Drive Impact, C.r.l.

Drive Impact, C.r.l. is a foreign-owned, non-profit organization registered in Portugal with a mission focused on supporting female entrepreneurship and economic recovery initiatives. Based in Paço de Arcos, the organization has been actively engaged with U.S. federal government grant programs since August 2020, primarily working with the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The organization appears to specialize in developing entrepreneurial ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on supporting women entrepreneurs and addressing economic challenges in the Portuguese business landscape.

Drive Impact, C.r.l. has consistently received federal grant awards centered on the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, with a strategic focus on economic recovery and female business leadership. The organization has been awarded multiple cooperative agreements and project grants, totaling nine federal awards between 2020 and 2024. These grants, ranging from seed money for pitch competition winners to broader ecosystem support projects, have included specific efforts to support Ukrainian women entrepreneurs displaced by war. The grants, typically ranging from $50,000 to $200,000, have consistently aimed to boost economic recovery, support female business leaders, and create sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems. The organization has demonstrated a track record of implementing programs that address both economic development and gender empowerment, with a particular geographical focus on Portugal and responsive programming that adapts to emerging global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the humanitarian crisis resulting from the Ukraine conflict.