BEPS Frequently Asked Questions

1. What types of activities does BEPS support?
2. What is the difference between "core" and "buy-in" funds?
3. What is the ceiling on BEPS funding?
4. Where have BEPS activities been implemented?
5. How long can a BEPS task order last?
6. How does BEPS relate to the ABEL project?
7. Does BEPS implement activities in other sectors besides education?
8. What should a USAID mission or regional bureau do to request funding from BEPS?
9. Can non-USAID entities receive funding through BEPS?
10. Does BEPS work with donors other than USAID?
11. What experience do Creative Associates Associates International, Inc., CARE, The George Washington University, and GroundWork have in the BEPS content areas?
12. Ask the BEPS team a question.

1. What types of activities does BEPS support?

BEPS activities support USAID’s goal of "Human Capacity Built Through Education and Training," and the related strategic support objective, "Expanded Access to Quality Basic Education, Especially for Girls and Women." BEPS activities also support missions in achieving their strategic objectives to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of educational systems. BEPS assists USAID missions, regional bureaus, and newly independent and crisis countries to support educational policy dialogue and reform, improve the quality and efficiency of basic education, and carry out restorative and beneficially additive basic education, policy, and planning in crisis and non-presence countries.

BEPS is intended to achieve results in five principal areas:

Education policy appraisals/assessments;
Training and institutional strengthening;
Pilot projects, feasibility studies, research, workshops, and evaluations;
Alleviation of abusive child labor through basic education; and
Compilation and dissemination of results and lessons learned.
These types of activities can be supported through core funds or mission buy-ins. Click here for further information on BEPS activities that have been implemented.

2. What is the difference between "core" and "buy-in" funds?

BEPS operates through both core funds and mission buy-ins and has a five-year spending ceiling of $35 million. Requests for assistance will be received from now until February 2, 2005. Pending funding availability, each request will be considered based on its capacity to contribute to USAID strategic support objectives and to each mission's strategic objectives. A very limited amount of core funds are channeled through the BEPS overall project management contract. These core funds may be used to access limited technical assistance in the five specific core activity types:

1) Education policy appraisals/assessments;
2) Training and institutional strengthening;
3) Pilot projects, feasibility studies, research, workshops, and evaluations;
4) Alleviation of abusive child labor through basic education; and
5) Compilation and dissemination of results and lessons learned.

Buy-in task orders permit USAID missions, with their own resources, to access technical assistance through BEPS, using a Modified Acquisition and Assistance Request Document (MAARD). Buy-in funds can be used for technical assistance in the range of BEPS activity types. Through BEPS, missions can also channel their own available funds towards locally-designed activities in basic education and policy support. This also requires securing a MAARD.

3. What is the ceiling on BEPS funding?

The ceiling of the BEPS Activity is 65 million dollars, including both core and buy-in funds, over the life of the contract.

4. Where have BEPS activities been implemented?

BEPS is active in all USAID regions, including Asia and the Near East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Eurasia. Visit the list of BEPS Activities being implemented around the world.

5. How long can a BEPS task order last?

Task order activities can consist of long-term or short-term technical assistance. Depending on the time of issuance in relation to contract implementation, activities can be as short as one week and as long as five years.

6. How does BEPS relate to the ABEL project?

As a follow-on to the Advancing Basic Education and Literacy (ABEL) Project, BEPS continues to support the improvement of basic education throughout the developing world, particularly for underserved populations. Under BEPS, the research findings and products developed under ABEL 2 will be more widely disseminated, tested, and applied in community, national, and regional contexts. BEPS is unique in that it focuses on three new areas: educational policy and reform, countries in crisis, and the alleviation of abusive child labor. In addition, BEPS explicitly acknowledges the importance of basic education and education for democracy as critical components of conflict prevention.

7. Does BEPS implement activities in other sectors besides education?

Overall, BEPS supports mission strategic objectives in the areas of basic education and policy support. BEPS also supports activities in related areas of human and institutional capacity building, such as school health, child labor, micro-enterprise for underserved disadvantaged populations, education in crisis situations, democracy and governance, and conflict resolution.

8. How does a USAID mission or regional bureau request funding from BEPS?

Go to the Steps to Request BEPS Support Page

9. Can non-USAID entities channel funding through BEPS?

No. Only USAID bureaus and missions channel funds through BEPS. The BEPS Activity is designed to provide technical services for USAID missions, regional bureaus, and global bureaus.

10. Does BEPS work with donors other than USAID?

The BEPS contract provides a mechanism for USAID to introduce innovative changes for improving education. Technical assistance teams under BEPS task orders may collaborate and cooperate on projects with other stakeholders and donors, although non-USAID funds may not pass directly through the BEPS project.

12. What experience do Creative Associates International, Inc., CARE, The George Washington University, and GroundWork have in the BEPS content areas?

Visit the BEPS Brochure for more information on the BEPS Activity's partners.

13. I would like to ask the BEPS team a question not found above.