Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund (ASSHF) Rwanda | DOS RWANDA PE 2023 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS RWANDA PE 2023 02

The Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund (ASSHF) Rwanda is a small grants opportunity run by the U.S. Embassy in Kigali under the U.S. Department of State. It is designed to support practical, community-driven projects that improve basic economic and social conditions at the grassroots level. The fund is geared toward initiatives that deliver visible, high-impact benefits to a large number of people and that are strongly backed by the local community. While projects can be proposed from across Rwanda, the Embassy especially encourages submissions for work taking place in Nyamagabe, Nyaruguru, Nyamasheke, and Gisagara districts.

A key feature of this opportunity is that it uses a two-step application process. The first step is a Statement of Interest (SOI), which is intentionally brief and limited to two pages. This initial submission is not a full proposal and is meant to present a clear project idea and the main objectives in a concise way so the Embassy can screen and evaluate concepts before asking applicants to invest time in a full application. After an initial merit review of eligible SOIs, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. Those full proposals then go through a second merit review process, and only after that does the Embassy make final funding decisions. The Embassy will not review SOIs that exceed the two-page limit, so keeping the SOI tight and well organized is essential.

ASSHF projects must be rooted in local participation and shared responsibility. The Embassy is looking for proposals where the community contributes in meaningful ways, such as cash, labor, and/or materials. The underlying idea is that the project should not be something imposed from outside, but something the community helps build and can sustain afterward. Successful projects are expected to have clear local support and must be realistic for the community to operate and maintain once the grant-funded work is complete.

For the SOI itself, applicants must submit the document in English and present the total anticipated budget in U.S. dollars. The SOI must include specific core elements: the name, address, and point of contact for the cooperative or local organization that would implement and manage the funds; a brief description of the organization demonstrating it has the capacity to carry out the project and responsibly manage U.S. government funding; a clear problem statement explaining what issue is being addressed and why the project is needed; program goals and measurable objectives (with goals describing the intended end result and objectives describing the measurable steps toward that result); a description of the planned activities and how those activities will achieve the objectives; the number and description of beneficiaries; the target location of the project (with the named priority districts highlighted if relevant); and a high-level budget that lists major cost categories rather than detailed line items.

There are also important funding restrictions to plan around. Grant funds cannot be used for project administration or the operating costs of the self-help activities, meaning applicants should avoid building budgets that rely on the award to cover routine administrative overhead, staffing for general management, or ongoing operating expenses. The focus is on direct project costs that deliver community benefit, paired with local contributions that help demonstrate commitment and sustainability.

Administrative details included in the notice indicate this is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Department of State, U.S. Mission to Rwanda, under Funding Opportunity Number DOS RWANDA PE 2023 02 and CFDA 19.220 (community development). The opportunity was posted March 13, 2023, with SOIs due by May 8, 2023, at midnight Central Africa Time. The award ceiling is USD 15,000, and the Embassy anticipates making about four awards, reinforcing that this is a competitive process where clarity, feasibility, community buy-in, and broad beneficiary impact will matter a lot in the initial two-page concept.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Rwanda in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund (ASSHF) Rwanda" 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 Mar 13, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 08, 2023. (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 $15,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DOS RWANDA PE 2023 02

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