Promoting market-driven skills for Palestinian university graduates | OPAPDFY23006

Opportunity Information: Apply for OPAPDFY23006

The U.S. Department of State, through the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (U.S. Mission to Jerusalem), announced a discretionary funding opportunity called "Promoting market-driven skills for Palestinian university graduates" (Opportunity Number OPAPDFY23006). The program is designed to help recent graduates and students who are about to graduate from Palestinian universities build the kinds of employability skills the modern labor market expects. The focus is on both soft skills and technical skills, with an emphasis on practical, market-driven preparation that improves participants' readiness to secure jobs and succeed in the workplace.

The opportunity is structured as either a grant or a cooperative agreement, meaning the funder may expect a more active partnership and ongoing involvement depending on the award instrument used. The funding activity areas span education, community development, and business and commerce, reflecting the program's intent to connect training outcomes to real economic opportunity and private-sector needs. The program is intended to operate in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and/or Gaza, which are identified as the priority regions for implementation.

Only certain types of organizations are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include U.S. and Palestinian non-profit NGOs, as well as non-profit higher education institutions. The eligibility language also includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and U.S. nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the original notice). In practice, this means the competition is aimed at mission-driven organizations and academic institutions that can credibly deliver workforce development programming and maintain partnerships with universities and employers.

Program design is expected to align with the U.S. OPA Public Diplomacy mission and broader goals for Palestinian development. The solicitation highlights two core outcomes the project should support: first, strengthening Palestinian institutions, governmental and non-governmental, so they can better respond to the needs and aspirations of Palestinians; and second, contributing to a more prosperous Palestinian economy driven by a thriving private sector, with equitable and inclusive economic opportunities that improve daily life. In other words, the program is not only about training individuals, but also about reinforcing the wider ecosystem that connects education to employment, including institutional capacity and private-sector engagement.

A central requirement is substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas, and ideals. This is a public diplomacy priority, and it signals that proposals should incorporate meaningful U.S.-Palestinian exchange or collaboration elements rather than treating the U.S. connection as a minor add-on. Depending on the applicant's approach, this could translate into involvement from American experts, partnerships with U.S. universities or professional organizations, mentorship links with U.S. professionals, joint workshops, speaker series, or other structured activities that strengthen American-Palestinian relationships and create pathways for future cooperation.

Financially, the opportunity had an award ceiling of $200,000 and anticipated making one award. The opportunity was posted on May 19, 2023, with an original application deadline of July 21, 2023. The program is associated with CFDA number 19.021. Overall, the grant aims to produce employment-relevant skills gains among Palestinian university graduates while also advancing institutional strengthening, private-sector-led economic development, and sustained people-to-people engagement tied to the United States.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Jerusalem in the business and commerce, community development, education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promoting market-driven skills for Palestinian university graduates" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.021.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 19, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 2023. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for OPAPDFY23006

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