Pax Silica Artificial Intelligence Assistance Project

Closed Posted

Opportunity number
DFOP0019193
Agency
Applications due
Award size
$1,000,000 to $50,000,000

Opportunity facts

Assistance listings
Funding instrument
Cooperative Agreement
Category
  • Business and Commerce
Eligible applicants
  • For Profit Organizations
Points of contact

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

Written by GovTribe AI ·

The Department of State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs is soliciting applications for the Pax Silica Artificial Intelligence Assistance Project, a cooperative agreement to establish a trusted supply chain credentialing and provenance platform for AI supply chains in partner countries, with applications due by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 20, 2026. Cost sharing is not required, though projects with at least $25,000 in voluntary cost sharing receive five evaluation points.

Eligible applicants include U.S. for-profit organizations, U.S.-based non-profit and non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, and U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education. Total available funding is approximately $50 million, with 1–3 awards anticipated ranging from $1 million to $50 million per award. The performance period is 24 months, extendable to 36 months with strong justification, with an anticipated start date of September 30, 2026.

The project comprises two integrated phases: Phase 1 will pilot the platform in Panama; Phase 2 will expand to additional Pax Silica partner economies to be determined by the Department approximately 12 months into the project. Applicants must address both phases as a single proposal with separate budgets. The project establishes a "Silicon Highway"—a digital-physical corridor that accelerates logistics and compliance operations through cryptographic cargo verification, AI-expedited risk assessment, and pre-approved expedited processing among partner countries' customs authorities.

Evaluation criteria include quality and feasibility (25 points), organizational capacity (15 points), project planning (15 points), financial capacity and cost-effectiveness (15 points), monitoring and evaluation plan (15 points), sustainability (10 points), and cost sharing (5 points). The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, indicating substantial Department involvement in detailed planning, stage-by-stage work approval, communications strategy, and joint presentation of outcomes to foreign partners. Award decisions will be made by November 30, 2026. The program operates under CFDA 19.322 (Economic Statecraft). The Department maintains rights of use to intangible property created under this project per 2 CFR 200.315.

Synopsis

Leveraging foreign assistance from the Pax Fund, this NOFO launches the Pax Silica Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistance Project-a historic first-of-its-kind programmatic initiative to strengthen global AI supply chain security by creating a trusted supply chain credentialing and provenance platform to secure the AI supply chain in partner countries and economies. This NOFO seeks to fund the establishment of a Silicon Highway: a digital-physical corridor that accelerates logistics and compliance operations among partner countries with cryptographic cargo verification, AI-expedited risk assessment, and pre-approved expedited processing early in the supply chain. The Department maintains its rights of use to intangible property created under this project per 2 CFR 200.315.

Files

File Type Posted
EEB NOFO DFOP0019193 Q&A.pdf PDF
Budget Template (2).xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
NOFO FY26 Pax Silica AI Assistance Project (2).docx DOCX document

Posting history

Listing Posted Applications due
Opportunity This listing · Latest
Opportunity
Opportunity
Opportunity
Opportunity
Opportunity Original

On GovTribe

Work this opportunity

  • Track it in your pipeline
  • Find teaming partners
  • Similar grant opportunities
  • Ask GovTribe AI about this opportunity
Try for free Login