Advancing Palestinian Women’s Entrepreneurship Program
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Public Diplomacy Section (PD) of the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (U.S.OPA) announces an open competition for a grant through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The Advancing Palestinian Women’s Entrepreneurship Program is designed to partner with Not-for-profit non-governmental organizations to implement activities which advance the applicant’s goals and the U.S. OPA-PD mission: to advance a comprehensive, lasting, negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians and the development of a prosperous, stable, and transparent Palestinian society, economy and system of governance through substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas and ideals in order to improve American-Palestinian relations and create greater opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation. U.S. OPA-PD’s Advancing Palestinian Women’s Entrepreneurship Program supports the design and implementation of activities to develop and promote women’s entrepreneurship and their microenterprise activities. Building on U.S. OPA-PD’s annual Women’s Micro-Enterprise Bazaar, which has contributed to the growth of Palestinian women-run businesses over the past 8 years, we are now seeking projects that will encourage and promote innovative business ideas, mentorship, and entrepreneurship among Palestinian women, connect Palestinian women entrepreneurs to experts in the United States, and develop the potential for mutually beneficial exchange between American businesses and Palestinian women from Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank. The project should include an Entrepreneurs Exposition/Bazaar. Priority Region: Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza. Program Objectives: All proposed projects must aim to advance the U.S. OPA-PD mission goals stated above, contain a substantive American element, and achieve all the following specific objectives: Execute a Women Entrepreneurs Expo (Bazaar) in Jerusalem and lead-up and follow-on activities for Palestinian women entrepreneurs to: enhance participants’ entrepreneurial skills improve the quality and diversify the range of products and services offered by the participants. empower these entrepreneurs to expand their businesses to new markets; and promote shared economic prosperity between Palestinians and Americans. Establish connections for Palestinian women entrepreneurs with American experts to advance Palestinian modernization of sales platforms (virtual and in person) and improve the quality of products and services, bringing about growth and transformation. Help scale participants’ businesses to the next level through group and individual coaching to Palestinian women entrepreneurs by local Palestinian businesswomen and community members as well as mentors, peers, or experts in the United States to Participants and Audiences: Palestinian women entrepreneurs, artists, designers, including but not limited to participants in previous Annual U.S.-supported Palestinian Women’s Micro-Enterprise Bazar. New and emerging entrepreneurs aiming to launch and grow their business.