The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) has launched its second competitive round, inviting large private sector enterprises to apply for technical support to scale proven solutions aimed at closing the gender digital divide. This initiative, announced by the White House in March 2023, is a collaboration between USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, managed by CARE, Global Digital Inclusion Partnership, and the GSMA Foundation.
WiDEF’s second round focuses on providing tailored technical assistance to enterprises to increase women’s access to and usage of the internet. This follows the first round, which closed on May 6, 2024, targeting local organizations.
The support includes research into barriers faced by underserved women, evaluation of products and services for women, testing approaches to meet women’s needs, product adaptation, and business modeling for scaling.
WiDEF will offer successful applicants in USAID-operating countries technical assistance valued between $50,000 to $150,000 USD for up to two years. This assistance will be provided by the WiDEF Consortium and third-party suppliers.
WiDEF aims to support scalable, evidence-based solutions that improve access to affordable devices, increase availability of relevant products, elevate digital literacy, and enhance safety and security for women. Applications must address at least two of these core areas and generate insights through gender-disaggregated data.
