APEX Q&A 09032026.pdf

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Official Q&A for Grants.gov Posting

(NOFO DOS-SAU-2602-PD, APEX)

Note: Questions 1-9 were answered previously. You can view or download them on Grants.gov under the "Related Documents" tab.

Question 10: Is there a maximum message or attachment size, a preferred file naming convention, and does the Section acknowledge receipt?

Answer: Applications may be submitted by email to riyadhgrants@state.gov or electronically through Grants.gov. Applicants should use one method; submission through both is not required.

For email submissions, applicants should observe the following:

• Total message size: Keep each email under 10 MB, inclusive of all attachments. If your package exceeds this, split it across multiple emails, number them in the subject line (e.g., "1 of 3"), and list the contents of each.

Do not use file-sharing links or cloud-storage services; Embassy systems may block them.

• File format: PDF preferred for all narrative documents and attachments.

Standard forms may be submitted in their native format.

• File naming: [Organization Name]_[Document Type]_APEX.pdf

• Subject line: DOS-SAU-2602-PD – APEX – [Organization Name]

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit well in advance of the deadline. The deadline is September 8, 2026, 11:59 PM AST (Arabia Standard Time).

Transmission failures are the applicant's responsibility, and late applications will not be considered.

Question 11: Is the 13-province spread to be demonstrated at the applicant and finalist stage, or must the traveling cohort itself include participants from all 13 provinces?

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Answer: The NOFO calls for "a geographical spread across the 13 provinces of

Saudi Arabia." This is not a quota requiring one selected traveler from each province.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate meaningful engagement of participants from across the Kingdom at each phase of the project, recruitment and outreach, the virtual hackathon and screening, the U.S. exchange, and the follow-on summit.

The final cohort should reflect genuine geographic breadth resulting from that merit-based process.

Proposals with a credible, concrete plan for nationwide engagement across all phases will score more favorably under Program Planning and Innovation (15 points).

Question 12: The NOFO requires three budgets for cohorts of 12, 16, and 20 participants, but the SF-424B is designed for a single budget. How should the three scenarios be presented?

Answer: A clarification first: the SF-424B is the Assurances form for Non-

Construction Programs and does not contain budget data. Budget information is submitted on the SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs).

Only one signed SF-424 and one SF-424B (if applicable) are required per application.

For the three required cohort scenarios, 12, 16, and 20 participants, with 16 as the primary scenario applicants should:

1. Submit one SF-424A reflecting the 16-participant primary scenario. The total on the SF-424 and SF-424A should correspond to this primary scenario.

2. Submit two additional SF-424A forms for the 12- and 20-participant scenarios, each clearly labeled.

3. Address all three scenarios in the single Budget Justification Narrative, presenting a clear line-item comparison and identifying which costs are fixed and which scale with cohort size.

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Applicants who prefer to submit a single SF-424A for the primary scenario and present the 12- and 20-participant scenarios in detailed line-item form within the

Budget Justification Narrative and an accompanying spreadsheet may do so. Either approach is acceptable provided all three scenarios are presented at comparable line-item detail. Evaluators will assess "value for money and cost-effectiveness across all three mandatory budget scenarios" under the Budget and Cost

Effectiveness criterion (15 points).