Safeguarding U.S. Critical Minerals Supply Chains- Tunisia

The Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs seeks applications for the "Safeguarding U.S. Critical Minerals Supply Chains–Tunisia" cooperative agreement by September 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET, supporting U.S. private-sector engagement in phosphate development, mineral processing optimization, and trade and investment linkages with Tunisia.

Eligible applicants include U.S. and U.S.-aligned for-profit companies, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, and public international organizations. Applicants must demonstrate at least five years of experience in critical minerals or extractive industries, commercial diplomacy with U.S. government agencies, and technical standards alignment capabilities; established operations in North Africa are preferred. Applicants may form consortia or submit joint proposals to collectively meet requirements, and Tunisian companies may participate as partners, sub-recipients, or subcontractors alongside U.S.-based prime applicants. Applicants must maintain a Unique Entity Identifier and active SAM.gov registration.

Awards range from $1,000,000 to $1,536,511 for an 18–24 month performance period with an anticipated start date of October 1, 2026. The funding instrument may be structured as a grant, fixed amount award, or cooperative agreement, determined during the selection process. No cost share is required.

Program objectives include mobilizing over $100 million in U.S. private capital to secure 30–40 percent American equity stake in PhosCo Ltd phosphate development; generating $15–25 million in U.S. equipment exports; and supporting 75–125 U.S. manufacturing jobs. These are aspirational targets rather than mandatory contractual deliverables. Key activities encompass private capital mobilization through investor vetting and convening, supply chain agreements and commercial frameworks supporting binding off-take contracts, and downstream byproduct technical assessment. Recipients must dedicate at least 3 percent of total budget to monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities.

Merit review emphasizes strategic alignment and program impact (30 points), commercial diplomacy and export generation (25 points), private capital mobilization and financial viability (20 points), institutional capacity and key personnel (15 points), and monitoring, evaluation, and sustainability (10 points).

Applications are submitted through MyGrants (Opportunity number DFOP0019505). The program is funded under CFDA 19.600, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.