R -- - Additional Investment for Sustainable Alternative Development Program (or M's Inversi'n para el Desarrollo Alternativo Sostenible) (MIDAS)

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) intends to issue Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 514-05-011 on or about 02/02/2005 for an anticipated five year cost plus fixed-fee completion type contract. The proposed effort is a product of USAID/Colombia's Agriculture and Alternative Development Office (AADO) under the - Additional Investment for Sustainable Alternative Development Program (or M's Inversi'n para el Desarrollo Alternativo Sostenible) (MIDAS). The ceiling amount of USAID funding over the anticipated five year term of this effort is currently set at $160,000,000, and will depend on the availability of funding. The Government of Colombia (GOC) has undertaken an integrated effort that has substantially driven the illegal armed groups out of the more populated parts of Colombia, and the proposed effort will focus upon galvanizing strategic private sector response capacity to the economic growth opportunities and challenges associated with a healthier macroeconomic setting and an integrated trade/investment environment. AADO's - Additional Investment for Sustainable Alternative Development Program (M's Inversi'n para el Desarrollo Alternativo Sostenible (MIDAS)) is one of the primary vehicles designed to address these issues. The Colombian private sector reflects a broad continuum of entities which range from large, sophisticated corporations owned by Colombian or multinational investors, as well as, entrepreneurs engaged in micro enterprise business ventures. Each class of business entity has the potential to expand its operations and to create new job opportunities that will encourage the unemployed to avoid the entrapment of illicit activities. USAID's goal under the proposed effort will be to provide small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with strategic institution-building support programs designed to sustainably address the primary informational and market development barriers which until recently have limited SME growth potential in Colombia. USAID/Colombia's AADO has substantially identified both traditional strategies and innovative approaches that are designed to combine the alternative development and local government strengthening programs into a single, integrated activity, to be implemented by a single contractor or a consortium of firms. AADO's main challenge now is to determine the most cost effective way to consolidate the various on-going initiatives to achieve the Mission's goal of sustainable reduction in the production of illicit drugs, and the promotion of peace in Colombia. Illicit production has shifted from large scale production in extensive areas to small production units co-located in more populous areas with traditional crops, as well as, into protected national parks. The Mission's intention is that all of the disparate efforts to achieve the same ultimate objectives will be fully integrated under a single contract mechanism in order to maximize the potential positive synergies that tend to naturally evolve under strategic partnerships that are envisioned between the awardee, USAID/Colombia, GOC, and local and regional Colombian public and private organizations. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for this procurement is 541990. The RFP will be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities (FEDBIZOPPS) web page (www.fedbizopps.gov) not less than five (5) days after this notice is issued. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 5.102, Availability of Solicitations, Paragraph (d), - AVAILABILITY OF THE RFP IS LIMITED TO THIS ELECTRONIC MEDIUM ONLY. Please direct related inquiries to USAID/Colombia/Acquisition & Assistance, Waymon A. Carroll, Contracting Officer at 571 423-6880x141/voice or electronic mail USAIDColombia-AA@usaid.gov