U.S. Embassy Rangoon AEIF 2026 Grants Competition is sponsored by U.S. Department of State. Funds alumni-led public diplomacy projects advancing U. S.

foreign policy interests.

## U.S. Embassy Rangoon | Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund 2026 | Call for Applications U.S. Embassy Rangoon announces an open competition for past participants (“alumni”) of U.S. government-funded and U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to submit applications to the 2026 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2026). We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements below.

Alumni are strongly encouraged to apply to this notice of funding opportunity even if currently residing outside of Burma providing the proposed project will impact communities inside Burma and/or displaced persons from Burma residing outside the United States. Exchange alumni interested in participating in AEIF 2026 must submit complete application package to RangoonUSECA@state. gov by EOD **Sunday May 3, 2025.

** **Disclaimer:** This notice is subject to availability of funding. U.S. Embassy Rangoon does not guarantee availability of funding by receiving applications under this announcement. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

AEIF provides alumni of U.S. government-sponsored and facilitated exchange programs with funding to expand on skills gained during their exchange experience to design and implement innovative solutions to global challenges facing their community.

AEIF 2026 projects must clearly advance America First foreign policy principles by demonstrating how alumni-led engagement makes the United States safer, stronger, and more prosperous, while celebratingFreedom250and American excellence.

U.S. Embassy Rangoon will accept public service projects proposed and managed by teams of at least two (2) alumni that support themes: * Artificial intelligence, digital innovation, and workforce competitiveness * Security and protection from transnational threats * Applied Education and Human Capital for National Development * Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Market-Based Growth Download Full Program Objectives & Priority Areas here (MS Word | 36KB) ## FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION **Funding Opportunity Title:**U.S. Embassy Rangoon AEIF 2026 Grants Competition **Funding Opportunity Number:**26-MMR-AEIF-001 **Closing date for applications:**May 3, 2026 **Length of performance period:** 6-12 months **Award amounts:** Awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $35,000.

**Type of Funding**: FY26 Educational and Cultural Exchanges (ECE) **Anticipated program start date:** September 1,2026 **Funding Instrument Type:** Grant,Fixed Amount Award. **Program Performance Period**:Proposed projects should be completed in 12 months or less.

## ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION The following individuals are eligible to apply: * Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded or sponsored exchange program or a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (https://j1visa. state. gov/).

* Projects teams must include teams of at least two (2) alumni. * Alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit proposals, but U.S. citizen alumni may participate as team members in a project. * Alumni teams may be comprised of alumni from different exchange programs and different countries.

* Applications must be submitted by exchange alumni or alumni associations of USG exchange alumni. Exchange alumni can partner with not-for-profit or non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions to implement project activities. The grant can be issued to the individual alumni or the partner organization.

**Other Eligibility Requirements** * All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM. gov as well as a valid registration in SAM. gov. Please see Section E.

3 for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM. gov. * Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization.

If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding under this funding opportunity * If a proposal is selected for funding, the applicant should be able to provide a foreign bank account to receive funding. ## APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Applicants are allowed to submit only one proposal.

Application and budget templates are available in **Mandatory Application Forms** section below. **Content and Form of Application Submission** Applications and budgets must be submitted using the official AEIF 2026 application and budget forms. Please follow all instructions below carefully.

Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. **Content of Application** * The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity. * The proposal addresses all questions in the official AEIF 2026 application form.

* All documents are in English. * The budget is in U.S. dollars and is submitted using the designated AEIF 2026 budget form. * All pages are numbered.

The following documents and information are **required**: **Mandatory application forms** * AEIF 2026 Proposal Form(MS Word | 100KB) * AEIF 2026 Budget Form(MS Excel | 35KB) * SF424B (PDF | 66KB) (For Individuals only.) Download Full Application Guidance here. (MS Word | 33KB) Alumni interested in participating must submit proposal and budget forms (in original file formats)to RangoonUSECA@state.

govby EOD **May 3,2026.

** AEIF 2026 does not support the following activities or costs, and the selection committee will deem applications involving any of these activities or costs ineligible: * Any airfare to/from the United States and its territories * Activities that take place in the United States and its territories * Staff salaries, office space, and overhead/operational expenses * Large items of durable equipment or construction programs * Alcohol, excessive meals, refreshments, or entertainment * Academic or scientific research * Charitable or development activities * Provision of direct social services to a population * Individual scholarships * Duplication of existing programs * Institutional development of an organization * Venture capital, for-profit endeavors, or charging a fee for participation in project * Support for specific religious activities * Support or opposition of partisan political activity or lobbying for specific legislation ## APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the themes in Section A and the evaluation criteria outlined below.

**Relevance to Application Theme** The proposal provides sufficient information on how the activities will support the theme(s) of the competition. The narrative explains any relevant local context the D. C.

Selection Committee may not be aware of in relation to this project. Proposed project ideas must be public diplomacy in nature (i.e.not development or military). **Purpose and Summary, Description, and Implementation Plan** When developing the purpose, summary, description, and implementation plan, applicants should aim to make all descriptions clear, concise, and compelling.

Reviewers will judge the proposals based on the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the community where it is undertaken. Does the project address an important gap of understanding or need? If the aim of the project is achieved, how will existing knowledge or practice be improved?

What audience do the applicants hope to reach with this project? How many will participate? How will they be selected?

**Degree of Alumni Involvement** Projects must include the involvement of at least two (2) exchange alumni. They may be the project team leaders or collaborate directly with PAS in formulating the project. More than two alumni may comprise the team, however, the minimum is two.

As the team leaders, the alumni must be closely involved in project planning, implementation, etc. Applicants should ensure that the proposal includes the following information for each alumni team member: first name, last name, e-mail address, exchange program, country of citizenship, and roles and responsibilities.

**Participation and Support from Local Partners** The proposal demonstrates buy-in and support from the community where the project will take place.

Local partner involvement is a strong sign that there is community support and that the project will engage a broad array of experts, such as subject matter experts, community centers, academic institutions, businesses, local/national government, non-governmental organizations, American Spaces, etc. **Evaluation and Impact of the Project** A monitoring & evaluation (M&E) plan is pivotal to project implementation and important tracking progress towards the project’s objectives and goals.

An M&E plan should consider the data needed to effectively monitor progress toward specific outputs and outcomes as well as how that data collection will be accomplished. Well-crafted indicators should be used to understand a program’s progress toward the desired results.

An M&E plan should be reviewed for the following: * Applicability and logic of objectives and indicators * Clear approach to monitoring * Adherence to SMART criteria * Feasibility of baselines and targets * Capacity to implement plan **Communication, Media, and Outreach Plan** The project should include a clear plan and timeline for how and when the team will share information about the project.

It is important to ensure that the U.S. Embassy gets recognition throughout the process, if circumstances permit. **Budget and Budget Narrative** The budget and narrative justification are sufficiently detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results.

The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities. The results and proposed outcomes justify the total cost of the project. Budget items are reasonable, allowable, and allocable.

## FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION The grant award will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

**Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government**, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

**Payment Method:** Awarded project team will first receive 80% of total requested amount for the project and the remaining 20% upon completion of the project and the post receives the completed final report of the project. **Reporting Requirements:**Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

## FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS Questions about the grant application process should be directed to: RangoonUSECA@state. gov| Tel:01-7536509, Ext. 4371