Deadline: June 14, 2024
The UNDP is pleased to present Empowering Women-led SMEs (EWASME), a groundbreaking five-year programme, in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank and the World Bank’s Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi). In four African countries—Guinea, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone—this programme seeks to assist and advance women-owned and women-led small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and very small enterprises (VSEs) involved in the post-production rice value chain.
EWASME acknowledges the challenges encountered by female entrepreneurs in these areas and is dedicated to removing roadblocks while offering all-encompassing assistance. The program’s top priority is to improve the qualified women-led firms’ processing and distribution capacities through targeted capacity-building initiatives and matching funds. Furthermore, it will serve to establish links between businesses and purchasers in the private sector, investigating possibilities for loan collateral support.
In the agriculture sector in Torma Bum, Bonthe District, Sierra Leone, women-owned or women-led farmer-based organisations, cooperatives, SMEs, and VSEs engaged in the post-production portion of the rice value chain are the particular objectives of this call for applications. All qualified businesses are encouraged to take advantage of this chance and take part in this revolutionary project.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must conduct themselves professionally, objectively, and impartially, prioritizing UNDP’s interests.
- Applicants must strictly avoid conflicts of interest with other assignments or personal interests and refrain from considering future work.
- Applicants found to have a conflict of interest will be disqualified.
- Conflicts of interest may arise if applicants or their affiliates have been associated with firms engaged by UNDP for program preparation, design, or related services, or if they were involved in the program’s preparation or design.
- Applicants uncertain about potential conflicts of interest must disclose the condition to UNDP and seek confirmation.
- Applicants affiliated with the selection committee members are ineligible.
