MIDDLE EAST/EDUCATION (ME/ED) UMBRELLA ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT (APS) | APS OAA 17 000002

Opportunity Information: Apply for APS OAA 17 000002

The MIDDLE EAST/EDUCATION (ME/ED) Umbrella Annual Program Statement (APS) is a USAID funding opportunity focused on education support in conflict and crisis settings, with particular relevance to protracted emergencies such as Syria and Yemen. The central idea is to fund education activities that can operate effectively in unstable environments where children and youth have experienced major disruptions to schooling, prolonged displacement, exposure to violence, and the social and psychological impacts that come with conflict. USAID frames education not only as a service to restore learning, but also as a stabilizing force that can help communities regain a sense of normal life, reduce learning loss over time, and support longer-term resilience.

This opportunity is designed to promote flexible and responsive programming rather than rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches. USAID highlights the need for implementers to adapt quickly as conditions shift on the ground, which is common in crisis contexts where access, safety, governance, displacement patterns, and community needs can change rapidly. The APS structure signals an intent to support a range of potential interventions under a broader umbrella, allowing USAID to work with partners on solutions that match specific local constraints and opportunities. In practice, that typically means proposals are expected to be pragmatic about operating in dynamic environments, to plan for contingency scenarios, and to emphasize approaches that can be adjusted without derailing delivery of learning services.

A key theme in the description is serving populations who have missed years of schooling and are seeking a pathway back to education. That points toward programming that helps learners re-enter or catch up, supports continuity of learning where formal systems are interrupted, and addresses barriers that keep crisis-affected children and youth out of school. The opportunity also stresses the importance of restoring a sense of normalcy, implying support for interventions that make schooling safer, more predictable, and more accessible, including in non-traditional settings when formal schools are not available or are not safe. While the APS description does not list specific program models, it clearly prioritizes creative approaches that can be delivered quickly and effectively in the realities of conflict and displacement.

Partnerships with local organizations are explicitly emphasized as essential. USAID signals that locally grounded partners are critical for relevance, access, community trust, and real-time understanding of needs and constraints. This suggests that applicants are expected to collaborate with local civil society, community-based groups, and other in-country actors to tailor education opportunities appropriately, strengthen local capacity, and improve sustainability in contexts where international access may be limited or episodic. The emphasis on partnership also aligns with the need for rapid adaptation, since local organizations are often best positioned to adjust programming as conditions evolve.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development under CFDA 98.001, using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement generally indicates that USAID expects substantial involvement during implementation, meaning selected partners should anticipate active collaboration with the agency on program direction, monitoring, and adaptation over time. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, indicating that a wide range of applicant types may apply, subject to standard USAID requirements and any instructions contained in the full APS. The opportunity number is APS OAA 17 000002, it was created on 2017-09-28, and the listed original closing date is 2022-09-27. The award ceiling is shown as 0 and expected awards are not specified in the provided data, which often indicates that funding amounts and award counts may vary by activity, available resources, and USAID priorities at the time of award decisions under the umbrella statement.

Overall, the ME/ED Umbrella APS is positioned as a mechanism for channeling support to education programs in some of the world’s most challenging environments, prioritizing speed, adaptability, and locally informed partnerships to reduce learning loss, help learners return to education, and contribute to community stability amid ongoing crisis.

• The Agency for International Development in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MIDDLE EAST/EDUCATION (ME/ED) UMBRELLA ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT (APS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-09-27. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for APS OAA 17 000002

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