The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) is inviting local entities in the countries where USAID operates to submit applications for grants to scale existing solutions that have made measurable progress toward closing the gender digital divide in their contexts and contribute to transformative approaches to digital inclusion.
WiDEF will support entities that are rooted in the communities in which they seek to affect change and have demonstrated successful approaches to advancing gender equality and/or digital inclusion for women, girls, and marginalized populations, such as persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples.
This funding aims to scale proven solutions that have demonstrated, through credible evidence, that the solution:
Drives digital inclusion for women through meaningful access to and use of accessible digital technology, particularly smartphones and the internet.
Significantly closes the gender digital divide in their context.
Is economically sustainable and scalable.
Funding
Support from WiDEF can include funding ranging from $500,000 – $1,500,000.
Eligibility
Both local nonprofit and for-profit local entities are eligible.
Proposed solutions must advance digital inclusion and address gender constraints.
Integration of at least two core priority areas and generation of data and insights are required.
Scalability across different contexts must be clearly articulated.
Adoption of gender-based violence mitigation policies for all digital inclusion activities is necessary.
Entities with a track record of supporting gender equality and inclusion of marginalized populations.
At least 50% of award funding will support entities in sub-Saharan Africa.
USAID eligibility criteria
All countries eligible except Afghanistan, Burma, China, Cuba, Haiti, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Venezuela, and India (for Round 1 funding).
Organizations must meet USAID Local Entity criteria.
Must be legally organized in a USAID-assisted country, with operations and ownership majority from that country.
Must have or be in the process of obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
Must be familiar with and comply with applicable sections in the Mandatory and –Required-as-Applicable Standard Provisions for Non-U.S. Non-Governmental Organizations.
