Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAKAB 24 GR 001 SCA 04222024
The Business Expansion Initiative for Women's Employment is a U.S. Mission to Afghanistan (Public Diplomacy Section) grant competition designed to reduce the gender gap in Afghanistan's workforce by helping businesses expand in ways that create more jobs for women in sectors where women are currently permitted to work. The core idea is practical: if businesses have the planning support, management training, and connections they need to grow, they can hire more women and keep women visibly engaged in the economy. The opportunity is framed around both economic outcomes (growth, expanded markets, improved business performance) and social outcomes (gender-inclusive workplace practices and increased women's labor force participation), responding to major barriers Afghan women face such as limited access to employment, financing, financial services, and education.
The program's objectives center on three linked goals. First is empowerment through business expansion, meaning support for women to start and grow their own enterprises, join women-led businesses, or gain the skills needed to participate in women-led enterprises. Second is promoting gender-inclusive practices inside businesses so women can better access jobs and financial resources, including improved policies, management approaches, and workplace norms that reduce exclusion. Third is contributing to broader economic growth by sustaining women's presence in the workforce and reinforcing recognition of women's role in economic development, with the expectation that keeping women economically active benefits families, communities, and overall market stability.
Applicants are invited to propose activities in one or more focus areas that directly increase women's employment through business growth. Suggested components include training programs for businesses that commit to hiring and supporting women, with topics such as inclusive leadership, diversity and inclusion methods, and gender-sensitive management. Proposals can also include mentorship and apprenticeship structures that connect participants to experienced business leaders and provide hands-on work pathways, paired with business skills training and practical tools like expansion toolkits and case studies. Another major track is acceleration and expansion planning assistance, where businesses receive tailored technical support to build realistic growth plans, including market analysis, financial modeling, business process improvements, HR planning, and workforce development planning that explicitly accounts for hiring and retaining women.
The opportunity also emphasizes reducing financial and market barriers that often prevent growth. This includes facilitating access to capital for businesses willing to adopt gender-inclusive employment practices, such as connecting them with investors, entrepreneurs, collaborators, and industry partners, and organizing networking opportunities that can lead to financing or strategic partnerships. In parallel, access to markets is encouraged through relationship-building that helps businesses reach new domestic and international customers as they scale. Beyond direct business support, the grant encourages awareness and advocacy work that equips business leaders to promote gender-inclusive practices within their communities, as well as community engagement efforts to ensure expansion benefits are broadly inclusive and meaningfully increase women's participation in the local labor force.
In terms of mechanics, this is a discretionary grant (Funding Opportunity Number SCAKAB 24 GR 001 SCA 04222024; CFDA 19.501) offered by the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan. The anticipated award is a single grant, with an award ceiling of $750,000 and an expected number of awards of 1. The original application deadline listed is June 21, 2024, and the opportunity was created on April 22, 2024. Eligibility is open to all applicant types except individuals, meaning organizations of various kinds may apply, subject to the funding restrictions referenced in Section D of the full notice. Applicants may include sub-awards or contracts with partner entities, but only one organization can serve as the prime recipient, and any partner roles must be clearly described with responsibilities spelled out in the proposal.Apply for SCAKAB 24 GR 001 SCA 04222024
- The U.S. Mission to Afghanistan in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Business Expansion Initiative for Women's Employment" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-21. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Business Expansion Initiative for Women's Employment?
The Business Expansion Initiative for Women's Employment is a U.S. Mission to Afghanistan (Public Diplomacy Section) grant competition designed to reduce the gender gap in Afghanistan's workforce. It focuses on helping businesses expand in practical ways that lead to more jobs for women in sectors where women are currently permitted to work.
What problem is this grant trying to address?
The opportunity targets major barriers Afghan women face, including limited access to employment, financing, financial services, and education. The grant is structured around the idea that if businesses receive planning support, management training, and stronger connections, they can grow and hire more women while keeping women visibly engaged in the economy.
Who is the funding agency for this opportunity?
The funding agency is the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan, Public Diplomacy Section.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SCAKAB 24 GR 001 SCA 04222024, and the CFDA number is 19.501.
What type of grant is this?
This is a discretionary grant.
How much funding is available?
The award ceiling is $750,000. The notice anticipates making a single award.
