Techgate

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP) has announced the Technology Gateway Program (TECHGATE), an open competition under funding opportunity number DFOP0017381. This program aims to advance U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by facilitating eligible foreign governments’ purchase and use of trusted American and allied digital technologies. TECHGATE is aligned with the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP) and supports the broader goal of building secure, open, and interoperable digital ecosystems worldwide. The cooperative agreement, anticipated at up to $25 million USD, will run for 36 months with the potential for continuation. CDP expects to award a single cooperative agreement, with final selection anticipated in September 2025, pending funding availability. TECHGATE’s purpose is to help foreign partners transition away from untrusted suppliers, particularly where subsidized technologies from strategic competitors pose risks to infrastructure, privacy, and security. The program will provide a “total package approach” that includes procurement, delivery, installation, training, and capacity building to ensure recipient countries can sustain and secure new technology. Categories of assistance include hardware solutions, virtual infrastructure and software, cybersecurity tools, digital telecommunications components, and artificial intelligence enablement. The program emphasizes both immediate security improvements and long-term sustainability through skills transfer and institutional capacity building. The selected Implementer may be a U.S.-based for-profit or non-profit organization, including 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) entities. Applicants must have substantial technical, logistical, and procurement expertise, along with established relationships with technology suppliers. Consortium applications are encouraged to ensure full delivery capability across all assistance categories. The Implementer cannot sell its own products unless expressly authorized and must be supplier-agnostic. Recipients of assistance will be selected foreign government civilian agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and in some cases security or military institutions with CDP approval. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov or MyGrants no later than 11:59 PM ET on August 25, 2025. Questions regarding the NOFO are due by July 25, 2025. Proposals must include standard federal forms (SF-424 series), a project proposal of up to 27 pages, a detailed budget in Excel format, a budget narrative, and supporting documentation such as audit reports and letters of support. All applications must be in English, in U.S. dollars, and formatted according to specified guidelines. Organizations must have a valid UEI and be registered in SAM.gov prior to submission. Proposals will be evaluated on project design, organizational capacity, ability to achieve objectives, monitoring and evaluation plans, budget justification, and sustainability of impact. CDP seeks implementers with demonstrated global project experience, capacity to deploy complex technical solutions, and adherence to ethical best practices. The program requires close coordination with CDP and potentially other stakeholders, with substantial government involvement in project oversight. Post-award, the recipient will be responsible for quarterly performance and financial reporting, as well as success stories and participant feedback. Projects must incorporate sustainability plans, ensuring that supported technologies remain operational and secure after CDP assistance ends. The Implementer will also need to adhere to U.S. government compliance requirements, including procurement restrictions, human rights vetting, and marking policies. CDP’s strategic goals for this initiative include increasing the presence of trusted technology suppliers abroad, improving partner capacity to secure digital infrastructure, and enhancing global cybersecurity resilience.

Applicants are encouraged to propose consortia, demonstrate broad supplier relationships, and clearly show capacity to deliver across all assistance categories. Avoid specifying exact countries of operation except as illustrative examples.