American Innovation and Workforce Advancement Program

The U.S. Embassy Djibouti's Public Diplomacy Section is soliciting applications to implement the American Innovation and Workforce Advancement Program, with applications due August 9, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Djibouti Time. Eligible applicants include registered nonprofit organizations, think tanks, civil society organizations, public and private educational institutions, governmental institutions, and public international organizations based in Djibouti or the United States; for-profit entities are ineligible. All organizations must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier and maintain active registration in SAM.gov.

The Embassy anticipates awarding 1 to 6 grants totaling up to $50,000, with individual awards ranging from $3,000 to $8,000. No cost share is required. The program funds workforce development and professional skills initiatives strengthening hard skills, soft skills, entrepreneurship, leadership, and career readiness among Djiboutian youth, emerging professionals, educators, and underserved communities. Specific skill areas include digital literacy, STEM, financial literacy, project management, critical thinking, and career readiness. Projects must incorporate a clear American element and strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and Djibouti through workforce development, professional exchange, and economic opportunity.

The performance period is 6 to 12 months with an anticipated project start date of October 2026. Awards will be administered as grants or cooperative agreements, with possible continuation funding on a non-competitive basis contingent upon satisfactory performance and fund availability.

Evaluation criteria weight program quality and feasibility (30 points), organizational capacity (25 points), project planning ability (20 points), budget reasonableness (10 points), monitoring and evaluation plans (10 points), and sustainability (5 points). Ineligible activities include partisan political activity, direct social services, construction, religious activities, fundraising, lobbying, scientific research, commercial projects, and activities duplicating existing programs. The Department will notify applicants within 120 days of the deadline. Applications may be submitted via Grants.gov or email to DjiboutiPDSubmissions@state.gov, with the funding opportunity number and title included in the subject line for email submissions.