PRESENTATION AND MOTIVATION FILES:

The document(s) can be in video, audio, image, word, power point or pdf format. 

These are some of the questions that candidates should answer in their motivational letter: 

Sub-programs 1, 2 and 3: 

• Who am I? 
• What is my community? 
• What have I done/my experience leading or supporting Indigenous Peoples organizations and implementing projects or initiatives with Indigenous Peoples’ communities? 
• What am I doing now?  
• Why do I want to apply for this fellowship program? And for this subprogram in particular? 
• How will it help me to achieve what I want to do? 
• Which project am I implementing right now and will be implementing after the fellowship? 
• How will I engage with IPARD’s 3 objectives? (Capacity Development, Political Incidence and Economic Development), Which of the three objectives interests you the most? (for sub-program 1) 
• Why should I be selected for this program? How will this fellowship program improve my capacities and why do you need it? 

Sub-program 4: 

• Who am I?  
• What is my community? 
• What have I done/my experience leading or supporting my community or an organization of Indigenous Peoples and implementing projects or initiatives with Indigenous Peoples’ communities? 

• What am I doing now?  
• Why do I want to apply for this fellowship program? And for this subprogram in particular? 
• What would I do with the new knowledge and skills that I would acquire thanks to my participation in the fellowship program? 

Information on the entrepreneurship: 

GENERAL INFORMATION: 

• Title of entrepreneurship 
• Country/province/community of implementation 
• Economic sector and crosscutting topics to which it applies 
• Including a letter from an Indigenous Peoples’ organization supporting the initiative (with name, address, phone number and a specific contact with name, surname, email and signature) 

WHAT? 

• Description of the entrepreneurship and its impact in the community 
• Number of possible families to be benefited from the proposal 

WHO? 

• Description of the internal organization of the entrepreneurship, year of creation, contact information, assets.  
• What are the identified needs for organizational development and other technical needs to strengthen the entrepreneurship? 

WHY? 

• Why should this entrepreneurship be selected? 
• What is the expected result? 

HOW & WHEN? 

• How is the accelerating investment going to be used and how will it contribute to Indigenous self-development and Indigenous self-reliance?  
• When is it going to be executed?  
• A budget and execution schedule should be included. 

SUBMIT TWO REFERENCE LETTERS BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ ORGANIZATIONS:

The documents can be in word, in power point, pdf format or a picture. 

References cannot be provided by members of the candidates’ immediate family i.e. parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents). 

This is the minimum information that should be included in the reference letter:  

For all sub-programs: 

Information on the candidate: 

• Name and surname 
• How is/was she/he involved in the Organization or in community affairs? (participating member, management team member) 
• What does she/he do in the Organization/community/enterprise?  
• What are her/his skills that make her/him a good fit for the program that she/he wants to apply? 
• What are her/his characteristics. i.e: persistent, committed, honest, avid learner, respectful, hard worker, empathetic. 

Information on the organization (or Indigenous Authority) that is writing the reference: 

• Name 
• Address, including community, municipality and country. 
• Phone number 
• Specific contact with name, surname, email and signature  
• Position of the person who writes the note 

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Candidate information

• First name
• Last name
• Email
• Phone
• Country of residence
• Nationality (may be more than one)
• Which Indigenous group do you belong to?
• Gender (Female/Male/Prefer not to say)
• Year of Birth

Application information

Opportunity you apply for (select only one):

1. Young Indigenous Practitioners
2. Indigenous Leadership and Networking
3. Indigenous Capacity
4. Business Development Fellowship

Date you are available to start :

Evaluate your level in the languages below: (Native/Fluent/Good/Beginner/None)

• English
• Spanish
• French
• Portuguese

Attach the presentation and motivation file(s) :

• The document(s) can be in video, audio, image, word, PowerPoint, or pdf format.
• Please refer to the application instructions here.

Attach 2 reference letters by Indigenous Peoples’ organizations:

• The documents can be in word, PowerPoint, or pdf format.
• If you only have one reference letter, please explain why in a comment below.
• Please refer to the application instructions here.

How did you hear about this fellowship?

For this first round of the Ancestral Seeds Fund, proposals will be received from Indigenous youth entrepreneurs from four different regions of the world: Africa, Asia, South America, and Mesoamerica that have previously participated in programs or projects implemented by USAID implementing partners in the country from they are applying. This information must be verifiable. This sub-program has two components:

1. Indigenous business skills and knowledge

Aimed to strengthen young Indigenous entrepreneurs and Indigenous traditional business management capacities of youth to promote and consolidate their initiatives and generate a greater impact in their communities. This strengthening will be carried out through a coaching for entrepreneurship and business management program.

2. Indigenous accelerating investment

Directed to Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses, which will contribute to their long-term self-development and Indigenous self-reliance through small seed funds. Each of the selected entrepreneurships will receive USD 3,000, which should be executed within 6 months after receiving the support, according to their Indigenous business plan.

Young Indigenous entrepreneurs between the age of 18 to 30 will be able to apply to this program. The Indigenous entrepreneurs that are interested in applying must be working within the following economic sectors:

• Forestry and ecosystem services
• Agricultural, agroforestry or livestock
• Industrial sector, which may include fabrics, handicrafts, processed agricultural products, among other similar products.
• Service sector, which may include sustainable tourism, financial services, healthcare, among other similar activities.
• Technology, education, and communications.
• Cultural or orange economy.

Indigenous youth entrepreneurs may be part of one or more economic sectors. It is recommended to address several cross-cutting topics such as the ones mentioned in the last section. Each of the selected entrepreneurships will be verified with the USAID operator in whose program or project they have previously participated.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Title of entrepreneurship, country/province/community of implementation, economic sector, and crosscutting topics to which it applies. Including a letter from an Indigenous Peoples’ organization supporting the initiative.

WHAT?
Describe the entrepreneurship and its impact in the community. Please include the number of possible families to be benefited from the proposal.

WHO?
Describe the internal organization of the entrepreneurship, year of creation, contact information, assets. The proponents should identify their needs for organizational development and other technical needs to strengthen their entrepreneurship.

WHY?
Explain why this entrepreneurship should be selected. Mention the expected result.

HOW & WHEN?
Explain how the accelerating investment is going to be used and how it will contribute to Indigenous self-development and Indigenous self-reliance. Explain when it is going to be executed, including a budget and execution schedule.

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