Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0009753
WAGES: Women in Agriculture Gain Economic Security (SFOP0009753) is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs funding opportunity focused on Tunisia, designed to tackle two connected challenges at the same time: the growing climate vulnerability of Tunisia's agricultural sector and rising food security pressures, while also strengthening womens economic security and empowerment. The core idea is to help women, especially those who have been marginalized, become more resilient and more profitable participants in agriculture by improving how they adapt to climate impacts and how they operate as business actors across the agricultural value chain.
The opportunity is structured as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. government expects to play an active partnership role during implementation rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. The program is categorized under agriculture (CFDA 19.600) and is managed through the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) in collaboration with U.S. Embassy Tunis. In practical terms, proposals are expected to align with both development and foreign policy goals in the Near East region, with a clear emphasis on measurable outcomes tied to climate adaptation, food security, and womens economic empowerment.
Programmatically, the grant seeks interventions that improve womens economic future by empowering women working in agricultural cooperatives to adopt innovative technical and entrepreneurial approaches. This includes helping cooperatives and women producers respond to climate change through smarter production methods, risk-reduction practices, and potentially climate-adaptive technologies or improved management approaches that reduce vulnerability to drought, heat stress, water scarcity, and other climate-driven shocks. At the same time, the opportunity emphasizes profitability and food security, so proposed activities should not only protect production but also improve yields, product quality, market access, and income stability in ways that contribute to more reliable local or regional food supplies.
A key element is strengthening womens capabilities beyond farm production alone. The opportunity explicitly highlights support for women working throughout the agricultural value chain, which can include processing, packaging, storage, distribution, marketing, and related agribusiness services. Proposals should therefore consider business skills development such as financial literacy, recordkeeping, pricing, contract negotiation, quality standards, branding, and basic enterprise management. Another priority is improving access to funding, which suggests approaches like training women and cooperatives to become bankable, helping them prepare loan or grant applications, connecting them to appropriate financial institutions, de-risking mechanisms, or other forms of finance that enable investment in climate-resilient equipment and business expansion.
In terms of funding scale and competition details, the award ceiling is $1,500,000, and the U.S. government anticipated making one award. The opportunity was posted May 4, 2023, with an original application deadline of June 15, 2023. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full opportunity text, so applicants typically need to consult the official eligibility section to confirm whether their organization type qualifies and whether there are specific requirements such as registration, local partner inclusion, or demonstrated experience in Tunisia or in womens economic empowerment and agriculture programming.
Overall, WAGES is best understood as a targeted, single-award initiative intended to demonstrate meaningful impact for Tunisian women in agriculture by combining climate adaptation and food security work with concrete economic empowerment. Strong proposals would likely integrate practical climate-smart agricultural or resilience measures with cooperative strengthening, value chain upgrading, entrepreneurship support, and real pathways to finance, all tied to clear outputs and outcomes that improve womens income, decision-making power, and long-term economic security.Apply for SFOP0009753
- The Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "WAGES: Women in Agriculture Gain Economic Security" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.600.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 04, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 15, 2023. (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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - WAGES: Women in Agriculture Gain Economic Security (SFOP0009753)
What is the WAGES funding opportunity?
WAGES: Women in Agriculture Gain Economic Security (SFOP0009753) is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs funding opportunity in Tunisia. It is designed to address two linked challenges at once: increasing climate vulnerability in Tunisia's agricultural sector and rising food security pressures, while also strengthening women's economic security and empowerment.
Which country is the program focused on?
This opportunity is focused on Tunisia.
What are the main goals of the program?
The program aims to help women, especially women who have been marginalized, become more resilient and more profitable participants in agriculture. It emphasizes climate adaptation and food security outcomes while advancing women's economic empowerment and long-term economic security.
What types of challenges in agriculture does WAGES aim to tackle?
WAGES targets climate-driven challenges affecting agriculture, such as drought, heat stress, water scarcity, and other climate-related shocks. It also responds to growing food security pressures by supporting measures that protect and improve agricultural production and supply reliability.
