The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance in Dhaka, Bangladesh, intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from qualified organizations interested in an NGO health services delivery and franchise development program called the "Smiling Sun Franchise Program." This program will institutionalize a network of local NGOs into a franchise, enabling them to maintain and expand the availability of sustainable NGO health services and products in a way that reduces reliance on USAID funding for recurrent costs. This program is expected to expand the availability of key family planning and health products and services to the poor, and to continue achieving the population and health targets of the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and USAID. This program will establish a mechanism for the clinics to recover greater costs, achieve more operational efficiency, and increase client loads while still providing services to a segment of the poor population. The GOB has a wide network of health care facilities, but inadequate coverage excludes large sectors of the population from access. At the conclusion of this program the GOB will have made continued progress in expanding and deepening Essential Service Delivery through public and private organizations and implemented policies that support continued growth. This aid will be used to promote responsible sovereignty, not permanent dependency. From the onset of this program, all NGOs will know that the subgrants provided by USAID for recurrent costs will decline and terminate over the next four year period. USAID's goal for the Smiling Sun Franchise Program at the end of the four-year funding period is that NGOs will no longer be dependent on USAID for recurrent costs while continuing to meet family planning and health targets. Reports, evaluations, background material and additional supporting documents that have contributed to the development of the Smiling Sun Franchise Program may be found under "Health Service Delivery Supporting Documents" on the USAID/Bangladesh website at: http://www.usaid.gov/bd/proposal_resources.html. This is a full and open competition and the procedures set forth in FAR Part 15 shall apply. This RFP is expected to be issued in mid-to-late November 2006 and will be distributed through the Federal Business Opportunities (http://www.fedbizopps.gov) website of the General Service Administration. Any amendments to this solicitation will be issued and posted on this website along with the RFP. All questions regarding this solicitation should be directed through the mechanism provided on the FedBizOpps website. The release of this notice in no way obligates USAID or the U.S. Government to release an RFP or make an award of any type. Point of Contact Patrick J. Wilson, Regional Contracting Officer, phone 880-2-885-5500, ext. 2339, fax 880-2-882-3648, e-mail [email protected]; Rafiqul Islam, Senior Acquisition & Assistance Specialist, phone 880-2-885-5500, ext. 2514, fax 880-2-881-5050, e-mail [email protected].

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