U.S.-Africa Strategic Investment Program

The U.S.-Africa Strategic Investment Program is a federal funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs, Office of Assistance. Opportunity DFOP0019410 is designed to advance U.S. national interests through market-based, private sector-led growth in sub-Saharan Africa. The program focuses on two strategic areas: Critical Minerals Investment and Commercial Diplomacy Acceleration. Projects must demonstrate clear and measurable benefits to one or more sub-Saharan African countries and must align with or demonstrate a commitment to advancing U.S. supply chain or commercial goals. Preference is given to projects that create pathways for U.S. business participation and de-risk and catalyze investment from high-quality U.S. and U.S.-aligned companies. Under Critical Minerals Investment, the program seeks creative, innovative, cost-effective, market-based approaches supporting responsible development of critical mineral resources. Potential activities include strengthening policy and regulatory environments, geological mapping and geodata accessibility, technical skills development, supply-chain development, local value addition, processing and refining capabilities, transaction advisory services, feasibility studies, and targeted technical assistance. Commercial Diplomacy Acceleration supports stronger regulatory frameworks, workforce development, enabling infrastructure, market access, commercial competitiveness, economic diversification, and investment across sectors such as mining, emerging technologies, energy, infrastructure, digital and telecommunications, cybersecurity, healthcare, and related strategic industries. Projects must benefit one or more countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and both single-country and multi-country projects are permitted. Approximately USD 500 million is identified as total available funding, pending funding availability, with an estimated 10 awards. Individual awards may range from USD 5 million to USD 50 million, and applicants must not propose amounts outside this range. Proposed projects should have performance periods of 12 to 36 months, with anticipated program starts occurring on a rolling basis and no later than October 1, 2027. Cost sharing is not required and is not evaluated as part of the merit review. Applicants may nevertheless propose cost share, matching, leverage, or other non-U.S. Government resource contributions. The SOI must demonstrate that U.S. Government resources are not the only resources supporting the project. Ineligible activities include partisan political activity, generally new non-temporary construction involving structural work, specific religious activities, fundraising campaigns, primarily organizational-growth activities that do not address the APS program description, and duplicative ongoing projects that do not meet additional needs or move a project to a new stage. Award funds also may not be transferred or otherwise made available to UNRWA. Eligible prime applicants include U.S. and non-U.S. for-profit companies and organizations, U.S. and non-U.S. not-for-profit organizations, U.S. and non-U.S. public and private institutions of higher education, and public international organizations. Each legally incorporated organization with a distinct physical geographic address may submit up to two SOIs per application window. A project must have one prime applicant and cannot be divided into multiple SOIs. For Window 2, applicants must have a SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier and active SAM.gov registration to submit an SOI. The submission process begins with a Statement of Interest. Selected applicants may proceed through consultative program design or directly to Phase 2 and submission of a full application. Full applications undergo a second merit review before final funding decisions. The SOI submission must be a single English-language PDF, single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman with minimum one-inch margins. It must contain, in order, a maximum one-page table listing critical details, a maximum two-page narrative, and a maximum one-page summary budget. The critical-details cover page addresses the project title, organization and contact information, SAM.gov UEI as applicable, focus area, benefiting countries, requested federal share, estimated non-U.S. Government resources, project length and staged spending plan, key partners, indicators and targets, available UEIs and EINs, and the applicant's ability to accept the PHFFA requirements. The narrative covers project goals, objectives, outcomes, beneficiaries, partners, geographic scope, duration, organizational experience and capacity, and resource contributions. The summary budget provides the anticipated total budget and high-level yearly estimates for personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual costs, other direct costs, and indirect costs, including the indirect cost rate and its basis. SOIs are evaluated using four weighted criteria. Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea represents 40 percent, Organizational Capacity and Past Experience represents 25 percent, Leverage, Burden Sharing, and/or Public or Private Sector Partnerships represents 20 percent, and Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives represents 15 percent. Review considers responsiveness to program priorities, advancement of U.S. supply chain or commercial goals, implementation feasibility, pathways for U.S. business participation, organizational and subrecipient expertise, mobilization of non-U.S. Government resources, and meaningful performance indicators and targets. Following technical eligibility review and Merit Review Panel evaluation, an applicant may be declined, recommended for consultative program design, or recommended to proceed to Phase 2. Applicants reaching Phase 2 receive detailed full-application instructions through the State Department MyGrants system. As of August 31, 2026, Window 1 is open and accepts SOIs through September 4, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET. Its question and Notice of Intent deadline was August 2, and notification of results is scheduled for November 29. Window 2 opens December 1, 2026 and closes January 31, 2027 at 11:59 pm ET, with questions due December 14, 2026, responses anticipated January 10, 2027, and results expected March 31, 2027. Application materials must be emailed to AF-A-Proposals@state.gov, with opportunity number DFOP0019410 included in the email subject line. An unsuccessful SOI cannot be resubmitted to another window; subsequent submissions must represent different project concepts. The Department advises applicants that the full process from SOI submission through a potential award may take several months.

Prioritize Quality and Feasibility because it carries 40 percent of the merit score. Clearly connect the project to APS Solutions Sought and Priority Challenges and demonstrate advancement of U.S. supply chain or commercial goals. Show concrete pathways for U.S. business participation and for de-risking and catalyzing investment from high-quality U.S. and U.S.-aligned companies. Demonstrate relevant organizational and country experience. Identify meaningful non-U.S. Government resources funding in-kind contributions expertise technology or partnerships. Include at least one relevant APS KPI or logical alternative with a meaningful realistic target. Follow all page and formatting requirements because noncompliant SOIs are ineligible. Do not resubmit an unsuccessful SOI in a later window because later submissions must represent different project concepts.