Supporting Moderate Education in Syria | NEAAC ACSYRIA 18 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for NEAAC ACSYRIA 18 001

The U.S. Department of State, through the Office of Assistance Coordination in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA/AC), offered a cooperative agreement opportunity called "Supporting Moderate Education in Syria" (Funding Opportunity Number NEAAC_ACSYRIA_18_001). The core purpose was to advance stabilization in parts of Syria that had been liberated from ISIS as well as in opposition-held areas by strengthening access to moderate, high-quality education for children and youth. The program framed education as a front-line stabilization tool: keeping schools functioning and credible was seen as essential to preserving moderate local institutions, supporting conditions for a negotiated political settlement, reducing displacement pressures on neighboring countries, and preventing a "lost generation" whose schooling was disrupted by war.

A central theme of the opportunity was countering violent extremist influence. The grant description emphasized that quality, moderate education can deny designated terrorist groups the space to indoctrinate children with extremist ideologies. By helping communities maintain functioning education systems, the program aimed to reduce the incentives for families to flee Syria in search of schooling and to reinforce community resilience in areas emerging from ISIS control or continuing under opposition governance.

Applicants were asked to propose practical approaches that both deliver education services and build local education management capacity. A major focus was supporting Syrian Interim Government (SIG)-aligned Provincial Education Directorates and other local education providers so they could manage education more effectively. This included administrative and operational strengthening, coordination, and system support that would help local bodies plan, oversee, and sustain education services under conflict-affected conditions.

The opportunity also prioritized direct support to education personnel and continuity of learning. Proposals were expected to include providing stipends and salaries for education staff for the 2018 and 2019 academic years, which reflects a recognition that paying teachers and staff is a key constraint in crisis settings where public payroll systems are disrupted. In addition, the program sought support for summer examinations so that students could receive formal recognition for what they learned, helping preserve educational progression and prevent students from falling irreparably behind due to interrupted school calendars.

Teacher quality and classroom standards were another required component. The grant called for teacher training to help ensure instruction is grade-appropriate and of adequate quality. In a conflict setting where many trained educators may have been displaced and schools may rely on newer or volunteer teachers, training was positioned as critical to keeping learning outcomes credible and consistent.

On the infrastructure and student well-being side, the opportunity included light refurbishment of damaged schools to make learning spaces usable and safer, without implying large-scale reconstruction. It also strongly emphasized psychosocial support and trauma-informed approaches for children, teachers, and community members. The description highlighted the scale of trauma among Syrian students, citing that over 60 percent had seen shelling or bombing, nearly half had seen people wounded, one-third had witnessed a massacre, and 20 percent had seen people killed. This framing made psychosocial programming a core stabilization measure rather than an optional add-on, aiming to address barriers to learning and community functioning created by widespread exposure to violence.

Eligibility was broad and included U.S. and foreign nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, small businesses, public international organizations, and both private and public/state institutions of higher education. However, NEA/AC explicitly encouraged applications from civil society organizations headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region. International NGOs based outside MENA were also encouraged to apply, but the evaluation would consider how much of the total budget would actually be spent in the region through local partners, signaling a preference for locally anchored implementation and regional spend.

Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity under CFDA 19.601, using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically implies substantial involvement by the funding agency in program direction and oversight compared to a standard grant. The opportunity was created on 2017-11-22, had an original closing date of 2018-01-08, and listed an award ceiling of $13,000,000.

• The Assistance Coordination in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Supporting Moderate Education in Syria" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.601.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-08. (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 $13,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NEAAC ACSYRIA 18 001

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