Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund (SSH) | 0042021

Opportunity Information: Apply for 0042021

The Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund (SSH) is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Embassy in Harare to support small, practical community development projects across Zimbabwe's 10 provinces. The program is designed for short-term, community-driven initiatives that can be completed quickly and show visible results at the village level. Projects are expected to have strong local participation and to directly improve basic economic or social conditions, with priority often going to income-generating ideas that help communities become more self-reliant.

In Zimbabwe, the SSH program provides small grants typically ranging from USD 2,500 to USD 8,000 per project, with an expected average in that same band. The overall funding pool is listed at about USD 65,000 (pending final confirmation), and the Embassy anticipated making around 10 awards depending on the size of selected budgets. Grants are funded through FY22 Economic Support Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act. Each project must be fully implemented within 12 months or less, with spending and activities completed inside that performance period. The anticipated start window referenced in the notice is around September 2022 (with a specific anticipated date of September 20, 2022), though the timing depends on when funds become available, and the opportunity is explicitly subject to the availability of funding.

The SSH program has a long history as a grassroots mechanism that lets U.S. embassies respond to locally identified needs. It began in 1964 in Togo and expanded across Africa, with Zimbabwe's SSH program dating back to 1980. In Zimbabwe, the Embassy notes that SSH has multiple funding sources with different mandates, and applicants must clearly state which fund they are applying to. This particular announcement highlights the Ambassador's Special Self-Help (SSH) Fund, which focuses on community-initiated, income-generating projects. Supported activities can include efforts tied to access to healthy food, natural resource management, wildlife conservation, and water and sanitation, among other community priorities. Examples of previously supported projects include grinding mills, carpentry and weaving initiatives, boreholes, drip irrigation and water storage, fish farming, chicken rearing, and market gardens.

Eligibility is limited to Zimbabwe-registered non-governmental, non-profit, or community-based organizations. The announcement explains that registered trusts, associations, schools, and churches can qualify, while individuals, businesses, and government entities cannot. A core requirement is a meaningful community contribution to the project, which can be in the form of cash, labor, and/or materials, and the intended beneficiary members must be Zimbabwean citizens. Applicants are also expected to demonstrate sound management capacity, including financial and administrative controls that prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

There are also important compliance and registration requirements tied to U.S. government awarding rules. To be eligible for an award, organizations must have a unique entity identifier (listed in the notice as a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet) and an active registration in SAM.gov, along with an NCAGE/CAGE code. These registrations are described as free of charge, but they can take time and must be completed before the Department of State can issue an award. The notice also warns that organizations or partners appearing on the Excluded Parties List System (within SAM) are not eligible to apply or participate in activities, consistent with federal debarment and suspension rules.

Applications must follow strict formatting and content rules, and proposals that do not comply can be ruled ineligible. Applicants must use the Embassy's required templates: the proposal narrative template (Annex A) and the budget template (Annex B), available on the U.S. Embassy Harare website or Grants.gov. All documents must be in English, budgets must be in U.S. dollars, pages must be numbered, and documents should be formatted for 8.5 x 11 paper. Microsoft Word documents must be single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, with at least 1-inch margins. Required federal forms include SF-424 and SF-424A, and SF-424B is required for certain applicants as noted (particularly those not registered in SAM, though the overall award process still requires SAM registration).

The submission package is fairly detailed. It includes a cover summary page, and a proposal narrative of up to 10 pages that clearly explains what will be done, why it matters, and how results will be achieved and measured. The narrative is expected to cover a program summary, organizational background and experience (including prior funding from the U.S. Embassy, U.S. government agencies, or other donors), a clear problem statement, measurable goals and objectives, planned activities, and the methods or design for how the project will work (a logic model is encouraged where appropriate). Applicants must also provide a schedule and timeline with dates and locations, identify key personnel and their time commitments, list partners and any sub-awardees, and include a monitoring and evaluation plan explaining how progress will be tracked and success assessed. Sustainability is also required: applicants should describe how the project will continue after the grant ends or what resources will support it going forward.

Budget documentation is equally specific. In addition to completing the standard budget form, applicants must provide a budget justification narrative explaining each cost in detail. The required attachments include short CVs or resumes (one page) for key personnel, letters of support from partners clarifying roles and responsibilities, and a copy of the organization's registration certificate. If the applicant plans to charge indirect costs and has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), the most recent NICRA must be attached as a PDF. Because projects often involve work in local jurisdictions or on land, the Embassy requires official permission letters or MOUs with relevant authorities (such as District Administrators, community leaders, local development committees, tribal authorities, and/or local councils), plus proof of land ownership where land will be used. A notable procurement-related requirement is that applicants must attach original pro-forma invoices or quotations for budgeted items, and provide three quotes for each item.

Finally, the application deadline in the notice is Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 5:00 pm, with late submissions not considered. The opportunity is competitive, with the Embassy noting that it receives hundreds of applications each year and can fund only a small number of projects, even though all submissions are reviewed through a competitive and transparent process.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Zimbabwe in the regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund (SSH)" 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 Nov 04, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 04, 2022. (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 $8,000.00 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 0042021

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