Funding Opportunities for African Businesses

1. Applications Now Open for AGRA’s 2023 VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards

Deadline: 31-May-23

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has launched a call for applications for the 2023 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) that recognise African female agripreneurs demonstrating remarkable Innovation and business excellence in agricultural value chains.

The VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) is an AGRA led recognition initiative launched in 2021 under AGRA’s flagship VALUE4HER initiative that seeks to strengthen women agripreneurship in Africa. The Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) recognizes African female agripreneurs who have excelled in the agricultural value chains and have demonstrated remarkable innovation by contributing positively towards food security, climate resilience, women and youth empowerment. The awards aim to create visibility for successful women and promote them as positive role models, trigger innovation, and spur ambition among women agripreneurs.

Categories

Applications are being received in three categories:

• Young female Agripreneur (for those under the age of 35 years and have demonstrated innovation and leadership in business);
• Outstanding Value Adding Enterprise (for female-owned agribusinesses that are increasing the economic value and/or consumer appeal to agricultural products); and
• Female Ag-Tech Innovator (those championing technological advancement in agribusiness);

and an Overall Grand Prize winner will be determined as the candidate that demonstrates the best potential for scale.

Prize Information

• The winning agripreneurs, who will be unveiled during the 2023 AGRF Summit, will receive a total of $85,000 in grant funding.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for WAYA, businesses must be operating in an agriculture or agribusiness value chain, be a legal entity registered in a country that is a member state of the African Union, and at least 51% owned and managed by one or more women who are citizens of one of the 55 African countries.

Also Read: Funding opportunities for African Businesses

For more information, visit AGRA.

2. Women Digital Entrepreneurship Program [Nigeria]

Deadline: 22-Mar-23

Applications are now open for the Women Digital Entrepreneurship Program (WDEP), an initiative of Access Corporation aimed at equipping businesswomen with the skills for the digitization of their business processes and to further position their businesses for long-term market relevance and success.

The WDEP is supported by Access Corporation and implemented by NerdzFactory Foundation. The program is targeted towards existing and aspiring female entrepreneurs, with learnings around opportunities to leverage in growing an online business. The program objectives include, but are not limited to, encouraging more women to start an online business, promoting women’s entrepreneurship, closing the digital gender gap, improve the economic outcomes of women.

Program Areas

• Youth & Girls Employment
• Digital & Technology Education
• Persons with Disability
• Environmental & Climate Change Education
• Business Incubation
• Research & Innovation

The Virtual Bootcamp

• A one-week virtual boot camp taught by top-notch instructors will teach you basics like bookkeeping, how to create a pitch deck, how to pitch for your business and present your business plan, social media marketing, and more.
• Date: March 13, 2023 to March 17, 2023
• Furthermore, a successful completion of the bootcamp qualifies you for the pitching competition on March 30, 2023.

Business Connect Webinar

• The Business Connect Webinar is a component of the Women Digital Entrepreneurship Program. It is a business growth initiative designed to equip women with the skills, information and resources needed to start or grow an online business and monetize it.

Webinar Benefits

• How to start an online business
• Bookkeeping
• What business can you start online?
• How to pitch a business idea
• Gain a deeper understanding of social media platforms and how to use them to reach a target audience
• How to use social media to drive website traffic and increase conversions that lead to increased sales

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicant must be a Nigerian Female Citizen
• Unemployed and underemployed women
• Applicant must be between ages 25-40 years
• Minimum education levels of SSCE & OND
• Applicant must be aspiring to start a business or have started a business with an annual turnover of less than NGN2M
• Applicant must have access to internet

For more information, visit NerdzFactory Foundation.

