Jamaica Youth EMPOWERment Addendum to Youth Power 2 Annual Program Statement. | 72053223APS00001

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72053223APS00001

The Jamaica Youth EMPOWERment (EMPOWER) Activity is a USAID funding opportunity issued as an addendum to the YouthPower 2 (YP2) Annual Program Statement (APS). It is authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended) and is being released by the U.S. Government through USAID, specifically involving USAID/Jamaica and USAID's Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI). The core purpose is to support programming that helps high risk youth in Jamaica become more resilient to crime and violence, both in terms of avoiding victimization and reducing the likelihood of becoming perpetrators. In practice, this means interventions that strengthen protective factors around young people, expand positive alternatives, and reduce the conditions that can pull youth into violent environments.

The addendum emphasizes empowering targeted youth by building practical and relevant skills. The opportunity is framed around helping young people increase constructive involvement in their communities while also improving job readiness and employability. This points to activities such as life skills development, workforce preparation, soft skills and technical training, pathways to internships or apprenticeships, entrepreneurship support, and other employment-linked services that can connect youth to gainful opportunities. It also signals a community development orientation, where youth are not only prepared for work but are also supported to engage more positively with local community structures and networks.

USAID expects to make one award under this addendum, and the funding instrument will be a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement generally means USAID anticipates substantial involvement in the implementation process compared to a standard grant, such as engagement on technical direction, monitoring, learning, or coordination. The award has a ceiling of $15,000,000, indicating the maximum amount USAID anticipates providing for the selected program, subject to final application quality, negotiations, and funding availability.

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is broadly open to applicants that meet the standard requirements of the YP2 APS and USAID assistance regulations, rather than being limited to a narrow applicant type. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under the community development activity category. The CFDA/assistance listing reference included is 98.001. Applicants should also note that this is tied to the YouthPower 2 APS framework, so submissions are typically expected to align with APS procedures, which often involve an initial concept note followed by an invitation to submit a full application if the concept is competitive.

Key administrative details include the funding opportunity number 72053223APS00001, a creation date of October 31, 2022, and an original closing date of January 4, 2023. As with standard federal assistance notices, the addendum states that publishing the opportunity does not guarantee an award and does not represent a commitment by the U.S. Government to pay proposal preparation costs. Any eventual award would depend on the availability of funds and USAID's assessment that the final, full application is viable and responsive to the objectives of strengthening youth resilience, improving community engagement, and increasing access to employment opportunities.

• The Dominican Republic USAID-Santo Domingo in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Jamaica Youth EMPOWERment Addendum to Youth Power 2 Annual Program Statement." 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 2022-10-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-01-04. (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.

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