How many awards does the funder expect to make?
The expected number of awards is 1.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on April 22, 2024.
What is the application deadline?
The original application deadline listed is June 21, 2024.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is open to all applicant types except individuals. In other words, organizations of many types may apply, subject to the funding restrictions referenced in Section D of the full notice.
Can an individual apply as the prime applicant?
No. Individuals are specifically excluded from eligibility as applicants.
Can applicants include partners, sub-awards, or contractors?
Yes. Applicants may include sub-awards or contracts with partner entities.
Can multiple organizations apply together as co-prime recipients?
No. Only one organization can serve as the prime recipient. Partner roles may be included, but they must be clearly described, with responsibilities spelled out in the proposal.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The program is meant to increase women's employment by enabling business growth and strengthening gender-inclusive workplace practices. It aims for both economic outcomes (growth, expanded markets, improved business performance) and social outcomes (more gender-inclusive practices and increased women's labor force participation).
What are the main objectives of the grant?
The objectives are organized around three linked goals:
- Empowerment through business expansion: supporting women to start and grow enterprises, join women-led businesses, or gain skills to participate in women-led enterprises.
- Promoting gender-inclusive practices: improving policies, management approaches, and workplace norms so women can better access jobs and financial resources.
- Contributing to broader economic growth: sustaining women's presence in the workforce and reinforcing recognition of women's role in economic development.
What kinds of activities are applicants invited to propose?
Applicants are invited to propose activities in one or more focus areas that directly increase women's employment through business growth. The notice suggests components such as training, mentorship and apprenticeships, tailored expansion planning assistance, networking to reduce financial and market barriers, and awareness or community engagement efforts that promote gender inclusion.
Does the proposal have to focus on only one area, or can it include multiple components?
Proposals may include activities in one or more focus areas, as long as they directly increase women's employment through business growth.
What types of training activities are encouraged?
The opportunity suggests training programs for businesses that commit to hiring and supporting women. Suggested topics include inclusive leadership, diversity and inclusion methods, and gender-sensitive management.
What mentorship, apprenticeship, or hands-on learning models are encouraged?
Proposals may include mentorship and apprenticeship structures that connect participants to experienced business leaders and provide hands-on work pathways. These can be paired with business skills training and practical tools such as expansion toolkits and case studies.
What is meant by "acceleration and expansion planning assistance"?
This refers to tailored technical support to help businesses create realistic growth plans. Suggested elements include market analysis, financial modeling, business process improvements, HR planning, and workforce development planning that explicitly accounts for hiring and retaining women.
How does the opportunity address financial barriers that limit business growth?
The grant emphasizes reducing financial barriers by facilitating access to capital for businesses willing to adopt gender-inclusive employment practices. Suggested approaches include connecting businesses with investors, entrepreneurs, collaborators, and industry partners, as well as organizing networking opportunities that can lead to financing or strategic partnerships.
How does the opportunity address access to markets?
Access to markets is encouraged through relationship-building to help businesses reach new domestic and international customers as they scale.
What does the opportunity mean by "gender-inclusive workplace practices"?
Based on the notice, gender-inclusive practices include improved policies, management approaches, and workplace norms that reduce exclusion and improve women's ability to access jobs and financial resources.
Is community engagement or advocacy included in the scope of the grant?
Yes. The grant encourages awareness and advocacy work that equips business leaders to promote gender-inclusive practices within their communities, along with community engagement efforts aimed at ensuring expansion benefits are inclusive and meaningfully increase women's participation in the local labor force.
What sectors does the grant focus on?
The opportunity is framed around creating jobs for women in sectors where women are currently permitted to work. No specific industries are listed in the provided information.
What kinds of outcomes does the program expect?
The program is framed around two categories of outcomes:
- Economic outcomes: business growth, expanded markets, and improved business performance.
- Social outcomes: gender-inclusive workplace practices and increased women's labor force participation.
What is the core theory behind how this grant will increase women's employment?
The core idea is that businesses that receive practical planning support, management training, and connections can expand. As they expand, they can hire more women and keep women visibly engaged in the economy, which is expected to benefit families, communities, and overall market stability.
Where are funding restrictions described?
The notice states that eligibility is subject to the funding restrictions referenced in Section D of the full notice.
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