3. Open Call for Grenada Spotlight Initiative to End Violence (2023-04)

Deadline: 20-Mar-23

The UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) – Caribbean, seeks to partner with Responsible Party (Non-Governmental Organizations [NGOs] or Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Grenada, using the UN Women Foundations Programme to equip young persons and community members with knowledge, skills attitudes and strategies for addressing conflict and responding to stress and stressors that arise in relationships and establish and model an atmosphere of respect within group relations among and between young persons and, drawing from the Partnership for Peace and Man-to-Man Programmes to organize interventions to engage men and boys towards ending violence against women and girls.

The Grenada Spotlight Initiative will build on lessons learned from former and existing programmes with its partners, including CSOs, development agencies such as UN agencies, EU and others to address bottlenecks hindering progress and to build on successes to ensure a successful and sustainable country programme achieving visible gains to End Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) in Grenada.

Pillar & Outcomes

• The project objectives will be met through the achievement of the following outcomes and outputs.

• • Pillar 3:  Output 3.1 – It is expected that national and/or sub-national evidence-based programmes are developed to promote gender-equitable norms, attitudes and behaviors for in and out of school setting.
    • One or more grants to CSOs to implement the Foundations Programme with out-of-school youth in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique in collaboration with existing youth programmes, such as Ministry of Youth, Sports clubs, Girl Guides (Rangers and Young Leaders), culture groups, Grenada Football Association. (15,000 USD equivalent in local currency).
  • Pillar 3: Output 3.2 – It is expected community advocacy platforms are established/strengthened to develop strategies and programmes, including community dialogues, public information and advocacy campaigns, to promote gender-equitable norms, attitudes and behaviours, including in relation to women and girls’ sexuality and reproduction, self-confidence and self-esteem and promoting positive masculinities.
    • One grant to a CSO to draw from the Man to Man and Foundations Programmes to develop and implement a secondary prevention programme for men in the prisons to prevent recidivism for IPV and sexual violence. (15,000 USD equivalent in local currency).

Funding Information

• 15,000 USD equivalent in local currency.
• Timeframe: The expected duration of this partnership is 6 months. Extensions will not be permitted as programme closure will begin from October 2023, to allow sufficient time for project and programme reporting.

Countries to be covered: Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.

Competencies

• Technical/functional competencies required:

• • Responsible Party must be a Registered Non-Governmental Organization/ Civil Society Organisation.
  • At least 3 years’ experience working with gender equality and women’s rights, including elimination of violence against women.
  • At least3 years’ experience implementing GBV/VAWG programmes and initiatives.
  • Experience with working with one or more of the identified population groups would be considered an asset.
• Other competencies, which while not required, can be an asset for the performance of services:
  • Previous experience working on United Nations or donor-funded projects.
  • An adequate number of trained professional and administrative staff or contractors to be able to implement, monitor and report on the project.

For more information, visit UN Women. 

4. Call for Applications: Huduma Fellowship Class of 2023 (Uganda)

Deadline: 24-Mar-23

Are you an emerging leader in Uganda’s civic and public service sector eager to grow both professionally and personally? The Huduma Fellowship is a perfect opportunity for you to contribute meaningfully to your country, hone core values like service and integrity, and shape personal leadership.

The Huduma Fellowship is an initiative by the LéO Africa Institute and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung which has provided thought leadership training for 30 emerging champions in Uganda’s civic and public service sector over the last two years. The program enrolls 15 outstanding champions who are already working in the field or aspire to do so for a two-year training on the ideals and tenets of public service.

The Huduma Fellowship is a unique opportunity for emerging leaders to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from some of the most influential thought leaders in Uganda’s civic and public service sectors. Fellows will have the opportunity to network with their peers, build their skills, and make a lasting impact in their communities.

During the fellowship, participants engage in a variety of activities, including face-to-face sessions, interactive workshops, personal assessments, individual and group exercises, and special projects. Through these different approaches, fellows have the opportunity to develop their leadership and thought-processing skills.

Eligibility Criteria

• Anyone between the ages of 25-35 working in the civic or public sector in Uganda
• The fellowship is also open to people working in or outside government.
• The two-years fellowship consists of 2 seminars and 2 workshops. The seminars and workshops are three days long – from Friday to Sunday.
• Alumni of the Young and Emerging Leaders Project (YELP) Fellowship are not eligible for the Huduma fellowship.

