Catch Them Young with the Entrepreneurship Bug | K NOFO 18 106

Opportunity Information: Apply for K NOFO 18 106

Catch Them Young with the Entrepreneurship Bug is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity run through the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata under the U.S. Mission to India. It is a discretionary education-focused grant (CFDA 19.040) designed to encourage entrepreneurship among young people in eastern India by making entrepreneurship feel like a realistic, desirable first career option rather than a backup plan. The project is framed as part of the "Road from GES" effort and is intended to be implemented in partnership with the Nexus Startup Hub, with an emphasis on using modern outreach and practical support structures to push early-stage entrepreneurial thinking at the college level.

The core idea is to reach a large youth audience quickly and persuasively, mainly through digital and social media. The program aims to reach roughly 100,000 youth and their families across West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar. That detail about families matters because career choices in these regions are often influenced by parents and guardians, so the outreach is not limited to students alone. Proposals are expected to show how they would use online platforms, content, and campaign strategy to normalize entrepreneurship, highlight pathways into it, and make it understandable for people who may not have direct exposure to startups or business creation.

A second major component is capacity building on campuses through a structured support network. The grant calls for creating a network of 15 experts from different sectors who can guide and strengthen Entrepreneurship Development Cells (EDCs) at colleges. This expert group is expected to include graduates of the Y4BIZ program, signaling that the U.S. government wants to leverage alumni and people with prior entrepreneurship training as multipliers. The expert network would support at least 30 EDCs, implying ongoing mentorship, troubleshooting, and programming assistance rather than one-off events. A competitive proposal would typically lay out how experts will be recruited, coordinated, and matched with campuses, and what kind of engagement cadence or deliverables the EDCs will receive.

The third pillar focuses on practical skill development and early venture formation. The project is expected to facilitate access to online training and to identify opportunities for business plan development for young women and men. In plain terms, it is not just about inspiration; it is also about giving participants tools, structured learning, and a route to turn ideas into workable plans. Proposals would likely be stronger if they clearly describe what online training will be used or developed, how participants will be onboarded, and how business plan development will be coached and evaluated, especially with attention to inclusion and equal access across genders.

In terms of funding and logistics, the opportunity number is K NOFO 18 106 and the funding instrument is a grant. The award ceiling listed is $40,000, and the program anticipated making one award, so this is essentially a single-project competition rather than a multi-award portfolio. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions). The notice was created on April 12, 2018, and the original closing date was June 12, 2018. Overall, the grant is oriented toward measurable outreach at scale, creation of a durable mentorship and expert network, and tangible entrepreneurship skill-building that can help students move from interest to action through campus-based EDC support and online learning pathways.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to India in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Catch Them Young with the Entrepreneurship Bug" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 12, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 12, 2018. (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 $40,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for K NOFO 18 106

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