Opportunity Information: Apply for NEAAC ACMEPI 17 010
Apply for NEAAC ACMEPI 17 010
- The Assistance Coordination in the education, employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alumni Engagement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.500.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-07-07.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-08-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Alumni Engagement grant opportunity, issued by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC), is designed to strengthen and activate the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) alumni community as a practical way to boost social and private entrepreneurship across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The underlying idea is straightforward: well-run alumni networks behave like high-value professional communities, creating stronger and longer-lasting ties that translate into more collaboration, better access to resources, and improved performance for entrepreneurs and civic leaders. The notice explicitly points to evidence (including a Harvard Business Review reference) and parallels from the corporate sector, where alumni relationships are treated as long-term assets that generate referrals, partnerships, business leads, and ongoing problem-solving support. MEPI is seeking to apply those same network effects to sustain and expand the impact of its prior investments in leadership and organizational capacity building.
The opportunity is responding to a set of challenges MEPI identified through an internal field assessment conducted in 2016, after more than a decade of programming (MEPI has operated since 2002). While many participants benefited significantly from MEPI exchanges and grants and wanted additional professional development, the assessment found major gaps in how alumni are kept connected and meaningfully engaged over time. A notable issue is that many alumni, including a large share of Tomorrow's Leaders program participants, are not fully integrated into MEPI or broader State Department alumni platforms. The capacity of U.S. embassies to maintain strong alumni networks also varies widely from country to country, creating uneven follow-up and inconsistent opportunities depending on location. The assessment also recognized common, real-world barriers: alumni often have demanding work and family schedules and are less likely to participate in events that feel purely social rather than career-relevant or impact-driven.
Another central theme is the "return home" challenge. New alumni may struggle to reintegrate into their local professional environments after an exchange experience, and they can have difficulty finding clear pathways to keep using the skills they gained or maintaining the relationships built during the program. Even when alumni stay in touch informally, the notice suggests that many miss tangible opportunities because they do not systematically follow up with their cohort, U.S. counterparts, or in-country alumni who could open doors to mentorship, partnerships, or funding. Over time, this creates a second loss: older alumni who have advanced into leadership roles, mentored others, or participated in additional U.S. government leadership initiatives may drift away from MEPI entirely, reducing the program's ability to leverage experienced leaders who could support the next generation.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant competition with awards issued as a cooperative agreement, meaning the government expects to have substantial involvement in shaping or supporting implementation. The funding activity focus is tied to education, employment, labor, and training, aligning with entrepreneurship and workforce development outcomes. The listed award ceiling is up to $2,000,000. The original closing date for applications was August 8, 2017, and the opportunity was created on July 7, 2017. Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based organizations, specifically including 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education) and for-profit organizations that are not small businesses.
In practical terms, the grant is seeking an implementing partner that can help MEPI move alumni engagement from ad hoc reunions and social gatherings to a more structured, value-added network that supports entrepreneurship and leadership outcomes. That typically implies programming that makes participation worth alumni time, such as mentorship pipelines, targeted trainings, sector-based networking, collaboration tools, and pathways that connect alumni to resources, investors, employers, and one another. The overall goal is to make MEPI's alumni community a durable platform that keeps relationships alive, helps alumni translate experience into local impact after returning home, and reconnects established leaders with the MEPI ecosystem so their expertise and networks continue to amplify the program's long-term results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Alumni Engagement Grant Opportunity (MEPI)
1) What is the Alumni Engagement grant opportunity?
It is a U.S. Department of State funding opportunity issued by the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC). The purpose is to strengthen and activate the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) alumni community in ways that boost social and private entrepreneurship across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
2) What problem is this grant trying to solve?
MEPI identified gaps in how alumni are kept connected and meaningfully engaged over time. Even when alumni have strong program experiences, many are not fully integrated into MEPI or broader State Department alumni platforms, embassy capacity to sustain networks varies by country, and alumni often do not prioritize events that feel purely social rather than career-relevant or impact-driven.
3) Why is alumni engagement seen as important for entrepreneurship and leadership outcomes?
The notice frames well-run alumni networks as high-value professional communities that create lasting ties. Those ties can translate into more collaboration, better access to resources, and improved performance for entrepreneurs and civic leaders. The opportunity references evidence and parallels from the corporate sector where alumni relationships function as long-term assets that generate referrals, partnerships, business leads, and ongoing problem-solving support.
