Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Malawi’s Extractive Industry and Public Debt Management | DOS AF MWI FY24 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS AF MWI FY24 01

The U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe is offering a Fiscal Transparency Innovation Fund (FTIF) grant to support a project focused on improving transparency and governance in Malawi's extractive industry and strengthening how the country publishes and manages public debt information. The opportunity is funded through FY 2024 Economic Support Funds (ESF) and is designed to make it easier for the public, oversight bodies, and investors to see how mining rights are granted, how mining revenues are collected and used, who ultimately benefits from extractive companies, and how government borrowing is evolving, including debt tied to state-owned enterprises. The overall idea is that better visibility into mining decisions and debt obligations reduces corruption risks, supports stronger oversight, and creates a more predictable environment for responsible investment.

The program targets several practical transparency gaps. On the extractives side, it emphasizes public access to information about mining licensing and contract awards, including the processes behind awarding these rights. It also highlights beneficial ownership monitoring, meaning identifying the real individuals who own or control companies involved in the sector, which is a common pressure point for hidden conflicts of interest and illicit financial flows. Another core area is mining revenue collection and how those revenues affect government borrowing, linking natural resource income to fiscal decisions and debt accumulation. Expected results include clearer and more open contracting and licensing practices, reduced space for illicit practices and corruption through beneficial ownership scrutiny, and stronger fairness in taxation and the use of mining revenues, including attention to the local community impacts of mining projects.

A central purpose of the grant is to help Malawi strengthen compliance with Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) standards. By improving the availability and quality of extractives-related information, the project is meant to support more informed decision-making by investors, lower perceived investment risks, and build investor confidence. In parallel, it aims to improve public debt transparency by developing a standard approach for publishing national debt data and expanding what is made public about Malawi's debt situation, explicitly including state-owned enterprise debt. This matters because weak debt transparency can limit parliamentary and public oversight, and excessive or poorly tracked borrowing is described as a key contributor to Malawi's economic instability.

The opportunity also frames transparency as a tool for better fiscal discipline and more ethical business practices. By making mining-sector data and debt data easier to access and use, the program seeks to encourage fair competition among companies, reduce opportunities for backroom deals, and strengthen accountability across government and industry. It anticipates working closely with a range of partners, including the Ministry of Finance, the Debt and Aid Management Division, the Ministry of Mining, other relevant ministries and agencies, Malawi EITI, sector-focused civil society coalitions such as the Tax Justice and Extractive Platform and the Natural Resources Justice Network, extractive companies themselves, civil society organizations more broadly, and journalists who can help translate complex financial and sector information for the public.

The grant is a discretionary award and will be issued as a single grant, with an expected award count of one and an award ceiling of USD 781,854. The project period can run up to 24 months. The funding opportunity number is DOS AF MWI FY24 01, and it is categorized under business and commerce (CFDA 19.662). Applications are open to eligible organizations such as not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks and NGOs/CSOs), public and private educational institutions, public international organizations, and governmental institutions. Cost sharing is not required.

On the compliance and submission side, applicant organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active SAM.gov registration (with additional details referenced in the NOFO's Section D.3). Individuals are not required to have a UEI or SAM registration, although the eligibility list in the source data emphasizes nonprofit entities. Each organization may submit only one proposal; if an organization submits more than one, all of its submissions will be ruled ineligible. The notice lists an original closing date of 2025-08-25.

• The U.S. Mission to Malawi in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Malawi’s Extractive Industry and Public Debt Management" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.662.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-07-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $781,854.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for DOS AF MWI FY24 01

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