management systems, and community-linked economic options. The combination of governance reforms, ecosystem-based management, decentralized decision-making, and conservation-linked enterprise support reflects an approach that tries to address both the environmental and human drivers of overfishing, with the explicit end goal of sustainable management and healthier habitats and fish populations in targeted areas by 2024.Apply for 72061219RFA00002
- The Agency for International Development, Malawi USAID-Lilongwe in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi (REFRESH)" 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 Mar 13, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 29, 2019. (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 $12,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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REFRESH (Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi) - FAQs
1) What is the REFRESH grant opportunity?
REFRESH (Restoring Fisheries for Sustainable Livelihoods in Lake Malawi) is a USAID Malawi grant opportunity focused on conserving Lake Malawi's freshwater biodiversity by rebuilding natural fisheries productivity and improving how fishing resources are managed along the lakeshore.
2) Who is the funding agency for REFRESH?
The funding agency is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Malawi Mission in Lilongwe.
3) What is the main goal of the REFRESH activity?
The central goal is to move Lake Malawi's fisheries toward a healthier, more productive state while supporting fishing-dependent livelihoods, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability rather than short-term extraction.
4) Where will REFRESH be implemented?
REFRESH targets eight lakeshore districts in Malawi: Karonga, Rumphi, Likoma, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Salima, Dedza, and Mangochi.
5) What are the three sub-purposes (success areas) of REFRESH?
The activity describes three linked sub-purposes:
- Ensure key aquatic habitats in targeted parts of Lake Malawi are healthy and well-managed.
- Ensure endemic fish populations in targeted lake areas are healthy and self-sustaining.
- Achieve sustainable fisheries management in targeted areas by 2024.
6) Why does the program emphasize aquatic habitat health?
Because fish populations cannot recover without functioning ecosystems, including protected breeding and nursery areas and well-managed habitats.
7) Why are endemic fish populations specifically mentioned?
Lake Malawi is globally significant for endemic fish diversity, and REFRESH explicitly aims to prevent declines linked to habitat damage and overfishing by supporting healthy, self-sustaining endemic fish populations in targeted areas.
8) What does "sustainable fisheries management by 2024" mean in this opportunity?
It indicates the activity is expected to help establish practical systems, rules, and behaviors that keep fishing pressure within ecological limits over time in the targeted areas.
9) What are the five major outcomes REFRESH is structured around?
REFRESH is organized around five outcomes:
- Strengthening fisheries governance and the regulatory framework.
- Improving ecosystem-based fisheries management.
- Strengthening decentralization of fisheries management.
- Catalyzing and supporting commercialization of conservation enterprises to counter unsustainable fishing.
- Advancing broader Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) integration priorities.
10) What does Outcome 1 (governance and regulatory framework) focus on?
It focuses on improving the rules that govern fishing and the institutions responsible for setting, communicating, and enforcing those rules, so regulations are clearer, more consistent, and more effective at preventing destructive or illegal practices.
11) What is meant by ecosystem-based fisheries management (Outcome 2)?
It generally means managing fisheries with the broader lake ecosystem in mind, including habitat protection, species interactions, seasonal patterns, and environmental drivers, rather than treating fish stocks as isolated resources.
12) What does decentralization of fisheries management (Outcome 3) imply?
It indicates an intent to shift more management responsibilities and decision-making closer to local levels, supporting stronger community ownership, more responsive oversight, and better alignment with district realities.
13) What are "conservation enterprises" in the context of Outcome 4?
In this opportunity, conservation enterprises are commercialization and income-generating activities intended to reduce pressure on fish stocks by offering alternative or complementary livelihoods that counter unsustainable fishing while benefiting lakeshore communities.
14) What does Outcome 5 mean by "CDCS integration priorities"?
It means REFRESH is expected to align with and reinforce USAID's broader Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) objectives in Malawi, potentially through coordinated or cross-sector approaches where relevant.
15) What type of funding instrument will be used?
USAID indicated the activity will be implemented through a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial engagement by the funding agency during implementation compared to more hands-off grant structures.
16) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for REFRESH?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 72061219RFA00002.
17) What is the funding category and activity area for this opportunity?
It is associated with the Environment funding activity category.
18) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 98.001.
19) Is this a discretionary funding opportunity?
Yes. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary opportunity.
20) How many awards did USAID anticipate making?
USAID anticipated making a single award.
21) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is USD 12,000,000.
22) When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on March 13, 2019, and the original closing date was May 29, 2019.
23) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "Others," with further clarification referenced in the opportunity's additional eligibility information. Applicants would need to consult the full solicitation text to confirm eligibility and any conditions.
24) What kinds of problems is REFRESH designed to address?
Based on the opportunity description, REFRESH is designed to address ecological decline in Lake Malawi and the human drivers of overfishing by improving governance and management systems, protecting habitats, supporting recovery of endemic fish populations, and promoting conservation-linked economic options.
25) Why does the opportunity combine governance reforms with livelihood and enterprise support?
The structure reflects an approach that aims to tackle both environmental and human drivers of overfishing: stronger rules and enforcement on one side, and conservation-linked income options that reduce pressure on fish stocks on the other.
26) What is the intended long-term result of the REFRESH activity?
The intended result is healthier habitats and healthier, self-sustaining fish populations in targeted areas, supported by sustainable fisheries management systems and improved livelihoods connected to long-term sustainability.
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