CFAs: NEA/AC Regional Annual Program Statement (United States)

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs’ Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) is inviting organizations to submit statements of interest for innovative foreign assistance programs supporting U.S. economic, security, and diplomatic objectives across the Near East. Projects can request between $250,000 and $30 million and may focus on areas such as energy, trade, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, critical infrastructure, critical minerals, workforce development, and economic recovery.

About the NEA/AC Regional Annual Program Statement

The NEA/AC Regional Annual Program Statement supports innovative foreign assistance programs designed to address strategic economic and development challenges in the Near East.

The program seeks projects that:

Strengthen regional economic integration.
Promote trade and investment.
Leverage American businesses, technologies, and expertise.
Attract private capital through market-based approaches.
Improve infrastructure and economic resilience.
Support U.S. diplomatic and security objectives.
Address competition from adversarial powers.

The initiative is particularly interested in projects that can create sustainable economic opportunities while strengthening relationships between the United States and partner countries.

Key Program Priorities

Energy Development and Exports

Projects may support energy development, energy infrastructure, exports, and related private-sector opportunities that strengthen regional energy markets.

Trade Facilitation

Proposals can address barriers to regional and international trade, including regulatory improvements, market integration, and infrastructure needed to facilitate commerce.

Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies

The program highlights emerging technologies, particularly:

Artificial intelligence.
Telecommunications.
Digital technologies.
Technology-enabled economic development.

Projects should demonstrate how emerging technologies can address strategic regional challenges while creating opportunities for U.S. commercial engagement.

Critical Infrastructure

Priority infrastructure areas include:

Aviation.
5G telecommunications.
Transportation.
Space technology.
Other strategically important infrastructure.

Critical Minerals

Projects may support the development of critical mineral supply chains and related economic opportunities.

Advanced Manufacturing

The program supports approaches that strengthen advanced manufacturing capabilities and connect regional economies with modern industrial systems.

Workforce Training

Training initiatives should help develop skills aligned with private-sector demand, including workforce needs associated with U.S. businesses operating or investing in the region.

Economic Recovery

Projects may support economic recovery in conflict-affected areas, particularly where private-sector development, infrastructure, and employment can contribute to longer-term stability.

Country-Specific Priorities

The program includes tailored priorities for several countries and territories in the Near East.

These include:

Algeria
Bahrain
Iraq
Lebanon
Libya
Morocco
Oman
Tunisia
West Bank

Country priorities may include U.S. commercial engagement, regulatory reform, infrastructure development, private-sector capacity building, and economic recovery.

Applicants should ensure that proposed activities directly correspond to the priorities applicable to the country or countries where implementation will occur.

Funding Available

The program has an estimated total funding level of $190 million.

Individual awards may range from:

Minimum: $250,000.
Maximum: $30,000,000.

Awards may be structured as:

Grants.
Fixed Amount Awards.
Cooperative Agreements.

The anticipated performance period is generally 12 to 36 months.

Cost sharing is encouraged but not required.

Who Is Eligible?

The opportunity is open to a broad range of organizations, including:

Nonprofit organizations.
Non-governmental organizations.
Think tanks.
Public and private educational institutions.
For-profit organizations.
Public international organizations.
Governmental institutions.

Applicants must be capable of operating in the relevant target countries and must comply with applicable U.S. laws, regulations, and policies.

Additional Eligibility Requirements

Depending on the proposed country and activity, applicants may need to demonstrate:

Legal authority to operate in the target country.
Appropriate operational capacity.
Experience working in complex or conflict-affected environments.
Ability to manage U.S. foreign assistance funding.
Compliance with counterterrorism requirements.
Compliance with applicable anti-discrimination requirements.

Country-specific requirements may be particularly important for organizations proposing work in challenging operating environments.

What Makes a Strong Project?

A strong proposal should demonstrate a clear connection between the proposed intervention and the program’s strategic objectives.

Projects should ideally:

Address a specific economic or strategic challenge.
Produce measurable outcomes.
Encourage private-sector participation.
Leverage U.S. businesses, technology, or expertise where appropriate.
Support market-based solutions.
Demonstrate sustainable economic benefits.
Strengthen local institutional capacity.
Have a realistic implementation strategy.
Address the relevant country-specific priorities.

Projects that simply provide short-term assistance without demonstrating broader economic or strategic impact may be less aligned with the program’s objectives.

Why This Program Matters

The NEA/AC program takes a strategic approach to foreign assistance by linking economic development, private investment, technology, infrastructure, and regional stability.

