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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