Opportunity Information: Apply for S SGWI SF GR 004 WEA
Apply for S SGWI SF GR 004 WEA
- The Secretarys Office of Global Womens Issues in the business and commerce community development employment, labor and training income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "WEAmericas Small Grants Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.801 Office of Global Womens Issues.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 16, 2012 and posted on Jul 9, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 20, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This announcement is intended for non profit and/or non governmental organizations with offices in the LAC region or for profit social enterprises that are from and/or have a presence in the LAC region. US groups and enterprises are eligible for this award however, funds may only be obligated and spent on offices within the selected implementing LAC country for this initiative. LAC Countries This initiative is only for projects implemented in the following countries This initiative is only for projects implemented in the following countries Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The WEAmericas Small Grants Initiative is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of State's Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues (CFDA 19.801) designed to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems that help women-owned businesses start, grow, and compete across Latin America and the Caribbean. It sits under the broader Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) effort launched at the 2012 Summit of the Americas to boost women’s economic participation through public-private partnerships, based on the idea that women-owned small and medium enterprises are powerful drivers of jobs, growth, and social impact but often face tougher, structural barriers than men when trying to build and scale a business.
This initiative provides small grants intended to help nonprofits, NGOs, and mission-driven social enterprises build on what already exists rather than starting from scratch. The core purpose is to develop, connect, or expand existing programs, resources, and infrastructure so women entrepreneurs can access the practical support they need and so local markets function better for women-owned firms. In other words, the grant is meant to strengthen the overall pipeline around women’s entrepreneurship, including skills development, connections to buyers, and pathways to financing, by making the ecosystem more coordinated and effective.
Awards range from USD 20,000 up to USD 60,000, with no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Proposals must clearly show how the grant will be used to address at least two of the main barriers highlighted in the opportunity: access to skills and capacity building, access to assets, access to markets, access to networks, and women’s leadership. The stated ultimate beneficiaries must be women and girls, and projects must be explicitly designed around supporting women-owned businesses as part of a broader entrepreneurship ecosystem, not simply offering one-off assistance to a small set of individuals without system-level linkages.
Eligibility is geared toward organizations with a real presence in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. Eligible applicants include nonprofit and non-governmental organizations with offices in LAC, as well as for-profit social enterprises that are from and/or operate in the region. U.S.-based groups can apply, but funds can only be obligated and spent within the office located in the selected implementing LAC country, and the project itself must be implemented in one of the listed eligible countries. Those countries include a wide range across the region, such as Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, many Central American and Caribbean nations, and others specifically named in the announcement.
The opportunity emphasizes proven capacity and track record. Applicants are expected to demonstrate prior success in creating or strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems for women, with examples like running business skills and capacity-building programs for micro and small enterprises, building or expanding women-owned business networks, or creating linkages that connect women-led micro and SMEs to larger buyers across the value chain. Special attention is given to proposals that intentionally include rural and/or indigenous women-owned businesses, signaling a preference for approaches that reach women who are often the most excluded from traditional training, markets, and finance channels.
Applications are submitted under Funding Opportunity Number S-SGWI-SF-GR-004-WEA. The announcement was posted July 9, 2012, with a closing deadline of August 20, 2012, and the program later archived on September 19, 2012. Proposals had to be written in English, limited to six pages excluding appendices, and submitted following the RFA’s instructions. The initiative itself was made possible through Secretary Clinton’s International Fund for Women and Girls and support from the Walmart Foundation, reflecting its public-private partnership model and its focus on practical, scalable interventions that can unlock women’s participation in local and regional economies.
WEAmericas Small Grants Initiative (CFDA 19.801) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the WEAmericas Small Grants Initiative?
The WEAmericas Small Grants Initiative is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of State's Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues (CFDA 19.801). It is designed to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems that help women-owned businesses start, grow, and compete across Latin America and the Caribbean.
How does this grant relate to Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas)?
