Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund 2026

The U.S. Department of State, through the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia, seeks project proposals from Saudi exchange alumni that strengthen bilateral ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia under the 2026 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF). Eligible applicants must be alumni of U.S. government-funded or sponsored exchange programs, organized as teams with at least two alumni members and at least one Saudi citizen or resident team leader; U.S. citizen alumni may participate as team members but cannot serve as lead applicants. Projects must address one or more of seven strategic priority areas, including cultural heritage preservation, alumni empowerment through leadership development, sports and cultural initiatives, educational excellence, Freedom 250 celebration, media literacy, and creative economy and tech sector development, with special emphasis on AI and tech transformation, creative economy workforce development, and sustainable energy collaboration. The Department of State will evaluate proposals based on relevance to Embassy priorities, project purpose and implementation feasibility, alumni involvement, local partner participation, monitoring and evaluation plans, communications strategy, and budget justification. The submission deadline is May 7, 2026, at 23:59 Arabia Standard Time (AST), and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by August 22, 2026.

Awards will range from $5,000 to $35,000, with a maximum of three grants available during this funding cycle using FY26 Fulbright-Hays Public Diplomacy Funds. All projects must be completed within 12 months of the anticipated start date, which will occur within 45 days of funding approval notification. The majority of funded activities must take place in Saudi Arabia, with allowable expenses including transportation, venue rental, meals integral to projects, virtual programming costs, speaker honoraria (capped at $250 per day), equipment, and communications materials, while disallowing staff salaries, construction, alcohol, U.S. airfare, scholarships, and partisan political activities.