The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy in Tashkent announces an open competition to implement a program to the 2026 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2026) for alumni of U.S. government exchange programs to strengthen economic ties between the United States and Uzbekistan. This program advances U.S. foreign policy by positioning America as the global leader in innovation while promoting U.S.-Uzbekistani business connections. The program goal is to build economic connections through alumni-led projects that promote America as a global engine of innovation and technological leadership. Projects must incorporate Freedom 250 themes as part of America’s 250th Anniversary. Teams of at least two exchange program alumni may apply. Priority themes for the program are Business, Energy and Trade; STEM, AI and Innovation; or Education, Culture, Sports and Tourism. Projects should attract foreign investment and tourism into America while demonstrating benefits of U.S. partnerships through activities like STEM workshops, innovation hackathons, cultural festivals, or promotion of major U.S.-hosted events.
2026 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2026)
U.S. Mission to Uzbekistan · Opportunity number TASHKENT-PDS-FY26-001
Details summarized from the official notice as of May 7, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.
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Key facts
| Opportunity number | TASHKENT-PDS-FY26-001 |
|---|---|
| Agency | U.S. Mission to Uzbekistan Department of State |
| Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA) | 19.022 |
| Posted | Apr 8, 2026 |
| Deadline | May 6, 2026 |
| Award ceiling | $35,000 |
| Award floor | $5,000 |
| Expected number of awards | 2 |
| Estimated total program funding | $35,000 |
| Cost sharing or matching required | No |
| Funding type | Grant |
| Category | Other |
| Last updated here | May 7, 2026 |
Summary from the notice
Who can apply
The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:
- Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)
Not listed as eligible
- Small businesses
- Nonprofits
- Colleges and universities
- State governments
- Local governments
- Tribal governments and organizations
- Larger for-profit companies
- Individuals
Unless the eligibility text in the notice names you, this opportunity is probably not for you.
Eligibility details from the notice
The following organizations are eligible to apply: ● Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded 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 associations of USG exchange alumni. No other organizations are eligible to apply. 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.
Registrations you will likely need
Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.
- SAM.gov registration for your organization, which also gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free.
- A Login.gov account, which Grants.gov uses for sign-in.
- A Grants.gov applicant registration linked to your organization's UEI.
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