U.S-Saudi AI Research Commercialization Accelerator Program (ReCAP)

The U.S. Embassy Riyadh is soliciting applications for a cooperative agreement to design and implement the U.S.-Saudi AI Research Commercialization Accelerator Program (ReCAP), a 12-month initiative connecting Saudi Arabia's AI innovation ecosystem with U.S. technology, investment, and commercialization resources, with applications due September 14, 2026 at 23:59 EDT. One award of $900,000 is available with no cost share requirement.

Eligible applicants are not-for-profit organizations, civil society or non-governmental organizations, public and private educational institutions, and public international organizations. For-profit entities are ineligible. Applicants must hold a Unique Entity Identifier and maintain active SAM.gov registration throughout the proposal review and award period; exemptions may be requested on a case-by-case basis. The Department has waived the standard two-week advance notice requirement for UEI/SAM.gov exemption requests, and applications will not be deemed technically ineligible if SAM.gov registration is pending at submission, provided the application is otherwise complete and organizational eligibility requirements are met. All UEI and SAM.gov compliance must be satisfied before award issuance.

The program will source and evaluate 20–30 Saudi-developed AI technologies, advance approximately 10 of the most promising through applied U.S.-led commercialization programming and Innovation Labs, conduct an intensive U.S. study tour, and culminate in a high-level U.S.-Saudi AI Research Commercialization Summit. American Content is central to evaluation: proposals must integrate U.S. expertise, methodologies, institutions, and professional networks substantially across all program components, with the workshop series led substantially by qualified American practitioners.

Evaluation criteria are quality and feasibility (30 points), organizational capacity and grant history (25 points), project planning and objectives achievement (20 points), budget (10 points), monitoring and evaluation (10 points), and sustainability (5 points). The anticipated project start date is October 1, 2026. The funding source is FY26 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds (CFDA 19.040). Recipients are responsible for all program administration and implementation, including arranging study tour logistics and securing U.S. ecosystem access; the Embassy will consult on and approve itineraries but will not source or negotiate host commitments. Payment will be made via SF-270 on an incremental, needs-based basis tied to program milestones.