Hands on the Future: A Making and Computer Coding Skill-building Program for Women | ND NOFO 19 103

Opportunity Information: Apply for ND NOFO 19 103

Hands on the Future: A Making and Computer Coding Skill-building Program for Women is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to India) grant opportunity run through the U.S. Embassy's Public Affairs Section (REPS Office). The program is designed to strengthen practical making and computer coding skills among young Indian women, pairing hands-on training with mentorship and a clear pathway from learning to real-world application. It focuses on women ages 18 to 23 who already show interest in STEM, and it is built around four major metro areas: New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

The program has three core components: first, a structured needs assessment; second, free skills training workshops; and third, mentorship from women working in STEM. The needs assessment is meant to map and evaluate each city's existing maker and coding ecosystem and, most importantly, identify where free or low-cost training options are missing or insufficient for the target audience. The grantee is expected to produce a report that pinpoints specific gaps in access, content, or support, which then informs how the training is designed and delivered in each location.

Based on the findings from the needs assessment, the grantee must recruit and select about 30 participants per city (roughly 120 participants total across the four cities). The grantee must also ensure there is at least one course facilitator per city and then design and deliver a set of four intensive, customized classes in each city. These classes are to be held at American Centers in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai, and they must be offered at no cost to participants. Rather than creating curricula from scratch, the program is expected to leverage existing open-source curricula and resources, tailoring the content to address the specific training gaps identified locally. The overall emphasis is on practical skill-building in making and coding, implying a hands-on learning format rather than purely lecture-based instruction.

Mentorship is a required feature, not an optional add-on. The grantee must recruit a minimum of three women in STEM per class cohort to serve as mentors in each city. These mentors may include local U.S. Mission staff or other experts, and their role is to support participants as they learn, build confidence, and connect skill development with career and project pathways. This element is meant to provide participants with visible role models, professional guidance, and a more sustained support system beyond the classroom sessions.

In addition to the four intensive classes, the program includes a capstone-style fifth session in each city in collaboration with the Public Affairs Section's Nexus Start-up Hub. This final class focuses on translating ideas and prototypes into products or services, pushing participants to think about practical implementation, user needs, and early-stage entrepreneurship or product development. In other words, the initiative is not only about learning technical fundamentals, but also about helping participants understand how those skills can lead to tangible outcomes, whether that means prototypes, portfolios, or market-ready concepts.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant (Funding Opportunity Number ND NOFO 19 103) within the education activity category (CFDA 19.040). The opportunity was created December 20, 2018, and originally closed February 20, 2019. The funding ceiling is $26,000, with one award expected. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in that nonprofit category). Overall, the grant supports a compact, outcomes-oriented program that combines ecosystem research, targeted training, professional mentorship, and a final commercialization-oriented session, all aimed at expanding opportunities for young women in STEM across four major Indian cities.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to India in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hands on the Future: A Making and Computer Coding Skill-building Program for Women" 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 Dec 20, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 20, 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 $26,000.00 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 ND NOFO 19 103

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