The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Timor-Leste of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to develop and implement a five-day regional workshop (inclusive of arrival and departure days) in Timor-Leste on “Advancing Agribusiness Digital Marketing” for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), pending the availability of funds.
The “Advancing Agribusiness Digital Marketing” regional workshop will bring together 50 participants from ASEAN and Timor-Leste who have agricultural, business, economic, and marketing backgrounds. The workshop will empower young agribusiness entrepreneurs to contribute to post-COVID economic recovery and development by identifying challenges to developing and growing a sustainable agribusiness, developing potential local and regional market opportunities, and crafting and deploying digital marketing strategies to expand market share and economic prosperity. Additionally, participants will have the chance to join cultural activities, networking events, and site visits. This would be the first in-person YSEALI regional workshop held in Timor-Leste since the country was admitted to the YSEALI program in 2018.
Agriculture is one of the main economic foundations in Timor-Leste and most ASEAN countries. After the COVID-19 pandemic began, many emerging agribusinesses lost burgeoning economic opportunities and connectivity to local and regional markets for their products, causing huge financial losses, particularly for young agribusiness entrepreneurs. With a significant youth bulge in Timor-Leste and many ASEAN countries, expanding economic opportunities tied to sustainable agriculture is an important means to support economic recovery and long-term economic diversification. The focus on digital marketing is critical to support agribusiness entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by directly accessing market opportunities and motivating them to improve product quality and added value.
Deadline: June 27, 2022
- U.S. public and private educational institutions
- U.S. not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks
- Foreign public and private educational institutions
- Foreign not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks
Award amounts: award may range from a minimum of $75,000 to a maximum of $200,000