Better preparing Lower Mekong youth for the 21st century workforce | 72048618RFI00013

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72048618RFI00013

This opportunity is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA), focused on improving how higher education and post-secondary training in the Lower Mekong region prepares young people for modern workforce demands. It is not a grant competition or a request for proposals. Instead, USAID is collecting ideas and practical recommendations that can inform the design of a future project meant to strengthen higher education and workforce readiness in high-growth sectors across five countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The reference number is 72048618RFI00013, it was released on September 28, 2018, and responses were due by October 24, 2018.

The core goal behind the RFI is to close the gap between what students learn in universities and vocational colleges and what employers actually need in a fast-changing economy. USAID highlights that the technological revolution is increasing demand for advanced technical skills, while also making soft skills more important than ever. These include the ability to adapt to new tools and work environments, analyze information, learn quickly, solve problems, and collaborate effectively across different cultures and professional settings. In other words, the RFI is about employability in the broadest sense: helping graduates become job-ready, resilient, and capable of growing with evolving industries rather than being trained only for narrow, short-term tasks.

USAID places this RFI within its ongoing work under the Lower Mekong Initiative. Since 2014, USAID has been partnering with U.S. companies and universities to introduce newer educational approaches and technologies in the region, with the aim of raising overall workforce capacity. Through U.S. and local partners, USAID has also supported a network of universities and vocational colleges across the five Lower Mekong countries to modernize education systems and embed 21st century skills. The RFI is essentially an information-gathering step to help refine what a next phase of programming should look like, based on input from experienced stakeholders.

The requested action is for interested organizations or individuals to submit concise written responses (no more than five pages) offering recommendations on how to better equip post-secondary students with employer-relevant skills. Respondents are allowed to include background information about themselves or their organization, including relevant past experience, partnerships with other stakeholders, and capacity to work in this area. Submissions are voluntary, unpaid, and do not create any commitment by the U.S. Government. USAID is explicit that it is not requesting technical proposals or cost applications at this stage, and that responses cannot be accepted as offers to form a binding contract or assistance award. If USAID decides to move forward with a formal solicitation later, it would be announced on federal posting sites such as FedBizOpps (noted in the notice) or Grants.gov.

For submission logistics, respondents were instructed to email their RFI response to Karittha Jenchiewchan at kjenchiewchan@usaid.gov and copy Nalinee Wichetthumsak at nwichetthumsak@usaid.gov, using the subject line "RFI 72048618R00013 Better preparing Lower Mekong youth for the 21st century workforce." USAID notes that respondents would receive only an electronic confirmation of receipt and should not expect individualized feedback on the content of their suggestions.

In short, this notice is an open call for insights to help USAID shape a future regional education and workforce development effort in the Lower Mekong, with a strong emphasis on aligning higher education outcomes to real labor market needs, especially in technology-driven and high-growth sectors, and balancing technical training with the adaptable soft skills that employers increasingly expect.

• The Thailand USAID-Bangkok in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Better preparing Lower Mekong youth for the 21st century workforce" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-09-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-10-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 72048618RFI00013

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: