Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF): Sierra Leone

Key facts

Copied from the official Grants.gov record. Last verified October 29, 2026.

Program name

Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF): Sierra Leone

Issuing agency

U.S. Mission to Sierra Leone (Department of State)

Opportunity number

2026-FREETOWN-AEIF-01

Funding type

Grant

Funding purpose

Other — The purpose of the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) is to increase the impact of the U.S. government’s investment in exchange programs by helping alumni develop and implement projects to support U.S. policy objectives and promote shared interests. Projects may be individual or organizational projects or alumni summits. For FY2026, all AEIF projects must celebrate and promote the 250th anniversary of the United States (#Freedom250), highlighting American excellence. Successful proposals will demonstrate strong engagement with and among exchange alumni, target audiences strategic to U.S. policy goals, and outline a plan for continuing engagement with alumni.

Status

Forecasted

Application deadline

Forecasted · estimated close May 1, 2026 (agency estimate)

Agency estimates

Estimated posting: March 24, 2026. Estimates can change.

Published award range

From $5,000

Estimated total program funding

$40,000

Expected number of awards

50

Cost sharing or match required

No

Eligible applicants (official categories)

• Others (see Additional Information on Eligibility)

Relevant to

Businesses and NonprofitsHow we determined this: Listed as 'Others'; the agency's eligibility text mentions businesses (flagged for review). Listed as 'Others'; the agency's eligibility text mentions nonprofits (flagged for review).

Geographic restrictions

None stated in structured data (federal opportunities are often nationwide). Check the eligibility details and full announcement for any limits.

Assistance Listing (CFDA)

19.022

Official source

View on Grants.gov ↗

Application URL

www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361608 ↗Apply through Grants.gov (Workspace) using the application package on the official listing, unless the full announcement names a different submission system.

Source identifier

Grants.gov opportunity ID 361608 · Funding opportunity number 2026-FREETOWN-AEIF-01

Posted

March 24, 2026 · Source last updated March 24, 2026

Last verified

October 29, 2026 (against Grants.gov)

Data completeness

100% of key fields published by the source

Record confidence

loweligibility described only in free text (in review); forecast — dates and amounts are agency estimates.

Eligibility details (from the agency)

The project proposal must include the involvement of at least two exchange alumni or involvement of an alumni association. U.S. exchange alumni include ECA funded exchanges, BridgeUSA participants, and other U.S. government funded or sponsored programs that have met the criteria for exchange programs. U.S. citizen alumni may be included on alumni teams; however, the team must have at least two non-U.S. citizen exchange program alumni leading the project. The following organizations are eligible to receive a grant:• Not-for-profit organizations, including think-tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations• Public and private educational institutions• Individuals• Public Governmental institutionsFor-profit entities, even those that may fall into the categories listed above, are not eligible to apply for this NOFO. Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal. For more information on the difference between sub-contract and sub-recipient, please refer to 2 CFR 200.331.

Description (from the official listing)

The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Freetown announces an open competition to implement the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) project. The purpose of the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) is to increase the impact of the U.S. government’s investment in exchange programs by helping alumni develop and implement projects to support U.S. policy objectives and promote shared interests. All AEIF 2026 projects must also celebrate and promote the 250th anniversary of the United States (#Freedom250) highlighting examples of American excellence past, present, or future. Projects should have the potential for long-term, self-sustainable impact in local communities. Awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $35,000 (approximately) for individual projects, and up to $40,000 for single country alumni summits dependent on the availability of funds. Successful proposals will demonstrate strong engagement with and among exchange alumni, target audiences strategic to U.S. policy goals, and outline a plan for continuing engagement with alumni.

Agency contact

PASGrants Freetown Grantor
PASGrantsFreetown@state.gov