OpportunityTitle: Creating Greater Economic Wealth through the Handicraft Value Chain in Tunisia
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Eligible applicants include U.S. or foreign non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations; private institutions of higher education, public or state institutions of higher education; public international organizations; and small businesses with function and regional experience in areas like regulatory policies and reform, economic governance, organization strengthening, and entrepreneurship] in the MENA region.  NEA/Embassy Tunis strongly encourages applications from civil society organizations headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region.  International non-governmental organizations with principal bases of operations outside the Middle East and North Africa are also encouraged to apply, but the percentage of total budget actually spent in the region through local partners will be among the elements of evaluation for this competition.
Description: The program aims to create employment opportunities by supporting an increase in Tunisian handicraft exports. The project must provide technical expertise to Tunisian artisans to enable them to fine tune their products to meet the international standards. Applicants should partner with the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Commerce, and the National Office of Handicraft to facilitate the participation of artisans in international markets and to increase the export of their products. Special focus should be given to women artisans from underserved areas, including rural areas and the interior regions of Tunisia. This NOFO is aligned with the U.S. 2017 Assistance Priorities for Tunisia as well as the 2015-2017 Integrated Country Strategy goal of spurring sustainable economic growth through increasing private investment and bilateral trade. In order to support the democratic consolidation in Tunisia, the United States government has designed a number of successful programs spurring sustainable economic growth, championing good governance, and countering terrorism and violent extremism in the country. The recipient shall coordinate with other USG partners in the economic growth sector. A list of the projects will be provided before the start of the program. Tunisia remains heavily dependent on the international community for continued financial and technical assistance. The World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Union (EU) all support sectorial approaches to reform. The recipient is expected to coordinate with the international donor community in supporting Tunisia in the handicraft sector.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Embassy Tunis
GrantorContactText: Sr. Foreign Assistance Specialist  &lt;br/&gt;Wajih Hammami &lt;br/&gt;HammamiW@state.gov  &lt;br/&gt;