U.S. Department of State Grant: Enhancing Oversight in Malawi’s Mining Sector

The U.S. Embassy Malawi and the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State (DOS), announces this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a grant under the fiscal transparency innovation fund. The funding opportunity seeks to Improve the oversight functions of key stakeholders in the mining sector.

A grant for up to $25,000 U.S. Dollars (USD) in FY20 Economic Support Funds under Foreign Assistance Act will be awarded (pending availability of funds) for work that will support efforts to improve the oversight functions of key stakeholders in the mining sector in Malawi with overall output of improving transparency in the sector. The period of performance is maximum of twelve months. Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.  

The Fiscal Transparency Innovation Fund (FTIF) is funded by the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs within the U.S. Department of State. FTIF projects assist governments and civil society organizations (CSOs) working to promote budget transparency, advance best practices in public financial management, and improve the transparency of natural resource management. This program focuses on two key result areas; Mobilizing rights-holders for just resource governance in the mining sector and influencing duty bearers to utilize open contracting and licensing in mining processes and agreements. The intervention will be in the form of a grant and shall run for no longer than twelve months.

The Mines and Minerals Act of Malawi prescribes how in law and regulations Malawi has to award contracts and licenses for natural resources extraction, but the 2020 fiscal transparency report (https://www/state.gov/2020-fiscal-transparency) found that Malawi did not meet the minimum requirements of fiscal transparency and did not make significant progress towards meeting the requirements. Contrary to Malawi’s legal provisions that governs mining in the country, the sector is characterized by several challenges including the lack of reliability, completeness, public availability, and timeliness of mining sector data; and limited capacity of rights holders to effectively participate and engage with government in the sector. This project seeks to improve the oversight functions of key stakeholders in the mining sector with overall output of improving transparency in the mining sector.