Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC)
Assistance Coordination · Middle East Regional Cooperation Program (19.502)
Posted 6 Jul 2026 · Closes today
In plain terms
The US Department of State funds applied research and innovation partnerships between the United States, Israel, and Middle East and North Africa countries, with grants from 100,000 to 2,000,000 US dollars. All projects must include Israeli and at least one eligible MENA partner organization, and applications in English are due by 30 September 2026.
A generated summary of the donor's text; the original wording is below.
Summary
The Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program supports joint scientific research and innovation partnerships between the United States, Israel, and countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The program funds applied research projects that address shared regional challenges while advancing U.S. economic, technological, and strategic interests. MERC is designed to bring together researchers, technical experts, and institutions to work on projects that go beyond basic research and demonstrate clear potential for application, commercialization, and broader adoption. MERC prioritizes efforts that strengthen U.S. technological leadership, expand opportunities for U.S. businesses, promote the use of U.S. technologies, and build long-term partnerships in the region. The program places strong emphasis on collaboration. All projects must include organizations from Israel and at least one eligible MENA country or territory. MERC welcomes U.S. participation, particularly when it adds technical expertise, supports market expansion for U.S. companies, or helps connect research to markets. Projects should demonstrate a clear plan for using and scaling results and how the…
Excerpt from the donor's page. The full text, annexes and forms are on the original call.
Eligible regions
- middle_east
Who can apply
- academia_research
- private_company
- ngo_cso
- government
- un_agency
Eligibility and conditions
Show the eligibility text from the source
Applicant types: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
The following organizations are eligible to apply: - Public and private educational institutions - Corporations and for-profit organizations - Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations - Public International Organizations and governmental institutions