2024 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) | FY2024VE001

Opportunity Information: Apply for FY2024VE001

The 2024 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number FY2024VE001) is offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, through the Venezuela Affairs Unit (VAU) Public Diplomacy Section. It is a public diplomacy funding opportunity (Assistance Listing 19.040) designed to support entrepreneurship and civil society capacity building among Venezuelan women, while also strengthening mutual understanding and professional ties between Venezuelans and Americans. Applications were due January 1, 2024, and the total funding available is USD 80,000, structured as up to two separate awards of up to USD 40,000 each, corresponding to two distinct phases (Phase 1 and Phase 2). Applicants may apply for Phase 1, Phase 2, or both, but if applying for both, they must submit two separate proposals and two separate budgets.

The core purpose of the opportunity is to fund organizations that can design and run (1) a new AWE cohort in Venezuela and/or (2) an AWE Alumni Project centered on civic-minded social marketing and creative communications. The program targets women ages 20 to 45 living in Venezuela who are building or scaling social ventures, specifically in visual arts and communications fields that can help encourage active citizenry and public engagement. The opportunity explicitly highlights creative and communications professionals such as graphic designers, illustrators, cartoonists, animators, photographers, filmmakers, and social media content managers, among others. Participant selection is not left entirely to the grantee; it is conducted in partnership with the Public Diplomacy Section, which signals that the implementer should plan for coordinated recruitment, vetting, and final selections with the U.S. Mission team.

Phase 1 focuses on delivering a structured entrepreneurship capacity-building program for a cohort of 25 to 30 Venezuelan women. The training is built around the DreamBuilder online curriculum, developed by Arizona State University, which AWE has used globally since 2019. DreamBuilder teaches foundational business skills from a U.S. perspective and includes practical modules in areas like strategic planning, marketing, pricing, finance, and bookkeeping, plus a built-in business plan generator. The expectation is that grantees will not rely on online coursework alone; proposals must include a proposed syllabus explaining how the implementer will add facilitated sessions, workshops, mentoring, and guest speakers (virtual and/or in-person) that reinforce DreamBuilder content and connect directly to the program objectives. The delivery model can be fully in-person or hybrid (a mix of online and in-person), but it should be hands-on and highly interactive.

Phase 2 is an alumni-focused project that shifts from general business training to applied civic communications work. It supports up to 20 AWE alumnae (again ages 20 to 45 and residing in Venezuela) who are leading early- to mid-stage social enterprises in visual arts and communications. These alumni participants will work in small teams (up to three per team) to plan and produce a social marketing campaign, structured as a competition. The campaign content is intended to promote a stronger sense of active citizenry among young and first-time Venezuelan voters. A major requirement in Phase 2 is specialized training led by U.S.-based subject matter experts in visual arts and communications to prepare participants for the competition. The notice also allows for practical implementation support, potentially including small seed funding in the form of implementation grants, and it mentions the possibility of short-term travel to the United States for follow-on study tours for winning team(s), depending on the project design and budget.

Across both phases, the U.S. Department of State emphasizes that projects must include a meaningful U.S. component. This can take several forms: engagement with American experts, partnerships with U.S. organizations or institutions, use of American educational or informational resources, involvement of U.S. government exchange program alumni, or other activities that concretely build collaboration and mutual understanding between people in the United States and people in Venezuela. Competitive proposals are also encouraged to partner with American Spaces and/or Bi-national Centers in Venezuela for portions of implementation, which signals a preference for projects that leverage established public diplomacy platforms and existing community infrastructure.

The stated objectives are consistent across proposals and focus on both practical entrepreneurship outcomes and longer-term network building. Applicants must show how they will (1) expand participants understanding of the fundamentals of developing and scaling organizations with social impact, (2) expose participants to U.S. models for social enterprise or civil society organizational development and connect them with American experts, and (3) foster an ongoing network of female entrepreneurs in Venezuela and the United States who can share best practices, mentoring, and support for women-led civil society organizations. In addition to these objectives, proposals are expected to strengthen participants understanding of U.S. values, institutions, and precepts, aligning the grant with public diplomacy aims rather than purely economic development goals.

From an implementation standpoint, the NOFO is fairly specific about what applicants should plan and budget for. Grantees are expected to cover venue costs for training and supplemental activities, as well as travel, lodging, and stipends for facilitators, mentors, and guest speakers. They must also pay for materials needed to promote the program and recruit participants, along with materials used during program delivery. The recruitment and selection methodology must be clearly described, and participants must be computer literate with reliable access to an internet-connected computer or smartphone; English proficiency is explicitly not required. The proposal must explain how local facilitators and experts will be identified and recruited, include a sample agenda, and incorporate an evaluation approach using surveys, polls, or similar tools before, during, and after the program to measure effectiveness and outcomes.

On the funding and administrative side, the opportunity anticipates up to two awards total, with each award capped at USD 40,000, and a maximum project length of up to 12 months. The funding instrument may be a grant or a cooperative agreement, and the anticipated start dates listed are April 1, 2024 for Phase 1 and July 1, 2024 for Phase 2, subject to the availability of funds. Budget rules include two notable caps: equipment purchases cannot exceed 10 percent of the total project cost, and administrative costs may be included up to 10 percent of the amount requested. Awardees should also expect ongoing coordination with the Public Diplomacy Section, including regular planning calls leading up to launch and throughout implementation. The notice also notes that continuation funding beyond the initial period could be considered on a non-competitive basis if funding remains available and performance is satisfactory.

Eligibility is limited to non-profit organizations (including think tanks and civil society/NGOs) and public or private educational institutions. The opportunity encourages proposals from U.S. government alumni organizations, established Venezuelan non-profit associations, civil society organizations, and academic institutions, particularly those with demonstrated experience running large-scale programs and strong knowledge of the entrepreneurship and business environment in Venezuela. For-profit and commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

• The U.S. Mission to Venezuela in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2024 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $40,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for FY2024VE001

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