Funding Opportunity
About the grant (description from Grant.gov site):
The U.S.-Africa Strategic Investment Program advances America’s national interests by harnessing market-based, private sector-led growth across two strategic focus areas: Critical Minerals Investment and Commercial Diplomacy Acceleration. This program seeks market-based solutions that strengthen the environment for foreign investment in sub-Saharan Africa through transparent and competitive processes, creating sustainable economic growth in two strategic focus areas. Projects must demonstrate clear, measurable benefits to one or more sub-Saharan countries, such as increased investment from high-quality U.S. and U.S.-aligned companies. Applicants are also encouraged to identify how their projects create conditions that enable U.S. commercial participation.
Full page:
https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/76fb8005-b683-4691-868f-fc0d986088ca
Application info- 20 page instruction document summarized below.
Date announced: July 23, 2026 (Window 1 opened).
Who is giving it: The U.S. Department of State — specifically the Bureau of African Affairs, Office of Assistance. The money is FY2026 National Security Investment Program funds, and all of it must be legally committed by September 30, 2027.
Who pays it out: State awards it; the actual cash flows through the U.S. Health and Human Services Payment Management System for U.S. organizations, or by reimbursement form (SF-270) for non-U.S. organizations.
Total: $500 million (“pending funding availability” — they reserve the right to award less, or nothing).
Chunk options: Roughly 10 awards expected, each between $5 million and $50 million, lasting 1 to 3 years. The pot is not divided between rounds — every round draws from the same $500M until it’s gone.
The program has four rounds. Each round works the same way: you send in your short application by a due date, then you wait about three months, and then they email you to say yes or no.
Round 1. Applications are due August 21, 2026. Answers come by November 29, 2026.
Round 2. Applications are due November 30, 2026. Answers come by March 1, 2027.
Round 3. Applications are due March 1, 2027. Answers come by May 29, 2027.
Round 4. Applications are due May 31, 2027. Answers come by August 29, 2027.
Other Important Logistics
- An organization may submit no more than two Statements of Interest, or SOIs, during each application window.
- SAM.gov registration is not required for the initial SOI.
- SAM.gov registration is required for Phase 2.
- Registration can take four to eight weeks, so applicants should begin the process early.
- The optional notice of intent is a simple email stating:
- How many SOIs the organization may submit
- Which countries the proposed projects would involve
- The notice of intent is non-binding.
- Submitting a notice of intent may help the State Department anticipate the applicant pool, but it does not create any formal advantage or commitment.
How Applications Are Scored
Applications are scored using four categories:
- Idea quality: 40%
- Organizational capacity: 25%
- Partnerships and leverage: 20%
- Planning and implementation approach: 15%
Subrecipient expertise is explicitly considered as part of organizational capacity. This means a newer or smaller lead applicant may strengthen its application through experienced consortium partners.
The partnerships and leverage score includes whether federal funding would help generate substantial commercial investment or returns.
If two applications receive the same score, preference goes to the applicant with the lower overhead rate.
How Applications Are Reviewed
- SOIs are reviewed by a Merit Review Panel.
- The panel may include State Department staff and outside experts.
- Reviewers must sign conflict-of-interest agreements.
- Each SOI is evaluated on its own merits.
- Applications are not necessarily ranked through a direct head-to-head competition.
- The panel makes recommendations.
- Final authority rests with one senior State Department official.
Summary of the 20 Pages of Instructions
Pages 2–4: Eligibility and Prohibited Activities
Eligible applicants include:
- U.S. companies
- U.S.-aligned companies
- Nonprofit organizations
- International organizations
The program does not fund:
- Construction
- Partisan political activity
- Religious programming
- Fundraising
- Projects focused mainly on organizational self-development
- Work that duplicates an existing program
Pages 5–9: What the Program Funds
The program has two main areas of focus.
Critical Minerals
Potential activities include:
- Mining governance
- Geological data collection
- Licensing and regulatory systems
- Local mineral processing
- Local value addition
- Workforce development
- Environmental safeguards
- Investment preparation
Commercial Diplomacy
Potential activities include:
- Regulatory reform
- Customs modernization
- Energy infrastructure
- Telecommunications
- Artificial intelligence
- Cloud services
- Trade facilitation
- Support for U.S. and U.S.-aligned companies entering African markets
All funded activities must support U.S. or U.S.-aligned commercial investment.
Pages 9–11: Application Format and Registration
These pages explain:
- The SOI format
- Page limits
- Submission instructions
- Required registrations
- Phase 2 application requirements
SAM.gov registration is not required for the initial SOI, but it is required before an applicant can receive an award.
Pages 12–15: Deadlines and Compliance Rules
These pages include the application calendar and several restrictions.
Key provisions include:
- No funding for UNRWA
- An anti-DEI certification applies when any portion of the work is performed inside the United States
- Foreign projects receiving more than $500,000 must comply with trafficking-related certification requirements
- Federal drone restrictions apply
- Foreign assistance awards are subject to the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance, or PHFFA, rules
The PHFFA provisions include conditions related to:
- Abortion
- “Gender ideology”
- “Equity ideology”
The program document acknowledges that these requirements may create compliance costs and specifically invites applicants to submit questions about them.
Pages 15–18: Scoring and Review Outcomes
These pages explain:
- The scoring system
- The role of the Merit Review Panel
- The review process
- Possible outcomes after the initial SOI
An SOI may result in:
- An invitation to submit a full proposal
- A request for additional development or co-design
- Rejection
A rejected SOI generally cannot be resubmitted unchanged during a later window.
Pages 19–21: Award Terms
These pages cover the conditions that apply after an award is made.
Important terms include:
- Renewal is entirely discretionary
- The government may reject all applications
- An award may be terminated if it no longer supports agency priorities
- Subawards may be reported publicly
- U.S.-made goods are preferred
- State Department branding and public-communications rules apply
- Continued funding is not guaranteed, even when a project performs well