Home WiDEF in India
WiDEF in India
This Funding Round is Open!
WiDEF invites local Indian entities to apply for funding to scale a solution that significantly enhances the digital inclusion of women, improving their livelihoods, economic security, and resilience. The fund is open to small or medium for-profits entities as well as non-profits with a valid FCRA.
This funding will scale solutions that:
- Drive digital inclusion for women through meaningful access to and use of accessible digital technology, particularly smartphones and the internet
- Significantly close the gender digital divide in their context
- Are economically sustainable and scalable
The following support will be provided to awardees
- Funding of $100,000 – $500,000 over the course of 15-18 months
- Knowledge, expertise and best practices to address the gender digital divide
- Bootcamps (a program of expert-led sessions and targeted networking) on key issues faced by awardees
- Learning exchange opportunities with other WiDEF awardees (in India and globally)
- Advisory support on monitoring, evaluation and learning
- Increased visibility to potential investors and partners
Applicants must clearly articulate how their solutions accelerate the digital inclusion of women, addressing the gender digital divide.
This includes enabling equitable access and usage of the internet by women, girls and marginalized populations including people with disabilities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, LGBTQI+, and rural women.
Eligible applicants must articulate the most prominent barriers facing the communities they aim to support and how they will address at least two of the four core WiDEF priority areas:
- Access to Affordable Devices: Increase women’s access to affordable, reliable, and secure internet-enabled devices.
- Relevant Products and Tools: Provide tools (interfaces, apps) that meet women’s needs, especially for income generation.
- Digital Literacy and Skills: Enhance women’s digital skills and media literacy for safe participation in the digital economy.
- Safety and Security: Address technology-facilitated gender-based violence and improve digital protection measures. Support solutions enhancing safety, even with limited evidence.
Plus contribute to:
- Data and Insights Commitment: Expand sex-disaggregated data collection and gender analysis to tackle disparities in technology adoption and inform equitable digital policies.
Application Process
November 2024
Application process opens November 12th.
January 2025
The deadline for submitting proposals is Monday, 13th January 2025 by 6pm IST (India time).
March 2025
Shortlisted applicants will be notified and invited to develop a detailed proposal.
July 2025
Selection panel will review shortlisted applicants.
August 2025
Selected applicants will be notified.
FAQs
The submission form is available on the WiDEF website at widef.global/widefinindia
For this round small and medium enterprises refer to a for profit entity with fewer than 250 employees. This definition is not based on investment and turnover of the entity.
WiDEF will conduct informational webinars on the WiDEF website to answer any open questions about the RFA and to assist applications with USAID guidelines. A recording of the webinar will be available on the widef.global.
- Webinar on November 26, 2024, at 3pm to 4pm India Time
- Open House on January 7, 2025, at 3pm to 4pm India Time
- WiDEF staff will not be able to respond to individual questions about the RFA and process.
- Questions may be sent in advance to questions@widef.global before Dec 15, 2025, at 11:59pm IST. Questions and responses will be published online by Dec 23, 2024, 11:59pm IST.
- Webinars will be recorded and posted with frequently asked questions on the WiDEF website.
Funding between $100,000 and $500,000 will be awarded to each project. Please specify the total requested budget in the application form.
15-18 months.
Entities may only submit one proposal.
Ensure your application is submitted by January 13, 2025, at 6 PM India Standard Time.
All applications must be submitted in English.
Direct feedback on proposals will not be offered prior to or after submission.
Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.
Key Resources
WiDEF in India is supported by
