Positive Youth Engagement | 72029418RFA00001

Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) - FAQs

What is the Positive Youth Engagement (PYE) opportunity?

PYE is a USAID West Bank and Gaza Mission funding opportunity for a five-year, youth-focused activity designed to address underlying challenges affecting Palestinian youth development. It is structured as a multi-sectoral effort that combines interventions across key parts of young people's lives to produce practical development outcomes and tackle root drivers of vulnerability and exclusion.

Who is the funder for this opportunity?

The funder is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), West Bank and Gaza Mission.

What type of funding mechanism will be used?

The opportunity uses a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument. This typically indicates substantial USAID involvement during implementation, such as collaboration on technical direction, monitoring, learning, and adaptation over the life of the award.

What is the length of the activity?

The activity is planned for five years.

How many awards does USAID expect to make?

USAID anticipates making one award. This suggests USAID is seeking a single lead implementer that can deliver an integrated, multi-sector program, potentially working with partners or sub-awardees.

What is the maximum funding amount available?

The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $25,000,000 for the full five-year period.

What is the primary target population for PYE?

The central target population is vulnerable and marginalized Palestinian youth ages 10 to 19 who are at risk of social marginalization, particularly those living in deprived geographic areas.

Which age group is prioritized by this opportunity?

The opportunity prioritizes youth ages 10 to 19.

What does the opportunity mean by "vulnerable and marginalized" youth?

Based on the opportunity description, vulnerable and marginalized youth are those at risk of social marginalization and exclusion, especially in deprived geographic areas, and those most likely to be left out of mainstream opportunities and services.

Is this a single-sector program (for example, only education or only health)?

No. PYE is explicitly multi-sectoral, meaning it is not limited to one service area. It is intended to combine interventions across multiple domains of adolescent well-being so the overall support is comprehensive and connected to real-world needs.

What program domains does PYE emphasize?

The opportunity emphasizes improvements across major domains that influence adolescent well-being and longer-term outcomes, including education, health, employment-related preparation or pathways, and community involvement (including reintegration where relevant).

What does "employment-related preparation or pathways" refer to in this opportunity?

The opportunity indicates a focus on employability-oriented supports for youth, described as employment-related preparation or pathways, as part of the multi-sector approach. Specific interventions are not listed in the summary and would be expected to align with local needs identified through assessments.

What does "community involvement" mean in the context of PYE?

Community involvement is described as helping young people build social ties, a sense of belonging, and constructive roles in their communities. The opportunity also references reintegration where relevant, signaling attention to youth who may be excluded or disconnected.

What is meant by "reintegration" in this opportunity?

Reintegration is mentioned alongside community involvement and suggests the activity may support youth who have been excluded or disconnected to rebuild connection and constructive participation within their communities, where relevant to local context and needs.

What are "drivers assessments" and why are they important for this program?

The opportunity highlights the use of "drivers assessments" to identify the specific factors pushing youth toward marginalization in each setting. The intent is to use these findings to shape programming so it is targeted and community-relevant rather than a one-size-fits-all model.

Does PYE allow programming to differ by community or location?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly emphasizes tailoring responses to local conditions by using drivers assessments to identify community-specific factors and shape the program accordingly.

Can PYE include supports beyond education, health, employability, and community involvement?

Yes. The opportunity mentions "other needs as identified," leaving room for additional supports that emerge from local assessments, as long as they are grounded in evidence from the drivers analysis.

What kinds of "other needs" might be included under PYE?

The opportunity summary gives examples of additional supports that could be included if identified through local assessment, such as psychosocial support, life skills, safe spaces, referrals, or family and community engagement approaches.

What is the overarching goal of the PYE activity?

The overall goal is to measurably improve the developmental trajectory of at-risk youth by addressing multiple dimensions of exclusion and the root drivers of marginalization, through coordinated interventions in the places where youth live.

Is the program focused on service delivery only?

No. The opportunity emphasizes not only providing services, but also addressing underlying drivers of vulnerability and exclusion to achieve practical development outcomes for young people.

What does it mean that this is a "discretionary" grant opportunity?

The summary identifies this as a discretionary grant opportunity issued by USAID. The detailed implications (such as specific criteria and procedures) would be described in the full notice, but the key point from the provided information is that it is a USAID-issued competitive funding call.

How is this opportunity categorized?

The opportunity is categorized under Community Development (CFDA 98.001).

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on December 20, 2017.

What was the original application closing date?

The original application closing date was January 31, 2018.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is noted broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice. This implies that a range of nontraditional or varied organizations could potentially apply depending on the criteria and requirements in the full solicitation.

Does the opportunity specify whether applicants can apply with partners?

The opportunity anticipates one award and suggests a single lead implementer. It also notes that the lead implementer is often supported by partners or sub-awardees, indicating that partnership structures may be expected or common for delivering an integrated multi-sector activity.

What does USAID involvement typically look like under a Cooperative Agreement?

As described in the opportunity summary, a Cooperative Agreement typically signals substantial USAID involvement during implementation, including collaboration on technical direction, monitoring, learning, and adaptation throughout the award period.

Where is the activity expected to focus geographically?

The opportunity is issued by USAID's West Bank and Gaza Mission and focuses on Palestinian youth, with emphasis on reaching youth in deprived geographic areas where they live.

Is the program intended to be standardized across all locations?

No. The opportunity emphasizes targeted, community-relevant programming informed by drivers assessments, rather than a one-size-fits-all model.

What is the main problem PYE is trying to address?

PYE is designed to tackle underlying challenges affecting Palestinian youth development, specifically focusing on root drivers that contribute to vulnerability, marginalization, and exclusion among young people.

What makes PYE "holistic" according to the description?

The opportunity describes PYE as holistic because it integrates interventions across multiple domains (education, health, employability pathways, community involvement/reintegration, and other locally identified needs) to address multiple dimensions of exclusion in a connected way.