Call for Proposals (now closed): Promoting Women's Economic Empowerment in African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries

Please note that the call for proposals has closed on 12.12.2023.

We invite public and private sector organisations operating in African, Caribbean, or Pacific (ACP) countries to submit proposals to receive free technical assistance aimed at advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE). The ICR Facility can help you unlock the immense potential of women as entrepreneurs, workers, and investees in ACP countries.

What are possible areas for the support we can provide?

Addressing Legal and Regulatory Barriers: We support legal reforms that promote Women`s Economic Empowerment. This involves, for example, providing support to policymakers, government agencies, and relevant stakeholders to change or update existing laws and regulations to make it easier to operate a business or for women to have equal rights to property and collateral to facilitate access to credit. This includes simplifying lengthy and complex processes and procedures for doing business, where this affects women disproportionally.
Promoting Gender-Responsive Policies: Our aim is to help organisations implement or advocate for gender-responsive policies, opening doors for women-owned businesses and women workers to thrive. This includes for example ensuring that economic policies, public procurement processes or Government budget processes consider the needs of women as entrepreneurs and workers.
Bridging Data Gaps: We provide comprehensive support to organisations in addressing data gaps related to gender-sensitive investment climate policies. We facilitate evidence-based policy-making by enabling organisations to generate and analyse gender-disaggregated data. This includes gathering data on the status of women as entrepreneurs and workers, analysing women’s access to crucial resources like finance, information, and business skills in key sectors, and strengthening the capacities of local institutions, such as National Statistic Offices. Moreover, we empower local actors to organise, process, and interpret data, so they can contribute to informed and effective policy-making .
Strengthening Women’s Participation in Investment Climate Reform Processes: We enhance women’s participation in public-private dialogue (PPD) processes to influence investment climate policies. This involves promoting the involvement of women employees, women business owners, and women business associations in PPD processes. Additionally, we focus on strengthening the capacities of women’s organisations to engage effectively in PPD.
Supporting private sector organisations championing women’s economic empowerment: Recognizing the critical role played by private sector organisations, such as chambers of commerce and business associations, we offer specialized support aimed at assisting these entities in making WEE an integral part of their strategic support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Who can apply?

Public and private sector organisations in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (see full list of eligible countries) are eligible to submit proposals. This includes government agencies, business associations, chambers of commerce, development finance institutions, and women business organisations. For a full list of eligible organisations click here.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for committed organisations with specific proposals to promote Women’s Economic Empowerment through business environment reforms. Please submit your proposal online, and let us support you. Your proposal should include:

A description of the technical assistance you are seeking and the results you want to achieve.
Expected outcomes and benefits for women in your country/location.

Why partner with the ICR Facility?

You will partner with a Facility that has a track record to implement technical assistance interventions across more than 60 countries. You will receive targeted international and local expertise and gain international exposure for your reform efforts. The ICR Facility can provide targeted technical assistance for up 90 expert days which can be deployed within one year. To a limited extend, we can also support the logistical costs for workshops and consultation meetings to help shape your policy and reform ideas. It’s important to note that our support does not encompass grants, funding for your organisation’s staff, conference expenses, or the procurement of equipment.

Submission details:

Please submit a proposal by December 12th, 2023. Our team will assess the proposals and will let you know if your proposal was selected before January 30th, 2024.

Contact us:

Have you got questions or do you need more information? Reach out to info@icr-facility.eu and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Join us in shaping a brighter future where women’s economic empowerment drives sustainable growth and prosperity in ACP countries.

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Call for Proposals Flyer

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