Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund 2026 | BUD 001 FY2026

Opportunity Information: Apply for BUD 001 FY2026

The Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund 2026 (AEIF) is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Mission to Hungary, run through the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest. The program is meant to support projects designed and led by alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs. Its core purpose is to help these alumni turn their exchange experience into practical, community-focused initiatives that advance shared interests and U.S. policy objectives while delivering tangible local benefits in Hungary. The opportunity is annual, and this specific notice emphasizes that funding depends on availability and that the Mission has flexibility in how (or whether) it makes awards.

Projects funded under this call are expected to be completed within 12 months or less, so proposals should be structured around a realistic one-year work plan with clear goals and measurable outcomes. Hungary is listed as the priority region, indicating that proposed activities should primarily take place in Hungary or be clearly centered on Hungarian communities and needs. The award instrument is a grant, and the program falls under CFDA number 19.022. The funding opportunity number is BUD 001 FY2026, and the posted closing date is 2026-05-05. The maximum award size (award ceiling) is $35,000, and the Mission anticipates making about two awards, which suggests the competition may be selective and that proposals should be well-defined and clearly aligned with the fund's objectives.

Eligibility is narrowly focused on exchange alumni. Applicants should not apply if they are not alumni of a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program. Proposals must involve at least two U.S. government-funded exchange alumni, and one person must be identified as the team lead. Alumni associations are also eligible as applicants as long as they designate an alumni team lead. For teams of three or more alumni, U.S. citizen alumni may participate, but the team must include at least two non-U.S. citizen exchange alumni, and U.S. citizen alumni are not allowed to serve as team leads. This structure reinforces that the fund is intended to empower local and non-U.S. citizen alumni leadership while still allowing collaboration with U.S. citizen alumni when appropriate.

The notice also clarifies several practical grant-making conditions. Cost sharing is not required, meaning applicants do not need to provide matching funds, although voluntary contributions or partner support can still be helpful depending on the project design. At the same time, the announcement makes it clear that submitting a proposal does not guarantee an award. The U.S. Mission reserves the right to make no awards at all, and even if a project is selected, the final grant is not official until it is approved and a formal award agreement is signed by a grants officer. The Mission may also reduce, revise, or increase a proposed budget based on program needs and available funding, so applicants should build budgets that are defensible and adaptable rather than overly rigid.

There are also compliance and registration requirements that matter for who can apply and how. Organizations applying must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued through SAM.gov and must maintain an active registration in SAM.gov. Individuals, however, are not required to obtain a UEI or register in SAM.gov, which lowers the administrative barrier for alumni teams applying as individuals rather than through an organization. Overall, the AEIF 2026 in Hungary is best understood as a small, competitive grant program aimed at mobilizing exchange alumni networks to design and deliver short, high-impact projects within a one-year timeline, with straightforward cost-sharing expectations but formal federal grant requirements for organizational applicants.

• The U.S. Mission to Hungary in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund 2026" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.022.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-04-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-05-05. (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 $35,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for BUD 001 FY2026

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: