Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2026: Exchange Alumni Advancing Freedom250

The Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2026 is a competitive grant initiative administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), in partnership with U.S. diplomatic posts worldwide. This program supports alumni of U.S. government-funded and sponsored exchange programs who are working collaboratively to address shared local and global challenges. The AEIF program has a proven track record of enhancing the long-term impact of exchange programs, having supported nearly 500 alumni-led projects globally since its inception in 2011. For Fiscal Year 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Niamey is forecasting a new round of AEIF funding through the project titled "Exchange Alumni Advancing Freedom250." This initiative will align with the United States’ celebration of its 250th anniversary, known as Freedom250. The proposed activities are expected to promote values such as freedom of expression and civic participation, while reinforcing the connections between alumni and the U.S. government. The central focus will be the planning and implementation of an Alumni Summit hosted outside the U.S., bringing together alumni from diverse exchange programs and sectors to strengthen collaboration, share values, and generate initiatives that extend beyond the event. The funding instrument for this opportunity is a cooperative agreement, and the grant will support single-country projects with a maximum funding request of $40,000 and a minimum of $5,000. A total of approximately $40,000 in program funding is anticipated to be available, supporting up to five projects. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The summit must be led by at least two eligible non-U.S. citizen alumni, with at least one based in Niger, and may include U.S. citizen alumni in non-leadership roles. Eligible applicants include alumni associations or individual non-U.S. alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs, such as those listed at https://j1visa.state.gov. Alumni may partner with nonprofits, NGOs, academic institutions, or think tanks, but the lead applicant must be a qualifying alumnus/alumna or alumni association. All proposed activities must be conducted outside the United States and its territories. Proposals are expected to demonstrate structured agendas, measurable outcomes, and plans for continued engagement and follow-on initiatives post-summit—such as working groups or small grants—to ensure long-term impact. The program encourages regional engagement, particularly among alumni from different countries and programs, although single-country projects are fully eligible. Strategic oversight will be provided by U.S. Embassy Niamey to ensure alignment with U.S. policy and AEIF guidance. The application process will use official AEIF 2026 templates, and complete proposal packages must be submitted by email no later than April 30, 2026. Submissions directly from alumni will not be accepted unless routed through the designated post procedures. The estimated post date of the funding notice is March 25, 2026. Award decisions are expected by June 15, 2026, with projects beginning on or around July 31, 2026. The funding is discretionary and falls under the category of Fulbright-Hays activities. There is no formal pre-application step, and applications should follow the required guidelines issued by the U.S. Embassy in Niamey. Questions regarding the opportunity may be directed to the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Mission to Niger, reachable by phone at +227 20723141. While no contact email is listed, applicants are encouraged to use the embassy’s official communication channels for queries. No specific evaluation rubric or scoring matrix is included in the forecast, but competitive proposals will include well-defined objectives, sustainability plans, and strong collaborative frameworks between alumni stakeholders and partner organizations.