Pacific American Fund

USAID’s Pacific American Fund (PAF) is a five-year grant facility that addresses critical development challenges across 12 Pacific Island Countries (PICs), including the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The PICs’ geography and unique development context place them on the front lines of a complex array of development challenges, including high vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, fragile governance systems, acute gender inequality, and increased stress on local livelihoods, businesses, and health systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Covering a vast area of the Pacific Ocean, these countries are vital to the global economy and critical to global stability. Although PICs have adopted policies and plans to address these challenges, many communities and small businesses need immediate support. Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a critical role in social and economic development yet are often hindered by limited resources and capacity.

ABOUT THE PACIFIC AMERICAN FUND

The goal of PAF is to improve the quality of life in vulnerable communities and improve access to services for remote communities in the region.

PAF awards grants on an open and competitive basis to qualifying local, national, and international CSOs, including private small and medium enterprises, non-governmental organizations and institutions, universities, and faith-based organizations. The US $35 million small grants facility provides oversight, capacity building, performance monitoring, and knowledge sharing to its grant awardees as well as manages a small-scale construction component in Solomon Islands.

PAF supports grantee projects focused on addressing the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; increasing climate change and disaster resilience; promoting economic growth and facilitating market-based enterprise development; increasing biodiversity and sustainable natural resources management; extending access to quality health care and education as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene services; and advancing democratic governance. The Fund also addresses cross-cutting challenges, such as acute gender inequality and pervasive gender-based violence, that further inhibit the growth and development of these countries.

In terms of its small-scale construction activities, USAID’s PAF supports the development of Malaita Province through a US $8 million small-scale construction development component that:
1. Improves the enabling environment for increased trade and investment.
2. Promotes the expansion and further development of the agribusiness sector.
3. Enhances natural resources governance.

This will include the construction of agricultural processing facilities, storage, road improvements, water supply, and energy infrastructure. The scope of work for individual construction contracts will span trade disciplines and multiple sites across the Malaita Province.

BENEFICIARIES AND PARTNERS

The main beneficiaries of PAF are its CSO grantees. Other important beneficiaries include local communities, vulnerable populations, local businesses, local governments, civil society, and private citizens, most notably disadvantaged women and children.

PAF is implemented in coordination with U.S. government partners, including the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Peace Corps, and implementers of other USAID activities.