Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award (ICHSSA) | 72062019RFA00007

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72062019RFA00007

The Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award (ICHSSA) is a USAID/Nigeria funding opportunity designed to lessen the effects of HIV/AIDS on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Nigeria. The core idea is to strengthen the systems around vulnerable children so they are not only supported day to day, but also protected from neglect, abuse, exploitation, and other rights violations that can be intensified by household poverty, illness, or instability linked to HIV/AIDS. Rather than focusing only on direct services, the activity emphasizes building lasting capacity at multiple levels so that families, communities, and government institutions can consistently meet OVC needs and uphold their rights over time.

At the household level, ICHSSA aims to improve families ability to access basic services for children. In practical terms, this typically means helping caregivers and households connect to health services, social welfare supports, education-related assistance, and other essential resources that keep children healthy, safe, and in school. The household focus recognizes that children outcomes are strongly tied to caregiver stability, economic resilience, and the ability to navigate and use available services, especially in settings where HIV-related illness or stigma can disrupt income, caregiving, and access to care.

At the community level, the opportunity targets stronger community capacity to secure and defend the rights of OVC. This reflects the reality that community structures and norms often determine whether vulnerable children are identified early, referred for help, protected from violence, or supported to remain in a safe home environment. Community capacity building can include creating or strengthening local mechanisms to monitor child wellbeing, promote safe and inclusive practices, reduce stigma related to HIV, and ensure children are not excluded from services or exposed to harmful practices. The emphasis on rights signals that the activity is not only about service delivery, but also about safeguarding children and ensuring accountability when violations occur.

At the government level, ICHSSA seeks to strengthen local and state government capacity to deliver services and to prevent and mitigate rights violations. This is an institutional angle: improving how government entities plan, coordinate, fund, and oversee OVC-related services, and how they respond when children are at risk. It also implies better linkages across sectors, since OVC support often spans health, education, protection, and social welfare functions. The goal is for government systems to become more capable and reliable, reducing long-term dependence on external implementers while improving consistency and coverage of child protection and support services.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, ICHSSA is a discretionary grant opportunity issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Nigeria USAID-Abuja, under Funding Opportunity Number 72062019RFA00007. The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, which generally means USAID expects substantial involvement during implementation, such as collaboration on technical direction, monitoring, coordination, and adaptive management. The activity falls under the Health funding category and is associated with CFDA number 98.001. The opportunity anticipated up to four awards, with an award ceiling of $19,500,000. The notice was created on July 8, 2019, with an original closing date of August 23, 2019. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the opportunitys eligibility details, suggesting that applicants needed to consult the full notice to confirm whether their organization type and qualifications met USAID requirements.

Overall, ICHSSA is structured as a multi-layer, systems-strengthening effort focused on ensuring vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS are cared for and protected. It combines direct support pathways for households with community-led rights protection and stronger government service delivery and oversight, aiming for durable improvements in child wellbeing and protection rather than short-term relief alone.

• The Agency for International Development, Nigeria USAID-Abuja in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award (ICHSSA)" 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 Jul 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 23, 2019. (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 $19,500,000.00 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).

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