U.S. Department of State, Bureau of NEA: Supporting Entrepreneurs in Middle East and North Africa

Arti Khatri, www2.fundsforngos.org

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Deadline: 6 June 2017

The Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) is inviting applicants to submit proposals that will foster and support entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa, advancing regional stability and prosperity.

The aim of this program is to assist new entrepreneurs seeking to expand and grow their businesses and activities. Proposals must demonstrate knowledge of the target country economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem, and propose project activities with the goal of moving seed stage entrepreneurs to the intermediate and expansion stage.

Objectives

To address the gap and opportunity, the Office of Assistance Coordination of the Near East Bureau (NEA/AC) seeks projects to:

• Enable seed-stage startups to shift to the intermediate/expansion stage
• Using innovative approach to expand existing start-ups and businesses to grow and create more jobs

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,500,000
• Award Ceiling: $1,500,000
• Award Floor: $500,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants:
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Small businesses
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • For profit organizations other than small businesses
• Eligible applicants include U.S. or foreign non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations; private institutions of higher education, public or state institutions of higher education; public international organizations; and small businesses with function and regional experience in the areas of entrepreneurship in the MENA region. NEA/AC strongly encourages applications from civil society organizations headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region. International non-governmental organizations with principal bases of operations outside the Middle East and North Africa are also encouraged to apply, but the percentage of total budget actually spent in the region through local partners will be among the elements of evaluation for this competition.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online via given website.

Eligible Countries: United States, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen.

For more information, please visit Grants.gov.