U.S. Department of State: Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Zimbabwe 2025 Grant

Executive Summary

The Public Diplomacy Section invites proposals for the 2025 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in Zimbabwe. The program aims to develop the skills, capabilities, and resources for women entrepreneurs to fully participate in the private sector.

The AWE program facilitates in-person and virtual sessions to complete the online interactive DreamBuilder course. The program may hold sessions with established Zimbabwean and U.S. entrepreneurs, alumni of U.S.-funded exchange programs, and other experts from different fields to enrich the AWE program. Proposals may include elements from the online curriculum, the Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative, on key topics in entrepreneurship and innovation as part of the proposal. The program may be held in several locations to make it easier for participants. Proposals must have entrepreneurship programing or engagement activities for AWE alumnae from previous years.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant or cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that bureau/embassy staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation (“Substantial Involvement”).

Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 12 months or less.

The Department of State may entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.[RP1] 

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Priority Region: Zimbabwe

Program Description

Program Goals:

The U.S. Embassy Zimbabwe under the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to implement an Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in Zimbabwe. The Public Diplomacy Section invites proposals from non-profit organizations, civil society organizations, incubators, tech hubs, and U.S. government alumni organizations to design and implement an entrepreneurial program for women entrepreneurs to develop the skills, capabilities, and resources to fully participate in the private sector.

Participants of the AWE program will participate in facilitated in-person and virtual sessions with established Zimbabwean and U.S. entrepreneurs, alumni of U.S.-funded exchange programs, and other experts from different fields that enrich the AWE program. Proposals must integrate the online interactive DreamBuilder course and may include elements from the online curriculum, the Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative, on key topics in entrepreneurship and innovation as part of the proposal. The program may be held in several locations, run cohorts of up to 30 participants, and should have a strong American component, including U.S. experts as guest teachers or coaches, articulated in the proposed activities syllabus. Proposals must have entrepreneurship programing or engagement activities for AWE alumnae from previous years. Proposals that have site visits, seed funding, exchanges, pitch competitions, fairs, networking, or other creative engagement elements will be more competitive.

Program Objectives:

The proposals should meet the following objectives:

Increase participants’ understanding of business planning, financial forecasting, marketing, and scaling up operations;

Connect participants with U.S. based business experts and share U.S. models of running enterprises;

Foster a network that support female entrepreneurs through peer-to-peer mentorship to help grow businesses and drive local partnerships; and

Equip women entrepreneurs with skills and knowledge to build sustainable businesses.

Implementing partner proposals should have a detailed recruitment strategy for the target population, clearly specifying how the Embassy would be involved. The proposal should include ideas for follow-up activities with AWE alumni after program implementation to assess the impact of the program. Proposals with sustainability, business partnerships, and/or cost sharing built in will be more competitive. Budgets should be reasonable.

Audience:

The AWE program targets current or future women business owners in Zimbabwe. AWE participants must commit to complete the program, have proven computer skills, and have access to the Internet or a reliable data connection. Applicants are encouraged to develop programs for underrepresented populations, niche business sectors, or areas of potential growth.

Substantial Involvement

The Embassy can play a larger role to help the grantee organize the program so it meets the AWE requirements. For the implementation of the AWE program, the embassy can help with the advertisement, selection, launch, some sessions, and graduations. 

Application Contents and Format

Please follow all instructions below carefully. 

The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity.

All documents are in English.

All budgets are in U.S. dollars.

All pages are numbered and,

All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required: 

Mandatory application forms

SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance -individuals)

SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs)

Application (6 pages maximum): The application includes seven sections:

Program Information: Summary of program data.

Executive Summary: Program overview in five sentences or less.

Program Design: A description of the cohort(s) and characteristics of the target audience. The section should specify target participants, logistics, location, recruitment, and selection processes, identify the U.S. and local partners and how they will support the AWE program. The proposed timelines should be included noting dates, locations and planned activities and events.

Alumni Engagement: Describe how the program fosters greater alumni engagement and how USG exchange alumni will be involved as mentors or partners. Include proposed activities specifically seeking to strengthen the local AWE community and sustain gains from previous AWE programs.

Communication and Outreach: Describe the communications strategies for generating interactions with AWE gradates, social media presence, media outreach and any relevant communication ideas.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Describe the monitoring and evaluation plan and how impact and results will be communicated to the Embassy, including the specific tools to be used.

Budget: Please fill out the specific AWE budget template but list the total cost in the application.

Budget: Proposals must include the budget line items tab and budget narrative tab.

AWE Budget Tab:

Programming/Personnel: Describe the program costs. Staff wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program. Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. 

Travel Costs: Estimate the costs of transportation for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Lodging: Justify any lodging requirements for program staff, consultants, or speakers.

M&IE: Describe the Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) required for the program. 

Supplies, Materials and Equipment: List and describe all the items and materials that are needed for the program. If an item cost more than $5,000 per unit a stronger justification is required along with a disposal plan.

Other Costs: Describe other costs associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

Cost Sharing: This refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy.  It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Budget Narrative Tab

Describe how you arrived at the costs listed on the main budget tab. This tab is essential for post review.

Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Address to Request Application Package

To request an application package please Email PublicDiplomacyGrants-ZIM@state.gov. You will receive an automatic reply with the application forms.

Department of State Contacts

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: MawereR@state.gov / PublicDiplomacyGrants-ZIM@state.gov

Required Registrations

All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in SAM.gov. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. An applicant must maintain an active registration while it has a proposal under review by the Department and must continue to keep the registration active for the entire duration of the period of performance of any Federal award that results from this NOFO.

The 2 CFR 200 requires subrecipients to obtain a UEI. Please note the UEI for subrecipients is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a subrecipient.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov.

Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov. 

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions: 

Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually. 

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions:

Exemptions

An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted only in limited circumstances. See 2 CFR 25.110 for a full list of exemptions.

Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review.

Submission Dates and Times

Applications are due no later than January 10, 2025 – 11:59 pm Central African Time. All application materials must be submitted by email to PublicDiplomacyGrants-Zim@state.gov 

Funding Restrictions

Funding Restrictions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

None of the funds awarded resulting from this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be made available for subawards, direct financial support, or otherwise used to provide any payment or transfer to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by email to PublicDiplomacyGrants-Zim@state.gov

Award Notices

The award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and counter-signature. The recipient may only start incurring project expenses beginning on the start date shown on the award document signed by the Grants Officer.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Unsuccessful applicants: Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by February 28, 2025 via email.

Payment Method: Recipients will be required to request payments by completing form SF-270—Request for Advance or Reimbursement and submitting the form to the Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative.