Implementation of the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) – Tajikistan

The Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a global program that was established by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2019 to provide women with the knowledge, networks, and access to launch or scale successful businesses. By promoting women’s economic opportunities and ensuring that women have the capabilities and resources needed to participate in the economy, the AWE program directly supports the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality.

The skills that women will learn through AWE will not only be valuable to establish stronger economic independence for themselves but also to contribute to more cross-border trade with neighboring Uzbekistan.

Project Goal: To elevate the economic livelihood of current or aspiring women entrepreneurs in hospitality management, eco-tourism, trade, and handicrafts in Panjakent to support the tourism infrastructure of Panjakent District.

Project Objectives

• Objective 1: Improve women entrepreneurs’ confidence and motivation in pursuing and growing their businesses.
• Objective 2: Increase the ability of women from the Panjakent region to create and grow their businesses in hospitality management, eco-tourism, and trade through targeted training and mentorship activities.
  • Training topics may include but are not limited to: U.S. small business best practices, business plan development, marketing, accounting, financial management, investment and financing, leadership, strategic planning, business registration, and more.
• Objective 3: Increase women entrepreneur’s awareness and knowledge of tourism initiatives and business opportunities in Panjakent.
• Objective 4: Increase women entrepreneurs ’abilities to apply for funding opportunities, including grants, loans, and investments, to fuel their business growth and attract potential investors.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 12 months
• Number of awards anticipated: 1
• Total available funding: $39,504
• Award Ceiling: $39,504
• Award Floor: $25,000
• Anticipated program start date: September 1, 2024

Project Activities

• Select 25 women entrepreneurs for the AWE project in Panjakent.
• Provide women entrepreneurs with the knowledge, networks, and access to launch or scale successful businesses in Panjakent through online and in-person trainings. This could include a mentoring program or other form of connection with the business community.
• Use the online training platform DreamBuilder to teach participants the fundamentals of starting or growing a small business from a U.S. perspective, offering modules on marketing, pricing, and bookkeeping, and includes a built-in business plan generator.
• Organize sessions to increase entrepreneurs’ understanding of the tourism potential of the region; this could include a three-day business tour to the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, which holds high potential for cross-border tourism and trade.
• Organize and hold a final pitch event, inviting potential investors to provide feedback.

Project Audience(s): The primary audience is approximately 25 Tajik women in Panjakent District who have some entrepreneurial skills, either with the capacity to scale-up current ventures in hospitality management, eco-tourism, and trade, or with experience working at local markets, such as in the areas of agricultural products, handicrafts, artisan products, or in service industries such as beauty parlors and sewing.

Eligible Applicants

• The following not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply:
  • Not-for-profit organizations
  • Civil society/non-governmental organizations
  • Public and private educational institutions
• Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization.

For more information, visit U.S. Mission to Tajikistan.