What is the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA)?
The USAID Economic Resilience Activity is a $325 million project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results.
ERA is one of USAID’s core partners implementing the $350 million Agriculture Resilience Initiative – Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine) established in 2022 to bolster Ukrainian agricultural exports and alleviate the global food security crisis exacerbated by the war. Under AGRI-Ukraine, ERA partners with public and private companies to complement and leverage urgently needed grain transportation and transshipment investments.
ERA also directly supports the Government of Ukraine, including the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), the State Customs Service and Ukrainian Railways, to upgrade 42 of Ukraine’s border crossing points (BCPs). Modern and more efficient border infrastructure and customs procedures will reduce export costs and increase export capacity, enabling Ukraine to scale trade and advance its path to EU integration.
Through partnerships with the government and robust private sector engagement, ERA has supported economic growth and resilience in Ukraine since 2018. Following Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and subsequent occupation of parts of Ukraine, ERA shifted from its focus on Eastern Ukraine to cover development priorities across the country that address Ukraine’s urgent needs in export logistics and infrastructural improvements, as described above.
Read more about ERA, and our work on AGRI and BCPs, on our website.
Read more about USAID’s work in Ukraine and USAID’s strategy to support Ukraine’s agricultural resilience.
Who are ERA’s partners and beneficiaries?
ERA partners with public and private companies working in the Ukrainian agricultural sector to complement and leverage urgently needed grain transportation and transshipment investments.
In 2023, ERA supported 27 AGRI firms, including 16 private businesses, Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) and 10 Phytosanitary Labs under the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection. USAID also supports select universities to improve their agri-related curricula, help upgrade their equipment upgrades, and ultimately support the development of highly qualified technical specialists working in the Ukrainian agricultural sector.
To enhance BCPs, ERA partners with Government of Ukraine agencies, including the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), the State Customs Service and Ukrainian Railways.
ERA has also historically supported a variety of grantees in Eastern Ukraine, including small- and medium-sized enterprises and educational institutions. Since Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, ERA shifted focus to support the AGRI-Ukraine Grain Export Logistics and BCPs Renovation and Upgrade. ERA has just begun to support new grantees to support AGRI. More information can be found in the Annual Program Statement (APS) in the Grants section of our website.
How are agricultural companies selected to receive support from ERA under the AGRI Initiative?
As ERA is currently focused on enhancing Ukraine’s ability to export grain, ERA carefully selects partners and companies who have the capacity to contribute to this effort and amplify the project’s impact. In addition, ERA releases Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and thoroughly evaluates applications to determine eligibility and alignment with ERA’s objectives. New RFPs and other procurement announcements will be posted in the procurement section of our website.
How can my company offer its services or goods for ERA?
Please see the procurement section of our website and description of our procurement process for more details
How can I apply for a grant from ERA?
Information about the grant application process and any active calls for grants can be found in the grants section of our website.
Where can I find updates on ERA’s work?
We regularly share updates about our work in the News section of our website and on our Facebook page or LinkedIn page. Please follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn to make sure you receive the most up to date information about our work.
How do I learn about job opportunities with ERA?
We regularly post information on our current job openings in the Vacancies section of our website and Facebook page or LinkedIn page.
Who can I contact for more information?
For general inquiries, please send an email to: info_ERA@dai.com
For information about procurement, please send a message to: Procurement_ERA@dai.com
For information on grants, please send a message to: Grants_ERA@dai.com
You may also visit our Contact page.