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Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF): Sierra Leone

Agency: U.S. Mission to Sierra Leone

Assistance Listings: 19.022 -- Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs Appropriation Overseas Grants

Last Updated: March 24, 2026

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

Eligible applicants

Miscellaneous

  • Other

Additional information

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.

Grantor contact information

Description

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Email

Application Submission email

PASGrantsFreetown@state.gov

Documents

File nameDescriptionLast updated
EmbassyFreetown2026AEIFNOFO..pdf
NOFO
Mar 24, 2026 04:07 PM UTC
ATTACHMENT_001_-_AEIF_2026_Proposal_Form.docx
Applicant's Proposal Form
Mar 24, 2026 04:09 PM UTC
ATTACHMENT_002_-_Applicant_Organization_Information_AOI_Survey.docx
Applicant's Organization Information Form
Mar 24, 2026 04:09 PM UTC
ATTACHMENT_003_-_PDS_Budget_Narrative_Template.xlsx
Applicant's Budget Form
Mar 24, 2026 04:10 PM UTC

Link to additional information

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Forecasted

Estimated Post Date:

March 24, 2026

Estimated Application Due Date:

May 1, 2026

Estimated Due Date Description:

Not available

Estimated Award Date:

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Estimated Project Start Date:

October 1, 2026

Fiscal Year:

2026

Application process

This site is a work in progress. Go to www.grants.gov to apply, track application status, and subscribe to updates.

Award

$40,000

Program Funding

50

Expected awards

$5,000

Award Minimum

$--

Award Maximum

Funding opportunity number:

2026-FREETOWN-AEIF-01

Cost sharing or matching requirement:

No

Funding instrument type:

Grant

Opportunity Category:

Discretionary

Opportunity Category Explanation:

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Category of Funding Activity:

Other

Category Explanation:

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. Projects may be individual or organizational projects or alumni summits. For FY2026, all AEIF projects must celebrate and promote the 250th anniversary of the United States (#Freedom250), highlighting American excellence. 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.

History

Version:

1

Forecast posted date:

March 24, 2026

Archive date:

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