Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0005685
The Promoting Innovative Entrepreneurship (PIE) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0005685) was a discretionary U.S. Department of State program administered through the Office of Assistance Coordination. Created on April 1, 2019, it sought to use targeted, practical technical assistance as a way to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives in Tunisia, with a strong emphasis on economic growth, job creation, and governance reforms that improve how the economy is regulated and managed. At its core, the opportunity was designed to help shape a business and regulatory environment where Tunisian startups are able to form more easily, grow faster, and compete more effectively, ultimately supporting broader employment opportunities and economic stability.
A central feature of the opportunity was its focus on economic governance reform through direct support to the Government of Tunisia (GoT). Rather than funding a broad set of unrelated entrepreneurship activities, PIE emphasized helping Tunisian institutions improve rules, procedures, and regulatory frameworks that affect startups. This includes the kinds of reforms that can remove barriers to entry for new firms, reduce bureaucratic friction, clarify compliance requirements, and generally create a more predictable environment for innovators and entrepreneurs. The overall intent was to help Tunisian startups "emerge, blossom, and thrive" by improving the surrounding system that determines how easy or difficult it is to start and scale a business.
From a funding standpoint, PIE was structured as a grant with an award ceiling of $1,000,000 and an expectation of making a single award. This suggests the program was intended to be implemented as one cohesive project rather than split across multiple smaller recipients. The opportunity fell under the funding activity category listed as "Other" (with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement), and it was associated with CFDA number 19.600, which is commonly used for Department of State public diplomacy and related assistance activities. The application window ended on May 6, 2019, indicating it was a time-limited solicitation rather than an open, rolling program.
Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with further details referenced in the original notice. In practical terms, this type of eligibility language often signals that the program may be open to a range of non-federal entities such as non-profits, NGOs, educational institutions, or other qualified organizations that can deliver high-quality technical assistance and policy support in partnership with government counterparts. Because the project aimed to work with the Government of Tunisia on regulatory and governance changes, an applicant would likely need credible experience in entrepreneurship policy, regulatory reform, private sector development, and stakeholder coordination, along with the operational ability to manage a sizable, outcomes-driven project.
Overall, PIE was positioned as a strategic, policy-oriented entrepreneurship initiative: it used technical assistance to strengthen the enabling environment for startups in Tunisia, with the broader purpose of expanding employment opportunities and supporting reforms aligned with U.S. foreign policy interests. By concentrating resources into one expected award up to $1 million, the opportunity implied a preference for an integrated approach capable of producing measurable improvements in the regulatory landscape that affects startup formation and growth.Apply for SFOP0005685
- The Department of State, Assistance Coordination in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promoting Innovative Entrepreneurship (PIE)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.600.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 01, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 06, 2019. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Promoting Innovative Entrepreneurship (PIE) Grant
What is the Promoting Innovative Entrepreneurship (PIE) grant opportunity?
The Promoting Innovative Entrepreneurship (PIE) grant was a discretionary U.S. Department of State program administered through the Office of Assistance Coordination. It was designed to provide targeted, practical technical assistance to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives in Tunisia, with an emphasis on economic growth, job creation, and governance reforms affecting how the economy is regulated and managed.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is SFOP0005685.
When was the PIE opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on April 1, 2019.
When did the application window close?
The application window ended on May 6, 2019, indicating this was a time-limited solicitation rather than an open or rolling opportunity.
Which U.S. government agency administered the PIE grant?
The program was administered by the U.S. Department of State through the Office of Assistance Coordination.
What was the main purpose of PIE?
PIE aimed to strengthen the business and regulatory environment in Tunisia so startups could form more easily, grow faster, and compete more effectively. The broader intent was to support employment opportunities and economic stability through reforms aligned with U.S. foreign policy interests.
What types of activities did PIE prioritize?
PIE emphasized targeted, practical technical assistance focused on economic governance reform. Rather than funding a wide range of unrelated entrepreneurship activities, it centered on helping improve rules, procedures, and regulatory frameworks that affect startups.
Was PIE focused on working directly with the Government of Tunisia?
Yes. A central feature of PIE was direct support to the Government of Tunisia (GoT) to improve governance, regulations, and procedures impacting startups and entrepreneurship.
What kinds of reforms or improvements were envisioned under PIE?
The opportunity described reforms intended to remove barriers to entry for new firms, reduce bureaucratic friction, clarify compliance requirements, and create a more predictable environment for innovators and entrepreneurs.
How did PIE connect entrepreneurship support to governance reform?
PIE framed entrepreneurship support as a policy- and systems-oriented effort. It sought to help startups "emerge, blossom, and thrive" by improving the surrounding regulatory and administrative environment that determines how easy or difficult it is to start and scale a business.
What was the funding ceiling for a PIE award?
The award ceiling was $1,000,000.
How many awards were expected under this opportunity?
The opportunity indicated an expectation of making a single award, suggesting implementation through one cohesive project rather than multiple smaller awards.
What does it imply that the program expected to make a single award?
It implies a preference for an integrated, unified approach capable of producing measurable improvements in the regulatory landscape affecting startup formation and growth, rather than fragmented efforts spread across many recipients.
What was the funding activity category for PIE?
The funding activity category was listed as "Other," with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity was associated with CFDA number 19.600, which is commonly used for Department of State public diplomacy and related assistance activities.
Who was eligible to apply for the PIE grant?
Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with further details referenced in the original notice.
What does eligibility listed as "Others" generally suggest for a program like this?
Based on the description provided, this wording often signals that the opportunity may be open to a range of non-federal entities such as non-profits, NGOs, educational institutions, or other qualified organizations capable of delivering technical assistance and policy support in partnership with government counterparts.
What kinds of organizational capabilities would likely matter for a PIE applicant?
Because PIE aimed to support the Government of Tunisia on regulatory and governance changes, the description suggests an applicant would likely need credible experience in entrepreneurship policy, regulatory reform, private sector development, and stakeholder coordination, along with the operational ability to manage a sizable, outcomes-driven technical assistance project.
How did PIE define success at a high level?
At a high level, PIE aimed to create conditions where Tunisian startups can start more easily, scale more effectively, and compete better by improving the governance and regulatory systems surrounding entrepreneurship, supporting broader employment opportunities and economic stability.
Was PIE more focused on funding startup companies directly or improving the environment around them?
PIE was primarily focused on improving the enabling environment around startups (rules, procedures, regulatory frameworks, and governance reforms), rather than funding a broad set of unrelated entrepreneurship activities.
What geographic focus did PIE target?
The program targeted Tunisia.
How did the opportunity connect to U.S. foreign policy objectives?
The program explicitly described using technical assistance to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives in Tunisia, with emphasis on economic growth, job creation, and governance reforms that improve how the economy is regulated and managed.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification)
Next opportunity: Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Community Assistance Program - State Support Services Element (CAP-SSSE) - Region 7
Previous opportunity: 2019-DRAFT-IFRP-RFA-DRAFT-1
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