Deadline: 26-Jul-2024
FREE Grow is open to applications from organisations working in the tea, coffee and flower communities in East Africa.
The FREE (Financial Resilience for Economic Empowerment) Fund invests in sustainable solutions to enhance economic resilience and empower adolescent girls, young women, and their communities. FREE is envisioned as a pooled funding mechanism designed to support the needs of adolescent girls and young women.
FREE Grow will focus specifically on women and girls in the floriculture, tea, and coffee sectors in East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda).
Vision
- Through this fund, women are empowered to thrive in agricultural value chains through advancing gender equality practices and promoting economic and climate resilience.
Mission
- FREE Grow invests in local organisations that use intersectional approaches to advance gender equality in agricultural communities connected to global value chains.
Eligibility Criteria
- If groups meet all of the following criteria, they can apply for a grant:
- Your non-profit organisation, group, association, collective, or network must be formally registered in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, or Tanzania. Preference will be given to locally-led organisations.
- Your organisation or group must consist of a minimum of 3 staff members. This excludes board members.
- Your organisation, group, collective, or network must align with the mission and vision of FREE Grow.
- Your organisation, group, collective, or network must have demonstrable experience working on women’s and girl’s rights/gender equality in floriculture, coffee or tea communities in East Africa.
- Your project proposal must focus on the target group, and include and align with at least one of the Thematic Areas of FREE Grow.
- Your organisation, group, collective, or network must have at least 60% of women in leadership positions. This refers to the highest decision-making body, which includes both the board and the executive leadership team.
- Applicants from Ethiopia and Rwanda that do not meet this criteria are still encouraged to apply.
- Your annual organisational income for 2023 must be a minimum of GBP 15,000 and a maximum of GBP 200,000.
For more information, visit FREE Fund.