Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaaع) | 72027821RFA00006

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72027821RFA00006

The Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa) is a five-year USAID/Jordan grant opportunity designed to help Jordanian micro and small enterprises recover from recent severe economic shocks and return to stable operations. The program focuses on informal and vulnerable businesses that were hit hard by crisis conditions and now need targeted support to restart, rebuild revenues, and move back toward sustainable productivity and growth. A central idea behind the activity is that strengthening these small businesses is not only about individual livelihoods, but also about broader economic stabilization in Jordan, since micro and small enterprises make up a large share of day-to-day economic activity and employment.

Iqlaa is structured to build on what USAID has already learned and tested in Jordan, especially through the Local Enterprise Support (LENS) Activity. It aims to scale up earlier interventions focused on informal micro enterprises and expand pilot concepts that showed promise, including support for home-based businesses and micro-franchising models within local economies. In practice, this means the activity is expected to combine on-the-ground technical support with grant-making and other assistance that helps businesses resume work, fix gaps in their operations, reconnect to customers and supply chains, and strengthen their ability to compete in local markets.

A major theme in the opportunity is linking recovery support with pathways to formalization and longer-term growth. Rather than treating informality as a permanent condition, the design emphasizes helping enterprises access existing safety net measures in Jordan, reduce barriers that keep them stuck at subsistence level, and gradually move toward more stable, formal market participation. The expected results include improved business resilience, stronger market linkages, and increased capacity for growth, which together are intended to contribute to a more stable economic environment nationally.

From a strategic standpoint, Iqlaa is explicitly aligned with USAID/Jordan's Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). It supports the broader goal of advancing Jordan's self-reliance through private sector-led economic opportunities, while also tying into wider priorities such as reducing barriers for women and youth and strengthening citizen-state trust. The opportunity frames economic growth as a top shared priority for USAID and the Government of Jordan, and positions support to informal and micro enterprises as a practical way to push that priority forward, because these businesses sit at the core of household income and community-level economic health.

Administratively, this opportunity was issued by USAID/Jordan (USAID-Amman) as a cooperative agreement under an "Other" opportunity category, with the activity area listed as community development. The funding opportunity number is 72027821RFA00006, and it references CFDA number 98.001. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a broad range of applicants may compete depending on the specific solicitation requirements. The listed award ceiling is up to $75,000,000, with the original closing date shown as 2021-09-02.

• The Jordan USAID-Amman in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaaع)" 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 2021-07-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-09-02. (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 $75,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 72027821RFA00006

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