Deadline: 10-Jan-21
Relief International’s WEAT (Women Enterprise, Advocacy and Training) enterprise program has been announced which is designed for three (3) provinces and seven (7) districts: Nangarhar (Kama and Behsood), Kapisa (Kohistan1, Kohistan 2 and Mehmood Raqi), and Ghazni (Ghazni center and Jaghori).
The WEAT (Women Enterprise, Advocacy and training program) is a five-year program, with the goal to make a lasting positive impact on the lives of Afghan women & girls, ultimately empowering them to better participate as decision-makers and to promote & defend women’s social, economic & political rights.
Investing in women-owned businesses and integrating them into corporate supply chains is “smart economics” and good for business. Today, women-owned businesses contribute significantly in Afghanistan’s economy, generating of new employment opportunities for other women’s and spurring local development, but unfortunately, their full economic potential remains largely untapped or underutilized, the barriers to women’s entrepreneurship are various: Women face greater obstacles in accessing to credit, training, networks and information, access to market, availability of raw materials, as well as legal and policy constraints.
In order to empower women and girls in 3 provinces of Kapisa, Ghazni and Nangarhar, WEAT Program developed a set of criteria for providing a subsidy to specific women enterprises.
A subsidy is a benefit given to an individual business by WEAT. It will be in the form of kind support based on criteria. The subsidy will be given typically to remove some type of burden women’s face in their businesses. In order to promote social good and support women enterprise to run their business for the next two years.
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to establish WEAT criteria for granting enterprise subsidies. WEAT will provide subsidies to scale up to certain women’s enterprises, across the seven focus districts and improve their operations. WEAT has developed selection criteria for eligible enterprises to receive smart subsidies through WEAT. Strong consideration will be given to subsidies that can be used to invest in timesaving technologies and provide employment for other women.
- WEAT will work with selected enterprises to develop plans for how they will use their subsidies and what the projected outcomes will be.
- WEAT will provide ongoing monitoring and mentoring to ensure these subsidies are being used effectively. WEAT will also explore options to disburse subsidies gradually to ensure pilot ideas work before committing all funds.
- WEAT will document demand for and use of subsidies in order to better understand the demand and need for tailored financial products for women.
- WEAT may amend this document at any time. Amendments to these criteria are subject to approval by senior management of WEAT program.
Requirements
All recipient subsidies must meet the following points:
- Woman run enterprise;
- An active enterprise;
- Hire women employees;
- Have a work plan for the next two years.
Criteria
- Be women-owned business and enterprise should be controlled by women.
- Women should have expertise in the field of enterprise and should have complete knowledge of the enterprises.
- The enterprise should be registered and/ or have a business license from the chamber of commerce.
- The women enterprise should have a basic educational background (12th-grade graduate) or family member who supports her in the business plans.
- The women enterprise should have regular bookkeeping (record income and expenses)
- The recipient of enterprise subsidy must make a commitment to continue in the district for at least two years after the benefit date.
- Recipients of enterprise subsidy required to meet wage and job goals determined by the district on a case-by-case basis, giving consideration to the nature of the development.
- The enterprise must have a specific goal and commitment to continue their business.
- The business idea should be unique and competitive and demonstrates potentials for growth
- The business/enterprise demonstrates success through receiving a subsidy from WEAT.
For more information, visit http://www.acbar.org/rfq/13507.jsp