Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF): Sierra Leone
DOS-SLE Forecasted 2026-FREETOWN-AEIF-01Description
The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Freetown announces an open competition to implement the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) project. The purpose of the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) is to increase the impact of the U.S. government’s investment in exchange programs by helping alumni develop and implement projects to support U.S. policy objectives and promote shared interests. All AEIF 2026 projects must also celebrate and promote the 250th anniversary of the United States (#Freedom250) highlighting examples of American excellence past, present, or future. Projects should have the potential for long-term, self-sustainable impact in local communities. Awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $35,000 (approximately) for individual projects, and up to $40,000 for single country alumni summits dependent on the availability of funds. Successful proposals will demonstrate strong engagement with and among exchange alumni, target audiences strategic to U.S. policy goals, and outline a plan for continuing engagement with alumni.
Eligibility
The project proposal must include the involvement of at least two exchange alumni or involvement of an alumni association. U.S. exchange alumni include ECA funded exchanges, BridgeUSA participants, and other U.S. government funded or sponsored programs that have met the criteria for exchange programs. U.S. citizen alumni may be included on alumni teams; however, the team must have at least two non-U.S. citizen exchange program alumni leading the project. The following organizations are eligible to receive a grant:• Not-for-profit organizations, including think-tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations• Public and private educational institutions• Individuals• Public Governmental institutionsFor-profit entities, even those that may fall into the categories listed above, are not eligible to apply for this NOFO. Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal. For more information on the difference between sub-contract and sub-recipient, please refer to 2 CFR 200.331.
Actions
Funding Details
- Award Floor
- $5,000.00
- Award Ceiling
- Not specified
- Total Estimated Funding
- $40,000.00
- Expected Awards
- 50
Key Dates
- Posted
- March 24, 2026
- Closes
- N/A
- Archive Date
- N/A
Agency Information
- Agency Name
- U.S. Mission to Sierra Leone
- Agency Code
- DOS-SLE
- Funding Instrument
- Other