Three awards from the COVID-19 Private Sector Engagement and Partnership Fund were recently given to recognize and support programs that address economic recovery and assist the public to overcome the negative impacts of the pandemic.
A committee comprised of members from the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) selected the programs based on a broad-based economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a release from the State Department. The awards leverage each organization’s expertise, connections with the private sector, and global reach, in collaboration with the resources of the Department of State.
The three programs to receive the
The ASEAN Partnership supports six private sector businesses in three Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries by equipping them with “the technical knowledge to accelerate the safe resumption, continuation, or adaptation of business operations and to put in place plans and processes to ensure readiness and responsiveness to future pandemics,” according to the release.
Halcyon-AWS International Incubator Intensives supports high-quality programming for top social enterprise founders in the Middle East and North Africa to achieve economic stability, job creation and deployable solutions to the impact of COVID-19.
Scaling Market-Based Solutions for Economic Recovery and Resiliency through Entrepreneurship supports entrepreneurs to generate economic growth, create jobs, and accelerate business development and benefit the community.
In addition, USAID will be partnering with Unilever in India to promote hygiene among health care staff and communities, the release said. The program will use remote capabilities to communicate its message in light of the ongoing pandemic. They hope to reach over 120 million people in the country.
The fund was established in 2020 and jointly administered with the USAID.
