Resources
Competition Documents
The following documents are PDF versions of the key ADM documents that will help you fill out your application.
U.S. Government Programs
ADM is working with several other U.S. Government agencies and programs to facilitate the access of ADM finalists and winners to additional financial and technical support. Please note that ADM participation does not guarantee access to these programs. Participation will depend on the availability of services and business type. Example programs include:
- USAID Development Credit Authority (DCA): DCA is a tool within USAID that enables missions to provide partial credit guarantees for private-sector investments. These guarantees, which cover up to 50% of the risk in lending to projects, reduce the risk associated with lending to new sectors or new borrowers. This document provides a list of African DCAs that focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) (49k, .xls).
- Enterprise Development Network/Africa Technical Assistance Initiative (EDN/ATA): The Enterprise Development Network is a strategic alliance between the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an agency of the U.S. government, and the private sector. Through a growing network of private sector organizations including financial institutions, business consultants, associations, law firms, and regional investment promotion agencies, EDN provides financing and political risk insurance to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) doing business in developing countries.
Additional Resources
The following resources provide guides for writing proposals, business plans, budgeting, financial forecasting, attracting investment, managing human resources, and more. Please note: ADM does not endorse any of these websites, nor is it responsible for their content or maintenance.
Writing Proposals
- Proposal Writing Short Course by the Foundation Center: Describes how to prepare the various components of a proposal for funding, and includes planning, research, and cultivation of potential foundation and corporate funders.
- Proposal Writing Basics Webinar by the Foundation Center: Provides instruction on the key components of a proposal to a foundation or corporation and answers questions that first-timers often have about the process of applying for a grant.
- Proposal Budgeting Basics by the Foundation Center: Covers the basics of developing a project budget, including overhead costs, employee fringe benefits, and links to sample budget templates.
Business Tools
Tutorials and guides for writing business plans, budgeting, financial forecasting, attracting investment, managing human resources, and more!
- Business in Development Network (BiDNetwork): The BiDNetwork engages thousands of entrepreneurs, experts and investors from all over the world to stimulate entrepreneurship and economic growth in emerging markets. The BiDNetwork website includes valuable resources, including sources of financing, investment guides, sample business plans, etc.
- Small Business Administration (SBA): The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is as an independent agency of the federal government created to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall U.S. economy. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses through an extensive network of field offices, partnerships with public and private organizations, and online tools.
- SME Toolkit (International Financial Corporation): The SME Toolkit offers software, business forms, training, and more to help small businesses in emerging markets grow and succeed. The website includes many online tools covering basic business skills and activities as well as sample business plans.
Social Entrepreneurship
- Social Edge (Skoll Foundation): Social Edge is the global online community of the Skoll Foundation where social entrepreneurs and other practitioners of the social benefit sector connect to network, learn, and share resources.
- Ashoka Changemakers: Changemakers is an on-line community dedicated to social entrepreneurship that facilitates collaboration, knowledge exchange, mentoring, and grant competitions.
