Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS UKRAINE 2021 007
The grant opportunity "Empowering Ukrainian Businesswomen through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs" (Funding Opportunity Number PAS UKRAINE 2021 007) is a U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to Ukraine competition for a single organization to implement the second round of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in Ukraine. AWE is a global State Department initiative created by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2019 to support the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, which set an ambitious target of economically empowering 50 million women worldwide by 2025. In Ukraine, the program is positioned as a practical entrepreneurship accelerator that combines structured learning, real-world mentorship, and networking so that women with business ideas, as well as early-stage business owners, can build sustainable enterprises and grow into community leaders.
The Embassy’s priority focus is central and eastern Ukraine, and the intended participants are women ages 21 to 40 who are prospective entrepreneurs or already running early businesses. The program is also expected to be inclusive of underrepresented groups, specifically noting veterans, members of the LGBTI community, and ethnic or linguistic minorities. Building on the first AWE iteration launched by the Embassy in 2020, applicants are expected to show how they will expand the reach and long-term impact of AWE by weaving in experienced mentors, forging public-private partnerships, attracting private sector financial or in-kind support, and designing follow-on activities that keep alumni engaged and moving forward after the formal course ends.
A central required component is delivery of AWE to at least 75 competitively selected participants drawn from across Ukraine. Applicants must propose a strong digital backbone for the program, including online and social media platforms that can handle outreach and advertising, participant registration, internal communications, progress tracking, and alumni engagement. Because the opportunity was designed during the COVID-19 period, proposals are expected to assume that most or all program elements will be virtual, which makes the online infrastructure, facilitation plan, and remote community-building strategy especially important.
The curriculum foundation must include the DreamBuilder Massive Open Online Course on women’s entrepreneurship, which consists of 13 modules originally in English. The implementing organization is expected to translate the modules into Ukrainian and develop supplemental materials that make the content more relevant to the local market, address Ukraine-specific business realities, and build additional practical skills that entrepreneurs need. Proposals must also specify facilitation capacity: at least one facilitator per module is required, whether that is one person delivering the full course or different facilitators assigned by topic area. The application is expected to name potential facilitators and demonstrate that they have the background to lead business education or the hands-on experience to guide participants through the DreamBuilder content effectively.
Mentorship is treated as a core design feature rather than an add-on. Applicants must propose a mentor pool that supports participants both one-on-one and in small groups, meeting at least every two weeks to discuss course material, troubleshoot problems, and keep participants moving toward concrete business outcomes. The ideal mentor-to-participant ratio is described as one mentor for every two to three participants, signaling that the program is meant to be high-touch. The notice also points to the types of mentors who would be especially strong fits, including alumni of U.S. government exchange programs (such as the Fortune-State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership, Fulbright, IVLP, and Professional Fellows) and respected Ukrainian business leaders.
Beyond weekly learning and mentorship, applicants must design multiple milestone events that deepen skills and connect participants to real opportunities. At minimum, the program must include two multi-day “deep dive” workshops held during the DreamBuilder course, where facilitators and mentors lead intensive reviews of the material paired with practical assignments and hands-on work sessions. The program must also convene at least one roundtable that brings together women’s economic empowerment NGOs, AWE II participants, and Ukrainian government representatives to develop a two-to-three-year strategic plan for advancing women’s economic participation. In addition, applicants must organize at least one event with financial service providers and donor organizations so participants learn about fundraising sources and basic fundraising principles, helping them understand capital pathways and how to position their ventures for support.
Networking and visibility are also explicit requirements. The implementing organization must facilitate sharing of success stories and relationship-building between the new cohort and alumni from the earlier Ukraine AWE program, and also help connect participants with AWE networks in other countries. The Embassy indicates it can help with international connections after an award is made, but the proposal still needs a clear plan for how networking will be structured and sustained in practice, especially in a primarily virtual environment.
The program culminates in a “Final Forum” where participants pitch their business ideas to potential investors and donors. Applicants must explain how they will recruit and secure meaningful participation from investors and donors, how pitches will be evaluated, and how the event will be designed to be competitive while remaining supportive. Importantly, proposals must include a budget line for small grants to award to the strongest pitches, along with plans for non-monetary prizes for runners-up such as invitations to trade events, internship or fellowship opportunities, or additional training and educational opportunities. This final stage is meant to move the program from learning into tangible next steps for venture growth and investment readiness.
Sustainability after the course is a major expectation rather than a bonus. Applicants must create an “Alumni Club” and describe how they will maintain momentum through follow-on meetings or other activities that track alumni progress and continue professional development. A strong monitoring and evaluation plan is required overall, reflecting the Embassy’s interest in measuring participation, progress through the course, mentorship engagement, quality of outputs (such as business plans or pitch readiness), and longer-term outcomes after graduation.
Administratively, the award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. Embassy is likely to remain actively engaged during implementation rather than functioning only as a pass-through funder. The opportunity was listed with an award ceiling of $50,000 and an expectation of one award. Eligibility, as stated in the source data, is limited to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status (excluding institutions of higher education). The posting shows a creation date of February 17, 2021, and an original closing date of March 24, 2021, placing it within the Embassy’s 2021 programming cycle for entrepreneurship and women’s economic empowerment.Apply for PAS UKRAINE 2021 007
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Ukraine in the business and commerce, employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Empowering Ukrainian Businesswomen through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.900.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 17, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 24, 2021. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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