AI Partnership & Exchange for Tech Leaders (APEX) — U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia funding opportunity
U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia · Federal agency

AI Partnership & Exchange for Tech Leaders (APEX)

Posted 9d ago

Program PurposeThe 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...

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Award $150k–$250k Deadline Sep 8 Location Alabama Type grant Level Federal Open posted Jul 26, 2026
✦ AI Summary
  • Who can apply: Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details).
  • Funding amount: $150,000 – $250,000, total pool ~$250,000.
  • Next deadline: September 8, 2026.
  • Issued by: U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia.
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How was this generated?

The “key facts” mode pulls structured fields directly from the official source posting (amount, deadline, eligibility tags). The AI mode adds a short plain-English narrative on top, generated from the same source. Always verify with the agency before applying.

AI-generated. Always verify with the official source.

Who can apply — at a glance

  • Eligible applicants: see the Eligibility tab for the criteria from the official announcement.
  • Where: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District of Columbia.
  • Award: $150k–$250k. Total program pool: $250,000.
  • Matching funds: not required.
  • Deadline type: Fixed.

Compiled from the official listing's structured fields — always verify with the funder before applying.

About the funder

U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia is a federal-level funder.

See all 1 open program from this agency →

Award amount
$150k–$250k
Deadline
Sep 8
Sep 8, 2026
Total pool
$250k

About this opportunity

Program PurposeThe 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 academia. This initiative helps participants build professional networks, study 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 post-doctoral students, or recent graduates who are studying or working in AI-related fields (such as data 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: Exchange (Two Weeks) in July 2027: The partner will lead a two-week summer trip to two or three 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.

Funding agency

U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia
Federal agency

Tags

Technology & Software Arts & Culture Education & Research
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Who can apply

Eligibility details aren't on file yet — check the agency source link in the Documents tab for the latest rules.

Geographic eligibility

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
  • District of Columbia

How to apply

We don't have application instructions on file yet — head straight to the official source.

Apply on agency site
Tip from our team:

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Source documents

View on agency site
Canonical NOFO, application packet, and forms
No supplemental documents yet.

Direct downloads (NOFO PDFs, application forms, FAQs) will appear here once our team attaches them. For now, the agency site has the canonical packet.

Citation details

Source systemgrants.gov
Source ID363315
PostedJul 26, 2026

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