Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS NBO PAS FY20 001
The Economic Empowerment for People with Disabilities grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: DOS NBO PAS FY20 001) was offered by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to Kenya through Public Affairs Nairobi. It invited organizations to propose an innovative, practical program aimed at strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) owned by people with disabilities in Kenya, with a specific geographic emphasis on Northern and Coastal regions. The opportunity was structured as a discretionary grant, with one anticipated award and a maximum funding level of up to $50,000. The notice was posted on February 19, 2020, with an original closing date of March 31, 2020 (CFDA 19.040).
At its core, the grant sought to increase the capacity of Kenyan entrepreneurs with disabilities to engage more effectively in business, including doing business with the United States, while also contributing to a more enabling business environment for disabled people. Proposals needed to show how the implementer would identify and recruit business owners with disabilities, build their business skills in a measurable way, connect them to mentorship and professional networks, and culminate the effort in a business plan competition that pushes participants to apply what they learned. A key requirement was a clear American element throughout the program, meaning proposals had to incorporate U.S. cultural content or direct connections to U.S. experts, U.S. organizations, U.S. institutions, or U.S. businesses in a way that supports mutual understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.
The program design was expected to include three main components. First, training had to provide at least 60 hours of instruction focused on concepts that directly help businesses grow and succeed. The training had to be delivered in person (though not necessarily in a traditional classroom setting), taught by recognized subject-matter experts with at least three years of prior teaching experience, and assessed through knowledge checks to measure learning and effectiveness. By the end of the training period, participants were expected to be able to produce a solid and realistic business plan tailored to their existing enterprise.
Second, every participant had to be placed into a structured mentorship arrangement. Mentors were expected to come from U.S.-owned or U.S.-based companies, or alternatively be disabled executives working in large Kenyan companies. The mentorship element needed to include at least twice-monthly contact through in-person meetings, video calls, or phone check-ins, with the project implementer providing clear guidelines so the mentor-mentee relationship stays focused and productive. While virtual contact was acceptable, mentors were encouraged to meet face-to-face when feasible. This mentorship requirement reinforced the grant's emphasis on real market connections and exposure to business practices, standards, and networks that can support U.S.-Kenya commercial engagement.
Third, the project had to end with a business plan competition designed to showcase participant progress and create momentum beyond the training. Each participant would present a business plan based on their current business and integrating lessons from the training and mentorship. The competition needed to include both a formal pitch to a panel of judges and an expo-style fair open to the public, creating visibility for disabled entrepreneurs and their products or services. Importantly, the judges were expected to be regional or international angel investors, signaling that the competition was meant to be grounded in credible investment perspectives rather than purely symbolic recognition.
Proposals also had to align with at least one of the stated priority program areas. These priorities included promoting shared U.S.-Kenyan economic interests (such as trade, investment, economic governance, and inclusive, market-driven and environmentally sustainable growth), reinforcing shared U.S.-Kenyan values by expanding institutional and people-to-people connections, and supporting Kenya's ability to advance sustainable development through stronger human capacity, livelihoods, resilience, and reduced suffering. The grant emphasized inclusion and practical outcomes for entrepreneurs with disabilities, while also tying those outcomes to broader economic and development goals.
The intended scale of the program was significant for a public diplomacy grant: the target audience was at least 300 people with disabilities who own businesses, with most participants operating in Northern or Coastal Kenya. Implementers were also encouraged to use American Corners in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Lamu where applicable, which points to an expectation of leveraging existing U.S.-affiliated community spaces and networks to support training, convenings, and U.S.-linked programming. Overall, the opportunity was designed to blend entrepreneurship development with mentorship, public visibility, and U.S.-Kenya business connections, producing tangible business plans and stronger networks for disabled business owners in priority regions.Apply for DOS NBO PAS FY20 001
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Kenya in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Economic Empowerment for People with Disabilities" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 19, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 31, 2020. (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 $50,000.00 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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