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USAID Business Forecast FAQs

What is the USAID Business Forecast?

How often is the Business Forecast updated, and how is the information collected? 

What type of planned actions are included in the Business Forecast?

How should partners interpret changes to information in the Business Forecast?

Why are planned actions removed from the Business Forecast? 

What is the role of the point of contact listed in the Forecast? 

What type of questions can we ask the point of contact?

I have a question about the Business Forecast, who can I contact?

What is the best way to notify USAID of small businesses’ capabilities to implement activities in the Business Forecast?

The Business Forecast helps partners find funding opportunities with USAID. The answers to these frequently asked questions offer guidance on using this important resource. 

If your question isn’t answered here, email us at BusinessForecast@usaid.gov. We’ll follow up as soon as possible.

What is the USAID Business Forecast?

The Business Forecast is an informational resource on potential funding and partnership opportunities at USAID. It is an advance look at the grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements that USAID is in the process of developing.

How often is the Business Forecast updated, and how is the information collected?

The Business Forecast is updated daily with information pulled directly from the Agency’s Acquisition and Assistance (A&A) Plan, which is used by leadership, technical staff, program officers, and contracting and agreement officers to help track future actions.

What type of planned actions are included in the Business Forecast?

USAID posts all full and open competitive actions in the Business Forecast.

You can find these types of actions you can find in the Forecast:

• Annual Program Statement (APS)

• Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)

• Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

• Contract

• Cooperative agreement

• Development Innovation Accelerator (DIA)

• Fixed amount award (FAA)

• General Services Administration (GSA)

• Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract

• Leader with Associate (LWA)

• Purchase order

• Task orders issued under IDIQs and GSA schedules

• Activities to be determined (TBD)

How should partners interpret changes to information in the Business Forecast?

The Business Forecast covers activities that are in the design and planning phase, meaning that the information is provisional. Partners should view changes in the Forecast as a natural outcome of the program design process. USAID makes a concerted effort to balance the need to announce future opportunities as early as possible with the importance of providing reliable information.

Why are planned actions removed from the Business Forecast?

Most of the time, opportunities are removed because awards for them have been made. In some cases, opportunities are removed because USAID is no longer planning on implementing the activity or because funding is no longer available. 

If you have questions about a specific opportunity, get in touch with the point of contact listed in the Forecast or email BusinessForecast@usaid.gov.

What is the role of the point of contact listed in the Forecast?

The point of contact can answer questions about the specific opportunity, validate the data that is on the Business Forecast, and provide information about the opportunity’s current status. Generally the point of contact is a Contracting or Agreement Officer (CO/AO) or a specialist.

What type of questions can we ask the point of contact?

Partners are encouraged to to ask questions about solicitations listed in the Business Forecast. However, please note there are some Forecast questions that the CO/AO will not be able to answer.

The point of contact is likely to respond to questions related to the accuracy of target dates and other information, small business set-aside requirements, and set-asides for local organizations.  

In contrast, some questions may raise concerns about procurement-sensitive information, such as those related to non-public information, evaluation criteria, and the composition of the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) panel. It is up to the CO/AO to judge when and whether they can answer a particular question. 

All questions should be sent by email to the contact listed.

I have a question about the Business Forecast. Whom can I contact?

If you have a question about a specific item on the Business Forecast, please get in touch with the point of contact listed. For general questions about the Forecast, email BusinessForecast@usaid.gov.

What is the best way to notify USAID of small businesses’ capabilities to implement activities in the Business Forecast?

The best way to notify USAID of small businesses’ capabilities is to contact the Mission’s contracting officer directly, stating  your capabilities and your knowledge of other small businesses that are capable of implementing the activities. Copy the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (osdbu@usaid.gov) on any requests for Missions to consider an activity for a small business set-aside. Most importantly, provide a brief capability statement that addresses the requirement. Do not send a general capability statement.