U.S. Companies and Pakistani Universities Partner for Better Employability of Pakistani Youth | SCAISB 24 AW 004 01302024

Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAISB 24 AW 004 01302024

The U.S. Department of State, through the U.S. Consulate General in Lahore, is offering a single Public Diplomacy Grants Program award (issued as a cooperative agreement) to support a program aimed at improving the employability of Pakistani youth by strengthening how universities in Punjab teach market-relevant skills. The central idea is to connect the needs of American business and technology companies with the skills being produced by Pakistani higher education, particularly in eCommerce and IT-related fields. Rather than focusing on placing individuals into jobs, the opportunity is designed to create longer-term impact by upgrading academic curricula and capacity within universities.

The proposed program is expected to start by engaging U.S. companies (especially in business and tech) to identify current human resource gaps in eCommerce and IT that could realistically be filled by skilled international employees. In parallel, the program should assess and document skills gaps among Pakistani university graduates. Using these findings, the selected grantee will then work directly with faculty at ten universities in Punjab to design or update curricula so students graduate with more current, job-relevant competencies. In practice, this implies a structured process that could include employer consultations, skills mapping, curriculum development workshops, faculty engagement, and the creation of updated course content aligned with what employers say they need today.

A key requirement is that the project must be framed as an academic-sector strengthening initiative rather than a job placement effort. That means success is likely to be judged by outputs like needs assessments completed, university partnerships formed, curricula created or modernized, and institutional adoption of improved teaching and learning approaches, instead of metrics such as numbers of students hired. The emphasis is on building a sustainable bridge between industry skill requirements and university instruction, so that universities are better positioned to keep pace with changes in the digital economy.

The maximum funding amount (award ceiling) is $500,000, and only one award is expected. The opportunity is discretionary and uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means the funder expects closer collaboration and oversight than a standard grant. The funding opportunity number is SCAISB 24 AW 004 01302024, the CFDA number is 19.501, and the original application deadline listed is April 4, 2024. The issuing agency is the U.S. Mission to Pakistan.

Eligibility is limited to non-profit applicants. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based organizations, civil society or non-governmental organizations, and public or private educational institutions, as long as they are not for-profit. For-profit entities are explicitly ineligible to apply as the prime recipient, even if they otherwise resemble an eligible category. However, the prime recipient may sub-contract with other entities as part of implementation; if subcontracting is used, proposals must clearly define the responsibilities and roles of each participating entity. Only one non-profit, non-governmental organization can serve as the main award recipient, so partnerships need to be structured with a single lead applicant responsible for the overall project and compliance.

• The U.S. Mission to Pakistan in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Companies and Pakistani Universities Partner for Better Employability of Pakistani Youth" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-04. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for SCAISB 24 AW 004 01302024

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