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U.S. Embassy South Africa Annual Program 2025

Deadline: 11-Jul-25

The U.S. Mission to South Africa Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to reinstitute its Annual Program Statement (APS) for Fiscal Year 2025.

Priorities
  • U.S. Mission to South Africa Nationwide Strategic Priorities and Initiatives:
    • Connect U.S. and South African expertise related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, focused on growth industries – particularly working in partnership with TVETs.
    • Develop or strengthen lasting linkages between U.S. and South African universities and other institutions of higher and technical/vocational education.
    • Strengthen U.S. government-sponsored exchange alumni networks and help alumni effect positive change in their communities.
    • Broaden Entrepreneurship Skills to Expand Economic Opportunities.
    • Advance Community Security.
  • Additional Regional Strategic Priorities and Initiatives:
    • Organizations in KwaZulu Natal may additionally submit applications that fall into these subject areas:
      • empower entrepreneurship and bilateral exchange within KZN’s creative economy, blue economy, and tourism and agri-business sectors.
      • address challenges specific to the KZN as a coastal region with a vibrant blue economy, transatlantic port, and agricultural sector.
      • highlight lessons learned from U.S. experience relevant to social violence. Priority will be given to projects that bring a U.S. partnership and perspective to these issues.
  • Organizations in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Northern Cape may additionally submit applications that fall into these subject areas:
    • projects that empower South African creatives, producers, youth, community activists, and/or emerging entrepreneurs to improve their messaging, audience engagement, story-telling, and public education skills and techniques through exchange or exposure to U.S. models, experts and/or peers.
    • projects that build capacity and create networking opportunities for small community-based organizations and local leaders working to improve and engage their communities and local governance through exchange or exposure to U.S. experts, models, and/or peer engagement.
  • Organizations in Gauteng, Free State and North-West may additionally submit applications that fall into these subject areas:
    • programs that improve understanding of the business of creative industries and/or foster partnerships between South African and U.S. creative producers in film, television, or fashion industries.
  • Organizations in Pretoria, Limpopo and Mpumalanga may additionally submit applications that fall into these subject areas:
    • development of programs that build connections between South African educators and practitioners and U.S. experts in the fields of agriculture, agri-business, and agricultural education.
Ineligible Projects
  • The following types of projects are not eligible for funding:
    • Projects relating to partisan political activity or advocacy.
    • Projects solely dedicated to research.
    • Projects with elements of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
    • Projects focused on gender identity
    • Charitable or development activities.
    • Activities with a profit motive.
    • Construction projects.
    • Support for social or health services.
    • Projects that support specific religious activities.
    • Fund-raising campaigns.
    • Lobbying for specific legislation or projects.
    • Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization.
    • Projects that duplicate existing projects.
    • Travel to the United States for family or social purposes.
    • Travel to the United States for purposes of amplifying South African cultural initiatives.
    • Travel to the United States for purposes unconnected to a larger project or initiative.
    • Scholarships or tuition assistance.
    • Events of a purely social nature.
    • Prizes and competition awards without a programmatic linkage.
Participants and Audiences
  • Proposals must identity a clearly defined target audience that the project seeks to engage and influence and should specify the changes in attitudes or behaviors the project aims to realize – and how the implementer intends to measure these outcomes.
  • Project activities must principally take place in South Africa and be directed at South African audiences/participants. Proposals should specify the main geographic location(s) of the project. We welcome proposals that reach multiple provinces or engage in areas outside the metropolitan areas of Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town, including townships, rural areas, and other underserved areas. Proposals should reflect the applicant’s proven organizational capacity to implement the activities as outlined and in the geographic areas indicated.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Only non-profit organizations are eligible to apply. This includes civil society/non-governmental organizations, non-profit public and private educational institutions, non-profit think tanks, etc. South African applicants with a proven track record may be given priority.
  • All proposals must include a significant American component, such as (but not limited to) building connections with U.S. experts, organizations, or projects that promote an increased understanding of U.S. policy, perspectives, institutions, history, or culture.
  • Funds are limited. The Mission receives many proposals each year, but resources allow only a limited few to be funded, even though many are high quality. Applicants should create proposals with realistic budgets and should not expand their budgets beyond what is required for the requested activities.
  • Merit review of proposals takes time. Applicants whose concept notes are selected to submit full proposals will be notified within one month of each quarterly deadline. If an applicant submits a concept note and does not hear from the Mission within three months, their project was not selected for further consideration as a full proposal. While some applicants may be notified earlier, all applicants invited to submit full proposals will be notified by October 15, 2025 if their proposals were selected for funding or not. Due to the large number of submissions and to avoid the perception of favorable consideration for any single applicant over others, organizations whose proposals are not selected should not expect detailed feedback explaining the decision.
Ineligibility Criteria
  • Proposals from for-profit entities will not be considered.

For more information, visit U.S. Mission to South Africa.