Rather than focusing exclusively on traditional development assistance, the program seeks to catalyze market-based solutions and strengthen commercial relationships.

Potential benefits include:

Greater regional economic integration.
Increased private investment.
Improved infrastructure.
Expanded trade.
Stronger technology ecosystems.
Workforce development.
Economic recovery in conflict-affected areas.
Increased opportunities for U.S. companies and technologies.

How to Apply

Applicants should develop their statement of interest around the strategic priorities of the program and the specific needs of the proposed country.

Step 1: Select a Strategic Challenge

Identify a clearly defined challenge or opportunity in the target country or region.

Examples include:

Infrastructure gaps.
Limited trade integration.
Energy development.
Technology adoption.
Workforce shortages.
Critical mineral development.
Economic recovery.

Step 2: Match the Project to Program Priorities

Explain exactly how the proposed activity advances one or more NEA/AC priorities.

The connection should be explicit rather than implied.

Step 3: Review Country-Specific Priorities

For proposals involving Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, or the West Bank, applicants should ensure that the project addresses the relevant country-specific objectives.

Step 4: Develop a Market-Based Approach

Explain how the project will:

Leverage private-sector capabilities.
Attract or catalyze private capital.
Promote trade or investment.
Encourage sustainable commercial activity.
Use American enterprise or technology where relevant.

Step 5: Establish Measurable Outcomes

Define specific results that can demonstrate project success.

Potential indicators may include:

New investment mobilized.
Businesses supported.
Jobs created.
Trade barriers reduced.
Workers trained.
Infrastructure capacity improved.
New technology adopted.
Regulatory reforms supported.

Step 6: Prepare the Funding Structure

Determine the appropriate award mechanism and develop a realistic budget for the proposed performance period.

Applicants may request between $250,000 and $30 million, depending on project scope and funding requirements.

Step 7: Demonstrate Operational Capacity

Show that the organization can legally and effectively operate in the proposed location and manage the technical, financial, and compliance requirements associated with U.S. foreign assistance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

Proposing projects unrelated to country-specific priorities.
Failing to connect the project with U.S. economic, security, or diplomatic objectives.
Presenting assistance without a sustainable market-based approach.
Ignoring private-sector participation.
Providing vague or unmeasurable outcomes.
Underestimating operational challenges in complex environments.
Failing to address applicable counterterrorism or anti-discrimination requirements.
Submitting budgets that are disproportionate to the proposed activities.
Assuming that cost sharing is mandatory when it is encouraged but not required.

Application Tips

To strengthen a statement of interest:

Be strategic: Clearly connect the intervention to regional and country priorities.
Show commercial relevance: Explain how the project can support trade, investment, or private-sector development.
Demonstrate sustainability: Describe what will continue after U.S. funding ends.
Use measurable indicators: Define concrete economic, infrastructure, workforce, or technology outcomes.
Highlight partnerships: Identify credible local, international, and private-sector partners where appropriate.
Demonstrate local capacity: Explain how activities will be implemented effectively in the target environment.
Address risk: Identify political, operational, financial, and implementation risks and mitigation measures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NEA/AC Regional Annual Program Statement?

It is a U.S. foreign assistance funding opportunity supporting innovative projects that advance economic, security, and diplomatic objectives in the Near East.

How much funding is available per project?

Awards can range from $250,000 to $30 million. The estimated total program funding is $190 million.

Which countries are included?

Country-specific priorities are provided for Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, and the West Bank.

What sectors does the program support?

Priority sectors include energy, trade, AI, telecommunications, critical infrastructure, critical minerals, regional economic integration, advanced manufacturing, workforce development, and economic recovery.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include nonprofits, NGOs, think tanks, educational institutions, for-profit organizations, public international organizations, and governmental institutions, subject to applicable eligibility requirements.

Is cost sharing required?

No. Cost sharing is encouraged but not required.

How long can projects last?

The anticipated performance period is between 12 and 36 months, depending on the funded project and award structure.

Conclusion

The NEA/AC Regional Annual Program Statement offers substantial funding for organizations capable of delivering innovative, market-oriented solutions to strategic challenges in the Near East. With awards of up to $30 million, the opportunity is particularly relevant to organizations working on energy, trade, emerging technology, critical infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, workforce development, private-sector growth, and economic recovery, provided their proposals demonstrate strong alignment with U.S. regional and country-specific priorities.