The African Development Bank Group’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative is launching its second call for proposals for the Women Entrepreneurship Enablers program, targeting women's business associations, incubators, accelerators, women-led cooperatives, and civil society organizations that promote the development of women entrepreneurs on the continent.
AFAWA aims to unlock $5 billion in financing for small and medium-sized enterprises owned and managed by women by 2026. AFAWA is supported by the Bank’s partners and donors, G7 countries, as well as the Netherlands, Sweden, and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi). The funding, which aims to strengthen the ecosystem for women’s entrepreneurship, is in line with the Bank’s agenda to further gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Eligibility Criteria
- Successful proposals will demonstrate innovative approaches to building a supportive ecosystem for women’s entrepreneurship, aimed at improving access to finance for women SMEs. Enablers are expected to develop a comprehensive and sustainable capacity-building program to enable access to finance in partnership with financial institutions.
- Applicants from all 54 African countries are welcomed, and organizations in the Sahel region and North Africa are strongly encouraged to submit a proposal. Eligible organizations may request one-time funding of between $100,000 and $250,000, which will be provided through the Bank’s Gender Equality Trust Fund.
Expectations
Submitted proposals will:
- Demonstrate innovative approaches to build a supportive ecosystem for women’s entrepreneurship aimed at improving access to finance for WSMEs and accelerate business growth;
- Develop innovative ways to disseminate advisory services and technical assistance addressing capacity constraints, and skills enhancement for WSMEs to support access to funding;
- Develop a comprehensive and sustainable capacity-building program to enable access to finance in partnership with financial institutions;
- Enhance visibility and digital presence for WSMEs;
- Enhance access to mentorship and role models for WSMEs.
Application Process
The call for proposals will be financed through the Gender Equality Trust Fund (GETF) of the African Development Bank Group.
- Proposals should be submitted through the application platform and include the Application proposal template available on the platform in Word format; (you can also download it here)
- Application proposals can be submitted either in English or French and they should not exceed 10 pages including cover page and any annex. NB: Any proposal of more than 10 pages will not be assessed.
- Application proposals should be submitted via the platform with the subject title “Name of lead organization_Name of project”, by Midnight GMT on Friday 25th November 2022.
Application process on the platform
- Step 1 : Answer the preliminary questions
- Step 2 : Download and complete the Application proposal template (in Word format)
- Step 3 : Upload your Application proposal (maximum 10 pages) on the platform
- Step 4 : Submit your application through the platform
Download this Call for Proposals here
To learn more about the call for proposals click here
