Deadline: 6-May-22
The U.S. Department of State, Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for WE-Champs: Grants for Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem projects that promote women’s entrepreneurship and dismantle systemic gender barriers by networking regional women’s Chambers of Commerce (Chambers) and business associations.
S/GWI seeks proposals from qualified organizations with demonstrated in-country experience in developing partnerships with relevant stakeholders, including the public and/or private sector, civil society, and grassroots organizations.
Goal: To strengthen women’s economic security by supporting women’s Chambers of Commerce (Chambers) and business associations through locally designed and led responses to building gender-responsive institutions and responding to needs of women members, in all their diversity.
Objectives
Applicants should propose objectives that support regional networking among women’s Chambers and business associations to:
- Support women entrepreneurs and WSMEs: Provide Chambers and associations with support to strengthen services for women entrepreneurs and WSMEs including by addressing member-identified needs, such as mentorship, networking, leadership and entrepreneurship training, and/or facilitating crossregional linkages.
- Gender-responsive pandemic recovery: Address systemic barriers to women’s full economic participation through a coalition/network facilitated by Chambers, including to address gender-based violence (GBV), unpaid care work, and other impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic – as well as addressing broader social norms that are contributing to these impacts – affecting women’s economic security through advocacy and implementation of member-developed and supported reforms.
- Chamber-facilitated advocacy: Further Chamber- and association-supported women’s advocacy for gender-equitable reforms to legal frameworks, regulatory systems, access to services, and business communities.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,175,308
- Award Ceiling: $1,175,308
- Award Floor: $1,175,308
Priority Region and Countries
- Significant opportunity exists to build off past and strengthen existing work with Chambers and business associations in advancement of women’s economic security in Europe and Eurasia.
- The following are countries in which this project may work: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations submitting applications must meet the following criteria:
- Be a U.S.- or foreign-based non-profit/non-governmental organization (NGO); or
- Be a private, public, or state institution of higher education; and
- Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active and equitable partnerships with in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders, including NGOs and private sector actors;
- Have capacity to carry out similar projects in up to three (3) global regions, should additional funding become available and upon proof of concept; and
- Have demonstrable experience administering successful and preferably similar programs in size, scope, and focus. S/GWI reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=338666