330 grantees in 21 African countries. Grantees have used these funds to, among other things, manage increased transport costs, decreased production capacity, and insufficient storage for inputs and inventory. Additionally, USADF committed another $2 million to other sectors suitable to fight the pandemic’s effects by providing off-grid energy solutions for rural health clinics and isolation and treatment centers and providing grants to support the development of a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Africa Coalition (alongside funding from the Western Union Foundation) to meet communities’ PPE needs. The Foundation also provided training to youth in Nigeria in healthcare sector jobs as part of its partnership with Lagos State. 2020 - With the creation and implementation of its youth entrepreneurship summit, held in Kenya in 2018 and Senegal in 2019, USADF scratched the surface of the potential of its convening power. The Foundation enhanced its approach to leveraging its convening power in 2020, creating the Financing, Utilization, Networking in Development (FUND) Africa Summit. More than 200 people participated in the inaugural FUND Africa Summit, held in August 2020, as a virtual event due to COVID-19-related travel and gathering restrictions. FUND Africa provided a platform for notable speakers and subject matter experts to hold discussions with grantees on topics such as navigating the COVID-19 world, augmenting business models, and utilizing technology to find efficiency. 2021 - USADF and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) established the Africa Small Business Catalyst (ASBC) – a partnership to promote investments in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurial solutions in African countries. This program combines DFC’s powerful financing tools (loans) with USADF’s on-the-ground presence and grant making-expertise. Under the partnership, USADF and DFC will provide loans between $50,000 and $500,000, accompanied by grants between $10,000 and $100,000 to African SMEs. 2022 – USADF made several announcements, including on the margins of the 77th United Nations General Assembly and the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit President Biden hosted. These include: A. The signing of a five-year, $20 million co-funding partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation focused on youth entrepreneurship and SME strengthening via investment toolkits B. The signing of a five-year, $10 partnership with the Government of Namibia’s Ministry of Industrialization and Trade to provide grant investments that enhance and strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs and ensure sustainable development of the rural economy in Namibia C. The launch of USADF Off-Grid Energy Challenges focused on energy for healthcare, energy for agriculture,