not quite the same situation here but, at one point in time of my life I wanted to apply for international grant money, it was to be used to start up a NPO to help provide a sustainable lively hood for islanders whom have no real natural resources except coral reefs, and also help protect the reefs in the process, I learned alot on how to aquire grant money though, through various sources

I can dig up some info for you if you like, I have knowledge in preparing bullet proof business plan outlines also, starting with the executive summary

you might not be able to tell by my spelling and post outlines but, thats nothing Word could not fix

my main barrier was the fact that I had a wife who I could not leave for long periods of time, while living in remote islands in substandard conditions & working with the natives, teaching them what they needed to know, then came children, and there was also a few diferrent languages I needed to master first, and also religious percecution, just cause I was white, religious or not, I may have never came back alive

your best bet is to apply as a minority since you are a women, if the business is to be in your name