Public Diplomacy Commercial Partnerships and Entrepreneurship Program (Kyrgyz Republic)

The program aims to support economic growth in the Kyrgyz Republic by creating market opportunities for U.S. businesses and investors, strengthening connections between U.S. and Kyrgyz businesses, encouraging a more informed Kyrgyzstani consumer base for U.S. products and business opportunities, fostering entrepreneurship skills and ecosystems, offering community-based employment and financial literacy programs to discourage outmigration, and promoting intellectual property (IP) protections.

By focusing on these priorities, the program will create more partnership opportunities for U.S. businesses and investors in the Kyrgyz market by building a workforce and business ecosystem more adept at working with American partners.  Furthermore, the program will support the development of entrepreneurs, including women and youth, and increase their knowledge on American entrepreneurship best practices, including those related to e-commerce, safeguarding IP, business planning and pitching, and attracting venture capital. Ultimately, these efforts will result in a greater presence of U.S. companies and products in the Kyrgyz Republic, contributing to the overall stability and prosperity of both nations.

Although the economy of the Kyrgyz Republic is growing, the country faces challenges generating sustainable job growth and productivity, exacerbated by limited opportunities for local entrepreneurs, insufficient workforce skills, and barriers to global market access. This contributes to insufficient employment opportunities for skilled workers, outmigration, and difficulty for U.S. companies to enter the Kyrgyz market. Furthermore, Kyrgyz entrepreneurs are often unable to secure intellectual property (IP) protection due to widespread trade of counterfeit products and an insufficient IP regulatory framework, which further disincentivizes U.S. companies from entering the market.

Goals

• Strengthen U.S.-Kyrgyz commercial ties through activities and trainings that build the skills of Kyrgyz entrepreneurs and open the Kyrgyz market for U.S. businesses and investors.

Objectives

• Below are example objectives that can be used to advance the project goal. Applicants should select no more than two objectives to address in their project proposal.
  • Objective 1:  Strengthen the capacity of at least 15 local enterprises to engage in successful partnerships and attract investment (e.g. business strategy and planning, financial management, operational efficiency, legal and regulatory compliance), resulting in at least 3 enterprises establishing formal partnership or investment agreements with U.S. businesses within 12 months.
  • Objective 2: Facilitate networking and collaboration between Kyrgyz and U.S. businesses by organizing a minimum of 5 business networking events, leading to at least 5actionable U.S.-Kyrgyz joint ventures proposals or business plans submitted to stakeholders.
  • Objective 3: Increase consumer general awareness of U.S. goods and services by conducting a series of 15 consumer education workshops and media campaigns in the Kyrgyz Republic, resulting in at least 70% of participants demonstrating increased awareness and willingness to try U.S. products and services within one year.
  • Objective 4: Increase business and entrepreneurial skills of emerging entrepreneurs in the Kyrgyz Republic by conducting a series of 10 entrepreneurship training workshops and mentorship program, resulting in at least 60% of participants starting or expanding their businesses within one year.
  • Objective 5: Increase knowledge and awareness of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protections by designing a series of 5 educational workshops and a related media campaign to promote the importance of IPR protections, reaching at least 1,000 individuals and resulting in at least 70% of participants demonstrating increased knowledge of the types and benefits of IPR within one year.
  • Objective 6: Increase local employability of returning and potential migrants by implementing community development projects (e.g. vocational training) and job placement programs in remote, migration-prone areas of the Kyrgyz Republic, resulting in at least 50% of returning and potential migrants securing stable local employment within one year.

Funding Information

• Awards may range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $75,000 (approximately and pending funding availability)
• Length of performance period: 6-12 months.

Target Audiences

• Emerging entrepreneurs, startup founders, small business owners, potential buyers of U.S. goods, CEOs of larger businesses, industry leaders, policymakers, and government officials, lawyers,and academics involved in IPR.
  • Gender: both female and male
  • Geographic Location: Kyrgyz Republic
  • Age Group: 18-45
  • Level of Education: high-school diploma, bachelor’s degree

Eligibility Criteria

• The following non-profit organizations are eligible to apply:
  • Kyrgyz Republic-Registered:
    • Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
    • Public and private educational institutions
  • U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and educational institutions, partnering with Kyrgyz Republic-registered organizations.
• For-profit entities, even those that may fall into the categories listed above, are not eligible to apply for this NOFO. Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic.