Promoting Women’s Participation and Leadership in the Pacific’s Clean Energy Transition | SUVA WOMEN LEADERSHIP CLEAN ENERGY 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for SUVA WOMEN LEADERSHIP CLEAN ENERGY 001

The U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji (U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to New Zealand) is offering a competitive grant opportunity to support a regional program aimed at increasing the participation, leadership, and economic opportunities of women and girls in the Pacific Islands clean energy transition. The program recognizes that Pacific Island Countries are among the most climate-vulnerable places in the world and are pursuing ambitious renewable energy and decarbonization targets. At the same time, the shift to renewable energy can reinforce existing inequities unless deliberate steps are taken to ensure women and girls, including those from marginalized and underserved communities, can access the training, jobs, entrepreneurship pathways, and leadership roles emerging in the renewable energy sector. A core premise of the opportunity is that a more gender-diverse energy workforce and leadership pipeline strengthens innovation and improves decision-making across the sector.

The opportunity is designed to tackle persistent structural and cultural barriers that limit women and girls economic participation in the region. The solicitation highlights that the Pacific energy sector has historically been male dominated, with women making up only about 20 percent of utility workforces and roughly 5 percent of technical roles. Women are also described as largely absent from energy-related decision-making at multiple levels, and social norms often discourage women and girls from pursuing entrepreneurship or careers viewed as male dominated, including many energy jobs. These barriers show up early in the education and training pipeline as well, with low participation rates for women in STEM fields in tertiary institutions (around 20 percent at university) and especially low representation in TVET programs (5 percent or less). Against that backdrop, the grant seeks projects that will move beyond awareness raising and instead strengthen systems, improve access, and create durable pathways into clean energy education, employment, and leadership.

Program activities are expected to advance several connected outcomes: strengthening institutions and gender-responsive policies in the Pacific energy sector; expanding employment and workforce development opportunities for women in clean energy; increasing womens access to and representation in decision-making related to the clean energy transition; and promoting STEM education and training opportunities for women and girls that are relevant to energy careers. Applicants are expected to design programming that responds to local or regional needs, meaning proposals should be grounded in what is practical and in demand across Pacific contexts rather than importing a one-size-fits-all model. The solicitation also emphasizes the importance of using regional and local expertise during both design and implementation, and it expects strong monitoring and evaluation plans, including clear, time-bound milestones that allow progress and results to be tracked.

Geographically, the program is intended to be regional rather than country-specific. Activities may be carried out in any of the eligible Pacific Island Countries listed in the notice: the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. While work can occur in any subset of these countries, preference goes to proposals that meaningfully promote opportunities for women and girls across all, or at least a significant subset, of the eligible countries. The notice also allows for grants that implement discrete phases of a larger regional initiative, as long as the proposed project is coherent and measurable on its own.

Funding is provided through the State Departments Office of Global Womens Issues via the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund, which supports gender equity by improving the security of women and girls and by securing economic futures through green jobs and climate resilience. The grant ceiling is $1,500,000, and proposals above that amount will not be considered. The opportunity anticipates one award. The funding instrument is a grant, categorized under regional development (CFDA 19.124). Eligible applicants include nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) and other eligible entities as described in the full eligibility guidance. The funding opportunity number is SUVA WOMEN LEADERSHIP CLEAN ENERGY 001. The opportunity was posted July 4, 2023, with an original closing date of August 4, 2023.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to New Zealand in the regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promoting Women’s Participation and Leadership in the Pacific’s Clean Energy Transition" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.124.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 04, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 04, 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: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for SUVA WOMEN LEADERSHIP CLEAN ENERGY 001

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