U.S. Mission to Armenia: Academy for Women Entrepreneurship

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) provides applicants with resources to promote women’s social and economic empowerment through AWE. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) established the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs in 2019 to provide women with the knowledge, networks, and access they need to launch or scale successful businesses.

Cohorts of approximately 30 women meet online and in-person to learn core business skills such as strategic planning, marketing, and finance, then discuss the material with local facilitators, business leaders, and U.S. exchange alumni mentors. AWE reinforces peer-to-peer learning, networking, and cohesion among the graduating classes of women entrepreneurs, while also driving local prosperity and business growth.

Program Objectives

• Provide resources for enterprising women, including those displaced from Nagorno- Karabakh, to engage in U.S-style online education with guided facilitation from USG exchange alumni, local business leaders, or other local partners.
• Foster networks that support participants’ access to peer-to-peer mentors, business partners, and scaling opportunities with businesses in the region and in the United States.
• Engage AWE alumni with volunteer, professional, and educational opportunities in ways to promote business expansion.

Funding Information

• Award amounts: up to $40,000
• Length of performance period: Up to 12 months
• Number of awards anticipated: 1

Participants and Audiences

• Please be specific when mentioning the target audience(s) of your proposed project, including demographic information and the approximate number of beneficiaries to be directly and indirectly impacted by project activities.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following entities are eligible to apply:
  • Individual alumni of all USG-funded or USG-sponsored exchange programs that are residents of Armenia
  • Armenian-registered not-for-profit organizations
• Please note that the applicants should demonstrate:
  • Strong engagement of USG alumni in AWE program design;
  • Willingness to collaborate with private and public-sector partners on cost-sharing
  • Commitment to begin programming by July 31, 2024.

Ineligible

• This program does not support the following activities or costs, and the selection committee will deem applications involving any of these activities or costs ineligible:
  • Any airfare to/from the United States and its territories
  • Activities that take place in the United States and its territories
  • Staff salaries, office space, and overhead/operational expenses
  • Large items of durable equipment or construction programs
  • Alcohol, excessive meals, refreshments, or entertainment
  • Academic or scientific research
  • Charitable or development activities

For more information, visit Grants.gov.