1).The purpose of this Request for Applications is to solicit applications from organizations or consortia of organizations with the qualifications and experience to partner with USAID, Pakistani counterparts and other donors to address the need to enhance the reading capacity of Pakistani Children to read. The objective of this program is 2.5 million additional primary school student reading at a level commensurate with standards at their grade level: 2).Project activities include:(i) implement activities to improve reading instruction and assessment, and strengthen management in public education systems and low-cost schools; and (ii) build effective synergies with related efforts in Pakistan, including with a USAID-supported companion activity to reestablish Pakistans culture of reading. USAID expects to award a cooperative agreement in 2013 to the bidder submitting the highest quality, best value application. This shall be a five-year project contingent upon the availability of funds. 3).Mandatory Pre-proposal Conference:Applicants are advised that a pre-proposal conference will be conducted at the USAID/Thailand facilities in Bangkok, Thailand at 09:00 AM (Bangkok, Thailand Time)on December 3, 2012. Recipients of this RFA are encouraged to attend this conference so that they may fully understand the Application process. Recipients of this RFA are requested to acknowledge their attendance by RSVP to
[email protected] no later than 12:00 Noon (Pakistan Standard Time) on November 22, 2012. Due to the limited space of the conference facilities, attendees of the conference will be limited to two (2) representatives. Participation in the pre-proposal conference is mandatory for all organizations that would like their applications in response to this RFA considered. Details regarding the pre-proposal conference are provided in the file attached as Logistic Information.