Opportunity Information: Apply for STEM ENT FY24 ARM 8
The "Promoting STEM Education and Youth Entrepreneurship" funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: STEM ENT FY24 ARM 8) is a U.S. Mission to Armenia Public Diplomacy grant designed to strengthen Armenias economic resiliency and inclusive economic growth by expanding STEM learning tied to entrepreneurship, and by giving young Armenians practical tools to start and grow ventures. The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan frames this work as part of a broader goal of supporting a secure, prosperous, democratic Armenia that is more integrated with the Euro-Atlantic community. A major theme throughout the opportunity is bringing U.S. models, expertise, and partnerships into Armenian universities and the wider startup ecosystem, with a particular emphasis on the growing importance of Armenias IT and innovation sectors.
The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement and is intentionally written broadly to encourage creative program designs, but it clearly defines two separate projects applicants may propose around. Each project has its own ceiling and objectives, and both are meant to build capacity at the individual level (students, young entrepreneurs) and at the institutional level (universities, incubators, networks, and partnerships). The Embassy highlights the long-term labor market argument for this investment: STEM jobs are expected to grow faster than non-STEM jobs, so building STEM capability and connecting it to entrepreneurial problem solving is positioned as urgent and economically strategic.
Project 1, titled "U.S.-Armenia Higher Education Partnership in STEM and Social Entrepreneurship," has a project ceiling of USD 300,000. Its core purpose is to create a higher education collaboration that blends the technical rigor of STEM with entrepreneurship training, with 2024 priority attention on social entrepreneurship. In this context, social entrepreneurship is described as using for-profit business models and entrepreneurial approaches to produce measurable positive impact on social problems. The Embassy is looking for proposals that create active collaboration among universities, students, and the startup ecosystem, and that incorporate a U.S. perspective through a linkage with a U.S. higher education partner. The expectation is not just classroom learning but applied, hands-on experiences that help participants move from ideas to viable ventures and career-ready skills.
Project 1 proposals are expected to include two main activity components. The first is a "STEM for Social Good" incubator or StartUp Lab for Armenian undergraduate students, built around STEM and entrepreneurship projects aimed at addressing social issues in Armenia. This lab can be structured as a course, a summer mini-program, or another practical format, but it should provide resources, mentorship, and real opportunity to develop ideas into social enterprises, drawing on U.S. expertise and models. The second component is a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship (suggested at 9 to 12 credit hours), aimed at graduate students and/or early career or aspiring entrepreneurs, and designed to equip participants to apply STEM learning, technology, and innovation to entrepreneurship initiatives, including social enterprises. The notice suggests subject areas like financial and resource management, social entrepreneurship skills, and design thinking, while leaving room for institutions to propose the most relevant curriculum for Armenias needs.
The stated objectives for Project 1 focus on strengthening Armenias higher education sector by integrating U.S. best practices and standards into STEM and social entrepreneurship education; expanding access to U.S. expertise and models by embedding entrepreneurship principles into STEM-related training; and providing broad training across STEM and social entrepreneurship concepts that helps undergraduates, graduate students, and aspiring entrepreneurs build practical skills and advance either a venture or a career pathway. The primary audiences are Armenian undergraduate and graduate students, plus early career aspiring entrepreneurs. Applicants are also required to include a monitoring and evaluation plan with clear output and outcome indicators, including baselines, targets, data sources, and data collection frequency, aimed at showing progress toward the proposals strategic objectives.
Project 2, titled "Promoting Entrepreneurial Skills for Armenian Youth," has a project ceiling of USD 175,000. It targets youth entrepreneurship more directly, emphasizing rural communities and inclusion of displaced persons and women entrepreneurs. The overall goal is to strengthen Armenias economic resiliency by nurturing innovation and entrepreneurial skills among young people, especially those who may have fewer opportunities or face barriers to participation. Proposals under this project are expected to reflect a serious commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with attention to gender balance and participation from underrepresented and vulnerable groups.
Unlike Project 1, Project 2 offers a menu of suggested activities rather than fixed required components, but the direction is clear: applicants should propose programming that reaches scale and builds practical entrepreneurial capacity. Example activities include a youth-focused entrepreneurship competition or capacity-building initiative serving roughly 300 Armenian youths (generally ages 18 to 30, though the priority audience section also references ages 16 to 30), including displaced persons and women from rural areas, and encouraging solutions with sustainable social impact. Suggested formats include pitch competitions, hackathons, or other skill-building models focused on entrepreneurship and/or social entrepreneurship. The project also encourages building an entrepreneurs network to support peer learning, skill transfer, and resource sharing, especially among teams working on societal challenges. A final suggested pathway is creating a new partnership connecting U.S. and Armenian entrepreneurial ecosystems, such as linkages between hubs, incubators, training programs, or problem-solving competitions, specifically to bring U.S. innovation practices and entrepreneurial approaches to Armenian youth.
