University-led Networks for Innovation, Technology, and Expertise (UNITE)
This grant funds a U.S. academic partner to manage university-industry teams creating solutions for Saudi workforce gaps in tech sectors, with up to $25,000 per project and required cost-sharing.
Funder: U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia
Due Dates: September 17, 2026: Full application submission deadline
Funding Amounts: Up to $150,000 total; award ceiling $150,000, floor $90,000; single award for 18 months; supports 4–5 project teams with up to $25,000 each.
Summary: Funds a U.S. academic partner to manage university-industry partnerships addressing Saudi workforce and development gaps in strategic sectors through applied, U.S.-linked deliverables.
Key Information: Each project team must provide a 1:1 cost-share match; for-profit entities may only participate as vendors, not as recipients or subrecipients.
Description
This opportunity supports a single U.S. academic implementing partner to lead the University-led Networks for Innovation, Technology, and Expertise (UNITE) program, funded by the U.S. Embassy Riyadh Public Diplomacy Section. The program aims to establish four to five applied project teams—each a partnership between a U.S. university, a Saudi institution, and a U.S. company or technical partner—to solve specific Saudi workforce and development gaps in high-demand sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, critical minerals, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and workforce development. Each team will produce a concrete, U.S.-linked deliverable (e.g., curriculum, technical roadmap, standards brief) that fosters sustainable U.S.-Saudi academic and industry collaboration.
The UNITE program emphasizes faculty-driven, practical partnerships that create durable pathways for Saudi investment in American expertise and standards, helping ensure U.S. leadership in Saudi Arabia’s evolving economic landscape.
