Space Technology: The Next Business Frontier | C NOFO 21 104

Opportunity Information: Apply for C NOFO 21 104

Space Technology: The Next Business Frontier is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to India (Funding Opportunity Number: C NOFO 21 104; CFDA: 19.040) focused on convening and coordinating space-sector stakeholders across India, the United States, and the broader Indo-Pacific. With an award ceiling of $80,000 and an expectation of a single award, the program is structured less as a research grant and more as a time-bound, outcomes-driven initiative aimed at building networks, aligning priorities, and producing actionable recommendations that can shape space entrepreneurship and space technology collaboration in the region.

Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The funded organization is expected to act as the project implementer and convener, responsible for stakeholder recruitment, agenda-setting, meeting facilitation, event production, documentation, and dissemination. The opportunity was created on March 19, 2021, with an original closing date of May 18, 2021.

The project deliverables are laid out on a clear 12-month timeline beginning at the project start date. Within the first two months, the implementer must form four Working Groups and define four key themes or issues that will anchor discussions at an eventual conclave. The Working Groups are expected to include representation from leading private-sector space technology companies and government agencies, with examples given such as SpaceX, IN-SPACe, and NASA (along with others). Proof of completion is tied to reporting and sharing Working Group and theme details with officials at the U.S. Mission in India.

By month four, the implementer must actively connect Working Group members and organize at least three virtual meetings for each of the four groups. After those smaller-group sessions, the implementer must hold at least one plenary virtual meeting bringing all Working Groups together to consolidate insights and build the agenda for a three-day conclave. In parallel, the implementer should begin identifying resource persons and speakers, using input from the Working Groups and the U.S. Mission in India. Evidence for this stage includes a notional (draft) schedule for the three-day conclave and the use of a dedicated digital platform where schedules, materials, and participant contributions can be posted or shared to demonstrate active collaboration and transparency.

By month six, the centerpiece event must occur: a three-day conclave hosted in Bengaluru, Karnataka, designed for 40 participants drawn from India, the United States, and Indo-Pacific countries. The solicitation also requires applicants to plan for contingencies by outlining a fully virtual alternative in case in-person convening is not feasible due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In practice, this means the applicant needs to show they can deliver the same core outcomes (multi-country participation, structured discussions, and documented recommendations) even if travel or gathering restrictions arise.

After the conclave, the focus shifts to capturing outputs and formalizing outcomes. Within 10 months of the project start date, the implementer must compile a White Paper presenting the recommendations that result from the conclave. A notable required element is that the White Paper must include details about a newly formed Indo-Pacific Association for Space Entrepreneurs (IPASE), including its goals and objectives. Completion at this stage is evidenced by sharing the draft White Paper with U.S. Mission in India officials, indicating an expectation of consultation, review, or coordination before final publication.

Finally, within 12 months of the project start date, the implementer must widely distribute the approved White Paper to stakeholders across the space sector in India, the United States, and Indo-Pacific countries. This last step underscores that the grant is designed not only to convene a discussion, but to translate that discussion into a concrete, shareable product intended to influence practitioners, policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs, and to help establish IPASE as a durable mechanism for ongoing regional engagement in space entrepreneurship and space technology cooperation.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to India in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Space Technology: The Next Business Frontier" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 19, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 18, 2021. (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 $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for C NOFO 21 104

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