Amid budget pressures in Washington, the value of U.S. Agency for International Development contracts and grants combined has plummeted 8 percent over the past five years — from $14.6 billion in fiscal year 2010 to $13.5 billion in fiscal 2014.
Strikingly, however, USAID grant spending has actually risen over that period, albeit not nearly enough to make up for the steep drop in contract spending. In fiscal 2014, USAID awarded $9.7 billion in grants, a 7 percent jump from fiscal 2010.
USAID grant spending has routinely outpaced its contract spending since fiscal 2007, and that was decidedly more the case in fiscal 2014. That year, USAID awarded more than $2.50 in grant spending for every dollar in contract spending.