University-led Networks for Innovation, Technology, and Expertise (UNITE)

The U.S. Department of State, through NEA/Riyadh and the U.S. Embassy Riyadh Public Diplomacy Section, is accepting applications for the University-led Networks for Innovation, Technology, and Expertise (UNITE) program under Funding Opportunity Number DOS-SAU-2603-PD and Assistance Listing 19.040, Public Diplomacy Programs. The program will be implemented through a cooperative agreement, meaning the Embassy will have substantial involvement throughout implementation. UNITE is designed to create practical, faculty-driven partnerships among U.S. universities, Saudi institutions, and U.S. commercial or technical partners to address Saudi workforce, operational, standards, and development gaps in strategic sectors. Priority areas identified in the notice include Artificial Intelligence, critical minerals, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and workforce development. The program seeks to establish U.S. academic standards, technical expertise, and commercially relevant collaboration as preferred pathways for sustained U.S.-Saudi engagement. The Department anticipates making one cooperative agreement with total available funding of $150,000, subject to availability of funds. The award is expected to reach a maximum of $150,000 and will support a prime recipient responsible for managing approximately four to five applied partnership project teams. Each team is expected to include a U.S. university, a Saudi university or institution, and a U.S. commercial or technical partner. Embassy-funded technical package support is limited to a maximum of $25,000 per partnership. Each selected project team member institution receiving this support must demonstrate a minimum 1:1 matching commitment, equivalent to $25,000 per partnership and an anticipated cumulative $100,000 to $125,000 across four to five projects. Matching may consist of direct financial contributions or comparable audited in-kind support such as faculty time, facilities and laboratory access, specialized training resources, industry expertise, software licensing access, cohort management, or travel support. The prime applicant itself is not required to provide cost sharing, although voluntary prime-recipient cost sharing is permitted. UNITE will operate over an 18-month performance period through mandatory phases covering mobilization and project selection, onboarding and project design, co-design and deliverable production, transition and sustainability activation, and final reporting and closeout. Funded project teams must produce concrete U.S.-linked outputs such as targeted training curricula, technical roadmaps, standards briefs, workforce-readiness assessments, or pilot plans. Federal funds cannot be used for direct capital, loans, or commercial seed funding for ventures, startups, or for-profit businesses. For-profit organizations and for-profit educational institutions cannot receive subawards or direct financial assistance and may participate only as commercial vendors or through voluntary cost sharing. Permanent IT infrastructure, high-end computing servers, specialized AI processing hardware, and standalone commercial software licenses for permanent ownership or general operational use are prohibited. Hardware and software expenditures are limited to eligible temporary configurations, cloud computing credits, or qualifying participant supplies directly used during active project phases. Award funds also cannot be used for alcoholic beverages or payments or transfers to UNRWA. Eligible prime applicants are not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society or nongovernmental organizations; public and private educational institutions, with preference for U.S. higher education institutions or entities with robust academic networks; Public International Organizations; and governmental institutions. For-profit organizations and for-profit educational institutions are ineligible as prime recipients and subrecipients. Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier and active SAM.gov registration unless an approved exemption applies. The notice addresses registration requirements for organizations based both inside and outside the United States, so it does not impose a U.S. state-specific applicant restriction. The prime recipient must be capable of managing international academic and corporate networks, administering the competitive selection of four to five partnership projects, maintaining federal financial controls, monitoring cost-share commitments, and coordinating closely with Mission Saudi Arabia. Applications must be submitted by email to Riyadhgrants@state.gov no later than September 17, 2026, at 23:59 EDT. Required application materials include SF-424 and SF-424A, with SF-424B required only under the circumstances identified in the notice. An optional summary page may also be provided. The proposal is limited to 20 pages and must include a proposal summary, applicant background and previous government grant experience, problem statement, goals and measurable objectives, activities, methods and design, schedule and timeline, key personnel, project partners and subawardees, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability or future funding. Applicants must also submit a detailed Budget Justification Narrative containing complete budget scenarios for both four and five active partnerships, one-page CVs or resumes for key personnel, partner letters of support, the latest NICRA when applicable, and required permission letters. All documents must be in English, budgets must be in U.S. dollars, pages must be consecutively numbered, and Word documents must use the formatting specified in the notice. Applications will be reviewed by a committee, with final selection decisions resting with the Grants Officer subject to funding availability and alignment with U.S. Mission strategic priorities. Review areas include Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea at 25 points, Saudi Partnership Strategy and Engagement Plan at 20 points, Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants at 15 points, Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives at 15 points, Budget at 15 points, Monitoring Evaluation and Sustainability Plan at 10 points, and Sustainability at 10 points as separately stated in the notice. Reviewers will consider the logical integration of the four program phases, realistic timelines, knowledge of U.S. and Saudi academic and commercial environments, credible Saudi institutional relationships, faculty collaboration, capacity to manage competitive awards and federal funds, cost-effectiveness under both required budget scenarios, a comprehensive Performance Monitoring Plan, verification of project-level 1:1 matching, and sustainable transition pathways. If applications receive equivalent scores, the applicant with the lower indirect cost rate receives preference, followed by the availability, relevance, and strength of voluntary prime-applicant cost sharing if a tie remains. The anticipated project start date is October 1, 2026, with an 18-month period of performance and proposed projects to be completed by March 31, 2028 or earlier. The Department may entertain continuation grants beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis, subject to funding availability, satisfactory progress, and a determination that continuation serves the Department's interests, but the notice does not establish this opportunity as an annually or otherwise regularly recurring application cycle. Questions concerning the application process may be directed to Riyadhgrants@state.gov. No individual grantor contact or telephone number is identified in the notice. Successful recipients will receive an award or cooperative agreement signed and administered by the Grants Officer and may begin incurring project expenses only on the start date stated in the signed award document. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

Build a logical and integrated plan across all four mandatory program phases and provide a realistic implementation timeline. Demonstrate credible Saudi institutional engagement, preferably through pre-existing relationships or clear alignment with Saudi universities supporting Vision 2030 and shared U.S.-Saudi priorities. Define partner roles and faculty-to-faculty collaboration concretely. Show strong capacity to manage international academic and corporate networks, competitive project selection, federal funds, data security, and project-team oversight. Provide detailed and cost-effective budgets for both 4-partnership and 5-partnership scenarios. Include clear output and outcome indicators in the Performance Monitoring Plan and explain how the required 1:1 project-team matching commitments will be verified. Establish realistic transition plans leading every funded network toward sustainable follow-on pathways. Keep indirect costs competitive because the lower indirect cost rate is the first tie-breaking mechanism.