U.S. Trade and Development Agency
| Title | U.S. Trade and Development Agency |
| E-mail, phone number and mailing address | 1000 Wilson Boulevard - Suite 1600 Tel: +1 703 875 4357 Email: africa@ustda.gov |
| Facility URL | www.ustda.gov |
| Facility Objectives | The U.S. Trade Development Agency (USTDA) is the U.S. government’s project preparation agency. USTDA works globally to link U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building to support sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries. |
| Key activities | USTDA provides grants directly to overseas project developers (public and private sector) who use U.S. companies to perform project preparation activities, including pre-feasibility studies & feasibility studies, project design, environmental and social analysis, technical assistance and pilot projects. For the past 30 years USTDA has established links between African project sponsors and U.S. companies that have brought private sector solutions to development challenges. As the U.S. government’s project preparation agency, USTDA has funded over $1 billion in preparation assistance for over 4,500 infrastructure projects globally primarily in the areas of energy, telecommunications and transportation projects. |
| Type of finance provided | Grants |
| Size of project supported | In general, USTDA projects are utility-scale and over $10 million in capital expenditures, but there is no formal minimum or maximum size for a USTDA project. |
| Range of funding provided (min/max) | In general, USTDA grants are between US$ 250,000 to US$2 million, but there is no formal minimum or maximum. |
| Beneficiaries supported | Public; private; public-private partnerships |
| Project type | Regional; cross-border; national; sub-national |
| Project preparation phases supported | Enabling environment; project definition; project feasibility; project structuring; transaction support |
| Application process | Overseas project sponsors are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate USTDA regional team to discuss specific project concepts for potential USTDA grant funding. Inquiries and project descriptions should be sent via e-mail to the USTDA regional staff. If the project is accepted at this initial stage, USTDA will fund a preliminary technical and financial analysis of the project. Based on this analysis, USTDA will determine eligibility for project preparation support. |
| Eligibility exclusions | USTDA supports projects in middle and lower income countries that are eligible to receive U.S. foreign assistance. USTDA selects projects that result in environmental and economic benefits to the host country and are in areas where the U.S. has particular expertise. |
| Countries | Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda |
| Sub-Sectors | Energy transmission/distribution, Power generation/non-renewable sources , Power generation/renewable sources , Gas distribution, Oil-fired power plants, Gas-fired power plants, Coal-fired power plants, Nuclear power plants, Hydro-electric energy, Geothermal energy, Solar energy, Wind power, Ocean power, Biomass, Logistics, Ports, Road transport, Rail transport, Water transport, Air transport, Storage |