Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Support Program 2021 | DOS GEO 21 GR 010 06092021

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS GEO 21 GR 010 06092021

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Support Program 2021 is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi under the U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to Georgia). It invites Georgian TVET institutions to propose and run projects that strengthen vocational education and training in Georgia, with a clear emphasis on gender equity and improved career guidance systems that connect learners to real labor market opportunities.

A central theme of the program is mainstreaming gender in TVET, meaning applicants are expected to integrate a gender perspective into the full lifecycle of TVET-related work, including planning, implementation, and evaluation. In practice, this points to projects that do more than add one-off activities for women; the program is looking for changes in how institutions design policies, deliver programs, measure outcomes, and make decisions, so that gender considerations are built into routine operations at all levels.

Another major objective is increasing the participation of female students in TVET fields that have traditionally been male-dominated. The opportunity specifically calls for efforts to promote "nontraditional" TVET programs to both women and men, with the goal of reducing discriminatory cultural norms and community practices that steer students toward gender-stereotyped occupations. In other words, competitive proposals would likely include practical outreach and recruitment approaches, community engagement, and messaging that normalizes women entering technical fields and men entering fields that may be viewed as traditionally female, so that both benefit equally from training and employment pathways.

The program also targets institutional capacity, especially around overcoming gender disparities in recruitment and retention. This objective points toward projects that help TVET providers identify where women (or men) drop off in the pipeline, address barriers that affect enrollment and completion, and improve the institutional ability to attract, support, and graduate students equitably. Activities under this theme could reasonably include staff training, revised admissions and student support practices, mentorship or peer support models, safer and more inclusive learning environments, and data-driven monitoring of enrollment and completion by gender, though the core requirement is that projects directly contribute to reducing disparities.

A fourth objective is developing systematic vocational counseling and career guidance spanning from school through higher education, aimed not only at current students but also jobseekers and alumni. The intent is to help people make better-informed career decisions and improve access to the labor market. This signals interest in projects that create or strengthen career guidance services, build counseling capacity, and establish clearer pathways from training to employment, including mechanisms that continue to serve graduates after completion. The emphasis on "systematic" suggests the program prefers sustainable, repeatable models rather than ad hoc advising.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as Funding Opportunity Number DOS GEO 21 GR 010 06092021, with an activity category focused on education, employment, labor, and training, and is associated with CFDA 19.900. The award ceiling is $100,000 per award, and the embassy anticipates making around three awards. Applications were to be submitted by email to TbilisiGrants@state.gov, with a firm deadline of July 27, 2021 at 1800 Tbilisi time; proposals submitted after 1800 were not eligible for consideration. Overall, the grant is designed for Georgian TVET institutions ready to design and manage practical, institution-led projects that advance gender equality in vocational education while improving career guidance and connections to employment.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Georgia in the education, employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Support Program 2021" 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 Jun 08, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 2021 Interested applicants should submit proposals to TbilisiGrants@state.gov by July 27th, 2021, 1800 Tbilisi Time. Applications submitted after 1800 will not be eligible for consideration.. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DOS GEO 21 GR 010 06092021

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