This is a pre-solicitation announcement. This is NOT an invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Proposal (RFP), or a Request for Application (RFA) and in no way obligates the US Government to award a contract or cooperative agreement. However, potential sources that may be interested in this competitive process are requested to mail, fax, or e-mail their interest to the contact address by May 7, 2004. The United States for International Development (USAID) plans to support a new program that seeks to strengthen the competitiveness of rural enterprises in Bolivia’s coca growing regions of the Cochabamba Tropics (also known as “the Chapare”) and the Yungas of La Paz, Bolivia. USAID’s new, consolidated rural competitiveness activity will focus on helping remove policy, regulatory, institutional, on-farm, and market constraints to more efficient on and off-farm rural enterprises through a private sector-focused and market-led approach. Strengthened competitiveness will be achieved by linking Chapare and Yungas value chains with emerging regional trade regimes and local markets, and helping to ensure that these value chains can produce according to the demand specifications of these markets. Increased competitiveness of rural enterprises will lead to decreasing donor subsidies for these enterprises over the life of the activity. Ultimately, USAID anticipates that this activity will help rural enterprises in coca growing areas to increase value, employment and incomes in a licit market economy. With the contract to be awarded through the RFP anticipated herein, USAID is seeking to consolidate the Mission’s current basket of similar economic development activities currently carried out in two separate regions by different implementers, into one major rural competitiveness activity implemented by a lead contractor and any associated partners, across both regions. USAID/Bolivia encourages qualified offerors to submit thoughtful and innovative approaches that have a high potential for achievement of the project objectives. We anticipate issuing RFP 511-04-018 o/a May 11, 2004. Proposals due date will be approximately August 11, 2004. Organizations interested in responding to the forthcoming RFP should consider participating in a pre-proposal conference scheduled to take place by approximately the end of June, 2004.

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