Project 2 objectives emphasize building entrepreneurship skills among youth, displaced persons, and women entrepreneurs from rural communities; expanding understanding and adoption of U.S. expertise in innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurship; and creating new U.S.-Armenia ecosystem partnerships that increase local capacity to train and support aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly around creative problem solving and social innovation. Priority audiences are youth and aspiring entrepreneurs (especially rural) ages 16 to 30, displaced persons, and women. Secondary audiences include Armenian startups and the business community, with special interest in social entrepreneurship and sustainable business models. Monitoring and evaluation is again required, with specific examples of expected data collection such as participant demographics, interviews designed to capture the most significant changes participants experienced, and follow-up surveys at least three months after the project ends to see whether participants are applying what they learned. Interview confidentiality expectations are explicitly noted, and success-story interview summaries are expected to be translated into English.
Eligibility spans not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks and NGOs) from Armenia and the United States, higher education institutions from both countries, and foreign public entities based in Armenia. The agency is the U.S. Mission to Armenia, the activity category is listed as "Other" under CFDA 19.900, and the opportunity originally listed a closing date of 2024-03-28. Overall, the grant is geared toward proposals that demonstrate credible capacity to deliver training at scale, establish durable U.S.-Armenia institutional ties, and show measurable outcomes for participants, whether the focus is university-based STEM-to-entrepreneurship pathways (Project 1) or broader youth entrepreneurship development and ecosystem building (Project 2).Apply for STEM ENT FY24 ARM 8
- The U.S. Mission to Armenia in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promoting STEM Education and Youth Entrepreneurship" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.900.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-28. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Promoting STEM Education and Youth Entrepreneurship (STEM ENT FY24 ARM 8)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
"Promoting STEM Education and Youth Entrepreneurship" (Funding Opportunity Number: STEM ENT FY24 ARM 8) is a U.S. Mission to Armenia Public Diplomacy grant intended to strengthen Armenia's economic resiliency and inclusive economic growth by expanding STEM learning linked to entrepreneurship and giving young Armenians practical tools to start and grow ventures.
2) Who is the funding agency?
The agency is the U.S. Mission to Armenia (U.S. Embassy in Yerevan).
3) What is the award type?
The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement.
4) What broader goals does the Embassy connect to this program?
The Embassy frames the work as part of a broader goal of supporting a secure, prosperous, democratic Armenia that is more integrated with the Euro-Atlantic community, including by bringing U.S. models, expertise, and partnerships into Armenian universities and the startup ecosystem.
5) What is the overall focus of the grant?
The grant focuses on expanding STEM education tied to entrepreneurship and building practical entrepreneurial capacity among students and youth, with an emphasis on applied, hands-on learning and measurable outcomes.
6) How is the opportunity structured?
The notice defines two separate projects that applicants may propose around, each with its own project ceiling and objectives.
7) What are the two projects called?
Project 1 is "U.S.-Armenia Higher Education Partnership in STEM and Social Entrepreneurship." Project 2 is "Promoting Entrepreneurial Skills for Armenian Youth."
8) What is the funding ceiling for Project 1?
The project ceiling for Project 1 is USD 300,000.
9) What is the funding ceiling for Project 2?
The project ceiling for Project 2 is USD 175,000.
10) What is the main purpose of Project 1?
Project 1 aims to create a higher education collaboration that blends STEM with entrepreneurship training, with 2024 priority attention on social entrepreneurship, and includes a linkage with a U.S. higher education partner to incorporate U.S. perspectives, models, and expertise.
11) How does this opportunity define social entrepreneurship?
Social entrepreneurship is described as using for-profit business models and entrepreneurial approaches to produce measurable positive impact on social problems.
12) What are the required activity components for Project 1?
Project 1 proposals are expected to include two main components: (1) a "STEM for Social Good" incubator or StartUp Lab for Armenian undergraduate students, and (2) a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship (suggested at 9 to 12 credit hours) aimed at graduate students and/or early career or aspiring entrepreneurs.
13) What is the "STEM for Social Good" incubator/StartUp Lab supposed to do?
It is intended to support Armenian undergraduates in developing STEM and entrepreneurship projects that address social issues in Armenia, with resources, mentorship, and opportunities to develop ideas into social enterprises, drawing on U.S. expertise and models.
14) What formats are acceptable for the StartUp Lab?
The notice suggests it can be structured as a course, a summer mini-program, or another practical format, as long as it provides applied, hands-on experiences.
15) What is expected for the Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship in Project 1?
The certificate is suggested at 9 to 12 credit hours and is intended to equip participants to apply STEM learning, technology, and innovation to entrepreneurship initiatives, including social enterprises.
16) What curriculum topics are suggested for the Project 1 certificate?
The notice suggests areas such as financial and resource management, social entrepreneurship skills, and design thinking, while leaving room for institutions to propose curriculum most relevant to Armenia's needs.
17) Who are the primary audiences for Project 1?
Primary audiences are Armenian undergraduate and graduate students, plus early career aspiring entrepreneurs.
