Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Spain 2022 | ESP22NOFOE32

Opportunity Information: Apply for ESP22NOFOE32

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Spain 2022 is a U.S. government grant competition run by the Public Diplomacy Sections of the U.S. Embassy in Madrid and the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona (together, PD Spain). The selected organization will be responsible for delivering the AWE program in Spain, using the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) AWE model, which is built around DreamBuilder, an English-language online entrepreneurship training course created through a partnership involving Arizona State Universitys Thunderbird School of Management and Freeport-McMoRan. Activities can take place anywhere in Spain, including cities or rural areas, and the overall purpose is to strengthen women-led entrepreneurship while sharing U.S. approaches, tools, and business practices that can help Spanish entrepreneurs connect with U.S. clients, customers, and investors.

At its core, the program is meant to build practical entrepreneurial skills for women who are actively shaping business ideas or have recently launched a business. The program targets English-speaking Spanish citizens or non-U.S. foreign residents living in Spain, and it is designed for participants with a wide range of backgrounds. The NOFO frames entrepreneurship as a way to address economic disruption, create jobs, and reduce social and financial exclusion, and it links that directly to broader public diplomacy goals: empowering women economically while deepening U.S.-Spain ties through shared professional networks and collaboration opportunities. A key requirement is that DreamBuilder is not offered as a stand-alone online course; the awardee must wrap it in a structured, facilitated cohort experience that helps participants process the content, stay on track, and build relationships with peers, mentors, and the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Program design expectations are fairly specific. Each AWE program must include at least five facilitated in-person sessions. These sessions are meant to align with the DreamBuilder modules, giving participants a place to discuss course topics, compare progress, and form a community of practice. The applicant can enhance or supplement the standard modules to better match challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Spain, and it can incorporate guest speakers. The NOFO encourages building a broader support package around the course content, such as mentorship, talks by entrepreneurs or investors, partnerships with incubators or accelerators, speed networking, and pitch competitions. Because the entire training track is in English, participants must be comfortable completing assignments in English and engaging actively in English during sessions.

The awardee takes on end-to-end responsibility for implementation. That includes recruiting women ages 20 to 45 who have either recently started a business or have demonstrated serious progress on an entrepreneurial idea, and who can commit up to about 7 hours per week. The awardee must design and promote an open call for applications, using traditional media, social media, and organizational networks to reach as many potential candidates as possible. The awardee then reviews applications, preselects candidates, conducts final interviews, and selects participants and alternates, with the option to add additional selection criteria beyond the basic eligibility rules. On the delivery side, the awardee designs the cohort structure (including number of cohorts, cohort size, locations, and target audiences/regions), coordinates logistics, secures an appropriate venue with adequate space and internet bandwidth, and ensures appropriate staffing and any needed travel arrangements.

A major staffing requirement is that the awardee must recruit and select at least two entrepreneurs or business leaders to serve as facilitators. These facilitators are expected to coordinate and manage logistics for both virtual and in-person gatherings that accompany completion of each DreamBuilder module, and they effectively function as mentors and trainers for the participants. The awardee is also expected to build partnerships with relevant entities such as NGOs, foundations, academic institutions, experts, and ecosystem players, and can propose joint programming to increase reach and impact. PD Spain explicitly welcomes proposals that incorporate alumni of previous AWE cohorts in Spain or ECA exchange alumni, which signals that sustainability and network continuity matter in selection and design.

Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting are not optional add-ons; they are central deliverables. The awardee must track attendance and participation, maintain regular communication with beneficiaries to resolve issues, and provide progress reporting to PD Spain on the schedule and in the format required by the award. The proposal must include a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Plan with data collection during and after the program. At minimum, the plan is expected to track participant counts and demographics, details on the number/type/location of sessions offered, enhancement activities and meetups, and routine follow-up surveys (and in some cases follow-up calls or meetings) to measure effectiveness and understand how participants applied what they learned. Proposals also need to address sustainability, including the expected multiplier effect after the grant ends, such as ongoing participant engagement, follow-on activities, and continued mentor or facilitator involvement.

Eligibility is limited to organizations legally registered in Spain with an existing office or formal presence there. Eligible applicants include registered public or private non-profit organizations (like business associations, foundations, and NGOs with programming experience), non-profit or governmental educational institutions, and governmental institutions. For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible. U.S. or third-country organizations cannot apply on their own; they are only eligible if partnering with a Spanish entity, and the Spanish partner must meet the registration/presence requirements. The NOFO also notes that organizations with strong entrepreneurship programming experience and established networks of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors in Spain will be prioritized.

The application package is structured and fairly document-heavy. Applicants may include an optional cover letter on letterhead. A required one-page proposal summary must describe the project and how it supports Embassy policy goals, and it must clearly list the organizations DUNS number. The main proposal narrative cannot exceed 10 pages and must include an organizational overview (including any prior U.S. Embassy or U.S. government grant experience), a clear problem statement, measurable goals and objectives (including how the project strengthens U.S.-Spain relations), a description of program activities and the overall design/methodology, a detailed project schedule with dates/times/locations, and a key personnel section listing names, roles, qualifications, time allocation, and any U.S. government exchange alumni status. A media and communications plan is required to explain how the project and its results will be publicized. The budget must align with U.S. government standard budget categories, include other funding sources or partner support if applicable, and include a budget narrative explaining any non-obvious costs.

Additional attachments are also expected: one-page CVs or resumes for key personnel, one-page letters of support from partners describing the nature of the relationship and each partners roles and expected results, and a NICRA document if the applicant is charging indirect costs under a negotiated rate. If any official permissions are needed for activities, those letters should be included. The NOFO also references SAM.gov: applicants should provide a screenshot showing active registration status, or if not complete, a screenshot indicating the registration process has been started.

Key administrative details are straightforward. The opportunity is listed as a mandatory grant under CFDA 19.040, with an award ceiling of USD 90,000. The funding opportunity number is ESP22NOFOE32. Applications had to be submitted in English by November 28, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. CET, with no rolling consideration. Submissions are made by email to SpainPDGrants@state.gov, and the subject line must include the funding opportunity title and number. Applicants receive an email confirmation from the Embassy and/or Consulate acknowledging receipt.

• The U.S. Mission to Spain in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Spain 2022" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-11-28. (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 $90,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for ESP22NOFOE32

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