Promoting Social Cohesion and Preventing Collective Violence | 72067420RFA00011

Opportunity Information: Apply for 72067420RFA00011

The Promoting Social Cohesion and Preventing Collective Violence (PSCPCV) opportunity is a USAID/South Africa (Pretoria) funding call aimed at reducing collective violence by making communities more resilient and better able to manage conflict before it escalates. The central idea is that violence prevention is not only about responding to incidents, but about strengthening the day-to-day relationships and cooperation between people, groups, and institutions so that disagreements can be handled without intimidation, chronic tension, or the exclusion of certain sub-groups. The activity frames "social cohesion" as the quality of relationships within a shared community space, emphasizing that even a minimally cohesive community is one that can work through its inevitable conflicts in ways that do not lead to violence or severe marginalization.

The program focuses on communities in South Africa that are prone to collective violence and, importantly, places where there have already been previous efforts to build social cohesion through local structures. Rather than building entirely new systems from scratch, the activity is designed to identify and work through vetted local structures and channel community demand for dialogue, mediation, and dispute resolution into strengthening those structures. In practical terms, this means improving the institutional capacity of local bodies that people already recognize or interact with, then re-orienting those bodies toward credible violence prevention and effective conflict management and mitigation. A major emphasis is placed on transparency and trust: conflict resolution mechanisms are expected to be seen as legitimate and fair, so that people choose them over retaliation or mobilizing for violence.

The opportunity lays out several closely connected objectives. One objective is to strengthen local structures so they can develop and sustain peaceful conflict resolution processes that are transparent and credible. Another is community empowerment: helping residents participate in, shape, and ultimately take ownership of these mechanisms so they are not viewed as imposed or external. The activity also aims to create organic opportunities for people to come together around shared concerns, which is meant to broaden "willing cooperation" across different kinds of social interaction and reduce the likelihood that disputes harden along group lines. Alongside these community-level efforts, the activity includes a strong school-based component because violence and the threat of violence in and around schools harms learning outcomes and student well-being. The program therefore intends to work with schools to establish "safe spaces" that provide refuge for at-risk and vulnerable learners, while also serving as platforms to build practical conflict management skills among students in the education setting.

A distinct and important pillar of the activity is healing and trauma support. The opportunity recognizes that repeated exposure to violence and instability can leave communities with individual and collective trauma that fuels further conflict. To address this, the activity plans to integrate community healing platforms that can help people process harm, rebuild trust, and reduce the underlying drivers that make future violence more likely. This positions violence prevention as both a governance and social process (improving dispute resolution and participation) and a human one (addressing fear, resentment, and trauma that can keep tensions alive).

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued as a cooperative agreement, indicating that USAID expects to remain actively involved during implementation rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The opportunity number is 72067420RFA00011 under CFDA 98.001. The agency anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $4,500,000. The original closing date listed for applications was July 22, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," and the narrative emphasizes working through local organizations and community structures that have been vetted, suggesting a preference for implementers with strong local partnerships and demonstrated ability to operate in high-tension environments while building legitimacy and trust.

Overall, PSCPCV is designed as a comprehensive violence prevention and social cohesion effort that links community dispute resolution, inclusive participation, school safety and skills-building, and trauma-informed healing. The intended outcome is communities that can anticipate, manage, and de-escalate conflict through trusted local mechanisms, while protecting young people and strengthening the social ties that make collective violence less likely.

• The South Africa USAID-Pretoria in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promoting Social Cohesion and Preventing Collective Violence" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-06-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-07-22. (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 $4,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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