# Freedom 250 Great American State Fair Initiative – Abu Dhabi

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/pds-uae-03-fy2026-freedom-250-great-american-state-fair-initiative-abu/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363119

> U.S. Mission to United Arab Emirates offered grants of up to $1.0 million (at least $750,000) to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make one award worth $1.0 million in total. Applications closed on August 10, 2026.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | PDS-UAE-03-FY2026 |
| Agency | U.S. Mission to United Arab Emirates |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | August 10, 2026 |
| Award ceiling | $1.0 million |
| Award floor | $750,000 |
| Expected awards | 1 |
| Total funding | $1.0 million |
| Cost sharing | not required |
| Assistance Listings | 19.040 |

## Who can apply

- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

We encourage applications from the following entities registered in the United States or the United Arab Emirates, with at least two years of demonstrated experience in large-scale event management, cultural programming, vendor coordination, and public engagement. (Proposals must include documentation demonstrating the applying organization's experience.)• Not-for-profit organizations, including non-governmental organizations;• Public and private educational institutions;• Non-profit or governmental educational institutions;

## What the grant funds

The U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, Public Diplomacy Section, announces an open competition to develop and implement the programmatic elements of a three-day Freedom 250 Great American State Fair. The Fair will showcase authentic American heartland culture, creativity, entrepreneurship, entertainment, culinary traditions, and music through immersive public programming designed for UAE audiences. Proposals should showcase American excellence, advance American commercial interests, enhance American brand visibility through public engagement, American vendor participation, strategic partnerships, and cultural programming, and strengthen the U.S.-UAE bilateral relationship. If selected, the grantee would deliver a comprehensive American State Fair with multiple touchpoints, including but not limited to interactive gaming attractions, themed parades, entertainment showcases, curated exhibitions, family-centric experiences, and an expansive culinary and retail village concept featuring American food brands and artisan vendors, all of which will collectively create an immersive and authentic American state fair experience. The selected grantee will be responsible for the design, curation, and implementation of the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair programming and participant experience. The grantee will be expected to coordinate closely with our UAE Local Partner Entity and their contractors, which will provide venue infrastructure and operational support. (Those services are subject to grantee negotiation with the UAE Local Entity and PDS involvement and may include but are not limited to the following: venue construction and dismantling, staging and physical infrastructure, ticketing operations, site setup and cleanup, utilities, waste management, security plans and coordination, public facilities, and other event logistics.) Accordingly, applicants for this Notice of Funding Opportunity should focus their proposals on programming, participant engagement, U.S. vendor recruitment and management, American cultural and commercial activations, and overall authentic event experience rather than venue operations and infrastructure. A detailed division of responsibilities will be provided to successful applicants and may be further refined in coordination with the Public Diplomacy Section and the UAE Local Entity. This initiative directly supports U.S.

## Questions people ask

### Is PDS-UAE-03-FY2026 still open?

No. It closed on August 10, 2026.

### Who can apply for Freedom 250 Great American State Fair Initiative – Abu Dhabi?

U.S. Mission to United Arab Emirates accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

### What is the deadline for Freedom 250 Great American State Fair Initiative – Abu Dhabi?

Closed August 10, 2026. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

### How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $1.0 million each. About $1.0 million in total for one award.

### Who has won Public Diplomacy Programs grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees, Meridian International Center, American Councils for International Education: Actr/Accels, Inc. The program made 13,489 awards worth $358 million in that time.