Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2025 | PDS 001 FY2025

Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2025 (U.S. Mission to Ethiopia) - FAQs

1) What is the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2025?

The Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2025 is a competitive grant opportunity announced by the U.S. Mission to Ethiopia for alumni of U.S. government-funded or U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. It supports alumni-led projects that build on alumni skills, networks, and exchange experience to address real community challenges.

2) Who is this grant for?

This opportunity is for alumni of U.S. government-funded or U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. Projects must be alumni-led and managed by an alumni team.

3) What is the main purpose of the fund?

The fund is intended to help past exchange participants turn what they learned during their exchange programs into practical projects that respond to community needs, while strengthening partnerships, mutual understanding, and collaboration.

4) What is the core theme or focus for the 2025 cycle?

For 2025, the core focus is on projects that promote sustainable development and mutual prosperity by strengthening partnerships and mutual understanding. Proposals are expected to show how the project deepens collaboration, trust, and shared purpose among people and institutions.

5) What kinds of projects are encouraged under this opportunity?

Encouraged concepts include alumni-led efforts that convene other alumni with similar backgrounds or program tracks, build collaborative relationships based on shared experiences and common goals, and use diverse professional expertise to tackle community challenges and bridge divides across sectors (public, private, civil society, and academia). Structured dialogue among alumni to identify shared objectives and translate them into actionable strategies that generate social impact and support community development is also highlighted as a priority area.

6) Are standalone activities without a partnership-building component competitive?

The opportunity emphasizes projects that strengthen partnerships and mutual understanding. Proposals are expected to demonstrate durable collaboration and connection-building rather than functioning as standalone activities with limited partnership value.

7) What happens if a proposal does not address the stated theme and objectives?

Proposals that do not squarely address the stated theme and objectives will be considered ineligible.

8) What are the team requirements for applicants?

Projects must be proposed and managed by teams that include at least two alumni of U.S. government-funded or sponsored exchange programs.

9) Can an application include alumni from different programs?

Yes. Teams can include alumni from different programs and different program tracks.

10) Can teams include alumni from different countries?

Yes. The opportunity notes that teams can include alumni from different countries.

11) Can U.S. citizen alumni participate?

U.S. citizen alumni may participate as team members, but they are not allowed to submit proposals as applicants.

12) Who is allowed to submit the application?

Applications must be submitted by individual alumni or alumni associations of U.S. government alumni. Other organizations cannot apply on their own.

13) Can non-alumni organizations apply if they partner with alumni?

The opportunity states that other organizations cannot apply on their own. Alumni teams may partner with external entities to support implementation, but the application itself must be submitted by an eligible individual alum or an eligible alumni association.

14) Are partnerships with external organizations allowed?

Yes. Alumni teams are allowed to partner with external entities such as nonprofit organizations, NGOs, think tanks, and academic institutions to help implement activities.

15) Who can receive the grant award (the grantee of record)?

The grant award can be issued either to an individual alum or to a partner organization, depending on what makes sense for project delivery and management.

16) Where must project activities take place?

All funded activities must take place outside the United States and its territories.

17) Can the project include any U.S.-based programming?

The opportunity specifies that all funded activities must take place outside the United States and its territories, so projects should be designed for local or regional implementation rather than U.S.-based programming.

18) What is the maximum award amount for this Ethiopia-posted competition?

The maximum award amount (ceiling) listed for this competition is USD 35,000.

19) How many awards does the listing expect to make?

The listing indicates an expectation of one award.

20) What kind of funding instrument is AEIF 2025?

The award is structured as a grant under a discretionary funding opportunity.

21) What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is PDS 001 FY2025.

22) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

This opportunity falls under CFDA 19.022.

23) What is the application deadline?

The application deadline listed is January 25, 2025.

24) When was this opportunity created/posted?

The opportunity was created on November 22, 2024.

25) How should applicants think about AEIF 2025 in practical terms?

AEIF 2025 is best understood as seed funding for alumni-driven, partnership-centered projects that convert exchange experience into measurable community benefit. Strong proposals typically make alumni leadership and the collaboration model unmistakable, demonstrate how the project will build durable networks and mutual understanding, and present a realistic plan and budget for implementing activities outside the United States within the USD 35,000 ceiling.

26) Does AEIF have a track record of supporting alumni projects?

Yes. AEIF has been running globally since 2011 and has supported nearly 500 projects worldwide, reflecting a long-standing effort to keep alumni engaged beyond their exchange programs.