Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund 2026

Closed Posted

Opportunity number
HRV-001-FY2026
Agency
Applications due
Award size
$5,000 to $35,000

Opportunity facts

Assistance listings
Funding instrument
Grant
Category
  • Other
Eligible applicants
Not on record
Points of contact
Full announcement

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

Written by GovTribe AI ·

The U.S. Embassy Zagreb's Public Diplomacy Section is soliciting proposals for alumni-led projects that promote shared interests, policy objectives, and community benefit through the 2026 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF). Administered by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs Appropriation Overseas Grants program (CFDA 19.022), this opportunity targets U.S. government-funded exchange program alumni who wish to develop and implement community-focused initiatives. Eligible applicants must be alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs, with projects requiring participation of at least two program alumni, including a designated team lead; alumni associations may also apply with a specified alumni team lead. The evaluation will assess proposals based on their alignment with U.S. policy objectives, community benefit potential, and feasibility of implementation. The proposal submission deadline is May 11, 2026, with selected projects to be nominated as Croatia's candidates for AEIF consideration and subsequent competition with proposals from other countries for final funding approval.

Award values for AEIF projects typically range from $5,000 to $35,000, with some larger regional initiatives reaching $100,000, and anticipated performance periods of 6 to 18 months. All project activities must take place outside U.S. territories and primarily benefit foreign national communities aligned with U.S. policy objectives, with recent awards under the broader Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs supporting performance periods of 12 to 27 months. Recipients are required to maintain comprehensive financial records, supporting documentation, and statistical records for three years from the submission date of the final expenditure report.

Synopsis

The U.S. Embassy Zagreb - Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) is pleased to announce the roll-out of the 2026 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF). The AEIF is an annual funding opportunity designed to invest in U.S. government-funded exchange participants and programs by helping alumni develop and implement projects that promote shared interests and policy objectives and benefit local communities. We invite you to submit proposals for projects that meet the requirements of the program (discussed in Section C below). Please read this notice carefully before preparing and submitting a funding proposal.

Please also note the following: This solicitation does not constitute an award commitment by the U.S. government. A final award cannot be made until the proposal has been reviewed and approved, and an award agreement is drawn up and signed by a grants officer. The U.S. Embassy reserves the right not to issue an award after receipt of any proposal. The U.S. Embassy also reserves the right to reduce, revise, and/or increase a proposal budget in accordance with the needs of the program and availability of funds.

The winning projects will be nominated as Croatia's candidates for AEIF (Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund) funding. This means that the selected projects will be submitted to the AEIF program for consideration and final approval. Once nominated, these projects will compete with proposals from other countries for final AEIF funding.

Please do not apply for this funding opportunity if you are not an alumnus of a U.S. government-funded exchange program.

1. Eligible Applicants

· Alumni who participated in a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program where the proposed project involves at least two U.S. government-sponsored exchange program alumni, and one is a specified team lead.

· Alumni associations from countries with current U.S. representation, but such applications must specify an alumni team lead.

· If three or more alumni are applying together, U.S. citizen alumni may be included on alumni teams, but the team must have at least two non-U.S. citizen exchange program alumni. U.S. citizen alumni cannot be team leads on project proposals.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

· Cost sharing is not required.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration in SAM.gov.



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