Deadline: 28 August 2017
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) is seeking applications for its program entitled “Driving Local Development with the Tunisian Chambers of Commerce”.
The program worked with the Tunisian Chambers of Commerce to develop demand- and revenue- driven services for Tunisian businesses. In the first phase of the project, the program strengthened the chambers’ human and institutional capacity through the development of customized strategic plans. In phases two and three, the program focused on the integration of chambers, the development of value-added services, and the implementation of public policy advocacy pilot projects, which have enabled the chambers to take on a stronger role as proactive actors and catalysts of local economic development.
Building on the success of this initiative, NEA/AC seeks proposals to assist the regional Chambers in improving good governance within their internal structure, driving regional development in parallel with decentralization, promoting specially tailored services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and young entrepreneurs, and acquiring the additional expertise needed to further facilitate members’ entry into new international markets and partnerships with international companies, as well as enhancing the capacity and membership of the individual Chambers so they can better serve as a country-wide hub for business creation, development and networking services.
Objectives
A successful project will result in the status of Tunisia’s Chambers of Commerce as vital institutions in Tunisia’s business ecosystem and leaders in regional development through the following objectives; applicants may address one or more objectives:
- Chambers serve as regional hubs that help stimulate business networking and creation, SME development, and job creation;
- Chambers improve workflow and decision-making processes to be able to perform efficiently and save resources;
- Chambers enhance their members’ expertise in international business networking, trade show participation, and certification; and
- Chambers bring together diverse stakeholders at the regional level to drive necessary reforms in the public and private sector.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,000,000.00
- Estimated Award Ceiling: $1,000,000.00
- Estimated Award Floor: $900,000.00
- Length of Project Period: 2 years
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants include U.S. or foreign non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations; private institutions of higher education, public or state institutions of higher education; public international organizations; and small businesses with function and regional experience in the areas of economic development, capacity building for quasigovernmental organizations, and previous work with Chambers of Commerce in the MENA region.
- NEA/AC strongly encourages applications from civil society organizations headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region.
- International nongovernmental organizations with principal bases of operations outside the Middle East and North Africa are also encouraged to apply, but the percentage of total budget actually spent in the region through local partners will be among the elements of evaluation for this competition.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, please visit Grants.gov.