Call for Applications: Diverse Women Route of the Free and Productive Woman Fund (Colombia)

Deadline: 05-Apr-24

The Fondo Mujer is currently accepting applications to select business units owned or led by women with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity, which will be beneficiaries of the Diverse Women Route of the Free and Productive Woman Fund in alliance with the Chamber of Diversity.

Specifically, the Diverse Women Route seeks to strengthen and accompany business units or ventures owned or led by women with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity (OSIG) at the national level in Colombia, to strengthen and accompany them through business technical assistance, strengthening socio-emotional skills for economic autonomy, contributions to productive assets and spaces for connection with the market and the community.

For the implementation of this route, the Fondo Mujer will have as an ally the LGBT Chamber of Merchants Association of Colombia, hereinafter the Chamber of Diversity, a private non-profit institution, whose main objective is to economically empower diverse people and support companies in the implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion strategies to promote employability and entrepreneurship in Colombia. Since 2012, the Diversity Chamber has worked for and by people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

In this context, the relevance of the free and productive women’s fund is highlighted as a public policy instrument designed to positively influence the economic autonomy of women through the reduction of gaps they face in the consolidation and/or growth of their business.

Benefits

• Specialized diagnosis and design of a tailored comprehensive strengthening plan
• Technical assistance and specialized support for autonomy, which includes assistance for strengthening productive, commercial and financial capacities, among others, as well as support to enhance the skills of the diverse women for their economic autonomy, with a focus on human development and psychosocial support.
• Participation in spaces aimed at promoting the exchange of knowledge between peers and training and/or connection with support and cooperation networks and the community of diverse women.
• Contributions in productive capital for a value of up to $35 million pesos per business unit (machinery, equipment, furniture, technological packages, among others.)
• Commercial connection opportunities that help make your products or services visible, and to generate connection effective with the market.

Duration

• The duration of the intervention will vary depending on the results of the diagnosis and the strengthening actions identified for each beneficiary. In any case, it will not be longer than ten (10) months after your connection begins.

• For this specific call for the Diverse Woman Route, up to one hundred and twenty (120) business units located anywhere in Colombian territory will be selected.
• Note: Priorities will be given, in a non-exclusive but prevalent manner, to territories in non-capital cities, rural areas and PDET territories.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be a beneficiary of this call, the applicant must meet the following qualifying requirements:
  • Population profile: Woman(s) with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity, specifically, lesbian women, bisexual women, trans women and non-binary people (assigned female at birth), validated mainly through the application form as self-recognition of person.
  • Business profile: Business unit led or owned by one or more diverse women, according to the aforementioned population profile, that meets any of the following conditions:
    • It is a business unit owned by a natural person (regardless of whether it is formalized or not), whose owner is a woman with diverse sexual orientation or gender identity.
    • It is a business unit made up of more than one person, that is, it has a plurality of owners, regardless of whether it is formalized or not, and 50%+1 of its owners/owners/members/associates are women with orientation diverse sexual or gender identity and the participation has corresponded to these for at least the last year prior to the closing date of this call.
    • It is a business unit made up of more than one person, that is, it has a plurality of owners, formally constituted and at least 50%+1 of the management level jobs (president, general manager, board of directors, financial director, director commercial, director of technical or mission areas of the company responsible for decision-making at a strategic level) of the legal entity are exercised by women with diverse sexual orientation or gender identity and these have been exercised uninterruptedly for at least the last anus. b. Have a commercial operation for at least one (1) year prior to the date of publication of these terms of reference, regardless of whether the business unit is formalized or not. The commercial operation will be verified through some of the following supports: cash receipts, invoices, proof of online transactions, contracts, certificates of accountant or tax auditor, income tax return, certifications issued by suppliers, accounting notebooks, registration before the Chamber and Commerce.
  • Not having been a beneficiary of similar programs of the Women’s Fund, that is, routes or programs with those who have received contributions or endowment of productive capital.
  • In case of plurality of leaders or owners none of the people (women and men):
    • They may have a relationship up to the fourth degree of consanguinity, second degree of affinity, and first degree of civil relationship with officials or contractors of the FONDO MUJER.
    • Be immersed in disabilities or incompatibilities to contract provided in the constitution and in law 80 of 1993.
    • Hold the status of public servant described in article 8 of Law 80 of 1993.
    • Serve as a collaborator of the Fondo Mujer

For more information, visit Fondo Mujer.