USAID: Call for Applications for the African Diaspora Marketplace
On June 2, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Western Union Company and the Western Union Foundation launched the African Diaspora Marketplace (ADM). The ADM is a nearly US$1.5 million business competition targeting small and medium entrepreneurs from the African diaspora. Approximately 10 to 20 entrepreneurs will be selected to receive $50k-100k in matching grants to support the implementation of their business ideas. These entrepreneurs may also receive other assistance in the form of know-how through learning networks as well as technical and credit guarantee assistance from USAID and its collaborating partners.
The competition is open only to U.S. based entrepreneurs from the African diaspora. Applicants must also partner with a locally-owned business in one of the implementation countries. Proposals must be must be implemented in one of the following Sub-Saharan African countries where linkages to existing USAID technical assistance programs could potentially support the winning entrepreneurs: Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Applications can be submitted through July 21, 2009 before 6pm EDT. To submit an application and view other details, including guidelines, about the competition, please go to: www.diasporamarketplace.org. Finalists will be notified in September and will travel to Washington D.C. in December to the ADM final event where a panel of judges will hear proposals and choose the ADM winners.
