Deadline: 6 May 2020
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment (E3), Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GenDev) invites interested Applicant(s) to submit a Concept Note(s) that aim to increase women’s economic empowerment in conflict prevention and recovery activities, with a specific focus on at-risk and vulnerable women including survivors of trafficking.
The Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Addendum is designed to increase women’s economic empowerment in conflict prevention and recovery activities focused on issues such as at-risk and marginalized women including survivors of trafficking. Recovery activities might include re-building livelihoods, workforce and vocational training, innovative financial tools, job placement, workplace safety, and access to capital.
In response to this development challenge, and as a means to source new ideas and reach a diverse set of partners, the W-GDP Fund Addendum seeks Concept Note(s) that successfully support the following development results. Specifically, the W-GDP Fund Addendum is designed to promote and sustain effective collaboration and partnerships that address the following:
- Increase the economic power of the most at-risk and marginalized women, including workforce and entrepreneurship training for women (18 years and older) vulnerable to trafficking, and supporting survivors of violence and trafficking through skills training, job placement, and access to institutions.
- Advance the goals of the three W-GDP pillars: Women Prospering in the Workforce, Women Succeeding as Entrepreneurs, and Women Enabled in the Economy.
- Utilize proven evidence-based women’s economic empowerment approaches to increase economic opportunities for women in conflict affected or post-conflict recovery settings including women vulnerable to and survivors of trafficking.
Illustrative interventions for engagement include, among others:
- Pillar 1: Women Prospering in the Workforce: Training and support for women to obtain or retain formal or informal employment in a given economic activity, such as negotiation, leadership, communication, advocacy, basic business management, coding, vocational skills, etc.
- Pillar 2: Women Succeeding as Entrepreneurs: Improving access to financial services through on-line bank accounts and mobile money transfers. In addition, training and assistance with starting or running small or medium-sized businesses, such as accounting and business planning.
- Pillar 3: Women Enabled in the Economy: Improving access to institutions and identification systems for vulnerable and at-risk women in conflict and post-conflict settings. Improving or developing digital access for women to land registry and property databases including systems for land/property transfer in the case of family or spousal death. Innovative approaches such as partnering with private sector actors to ensure workplace safety for vulnerable and at-risk women including survivors of trafficking.
Coordination and Complementarity with Other Activities
USAID encourages Applicants to plan for collaboration with other USAID activities, including but not limited to:
- Current awards managed by the USAID Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, including awards under the W-GDP Fund.
- Future awards managed by the USAID Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, including awards under the W-GDP Fund; and
- Other Agency awards, as appropriate.
In addition, USAID also encourages Concept Note(s) to leverage work being supported by other donors, private sector entities, associations, host governments, and all other relevant local stakeholders.
Funding Information
Subject to the availability of funds, USAID anticipates supporting and administrating one new assistance award of up to $10 million over the course of the five (5) years in accordance with Parts 700 and 200 of Title 2 of the CFR, and ADS 303 Standard Provisions for U.S/non-U.S. organizations.
Eligibility Criteria
- USAID encourages submission of Concept Note(s) from all potential partners, which may include: U.S. and non-U.S, for-profit, non-profit, and non-governmental organizations. The organization/entity must be a legally recognized organizational entity in the country where it operates.
- Applicants should demonstrate an active commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment through their policies, staffing, and operations, including but not limited to: retaining and promoting women within their organizations, policies and practices related to non-discrimination, prevention of sexual harassment, and use of women-owned or women-led entities as subawardee/subcontractor.
- All interested organizations are restricted to submitting only one Concept Note as the Prime Applicant. If more than one Concept Note is received with the same Prime Applicant, USAID will seek written clarification from the relevant entity regarding which Concept Note should be considered for review. If clarification is not resolved within five (5) business days, all Concept Notes submitted by the Applicant will be deemed ineligible.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326366