American Innovation and Workforce Advancement Program

The U.S. Embassy Djibouti’s Public Diplomacy Section is seeking proposals to implement the American Innovation and Workforce Advancement Program, a funding opportunity aimed at enhancing workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, and professional skills among Djiboutian youth and emerging professionals. The program seeks to strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and Djibouti by integrating American educational models, digital literacy, STEM training, financial literacy, project management, critical thinking, and career readiness into locally delivered activities. Proposals must clearly incorporate a U.S. element and demonstrate how the project will create sustainable economic opportunities through practical技能 development and professional exchange. The solicitation, identified as PAS-DJI-FY26-AIWAP, was posted on July 20, 2026, with responses due by August 6, 2026, and awards are anticipated to begin in October 2026. The total available funding is capped at $50,000, with individual awards ranging from $3,000 to $8,000 for an estimated one to six recipients. Performance must occur entirely within Djibouti, and projects must be completed within six to twelve months of the start date. Applicants must submit a narrative of no more than five pages, along with required attachments including one-page resumes for key personnel, letters of support from partners, proof of non-profit status (for U.S.-based entities), proof of registration, and a NICRA if indirect costs are included. Proposals must include the SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B forms and be emailed to djiboutipdsubmissions@state.gov with the correct subject line; submissions via Grants.gov are not accepted. Evaluation is based on five weighted factors: organizational capacity and past grant performance (25 points), project planning and goal achievability (20 points), budget reasonableness (10 points), monitoring and evaluation plan (10 points), and sustainability (5 points). The award will be made to the proposal with the highest technical score; in case of a tie, preference is given to the applicant with the lower indirect cost rate. Recipients must comply with 2 CFR Part 200, maintain an active UEI through SAM.gov, and adhere to federal certifications on trafficking-in-persons, non-support of UNRWA, and anti-discrimination. Payment requests must be submitted via SF