For more information, visit Huduma Fellowship.

5. Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition 2023 Mentoring Programme

Deadline: 31-Mar-23

Applications are now open for the Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition 2023 Mentoring Programme 2023.

To continue advancing women’s role as agents of change, the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and supporting partners adelphi and Guidehouse, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), is launching a mentoring programme in select countries as part of Germany’s Energy partnerships and energy dialogues.

Aims

The 2023 mentoring programme builds on the success of the 2021 Energising women to advance the energy transition Programme and seeks to enhance the careers of mid-career women working in the energy sector. In particular, the programme aims to:

• empower women in the energy sector in order to increase women’s representation at managerial and decision-making levels, and ultimately advance the pace of the energy transition,
• foster social change, facilitate novel ideas and encourage networking, and
• support participants to develop concrete career goals which they can strategically work towards.

Eligibility Criteria

The application criteria for participants are as follows:

• Must be a national from one of the following countries:

• • LAC: Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay
  • MENA: Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates
  • ASIA: China, India, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
  • SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: Ethiopia, Namibia, and South Africa
• Must be a woman working in either the public or the private sector in the renewable energy or energy efficiency field
• Must work in a middle management position (5 – 10 years of relevant work experience)

Criteria

• The programme is also seeking senior professionals working in the energy sector to serve as mentors and support participants’ professional and personal development.
• Furthermore, the mentoring programmes are designed around the following key programme parameters:

• • Hand-picked selection of mentor based on the stipulated goals and aspirations
  • 12-month programme duration with regular bilateral mentor-mentee exchanges (approx. 1 – 1,5 hours per month)
  • Social media campaign highlighting mentees and mentors
  • Kick-off webinar and graduation ceremony
  • Study tour for selected mentees to Germany in June 2023
  • Networking and peer-to-peer exchange

For more information, visit Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET).

6. The Vegan Society Grant Programme

Deadline: 31-Mar-23

The Vegan Society is accepting applications from individuals and grassroots organisations for the Vegan Society Grant Programme.

It exists to support projects which will encourage non-vegans to go vegan and stay vegan.

Recently awarded grants went to ‘Radio programs to encourage non-vegans to go vegan and stay vegan in Sengerema district, Tanzania’, and ‘Culture and Tradition, a call to animal welfare’, which was a community run project to encourage fellow villagers to replace animal skins with synthetic materials in traditional dance festivals in Zimbabwe. In the UK a project titled ‘Enjoy Soy’ worked to provide vegan culinary training to newly independent young adults.

Funding Information

• A typical award is £1000
• All projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving the award.

They are looking for projects that?

• Raise public awareness of veganism in a positive way
• Promote veganism in a unique or exciting way to non-vegans
• Support people from marginalised backgrounds to access veganism.

What are the conditions of receiving a grant?

• As a recipient of a grant, you are required to acknowledge the Society on all promotional materials and in any media coverage. A file containing the Vegan Society logo will be sent to all successful applicants.
• Copies of promotional material and any press coverage of your project should be included with your final report. Photographs of the event or project in action are also required. If these are of high quality they may be included on their website or in their magazine, The Vegan.
• A Vegan Society representative may attend your event.
• You must submit your report and invoice for the final 25% of your grant within two months of the completion date of your project, otherwise this will not be awarded.

Target Audience

• Planning your project for a specific audience will increase your project’s chance of making an impact on the participants.
• Projects or events that are aimed at a generic group of people, e.g. ‘residents of Leeds’ or ‘families’, are unlikely to be successful in their application as this indicates that the applicant has not considered their audience when planning their project.
•  Examples of a good target audience to plan your project around are ‘academics studying philosophy’, ‘people who follow Hinduism’, ‘parents of vegetarian children’ or ‘people who are passionate about their companion animals’.

