GH Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Activity | 7200AA24RFA00008

FAQs: USAID GH Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Activity (7200AA24RFA00008)

1) What is the USAID GH Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Activity?

It is a planned five-year USAID cooperative agreement intended to help countries improve health and broader development outcomes by strengthening how social and behavior change (SBC) approaches are designed, implemented, and sustained. The activity is positioned as a global leadership and backbone platform for SBC, connecting learning and practice across countries, partners, and sectors.

2) What is the main goal of this activity?

The strategic objective is to increase implementation of theory-informed, evidence-based, locally led SBC programming.

3) What does USAID mean by pushing SBC beyond one-off communications campaigns?

The opportunity emphasizes moving away from isolated, stand-alone communications efforts and toward consistent, system-level use of behavioral science and social science methods across development programming, with approaches that are designed to last and be sustained over time.

4) How long is the planned period of performance?

The activity is planned as a five-year cooperative agreement.

5) What type of funding mechanism is this?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity from USAID using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically implies substantial USAID engagement during implementation.

6) What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA listing?

The funding opportunity number is 7200AA24RFA00008, and it is listed under CFDA 98.001.

7) What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?

The stated award ceiling is $321,500,000.

8) When was the opportunity created and when did it close?

The opportunity was created March 29, 2024. The original closing date was May 29, 2024.

9) Is the activity only focused on health?

The activity is primarily focused on health, but it leaves room to support SBC needs in other sectors where behavior and social norms strongly affect outcomes, especially areas that overlap with health goals.

10) Which non-health sectors are specifically mentioned as possible areas of support?

The opportunity specifically calls out environmental conservation, agriculture, food security, and nutrition as examples of sectors that may be supported where they naturally overlap with health goals.

11) Which health technical areas are emphasized?

Within health, the activity maintains a substantive (but not exclusive) focus on family planning and reproductive health (including reproductive empowerment), malaria, and maternal, newborn, and child health.

12) Does the activity address pandemics or emerging infectious disease threats?

Yes. The opportunity highlights the need to remain responsive to emerging pandemic threats and other infectious diseases, indicating the platform should be adaptable to evolving global health risks.

13) What does “evidence into action” mean in this opportunity?

It refers to generating, synthesizing, and catalyzing the use of theory-informed and evidence-based SBC approaches in diverse real-world settings, and helping integrate SBC evidence and theory into development programs.

14) What is meant by “global leadership and backbone platform” for SBC?

USAID describes the activity as a platform intended to connect learning and practice across countries, partners, and sectors, strengthening SBC as a field and making SBC approaches more locally led, more evidence-driven, and more durable over time.

15) Is the activity expected to build on existing USAID work?

Yes. The opportunity emphasizes building on existing USAID investments in SBC research and implementation, including global and bilateral projects.

16) What kinds of capacity strengthening are expected?

The activity is expected to strengthen local technical and organizational capacity so that country and local institutions can lead SBC programming themselves.

17) Is innovation mentioned, and if so, in what way?

Yes. The opportunity promotes innovative and cost-effective programming alongside theory-informed and evidence-based SBC approaches.

18) How important are partnerships in this activity?

The activity is framed as a partnership-driven effort that uses both new and existing collaborations to expand locally driven programming and embed SBC best practices within public and private health systems.

19) What cross-cutting USAID priorities should be integrated into the approach?

The opportunity highlights localization, gender integration, and youth engagement. It also prioritizes stronger health systems, inclusion of LGBTQI people, and disability inclusion (including people with physical and cognitive disabilities). In addition, it stresses elevating voices and expertise of marginalized and underrepresented groups (including racial, ethnic, and Indigenous communities) and expects attention to climate change as a cross-cutting consideration.

20) What does localization mean in the context of this opportunity?

Localization is highlighted as a priority, described as shifting leadership and capacity to local actors and making SBC more locally led and sustainable over time.

21) What does the opportunity say about equity and inclusion?

It emphasizes inclusion of LGBTQI people and people with disabilities, elevating marginalized and underrepresented groups (including racial, ethnic, and Indigenous communities), and designing SBC work in ways that are equitable, inclusive, and locally grounded.

22) How is climate change expected to factor into the work?

Climate change is explicitly named as a cross-cutting consideration, signaling that SBC work should be resilient to changing environmental conditions.

23) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes U.S. and non-U.S. public or private organizations; for-profit or nonprofit entities; universities; public international organizations; and NGOs, as long as they are legally recognized, not suspended or debarred, and registered in a country that is not a prohibited source under USAID policy (ADS 310).

24) Are there restrictions related to suspension, debarment, or source/registration?

Yes. Applicants must not be suspended or debarred and must be registered in a country that is not a prohibited source under USAID policy (ADS 310).

25) Where should applicants look for the full requirements and details?

USAID directs applicants to the complete Request for Applications (RFA) posted with the opportunity’s related documents for full requirements.