Academy for Women Entrepreneurs 2024 - DRC

Background
The U.S. Embassy Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo/ Bureau of Public Diplomacy of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to an Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program to train and enhance the capacity of 100 women entrepreneurs across the DRC. The goal is to consolidate, professionalize, and existing entrepreneurial networks, leveraging alumni contacts in five provinces/cities to train twenty women in each location for the second cohort of 100.

Women business owners who are alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs alumni will serve as primary facilitators from our American Spaces network countrywide in partnership with local NGOs that focus on sustainable management solutions.

Grant Details
The program aims to equip participants with knowledge and skills from both U.S. and Congolese training materials to build and scale up sustainable businesses, expand participants’ understanding of social enterprise models, foster participants’ ability to promote economic opportunities for women, and facilitate the development of a network of female entrepreneurs and investors to grow women businesses and drive local and international partnerships.

The project activities include developing and recruiting participants, training the cohort through a 3-day AWE Bootcamp and online courses, organizing a milestone finale event on “Women’s Investment Network,” and considering costs for follow-on activities for previous AWE cohort 1.

The 2024 AWE participants will consist of 100 Congolese women entrepreneurs who reside in DR Congo, own social enterprises or businesses focused on professional development, business incubation, or startup support for women, have 2-5 years of business experience and demonstrate computer proficiency and internet access.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/nongovernmental organizations with programming experience, individuals, non-profit educational institutions, and governmental institutions. For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply. Cost sharing or matching is not required. All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov.

Period of Performance
The length of performance period is 6 months with an anticipated program start date in September 2024.

Grant Value
$68,166 is the total available funding with one award anticipated (dependent on amounts).

Place of Performance
The specific geographic locations where the grant will be performed include Tshopo - Kisangani, Kinshasa – Kinshasa, Haut Katanga – Lubumbashi, Sud-Kivu – Bukavu and Nord-Kivu – Goma.