Also Read: Funding Opportunities for African Businesses

Eligibility Criteria

• The projects are based across the globe, with a particular emphasis on those based in economically developing countries.
• they welcome applicants from long term members or from people who are new to their work, and no preferential treatment will be given based on this, although joining as a member is a great way to support their work.
• You can apply if you are all of the:

• • A vegan
  • A non-profit organisation or individual with a non-profit project
  • Not a Vegan Society staff member or trustee.

For more information, visit Vegan Society Grant.

7. Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program in Gambia

Deadline: 14-Apr-23

Purpose of Small Grants: PDS in Banjul, The Gambia invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the United States and The Gambia; cultural and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

Priority Program Areas

• Strengthening Democratic Institutions, including press freedom

• Empowering civil society, with an emphasis on women and youth

• Bolstering education

• Strengthening economic development and entrepreneurship

• Encouraging cultural exchange

• Participants and Audiences: All proposals should focus on engaging Gambians in The Gambia. Proposals that reach marginalized communities and youth are encouraged.

Examples

• Examples of PAS Small Grants Program programs include, but are not limited:

• • Academic and professional lectures, seminars and speaker programs;

• • Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances and exhibitions;

• • Cultural heritage conservation and preservation programs;

• • Professional and academic exchanges and programs;

• • Academic clubs focusing on extracurricular activities and student achievement;

• • Professional training for journalists; or

• • Social movement programs and programs to support political transparency.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 3 to 24 months

• Number of awards anticipated: 7 awards (dependent on amounts)

• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $25,000

• Total available funding: $100,000

Eligibility Criteria

• The Public Diplomacy Section encourages applications from the United States and The Gambia:

• • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience

• • Individuals

• • Non-profit media organizations

• • Professional Trade organizations

• • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions

• For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

Ineligibility Criteria

• The following types of programs are NOT eligible for funding:

• • Programs relating to partisan political activity;

• • Charitable or development activities;

• • Construction programs;

• • Programs solely focused on purchasing supplies;

• • Programs that support specific religious activities;

• • Fund-raising campaigns;

• • Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;

• • Scientific research;

• • Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or

• • Programs that duplicate existing programs.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Gambia.

8. U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa PDS Request for Statement of Interest (Ethiopia)

Deadline: 18-Mar-23

The U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the U.S. and Ethiopia through cultural, media and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation.

Purpose of Small Grants:

All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policies, values, and perspectives. Examples of PDS small grants programs include, but are not limited to:

• Academic and professional lectures, seminars and speaker programs;

• Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances and exhibitions;

• Programs developed by an alumnus/a of a U.S. sponsored or supported educational or professional exchange program.

• Programs that strengthen U.S. college and university relationships with local higher education institutions, businesses, and/or regional organizations.

• Media trainings.

Themes

The APS is intended to inform individuals, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions about opportunities from the Public Diplomacy Section to support projects in at least one of the following thematic areas:

• Efforts to support Ethiopia’s economic and political reforms, including support for civil society, democracy, and governance, and/or entrepreneurship.

• Strengthening independent and state media through media literacy with a focus on workshops for general audiences, like high school classes or clubs, university groups, etc., to learn about how to discern reliable sources of information, how to identify mis- and disinformation, etc.

• Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

• Engaging emerging and under-represented populations, including youth, women, and persons with disabilities through education, art, sports, culture and other programs.

• Promoting tolerance and peace through dialogue.

• Promoting economic growth, especially via entrepreneurship.

• Promoting sustainable policies to protect the environment.

Priority Program Areas:

Proposals must identify how the proposal would fulfil a general U.S. Embassy priority:

• Spur Broad-based Economic Growth and Promote Development: strengthen role of women and youth in economic activity; improve trade and investment climate; and increase opportunities for employment transition.

• Promote resilient peace, security, and democratic institutions in Ethiopia: Strengthen transparent, democratic institutions that promote good governance, rule of law, peace building, and human rights principles at all levels of government and society; support pluralistic, inclusive dialogue processes.