18) What are the key objectives of Project 1?
Project 1 objectives include strengthening Armenia's higher education sector by integrating U.S. best practices and standards into STEM and social entrepreneurship education; expanding access to U.S. expertise and models by embedding entrepreneurship principles into STEM-related training; and providing broad training so participants gain practical skills to advance a venture or career pathway.
19) What is the main purpose of Project 2?
Project 2 aims to strengthen Armenia's economic resiliency by nurturing innovation and entrepreneurial skills among young people, with emphasis on rural communities and inclusion of displaced persons and women entrepreneurs.
20) Does Project 2 require specific components like Project 1?
No. Project 2 provides a menu of suggested activities rather than fixed required components, but proposals are expected to reach scale and build practical entrepreneurial capacity.
21) What participant scale is suggested for Project 2 activities?
An example activity is a youth-focused entrepreneurship competition or capacity-building initiative serving roughly 300 Armenian youths.
22) What ages are targeted in Project 2?
The project generally references ages 18 to 30, while the priority audience section also references ages 16 to 30.
23) What types of activities are suggested for Project 2?
Suggested activities include pitch competitions, hackathons, or other skill-building models focused on entrepreneurship and/or social entrepreneurship; building an entrepreneurs network for peer learning and resource sharing; and creating a new partnership connecting U.S. and Armenian entrepreneurial ecosystems.
24) What does "creating a U.S.-Armenia ecosystem partnership" mean in Project 2?
The notice gives examples such as linkages between hubs, incubators, training programs, or problem-solving competitions to bring U.S. innovation practices and entrepreneurial approaches to Armenian youth.
25) What are the key objectives of Project 2?
Project 2 objectives include building entrepreneurship skills among youth, displaced persons, and women entrepreneurs from rural communities; expanding understanding and adoption of U.S. expertise in innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurship; and creating new U.S.-Armenia partnerships that increase local capacity to train and support aspiring entrepreneurs, especially around creative problem solving and social innovation.
26) Who are the priority audiences for Project 2?
Priority audiences include youth and aspiring entrepreneurs (especially rural) ages 16 to 30, displaced persons, and women. Secondary audiences include Armenian startups and the business community, with special interest in social entrepreneurship and sustainable business models.
27) Is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) emphasized?
Yes. Project 2 in particular calls for a serious commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including gender balance and participation from underrepresented and vulnerable groups.
28) Are monitoring and evaluation (M&E) requirements included?
Yes. Both Project 1 and Project 2 require a monitoring and evaluation plan with clear output and outcome indicators.
29) What specific M&E elements are expected for Project 1?
Project 1 requires clear output and outcome indicators, including baselines, targets, data sources, and data collection frequency, to demonstrate progress toward the proposal's strategic objectives.
30) What specific M&E elements are expected for Project 2?
Examples of expected data collection include participant demographics, interviews designed to capture the most significant changes participants experienced, and follow-up surveys at least three months after the project ends to assess whether participants are applying what they learned.
31) Are there confidentiality expectations for participant interviews in Project 2?
Yes. The notice explicitly notes interview confidentiality expectations.
32) Are success-story interview summaries required for Project 2?
Yes. Success-story interview summaries are expected to be translated into English.
33) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks and NGOs) from Armenia and the United States, higher education institutions from both countries, and foreign public entities based in Armenia.
34) What program or listing identifiers are provided?
The activity category is listed as "Other" under CFDA 19.900.
35) What was the listed closing date?
The opportunity originally listed a closing date of 2024-03-28.
36) What kinds of outcomes is the Embassy looking for across the opportunity?
The grant is geared toward proposals that show credible capacity to deliver training at scale, establish durable U.S.-Armenia institutional ties, and demonstrate measurable outcomes for participants, whether through university-based STEM-to-entrepreneurship pathways (Project 1) or broader youth entrepreneurship development and ecosystem building (Project 2).
37) Why does the notice emphasize STEM connected to entrepreneurship?
The opportunity highlights a labor market rationale: STEM jobs are expected to grow faster than non-STEM jobs, so building STEM capability and connecting it to entrepreneurial problem solving is presented as urgent and economically strategic.
38) Is there an emphasis on Armenia's IT and innovation sectors?
Yes. The notice highlights the growing importance of Armenia's IT and innovation sectors and encourages bringing U.S. models and partnerships into the wider startup ecosystem.
39) Is the opportunity narrowly prescriptive about program design?
No. The notice is intentionally written broadly to encourage creative program designs, while still defining the two project tracks, their ceilings, and core expectations (including required components for Project 1 and evaluation requirements for both).
40) What is the difference in institutional emphasis between Project 1 and Project 2?
Project 1 centers on higher education collaboration (including a U.S. higher education partner) and structured academic/applied training (incubator/lab and certificate). Project 2 focuses more on youth entrepreneurship at scale, rural inclusion, networking, and ecosystem partnerships that connect U.S. and Armenian entrepreneurship communities.
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