Closed · DOS-SAU-2602 · CFDA 19.040 · Discretionary

AI Partnership & Exchange for Tech Leaders (APEX)

Federal grant opportunity posted by U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia, cataloged on Grants.gov.

$150K-$250K
Award range
Closed
Status
September 8, 2026
Close date
1
Expected awards

The verdict

AI Partnership & Exchange for Tech Leaders (APEX) is a closed discretionary listing from U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia that offered $150,000 -- $250,000 across 1 expected award. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number. PlainGrants indexes 27 other opportunities from U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia.

$150K-$250K
award range
Closed
application status
1
expected award
19.040
CFDA program

Recently closed NOFO

This listing closed on September 8, 2026. Watch CFDA 19.040 (USAID International Development Grants) for the next funding cycle. Historical award band was $150,000 -- $250,000.

According to Grants.gov (extract vintage 2026-08-10), this record reflects the officially published listing. See methodology.

Deadline tracker

Application window closed

Closed September 8, 2026

Posted Jul 26 Closes Sep 8

Est. Total Funding

$250,000

Expected Awards

1

Instrument

Cooperative Agreement

Description

Program PurposeThe U.S. Embassy Riyadh Public Diplomacy Section is accepting applications for a cooperative agreement to run the AI Partnership & Exchange for Tech Leaders. The goal of this program is to connect rising Saudi Artificial Intelligence (AI) leaders with American experts in business, tech, and academia. This initiative helps participants build professional networks, study U.S. technology standards, and create lasting partnerships between American and Saudi institutions. Target Audience and ParticipantsThe program should be designed for Saudi nationals aged 20 to 30. Participants must be undergraduate, graduate, or post-doctoral students, or recent graduates who are studying or working in AI-related fields (such as data science, robotics, or machine learning). They must also speak fluent English and show strong leadership potential. Provide three complete budget scenarios for 12 participants, 16 participants (primary), and 20 participants.Applicants must provide budget scenarios for three participant cohort sizes:· 12 participants· 16 participants (primary scenario)· 20 participantsEach budget scenario should maintain program quality while demonstrating cost-effectiveness at different scales. Program ComponentsIn addition to the planning and preparation with the Embassy and partner organizations, the selected partner will plan and run three mandatory participant-focused phases: · Phase 1: Preparation (Virtual and In-Person) around April 1, 2027: The partner will create an online application portal and launch a recruiting campaign. They will host a virtual hackathon to help short-listed candidates design an AI project idea. Top project ideas will determine who wins a spot on the exchange trip. The partner will also train the group in leadership, project management, and cross-cultural communication before they travel. · Phase 2: U.S. Exchange (Two Weeks) in July 2027: The partner will lead a two-week summer trip to two or three U.S. cities. The trip will include visits to American tech hubs and universities, networking events, workshops at a major AI summit, and cultural activities. The partner will also match each participant with a professional mentor for three months of bi-weekly virtual career coaching after the exchange program component. Phase 3: Follow-On Summit (Saudi Arabia) on/around January 2028: Within three to six months after the trip, the partner will organize a showcase event in Saudi Arabia. Participants will present their follow-on capstone AI projects to local tech communities, government leaders, and investors. This could be adjacent to major Saudi AI summits or a USG-related event.

Catch-all / unrestricted eligibility mark · DOS-SAU-2602

Grants.gov marks AI Partnership & Exchange for Tech Leaders with a catch-all / unrestricted eligibility code (Others (see official listing text)). Read the official announcement text for the real applicant filter — the code alone is not a door list. The extract does not mark applicant cost-sharing as required. Instrument: Cooperative Agreement. Funding-activity code maps to Other (O). This eligibility-code string dominates the U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia book (11 peers, 39% of 28).

Code 25
Others (see official listing text)

Codes are Grants.gov eligibility category values from the extract vintage 2026-08-10. Confirm the full eligibility statement on the official listing or the Grants.gov eligibility reference.

Official Listing on Grants.gov

View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.

View on Grants.gov

Parent Grant Program

CFDA 19.040

USAID International Development Grants

U.S. Department of State

View program →

Agency Contact

U. S. Embassy, Riyadh Phone 00966118354860

What to do next

AI Partnership & Exchange for Tech Leaders is closed; use the parent program and agency catalog for the next funding cycle.

  • Parent CFDA 19.040 may publish future NOFOs under the same assistance listing. Open program
  • USAID International Development Grants indexes 47 Grants.gov listings in this extract. Program profile
  • U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia lists 27 other indexed opportunities on PlainGrants. Agency catalog

Opportunity deadlines and eligibility change on Grants.gov; PlainGrants mirrors the extract and is not the submission system.

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGrants