USAID Cambodia Integrated Early Childhood Development Activity | 72044220RFA00001

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72044220RFA00001

USAID Cambodia Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) Activity (Funding Opportunity Number 72044220RFA00001) is a discretionary USAID grant competition structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected implementer would be expected to work closely with USAID throughout implementation. The opportunity is run by USAID in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and is open to unrestricted applicants. The funding supports an integrated package of services aimed at helping the most vulnerable newborns and young children not only survive, but thrive, by improving early childhood development outcomes beginning even before birth.

The central goal of the activity is to promote "nurturing care" so children can reach their full developmental potential. In this context, nurturing care refers to what parents and other caregivers provide through everyday actions that protect and stimulate a child: making sure young children are healthy and well nourished, keeping them safe from threats, creating opportunities for early learning, and interacting with them in ways that are emotionally supportive and responsive. The grant is built around the idea that early childhood development is not driven by one service or one sector alone, but by a coordinated set of health, nutrition, caregiving, sanitation, and learning-related supports that reinforce each other.

A major programmatic priority is reducing stunting, and the activity is designed to tackle stunting through a multi-sectoral approach. This includes strengthening nutrition service delivery both at health facilities and at the community level, promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture to improve diet quality and food availability, and improving water, sanitation, and hygiene practices among caregivers to reduce illness and infection that can undermine growth and nutrition. Alongside these interventions, the activity emphasizes responsive caregiving to support children in meeting key cognitive, language, socio-emotional, and physical milestones, recognizing that good nutrition and good health are tightly linked to early stimulation and caregiver-child interaction.

The activity focuses broadly on the early childhood years, with particularly intensive attention to the first 1,000 days (from pregnancy through a child’s second birthday). This period is highlighted because it is a critical window for brain development and physical growth, and because interventions during this time can have long-lasting effects on learning, health, and productivity later in life. Accordingly, the IECD activity anticipates more intensive nutrition, psychosocial support, and physical stimulation efforts during this early period, aimed at improving both growth outcomes and developmental trajectories.

Another key component is supporting child development assessments so delays can be identified early and addressed through timely interventions. The opportunity explicitly notes that some children may be at risk for impairments and disabilities or may already show developmental delays, and that access to appropriate programs and services is often limited for these children. The activity therefore intends to strengthen early identification and help connect children and families to interventions and supports, acknowledging that these children may require additional or specialized assistance to achieve developmental gains.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the award ceiling is listed at up to USD 15,000,000, with the notice created on December 16, 2019, and an original closing date of January 24, 2020. The opportunity is categorized across multiple sectors including education, environment, food and nutrition, and health, reflecting the integrated nature of the intended approach. The CFDA listing is 98.001, consistent with USAID foreign assistance programs.

• The Cambodia USAID-Phnom Penh in the education, environment, food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USAID Cambodia Integrated Early Childhood Development Activity" 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 2019-12-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-24. (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 $15,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 72044220RFA00001

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