The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Western Union have joined hands together to launch the African Diaspora Marketplace. With remittance being recognized as a critical element for development of poor countries, this new opportunity has been organized to utilize the resources of the African diaspora living in the United States for the economic development of the Sub-Saharan Africa. This is a business plan competition in which the program would facilitate the Diaspora Direct Investment (DDI) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for increased job opportunities, enhancing local incomes and providing “delivery of vital goods and services.” Countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa are eligible to apply. However, it has been pointed out that only those countries where the USAID has ground presence and technical assistance in place will be eligible for the implementation of the proposed projects under the program. These countries include: Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
NGOs can submit proposals for this competition if they are able to mobilize partnerships with US-based African diaspora. The disapora should be able to make active investments in local entrepreneurships in the region. Since this is a open competition, around 10-20 proposals would be selected for the funding support. The funding would be mostly matching grants to be leveraged with the investments from the diaspora community. The grants would be between US $50,0000 and 100,000.
This will be tough and rigid competition. Hence, applicant organizations need to familiarize themselves with the guidelines. All applicants need to go through the eligibility quiz before submitting the full proposal. Applications can be submitted online. However, extensive information about the African diaspora need to be included. The last date to apply for this opportunity is 21 July 2009. For more information, visit this link.
Discuss about this funding opportunity at the FundsforNGOs.org Forum.