How does the program define women's economic empowerment in this context?
Based on the opportunity description, women's economic empowerment is tied to increasing women's profitability and resilience in agriculture, strengthening their role as business actors across the agricultural value chain, improving skills and enterprise capacity, and supporting pathways to funding that enable investment and expansion.
What is the award type?
This is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement means the U.S. government expects to play an active partnership role during implementation, rather than only providing funds without continued engagement.
Which U.S. government office manages this opportunity?
The opportunity is managed through the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) in collaboration with U.S. Embassy Tunis.
What program category does this opportunity fall under?
The program is categorized under agriculture (CFDA 19.600).
How much funding is available?
The award ceiling is $1,500,000.
How many awards are expected to be made?
The U.S. government anticipated making one award.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 4, 2023.
What was the application deadline?
The original application deadline was June 15, 2023.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full opportunity text. Applicants are expected to consult the official eligibility section to confirm whether their organization type qualifies and whether any specific requirements apply.
Are there specific eligibility requirements applicants should check in the full announcement?
Yes. The description notes that applicants typically need to confirm details in the official eligibility section, such as whether there are registration requirements, local partner inclusion expectations, or demonstrated experience in Tunisia or in women's economic empowerment and agriculture programming.
What kinds of interventions is WAGES looking to support?
WAGES seeks interventions that improve women's economic future by empowering women working in agricultural cooperatives to adopt innovative technical and entrepreneurial approaches. Activities are expected to strengthen climate adaptation, improve profitability, and support food security outcomes.
Does WAGES focus only on farm production?
No. The opportunity explicitly highlights support for women working throughout the agricultural value chain, not just on-farm production.
Which parts of the agricultural value chain can be included?
The opportunity indicates the value chain can include processing, packaging, storage, distribution, marketing, and related agribusiness services, alongside production.
What climate adaptation approaches are relevant under this program?
The description points to smarter production methods, risk-reduction practices, and potentially climate-adaptive technologies or improved management approaches that reduce vulnerability to drought, heat stress, water scarcity, and other climate-driven shocks.
Does the opportunity emphasize business and entrepreneurship skills?
Yes. Proposals are expected to consider business skills development for women and cooperatives, including financial literacy, recordkeeping, pricing, contract negotiation, quality standards, branding, and basic enterprise management.
Is improving market access part of the program intent?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes profitability and food security, and it specifically notes activities that can improve yields, product quality, market access, and income stability.
How does WAGES connect climate adaptation to food security?
The program links climate adaptation and resilience measures to protecting production and improving yields and supply reliability, contributing to more reliable local or regional food supplies.
Does the program include support related to finance and funding access?
Yes. Improving access to funding is described as a priority, with examples such as training women and cooperatives to become bankable, helping prepare loan or grant applications, connecting to appropriate financial institutions, and using de-risking mechanisms or other finance approaches.
What kinds of outcomes should strong proposals aim to demonstrate?
Strong proposals would likely tie activities to measurable outcomes related to climate adaptation, food security, and women's economic empowerment, including improvements in women's income, decision-making power, and long-term economic security.
How should proposals align with U.S. government priorities?
Proposals are expected to align with both development and foreign policy goals in the Near East region, with a clear emphasis on measurable outcomes in climate adaptation, food security, and women's economic empowerment.
Who is the primary target group?
The program targets women in agriculture in Tunisia, with emphasis on women working in agricultural cooperatives and women who have been marginalized, including those participating across the agricultural value chain.
Is this opportunity intended to be a large multi-award program?
No. It is described as a targeted, single-award initiative, with one anticipated award up to the stated ceiling.
What is the overall approach WAGES is encouraging?
The opportunity encourages integrated programming that combines practical climate-smart or resilience measures with cooperative strengthening, value chain upgrading, entrepreneurship support, and real pathways to finance.
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