Opportunity Information: Apply for OFOP0001709
The 2025 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2025) is a competitive grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to support projects designed and led by alumni of U.S. government-funded or U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. The program is meant to help alumni turn ideas and networks developed through their exchange experience into practical, community-focused initiatives, with an emphasis on projects that align closely with the Embassy's stated program objectives and required themes. Funding is provided through a discretionary grant mechanism under a community development activity category (CFDA 19.022), and the Embassy expects to make a small number of awards.
Eligibility is centered on alumni leadership and teamwork. Applicants must be past participants of eligible U.S. government-funded or sponsored exchange programs and must apply as a team of at least two alumni, not as a single individual. Each team is required to name a team lead who will serve as the primary point of contact and coordinator. If a proposal uses an Indo-Pacific focus, the team is allowed to include additional alumni from other Indo-Pacific countries, which creates room for cross-border collaboration as long as the core eligibility requirements are met.
Project design is constrained by several non-negotiable requirements. Proposals must directly address the themes outlined in the program objectives, and any submission that does not clearly and explicitly align with those themes will be considered ineligible. In addition, all project activities must take place outside the United States and its territories, which means the work plan, beneficiaries, and on-the-ground implementation should be fully based in eligible locations abroad rather than involving programming inside the U.S.
A key structural requirement is that alumni teams must implement their projects in partnership with a legally recognized, non-profit, non-governmental organization that can meet both U.S. and Indian compliance standards. The partner organization must be capable of satisfying applicable Indian regulatory requirements such as FCRA where relevant, and U.S. federal award requirements including obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier and maintaining an active registration in SAM.gov. This effectively means alumni teams need to identify a capable NGO partner with the administrative and legal capacity to receive and manage U.S. government grant funds and comply with reporting and oversight expectations. If a project is approved for funding, an MoU will be signed between the alumni team and the recipient organization to formalize roles and responsibilities.
In terms of funding and timing, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number OFOP0001709, with an application deadline of January 31, 2025. The maximum award amount is $35,000 per grant, and the Embassy anticipates making about three awards. Overall, AEIF 2025 is best suited for exchange alumni who have a clear, theme-aligned community development concept, a reliable NGO partner that can meet U.S. and Indian compliance requirements, and a practical plan to deliver measurable impact entirely outside the United States.Apply for OFOP0001709
- The U.S. Mission to India in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2025 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.022.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-11.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-31. (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 $35,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
AEIF 2025 (Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund) FAQs
What is the 2025 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2025)?
AEIF 2025 is a competitive grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to support projects designed and led by alumni of U.S. government-funded or U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. The goal is to help alumni turn ideas, skills, and networks from their exchange experience into practical, community-focused initiatives.
Who is offering this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.
What type of projects does AEIF 2025 support?
The grant supports practical, community-focused initiatives designed and led by eligible exchange alumni. Projects must align closely with the Embassy's stated program objectives and required themes.
What are the required themes or program objectives?
Proposals must directly address the themes outlined in the program objectives for AEIF 2025. Any submission that does not clearly and explicitly align with those themes will be considered ineligible.
Is this a competitive opportunity?
Yes. AEIF 2025 is described as a competitive grant opportunity, and the Embassy expects to make a small number of awards.
How many awards does the Embassy expect to make?
The Embassy anticipates making about three awards.
What is the maximum award amount?
The maximum award amount is $35,000 per grant.
What is the funding mechanism or category for this grant?
Funding is provided through a discretionary grant mechanism under a community development activity category (CFDA 19.022).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is OFOP0001709.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline is January 31, 2025.
Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants must be past participants (alumni) of eligible U.S. government-funded or U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs.
Can an individual apply alone?
No. Applications must be submitted by a team of at least two alumni. Single-individual applications are not allowed.
What is required in terms of team structure?
Each applicant team must include at least two exchange alumni and must name a team lead who serves as the primary point of contact and coordinator.
Who should be listed as the main contact for the project?
The team lead should be listed as the primary point of contact and coordinator for the application and project.
Can the team include alumni from outside India?
If a proposal uses an Indo-Pacific focus, the team is allowed to include additional alumni from other Indo-Pacific countries. This enables cross-border collaboration as long as the core eligibility requirements are met.
Where must project activities take place?
All project activities must take place outside the United States and its territories. The work plan, beneficiaries, and on-the-ground implementation should be based in eligible locations abroad rather than involving programming inside the U.S.
Are projects that include activities in the United States allowed?
No. AEIF 2025 requires that all project activities take place outside the United States and its territories.
What happens if a proposal does not clearly align with the required themes?
Any submission that does not clearly and explicitly align with the themes outlined in the program objectives will be considered ineligible.
Is an NGO partner required?
Yes. Alumni teams must implement their projects in partnership with a legally recognized, non-profit, non-governmental organization.
What kind of organization can serve as the required partner?
The partner must be a legally recognized, non-profit, non-governmental organization that can meet both U.S. and Indian compliance standards.
What compliance requirements must the partner organization be able to meet?
