Deadline: 26-Mar-21
The U.S. Embassy to Mauritius and Seychelles announces an open competition for non-profit organizations to submit applications to lead a program for women entrepreneurs and implement the U.S. State Department’s Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in Mauritius.
Program Objectives
To augment the existing slate of projects focused on women and economic empowerment, the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) established the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in 2019. AWE provides women entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and networks needed to start and scale successful businesses.
The project will include the following components:
- develop a program aimed at increasing entrepreneurial capacity of AWE beneficiaries that will integrate the DreamBuilder (dreambuilder.org) online course as one of its key components. The program will encompass facilitated viewing sessions that will provide the participants an opportunity to discuss the topics and to network. The modules may be augmented to localize the context, and to accommodate the topics of guest speaker talks.
- Identify a facilitator(s) to lead discussions, help localize the principles taught and engage in speed mentoring, influencer talks, pitch competitions or trade fairs for women to apply business skills in real-time.
- Create an educational cohort and recruit 25-35 women aged 25 or older to engage in U.S.-style online education with guided facilitation. The awardee will promote the call for participants through traditional and/or social media platforms and organizational networks that would maximize the number of women reached. In consultation with the awarding agency, the awardee will determine additional selection criteria beyond the basic eligibility parameters and devise an application form. The awardee will review and pre-select program participants and in close collaboration with the U.S. Embassy will organize and conduct final interviews to select the participants.
- Foster networks that support participants’ access to peer-to-peer mentorship, business partners, and scaling opportunities with business in the region.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 1 year
- Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
- Award amounts: Maximum of $24,640
- Total available funding: $24,640
- Funding Instrument Type: Grant
- Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less.
Participants and Audiences: The target audience for this project is Mauritian women, aged 25 and older who have recently started a business and have about a year experience selling their product or service. Participants should have basic computer skills and have minimal previous business training.
Eligible Applicants
- The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from Mauritians.
- Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience
- Non-profit or governmental educational institutions
- For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Mauritius.
For more information, visit https://mu.usembassy.gov/funding-opportunity-academy-of-women-entrepreneurs-mauritius-2021/