Advancing Strategic Space Partnerships in the Middle East
This grant supports a project to strengthen US partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa by building local space sector skills, fostering cooperation, and promoting US-led space governance and commercial opportunities.
Funder: Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Due Dates: August 25, 2025
Funding Amounts: Up to $2,250,000 total; one award expected; no cost-sharing required.
Summary: Funds a single organization to build space sector capacity and foster U.S.-aligned space partnerships in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Oman.
Key Information: Proposals must address all four specified countries and include a required logic model; for-profit applicants may not derive profit.
Description
This funding opportunity seeks an implementing partner to strengthen the space sector in select Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries—specifically Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Oman—by building local capacity in space policy, technical skills, business engagement, and leadership. The initiative aims to position the United States as the preferred partner in the region’s growing space ecosystem, supporting economic diversification and technological advancement while reinforcing U.S. values of responsible innovation, transparency, and security.
The selected grantee will design and deliver a comprehensive program targeting public and private sector professionals, including government officials, researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and policy advisors. Activities should foster technological interoperability, support sustainable international cooperation, and create commercial opportunities for U.S. space sector companies. The program must include robust monitoring, evaluation, and reporting components, and proposals must demonstrate expertise in capacity-building and stakeholder engagement in the space industry.