The partner must be capable of satisfying applicable Indian regulatory requirements (such as FCRA where relevant) and U.S. federal award requirements, including obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and maintaining an active registration in SAM.gov.
Why is SAM.gov registration and a UEI mentioned?
The opportunity indicates that the recipient organization must be able to receive and manage U.S. government grant funds under U.S. federal award requirements. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active SAM.gov registration.
Does the alumni team itself need to be the legally registered grant recipient?
The opportunity states that projects must be implemented in partnership with a legally recognized NGO that can meet U.S. and Indian compliance standards and can receive and manage U.S. government grant funds. This indicates the team must identify an eligible recipient organization with the required administrative and legal capacity.
What is FCRA and when does it apply?
The opportunity notes that the partner organization must be capable of satisfying applicable Indian regulatory requirements such as FCRA where relevant. Whether it is relevant depends on the project and applicable Indian regulatory requirements.
Will there be a formal agreement if a project is selected?
Yes. If a project is approved for funding, an MoU will be signed between the alumni team and the recipient organization to formalize roles and responsibilities.
What is the purpose of the MoU?
The MoU is used to formalize roles and responsibilities between the alumni team and the recipient organization if the project is approved for funding.
What makes an application more likely to be a good fit for AEIF 2025?
Based on the opportunity description, AEIF 2025 is best suited for exchange alumni who (1) have a clear, theme-aligned community development concept, (2) have a reliable NGO partner that can meet U.S. and Indian compliance requirements, and (3) have a practical plan to deliver measurable impact entirely outside the United States.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Community Development
Next opportunity: NOFO: DE-FOA-0003373, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Provision 41007 (b)(2), Wind Turbine Technology Recycling
Previous opportunity: Prevention and Intervention Approaches for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for OFOP0001709
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (OFOP0001709) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| 2024 Carryover Earmark - NESDIS Apply for NOAA NESDIS NCEI 2025 29657 Funding Number: NOAA NESDIS NCEI 2025 29657 Agency: DOC NOAA - ERA Production Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Fiscal Year 2025 NACA Program Apply for CDFI 2025 NACA Funding Number: CDFI 2025 NACA Agency: Community Development Financial Institutions Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Fiscal Year 2025 CDFI Program Apply for CDFI 2025 FATA Funding Number: CDFI 2025 FATA Agency: Community Development Financial Institutions Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Veterans Cemetery Grants Apply for VA NCA VCGP 2025 Funding Number: VA NCA VCGP 2025 Agency: VA National Cemetery Administration Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $60,000,000 |
| HOIHI Grant Program for Native Hawaiian Organizations Apply for D25AS00271 Funding Number: D25AS00271 Agency: Interior Business Center Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| 2025 USASEAN Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) Apply for OFOP0001835 Funding Number: OFOP0001835 Agency: U.S. Mission to Indonesia Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $35,000 |
| US Embassy Timor Leste FY25 Program Statement Apply for OFOP0001900 Funding Number: OFOP0001900 Agency: U.S. Mission to Timor-Leste Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity Apply for VA FOX SP FY2026 Funding Number: VA FOX SP FY2026 Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Continuum of Care Builds (CoC Builds) Apply for FR 6901 N 25A Funding Number: FR 6901 N 25A Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $14,000,000 |
| Power of Alumni: From Exchange to Action Apply for OFOP0002160 Funding Number: OFOP0002160 Agency: U.S. Mission to El Salvador Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Solid Waste Management Grant Program Apply for SWMFY26 Funding Number: SWMFY26 Agency: Rural Utilities Service Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program Apply for RDRUS 26 DWS Funding Number: RDRUS 26 DWS Agency: Rural Utilities Service Category: Community Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) Apply for USDA RD HCFP RCDI 2025 Funding Number: USDA RD HCFP RCDI 2025 Agency: Rural Housing Service Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| FY 2025 Continuum of Care Competition and Youth Homeless Demonstration Program Grants NOFO Apply for FR 6900 N 25 Funding Number: FR 6900 N 25 Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $25,000,000 |
| FY 2025 Continuum of Care Competition and Youth Homeless Demonstration Program Grants NOFO Apply for FR 6901 N 25 Funding Number: FR 6901 N 25 Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $25,000,000 |
| Veterans Cemetery Grants Apply for VA NCA VCGP 2026 Funding Number: VA NCA VCGP 2026 Agency: VA National Cemetery Administration Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $60,000,000 |
| Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity Apply for VA FOX SP FY2027 Funding Number: VA FOX SP FY2027 Agency: Office of Suicide Prevention Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund Apply for PDS ABIDJAN FY26 0001 AEIF Funding Number: PDS ABIDJAN FY26 0001 AEIF Agency: U.S. Mission to Cote d Ivoire Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $35,000 |
| HOIHI Grant Program for Native Hawaiian Organizations Apply for D26AS00098 Funding Number: D26AS00098 Agency: Interior Business Center Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| 2026 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2026) Apply for OFOP0002620 Funding Number: OFOP0002620 Agency: U.S. Mission to Uzbekistan Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $35,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "OFOP0001709", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.