The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Promoting Access to Quality, Low-Fee Non-State Education Finance" (RFI Number: 72066024RFI00008). This RFI is intended to gather insights to potentially develop an activity that enhances access to quality low-fee, non-state education through private sector engagement, household financing options, and family economic empowerment. The submission deadline is October 24, 2024, by 17:00 Kinshasa local time.

The purpose of the RFI is to solicit responses from stakeholders, including private sector actors, public institutions, non-governmental organizations, development partners, industry associations, civil society, and academia, to help inform the design of the proposed education finance activity. USAID aims to align the future program with the priorities of the Government of the DRC (GDRC), focusing on creating a sustainable and impactful intervention in the education sector.

The RFI invites responses to two specific sections: questions for industry and partner feedback (Attachment 1) and an Expression of Interest (EOI) form (Attachment 2). Responses should address challenges such as barriers to accessibility and retention in quality, low-fee private education, strategies for promoting system sustainability, and ways to engage marginalized and vulnerable populations. USAID is interested in identifying the key GDRC, private sector, and non-governmental institutions involved in education finance, the main barriers to access and retention in low-fee education, and opportunities for collaboration to enhance learning outcomes.

This RFI is not a solicitation for proposals but rather a call for input to shape the design of potential future activities. USAID also requests information on the organization's experience and capacity to engage in such initiatives, including leveraging private sector resources and past programming relevant to low-fee, private education. Submissions are expected in the form of concise, issue-specific responses that must be no more than six pages long.