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The African Development Bank plays a catalytic role in accelerating efforts to address gender inequality and drive inclusive economic transformation for women across Africa through mainstreaming gender in its operations and implementing targeted initiatives dedicated to African women.

As part of its efforts to enhance the business enabling environment, the Bank through the AFAWA initiative, is looking for innovative projects to draw women enterprises from the informal to the formal economy and therefore reducing their risks of not benefiting from the services and protection that the law of their country provides as well as increase their chances of accessing the financing they require.
The Bank is launching a call for proposals for innovative approaches encouraging and facilitating women entrepreneurs’ transition from the informal to the formal economy.
The projects must demonstrate increased experience in helping women entrepreneurs move from marginal income generation to profitable businesses and should demonstrate the following themes:
  • Track record in supporting informal women entrepreneurs vulnerability;
  • Innovative and strong development impact to transition women entrepreneurs from the informal to the formal sector;
  • Mobilization of additional funding and sustainability in the proposed intervention;
  • Partnership with both public and private sectors;
  • Additionality and value for money;
  • Long term plan and sustainability;
  • Ability to negotiate and advocate for an enabling environment through policy change that address the challenges of transitioning from the informal to formal sector with a gender lense.
Funding requests may be for a specific project or for an indicative program of several projects, or over several countries. The minimum threshold for requesting funding from this call for proposal is $ 150,000 and the maximum threshold is $ 250,000
Proposal should be submitted by Midnight GMT Friday February 25th, 2022.
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