4) What is the main goal of the funded work?
The goal is to turn MEPI alumni engagement from ad hoc reunions and social gatherings into a structured, value-added network that supports entrepreneurship and leadership outcomes and sustains the impact of MEPI's prior investments in leadership and organizational capacity building.
5) What region is this grant focused on?
The focus is on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), through strengthening the MEPI alumni community and its entrepreneurship-related impact in the region.
6) What is MEPI and how long has it operated?
MEPI is the Middle East Partnership Initiative. The notice states MEPI has operated since 2002 and conducted an internal field assessment in 2016 after more than a decade of programming.
7) What challenges did the 2016 internal field assessment identify?
The assessment found major gaps in alumni connectivity and engagement over time, including uneven alumni network support across countries, limited integration of many alumni into MEPI or broader State Department alumni platforms, and practical barriers like work and family schedules that reduce participation in events perceived as primarily social.
8) What does the notice say about "return home" challenges for new alumni?
The notice highlights that new alumni may struggle to reintegrate into local professional environments after an exchange experience. They may also lack clear pathways to keep applying newly gained skills or maintaining relationships built during the program, which can reduce the long-term impact of the exchange.
9) Why do alumni miss opportunities even if they stay in touch informally?
The notice suggests that informal contact may not lead to systematic follow-up with cohorts, U.S. counterparts, or in-country alumni who could provide mentorship, partnerships, or funding. Without structured mechanisms, tangible opportunities can be missed.
10) What is the issue with older or more established alumni?
Over time, alumni who advance into leadership roles, mentor others, or participate in additional U.S. government leadership initiatives may drift away from MEPI. This reduces MEPI's ability to leverage experienced leaders who could support and open doors for newer alumni.
11) What type of award is this?
It is a discretionary grant competition and awards are issued as a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement indicates the government expects to have substantial involvement in shaping or supporting implementation.
12) What is the funding activity focus area?
The listed focus is education, employment, labor, and training, aligned with entrepreneurship and workforce development outcomes.
13) What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling listed in the notice is up to $2,000,000.
14) When was the opportunity created and when was it originally due?
The opportunity was created on July 7, 2017. The original closing date for applications was August 8, 2017.
15) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based organizations. The notice specifically includes 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education) and for-profit organizations that are not small businesses.
16) Are institutions of higher education eligible under the nonprofit category?
No. The notice specifies 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible but excludes institutions of higher education.
17) Are small businesses eligible to apply if they are for-profit?
No. The notice includes for-profit organizations that are not small businesses, which implies small businesses are not eligible under the for-profit category described.
18) What kind of implementing partner is MEPI looking for?
MEPI is seeking an implementing partner that can build a more structured, value-added alumni network. The partner would help make participation worth alumni time by emphasizing professional value, entrepreneurship support, and leadership outcomes rather than primarily social engagement.
19) What types of activities does the opportunity imply could strengthen alumni engagement?
The notice points toward programming such as mentorship pipelines, targeted trainings, sector-based networking, collaboration tools, and pathways that connect alumni to resources, investors, employers, and one another.
20) What does "value-added" alumni engagement mean in this context?
It means alumni programming that is career-relevant and impact-driven, designed to produce practical benefits like mentorship, partnerships, access to resources, and collaboration opportunities that support entrepreneurship and civic leadership performance.
21) Why does the notice emphasize moving beyond reunions and social gatherings?
Because alumni often have demanding work and family schedules and are less likely to participate in events that feel purely social. The opportunity aims for more structured engagement that creates tangible professional and entrepreneurship-related value.
22) How does embassy capacity factor into the opportunity?
The notice states that the capacity of U.S. embassies to maintain strong alumni networks varies widely from country to country. This contributes to uneven follow-up and inconsistent opportunities depending on location, which the project is intended to help address through more durable systems and approaches.
23) What is the long-term outcome MEPI wants from this effort?
MEPI aims to make its alumni community a durable platform that keeps relationships alive, helps alumni translate experience into local impact after returning home, and reconnects established leaders with the MEPI ecosystem so their expertise and networks continue to amplify long-term results.
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