The U.S. Embassy in Cameroon is seeking proposals from organizations to implement the 2024 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in Cameroon 2024.
The AWE program is a worldwide initiative led by the U.S. Department of State to support gender equity and equality by promoting women’s economic opportunities and providing them with the knowledge, networks, and access required to establish and expand successful businesses.
The U.S. Embassy Yaounde Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) is requesting proposals to design and conduct a three-month training program during the summer or fall of 2024 to educate 40 women social entrepreneurs for the AWE program in Cameroon. The program will adopt a hybrid model combining the DreamBuilder or Thunderbird’s 100 Million Learners courses on the U.S. online platform with localized mentorship and facilitation.
The most successful proposals will use public-private sponsors, local partnerships, and U.S. exchange alumni networks to promote the growth of women-owned businesses, creating localized prosperity.
Program Objectives
- Provide participants with a combination of knowledge and skills derived from training materials from both the U.S. and Cameroon to establish and expand sustainable businesses.
- Enhance participants’ comprehension of social enterprise models.
- Cultivate participants’ capacity to advocate for economic opportunities for women and facilitate the growth of women-led businesses.
- Support the establishment of a network of female entrepreneurs and investors to foster the expansion of women-owned businesses and encourage local partnerships.
Project Activities
Phase 1: Curriculum Development and Recruitment
- Create a curriculum and prepare training materials.
- Single out, recruit, and educate facilitators and mentors from the US government alumni community, American Chamber of Commerce, and African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) network.
- Publicize the program, conduct outreach activities, and recruit participants.
- Develop a facilitation guide to assist business incubators and social entrepreneurs in supporting women’s economic empowerment.
Proposals should outline a recruitment strategy for targeting potential participants and include details on the Embassy’s involvement in the process.
Phase 2: Train the Cohort
- Plan a 3-day AWE Bootcamp featuring an official launching ceremony in Yaounde.
- Lead training sessions for the online DreamBuilder or Thunderbird’s 100 Million Learners courses, conducting weekly virtual or in-person meetings to discuss challenges, share best practices, and receive guidance from facilitators.
- Coordinate activities that include localized content to complement the online DreamBuilder or Thunderbird’s 100 Million Learners courses.
- Establish a support network among participants to encourage peer-to-peer learning and collaboration.
Proposals should include a diverse range of interactive activities, workshops, field trips, case studies, and other learning experiences to help participants enhance their entrepreneurial skills.
Phase 3: Milestone Finale
- Plan a two-day concluding event on “Women’s Investment Network” in Douala. The purpose of this event is to exhibit the businesses of AWE participants and alumni, facilitate their connection with potential investors, and enhance their access to funding opportunities.
- The session topics for the AWE program include, but are not limited to:
- Addressing the specific challenges, needs, and opportunities that women entrepreneurs face when it comes to accessing investment.
- Encouraging potential investors to engage in the forum and offer funding opportunities for promising businesses led by women.
- Organizing a pitch competition where selected participants and graduates of AWE can present their business plans to a panel of investors.
- Launching a social media campaign to highlight success stories from the AWE program.
Proposals should also include suggestions for follow-up activities once the program is implemented. It’s important to note that the grant awarded for this program does not cover the costs associated with these follow-up activities, as additional funding sources would be required.
Participants and Audiences
In 2024, the participants of the AWE program will be comprised of 40 women entrepreneurs from Cameroon who meet the following criteria:
- They live in Cameroon.
- They own social enterprises or businesses that specifically focus on professional development, business incubation, or providing support to women in starting their businesses.
- They have a minimum of 2-5 years of experience in the business field and can showcase their proficiency in using computers and having access to the Internet.
- They are selected through a competitive application process, with participants recruited from all 10 regions of Cameroon.
Grant
- Award amounts: Funding may vary between $25,000 and $38,000.
- Total available funding: $38,000
Eligibility Criteria
- PDS welcomes applications from the United States and Cameroon from the following eligible entities:
- Registered not-for-profit organizations, such as think tanks, community associations, and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience
- Alumni of U.S. government exchange programs
- Non-profit media organizations
- Professional trade organizations
- Non-profit or governmental educational institutions
- Private educational institutions
- For-profit or commercial entities are not permitted to apply.
Application Procedure
The following criteria must be satisfied:
- The proposal effectively addresses the aims and objectives of this funding opportunity.
- All documents are written in English.
- All budgets are in U.S. dollars.
- All pages are numbered.
You can access the forms here .
Visit the official website of AWE for more information.
Application Deadline
January 5, 2024.
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