2021 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2021) | PAS CMR FY21 08

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS CMR FY21 08

The 2021 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2021) is a competitive grant opportunity offered through the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon for alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs. The program is designed to help exchange alumni build on the skills and experiences they gained during their U.S.-supported exchanges by creating and running practical, community-focused projects that respond to real challenges. For this Cameroon round, the Embassy is specifically looking for proposals led by teams of at least two eligible alumni and centered on youth mentoring as a tool for professional and academic development.

Applicants were required to submit their proposals by email to pasgrantsyaounde@state.gov by midnight local Cameroon time (WAT) on March 31, 2021. After reviewing submissions, the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde planned to recommend one proposal for consideration and funding by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Even though the Embassy would select a recommended proposal locally, the final decision would be made in the context of a global competition, where ECA evaluates proposals from alumni teams worldwide. Because of health and safety concerns at the time, projects that could operate fully virtually, or in a hybrid virtual and limited in-person format, were prioritized.

The core purpose of this AEIF competition in Cameroon is to launch a large-scale, structured mentoring program connecting experienced alumni professionals with young Cameroonians who want to strengthen their career and leadership skills. Over a six-month period, the project is expected to rely primarily on accessible electronic tools such as WhatsApp messages and calls, phone calls, video conferencing, and email to support ongoing mentor-mentee engagement. The content and structure of the mentoring is meant to draw from YALI Network themes and resources, emphasizing practical strategies, action planning, and skill-building that help mentees develop as professionals, community leaders, and business owners.

The opportunity lays out concrete performance expectations and deliverables. Proposals should plan to recruit and match at least 400 youth with 200 skilled professional alumni mentors, and engage a total of 600 youth between the ages of 20 and 35 through individual or group virtual mentoring interactions sustained over six months. Applicants are also expected to produce a mentoring manual with clear guidelines for mentors and mentees, create pathways for knowledge transfer using YALI Network resources, and run pre- and post-program evaluations to measure outcomes for both mentors and mentees. In addition, the project should generate public-facing communications, including social media content and short videos that highlight impact, and conclude with a virtual closing summit bringing mentors and mentees together. While the mentoring and summit are intended to be virtual, the notice allows for limited in-person contact if justified, such as small travel subsidies to support occasional mentor-mentee meetings when geography makes that valuable, ideally managed through a controlled small grants or subsidy pool.

The program places strong emphasis on inclusion and national reach. The target participants are motivated young Cameroonians aged 20 to 35 from all regions of the country, alongside skilled mentors drawn from the community of U.S. government exchange alumni. Participant selection is expected to be handled jointly with the Embassy, with attention to inclusiveness, diversity, and gender equity so that opportunities are not concentrated in only a few areas or networks.

Budgeting and implementation planning are expected to reflect the realities of running a high-participant, bilingual virtual program. Proposals are instructed to include costs to subsidize participant internet data usage so that access challenges do not prevent engagement, as well as reasonable translation costs to ensure all content is available in both English and French. The notice also explicitly anticipates significant administrative coordination, so budgets should include appropriate staff and administrative expenses to support recruitment, matching, participant troubleshooting, session monitoring, and overall program quality during the mentoring period. To support recruitment, the Embassy indicates it can help by sharing contact information for potential alumni mentors or by distributing recruitment materials directly to alumni networks.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed as a discretionary award under a cooperative agreement, issued by the Department of State, U.S. Mission to Cameroon, under funding opportunity number PAS-CMR-FY21-08 (CFDA 19.040). The anticipated award ceiling is $50,000, with one expected award. Applicants were directed to use specific application and budget forms provided in the opportunity’s related documents and to consult the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for detailed eligibility and submission requirements.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Cameroon in the education, employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2021 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2021)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 01, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 31, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for PAS CMR FY21 08

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