Air Quality Management Community of Practice in West Africa | SFOP0008000

Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0008000

The Air Quality Management Community of Practice in West Africa grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0008000) is a U.S. Department of State initiative run through the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. It is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient would not just receive funding but would also work closely with the U.S. government on planning, coordination, and delivery. The opportunity was created on April 9, 2021 and originally closed on June 16, 2021. It anticipated making a single award, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $440,440.

At its core, the grant is designed to strengthen and operationalize Regional Framework Agreements (RFAs) on Air Pollution in Africa, with this specific award concentrating on West Africa. Rather than funding isolated studies or one-off trainings, the emphasis is on building a durable regional "community of practice" that brings together the people and institutions needed to actually improve air quality outcomes. The project aims to convene a broad mix of stakeholders, including air quality technical experts, government decision-makers, community and civil society groups, private sector actors, and other practitioners who influence monitoring, policy, implementation, and public engagement. The idea is that regular collaboration across these groups can help align priorities, share methods and tools, and reduce duplication across countries and institutions in the region.

The expected work under the award focuses heavily on strengthening the practical backbone of air quality management. That includes improving air quality monitoring systems, expanding and refining modeling and forecasting capacity, and advancing data management practices so that information is easier to collect, quality-check, analyze, and share. Alongside the technical goals, the community of practice is also intended to raise awareness and deepen understanding of air pollution issues among decision-makers and the broader public. In other words, it is meant to help translate technical data into actionable knowledge that can guide policy choices, investment decisions, and on-the-ground interventions.

Another major theme of the opportunity is developing and implementing air quality management frameworks and clean air solutions "across scales." In practice, this points to action at multiple levels, such as local cities or communities dealing with pollution hotspots, national ministries setting standards and enforcement approaches, and regional coordination that supports consistent methods, shared learning, and joint strategies. By building best practices through a regional network, the project aims to help West African partners move from fragmented efforts toward more coordinated and sustainable systems for measuring air pollution, understanding where it comes from, predicting episodes, and designing interventions that reduce exposure and improve public health.

The grant is categorized under the environment funding activity area (CFDA 19.017). Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility section of the official notice. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a capacity-building and coordination effort that uses a community of practice model to create shared expertise, improve technical and governance systems, and accelerate practical clean air solutions across West Africa.

• The Department of State, Bureau of Oceans - Int. Environmental - Scientific in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Air Quality Management Community of Practice in West Africa" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.017.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 09, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 16, 2021. (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 $440,440.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for SFOP0008000

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