EducationUSA AI/STEM and Sports Diplomacy Grant

This funding opportunity, titled the EducationUSA AI/STEM and Sports Diplomacy Grant under solicitation number PDS-DOS-GEO-FY26-004, is issued by the U.S. Mission to Georgia, Department of State, to advance the America First agenda by enhancing U.S. educational influence in Georgia through two integrated initiatives: the EducationUSA AI/STEM and Innovation Hubs and the EducationUSA Sports Pathways Initiative. Both initiatives target high school and university students, young entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders in five Georgian cities—Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Akhaltsikhe, and Telavi—leveraging American Spaces as trusted venues to deliver workshops, innovation talks, university outreach, and advising sessions. The AI/STEM component focuses on building capacity in artificial intelligence and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through hands-on demonstrations, virtual engagements with U.S. institutions, and presentations by U.S.-educated Georgian alumni, while the Sports Pathways Initiative connects top Georgian athletes in soccer, basketball, rugby, martial arts/MMA, judo, wrestling, and tennis with U.S. higher education opportunities via specialized advice on athletic scholarships, coaching outreach, and application strategy workshops. The total funding available under this opportunity is $50,000, pending availability, and applications must be submitted by August 10, 2026, via email to TbilisiGrants@state.gov with complete documentation including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, the specific application form, SAM.gov registration proof, key personnel resumes, and letters of support from partners. All proposals must be in English, not exceed 10 pages, avoid ZIP or RAR formats, and use U.S. dollars for budgeting. Applicants must comply with all applicable federal regulations, including 2 CFR part 200 governing administrative requirements, audit standards, domestic preference, and drug-free workplace policies, as well as Department of State-specific requirements under 2 CFR 600 and the Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions. Recipients are required to maintain active UEI and SAM.gov registrations throughout the award period, and subrecipients must obtain a UEI prior to award processing. Proposals are evaluated on a weighted scoring system prioritizing program innovation and feasibility (30 points), organizational capacity (25 points), project planning (20 points), budget reasonableness (10 points), monitoring and evaluation (10 points