This small grants initiative sits under the broader Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) effort that was launched at the 2012 Summit of the Americas. WEAmericas focuses on increasing women’s economic participation through public-private partnerships, based on the premise that women-owned SMEs drive jobs, growth, and social impact but face structural barriers when building and scaling businesses.
What is the main purpose of the grant?
The core purpose is to develop, connect, or expand existing programs, resources, and infrastructure so women entrepreneurs can access practical support and local markets function better for women-owned firms. The grant is intended to build on what already exists rather than starting from scratch, strengthening the overall ecosystem pipeline for women’s entrepreneurship.
What kinds of ecosystem improvements does the grant aim to support?
The opportunity describes strengthening the pipeline around women’s entrepreneurship by improving areas such as skills development, connections to buyers and markets, and pathways to financing. The aim is a more coordinated and effective ecosystem rather than isolated activities.
What is the funding amount for awards?
Awards range from USD 20,000 up to USD 60,000.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity specifies that there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
The stated ultimate beneficiaries must be women and girls. Projects must be explicitly designed around supporting women-owned businesses within a broader entrepreneurship ecosystem.
What does the opportunity mean by focusing on an "entrepreneurship ecosystem" rather than one-off assistance?
The grant is intended to strengthen system-level linkages and infrastructure (such as networks, buyer connections, training pathways, and access-to-finance pipelines). It is not intended to only provide one-off assistance to a small set of individuals without broader ecosystem connections.
What barriers must a proposal address?
Proposals must clearly show how the grant will be used to address at least two of the following barriers highlighted in the opportunity:
- Access to skills and capacity building
- Access to assets
- Access to markets
- Access to networks
- Women’s leadership
Which organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is geared toward organizations with a real presence in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Eligible applicants include nonprofit and non-governmental organizations with offices in LAC, as well as for-profit social enterprises that are from and/or operate in the region.
Can U.S.-based organizations apply?
Yes, U.S.-based groups can apply. However, the opportunity specifies that funds can only be obligated and spent within the office located in the selected implementing LAC country, and the project must be implemented in one of the listed eligible countries.
Where must the project be implemented?
The project must be implemented in one of the eligible countries listed in the announcement, which includes a wide range of countries across Latin America and the Caribbean (for example, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, many Central American nations, and many Caribbean nations, among others specifically named in the RFA).
Does the program prefer certain target populations of women entrepreneurs?
Yes. The opportunity gives special attention to proposals that intentionally include rural and/or indigenous women-owned businesses, indicating a preference for approaches that reach women who are often most excluded from traditional training, markets, and finance channels.
What kind of track record are applicants expected to demonstrate?
The opportunity emphasizes proven capacity and prior success in creating or strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems for women. Examples mentioned include running business skills and capacity-building programs for micro and small enterprises, building or expanding women-owned business networks, and creating linkages that connect women-led micro and SMEs to larger buyers across the value chain.
Is this grant meant to fund brand-new programs?
The initiative is intended to help organizations build on what already exists rather than starting from scratch. Proposed activities should develop, connect, or expand existing programs, resources, and infrastructure.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is S-SGWI-SF-GR-004-WEA.
When was the opportunity posted, and what was the application deadline?
The announcement was posted on July 9, 2012, and the closing deadline was August 20, 2012.
Is the opportunity still active?
No. The program was later archived on September 19, 2012.
What were the application format requirements described in the announcement?
Proposals had to be written in English, limited to six pages excluding appendices, and submitted following the RFA instructions.
What funding sources or partnerships supported the initiative?
The initiative was made possible through Secretary Clinton’s International Fund for Women and Girls and support from the Walmart Foundation, reflecting a public-private partnership model.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Business and Commerce Community Development Employment, Labor and Training Income Security and Social Services
Next opportunity: Affordable Care Act Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
Previous opportunity: Shenandoah National Park Cataloguing Archaeological Collections
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for S SGWI SF GR 004 WEA
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "S SGWI SF GR 004 WEA", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.