• Promote sustainable development and mutual prosperity through expanded and deepened partnerships and mutual understanding: Support shared global interests in sustainable economic and human development for vulnerable citizens and communities; strengthen the U.S.-Ethiopian economic and commercial relationship by promoting market-oriented reforms and expanding two-way trade and investment; rebuild and expand people-to-people connections between Ethiopians and Americans.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 6 to 12 months.

• Number of awards anticipated: Approximately five awards.

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $200,000

• Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $100,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Public Diplomacy Section encourages applications from U.S. and Ethiopian:

• • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/nongovernmental organizations with programming experience.

• • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions.

• Individuals will be considered, but priority is given to registered organizations and educational institutions with a proven track record of success. For-profit or commercial entities, including for-profit media organizations, are not eligible to apply.

Ineligible

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

• Programs relating to partisan political activity;

• Charitable or development activities;

• Construction programs;

• Programs that support specific religious activities;

• Fund-raising campaigns;

• Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;

• Scientific research;

• Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or

• Programs that duplicate existing programs.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.

9. Small Grants to Strengthen ties between the U.S. and South Sudan

Deadline: 14-Apr-23

The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy in Juba, South Sudan is pleased to announce that limited funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program, provided through the U.S. Department of State.

Purpose of Small Grants:

PDS Juba invites proposals for programs that strengthen ties between the U.S. and South Sudan through programming that advances core U.S. foreign policy goals, in particular those outlined in the BidenHarris Administration’s fact sheet and U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa. Project proposals should advance shared priorities and values and promote bilateral cooperation.

Examples of PDS Small Grants Program programs include, but are not limited to:

• Training and workshops that advance and promote peacebuilding, democracy, transparency; strengthen a national identity, transcending historical divisions; support and develop the media community; address trauma, healing, and reconciliation; and support economic empowerment;

• Academic and professional lectures, seminars, and speaker programs;

• Artistic and cultural workshops, performances, and exhibitions;

Priority Program Areas:

• Foster Openness and Open Societies

• Examples:

• • Promoting government transparency, accountability, and tolerance of marginalized communities, and citizens’ rights and responsibilities in a democratic society.

• • Increasing the focus on rule of law, justice, and dignity.

• • Assisting South Sudan to more transparently leverage its natural resources for sustainable development.

• Deliver Democratic and Security Dividends

• Examples:

• • Supporting civil society, empowering marginalized groups, centering the voices of women and youth, and defending free and fair elections.

• • Advancing regional stability and security.

• Advance Pandemic Recovery and Economic Opportunity

• Examples:

• • Prioritizing policies and programs to spur economic recovery and build capacities to increase preparedness for the next health threat.

• • Partnering to rebuild human capital and food systems that were further weakened by the pandemic and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

• Support Conservation, Climate Adaptation, and a Just Energy Transition

• Examples:

• • Partnering to conserve, manage, and restore the continent’s rich natural ecosystems.

• • Supporting efforts to minimize and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, including enhancing community, economic, and supply chain resilience.

• • Working to accelerate just transitions to a clean energy future, energy access, and energy security.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: up to 12 months.

• Number of awards anticipated: at least one.

• Award Floor: $1,000

• Total available funding: Up to $100,000. Awards may be for a maximum of $50,000 but past award amounts for any individual project have not exceeded $25,000.

Participants and Audiences:

Programs should focus on a specific audience segment in South Sudan, e.g., youth between the ages of 14 to 35, women, civil society organizations, etc.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants PDS encourages applications from:

• • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience and that are actively involved with projects in South Sudan.

• All programs must include an American cultural element, and/or connection with an American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) in a specific field that will promote an increased understanding of and appreciation for U.S. policy and perspectives. South Sudanese organizations based outside of Juba are especially encouraged to apply.

• For-profit, governmental, or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.