Opportunity Information: Apply for NEAAC ACMEPI 15 009
Apply for NEAAC ACMEPI 15 009
- The Near East Affairs Assistance Coordination in the community development employment, labor and training other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Increasing Employment in the MENA Region" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.500 Middle East Partnership Initiative.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 9, 2015 and posted on Apr 9, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 26, 2015 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $7,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Public International Organizations
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Increasing Employment in the MENA Region" is a Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) funding call issued by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near East Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC). It is designed to support practical, country-specific projects that measurably increase employment in the Middle East and North Africa through either job placement or job creation. The core expectation is that proposals go beyond general workforce development ideas and instead show a clear understanding of the target country or territory's labor market realities, including the specific constraints that keep people out of work and the realistic opportunities that can be unlocked. Projects are expected to produce tangible, sustained results, meaning applicants must show how their approach will keep delivering outcomes after the project period, rather than creating short-lived training or awareness activities with no direct employment impact.
A central theme of the opportunity is evidence and track record. Applicants are expected to build their proposals on prior success running employment-related programs or to apply evidence-based models that have a strong likelihood of working in the chosen country context. The announcement emphasizes that it is not enough to propose interventions like training or entrepreneurship support in the abstract; applicants have to connect activities to quantifiable employment gains and explain, convincingly and concretely, why the selected methods should produce real hiring, placements, or job growth. In addition, proposals must explain how local leadership and ownership will be built into the project, and how partnerships will be formed or strengthened with local governments and/or private sector and non-governmental institutions. The intent is to avoid externally driven projects that operate in isolation and instead back initiatives that align with local stakeholders and can be sustained by local systems and institutions.
The opportunity is intentionally flexible about the types of interventions that can be supported, as long as the employment results are clear and measurable. The solicitation notes that applicants may propose activities in areas such as policy reform, institutional development, workforce training, job matching and placement systems, and efforts to improve enterprise competitiveness (which can translate into firm growth and additional hiring). This wide menu suggests NEA/AC is open to both supply-side approaches (improving skills and employability) and demand-side approaches (helping firms expand, improving enabling environments, and removing barriers to hiring). However, the proposal must draw a direct line from the chosen intervention to the expected employment outcomes, including how those outcomes will be tracked and demonstrated.
Eligibility and geographic scope are tightly defined. Projects must focus on one or more of the following locations only: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia, and West Bank/Gaza. Applications centered on other countries or territories are explicitly ruled out. Tunisia proposals have an additional geographic requirement: activities must focus on the country's interior and southern regions rather than coastal or more developed areas. The announcement also states that high priority will be given to proposals for Algeria, signaling a stronger programmatic interest there compared to other eligible locations.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally indicates substantial involvement by the funding agency during project implementation compared to a standard grant. The funding opportunity number is NEAAC ACMEPI 15 009, and the CFDA program number is 19.500 (Middle East Partnership Initiative). The total estimated funding available is $7,000,000, with an expectation of making about 4 awards. Individual awards are anticipated to range from a floor of $500,000 to a ceiling of $2,500,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated in the announcement, which can lower barriers for applicants that may not have significant unrestricted funds to contribute.
The eligible applicant pool is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and public international organizations. This range suggests the program is open to universities, training providers, NGOs, social enterprises, and private sector implementers, provided they can credibly demonstrate the expertise, partnerships, and evidence base needed to deliver employment outcomes in the target locations.
Key dates in the published notice show it was posted on April 9, 2015, with an original and current closing date of May 26, 2015, and an archive date of June 25, 2015. For assistance accessing the full announcement through Grants.gov, the listed support contact is the Grants.gov Contact Center (1-800-518-4726) and support@grants.gov, available 24/7 except federal holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions: Increasing Employment in the MENA Region (MEPI)
What is the "Increasing Employment in the MENA Region" grant opportunity?
It is a Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) funding call from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near East Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC). The purpose is to support practical, country-specific projects that measurably increase employment in the Middle East and North Africa through job placement and/or job creation.
What is the main objective of this funding call?
The main objective is measurable employment gains. Proposals are expected to produce tangible, sustained results by directly linking project activities to real hiring, placements, or job growth, and by explaining how results will continue after the project period ends.
What makes a proposal competitive under this opportunity?
Competitive proposals go beyond general workforce development concepts and demonstrate a clear, specific understanding of the target country or territory's labor market constraints and opportunities. They also rely on evidence and track record, showing prior success in employment-related programming or using evidence-based models likely to work in the chosen context.
Does the program fund general training or awareness activities?
The announcement stresses that it is not enough to propose training or entrepreneurship support in the abstract. Activities must be tied to quantifiable employment gains, with a concrete explanation of why the approach will produce real employment outcomes rather than short-lived outputs.
What types of activities can be supported?
The solicitation is flexible about intervention types as long as employment outcomes are clear and measurable. Examples of eligible activity areas mentioned include policy reform, institutional development, workforce training, job matching and placement systems, and efforts to improve enterprise competitiveness that can lead to firm growth and additional hiring.
Are both job placement and job creation approaches allowed?
Yes. The funding call is designed to increase employment through either job placement or job creation, and it notes openness to both supply-side approaches (improving skills and employability) and demand-side approaches (supporting firm growth, enabling environments, and removing barriers to hiring), provided the path to employment results is clearly demonstrated.
How important is evidence or prior experience in employment programming?
Evidence and track record are central themes. Applicants are expected to build proposals on prior success running employment-related programs or to use evidence-based models with a strong likelihood of working in the selected country context.
What does the announcement require regarding measurement and reporting of results?
Proposals must draw a direct line from activities to expected employment outcomes and explain how those outcomes will be tracked and demonstrated. The emphasis is on measurable employment results (placements, hiring, or job growth).
What does the opportunity say about sustainability after the project ends?
Applicants are expected to show how the approach will keep delivering outcomes after the project period, rather than ending with temporary training or awareness activities that do not translate into sustained employment impact.
Are partnerships and local ownership required?
Yes. Proposals must explain how local leadership and ownership will be built into the project, and how partnerships will be formed or strengthened with local governments and/or private sector and non-governmental institutions. The intent is to avoid externally driven projects that operate in isolation.
Which countries and territories are eligible for project activities?
Projects must focus on one or more of the following locations only: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia, and West Bank/Gaza. Applications centered on other countries or territories are explicitly ruled out.
Are there special geographic requirements for Tunisia?
Yes. Tunisia proposals have an additional requirement: activities must focus on the country's interior and southern regions rather than coastal or more developed areas.
Is any country given higher priority in this solicitation?
Yes. The announcement states that high priority will be given to proposals for Algeria.
What funding mechanism will be used for awards?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally indicates substantial involvement by the funding agency during project implementation compared to a standard grant.
What is the total estimated funding available and how many awards are expected?
The total estimated funding available is $7,000,000, with an expectation of making about 4 awards.
What is the anticipated award size range?
Individual awards are anticipated to range from a minimum (floor) of $500,000 to a maximum (ceiling) of $2,500,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is stated in the announcement.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant pool includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and public international organizations.
Does eligibility include for-profit organizations and small businesses?
Yes. The announcement includes both for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses among eligible applicants.
What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA program number?
The funding opportunity number is NEAAC ACMEPI 15 009, and the CFDA program number is 19.500 (Middle East Partnership Initiative).
What were the key dates for this opportunity?
The notice was posted on April 9, 2015. The original and current closing date was May 26, 2015. The archive date was June 25, 2015.
Where can applicants get help accessing the full announcement on Grants.gov?
For assistance accessing the full announcement through Grants.gov, the listed support contact is the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 and support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is available 24/7 except federal holidays.
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