Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)

About MEPI

The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Program under the of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affair’s Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) offers assistance, training, and support to groups and individuals striving to create positive change in the society.  MEPI works across the Middle East , and North Africa region partnering with civil society organizations (CSOs), community leaders, youth and women activists, and private sector groups to advance their efforts to improve their communities.  MEPI’s approach is bottom-up and grassroots, responding directly to local interests and needs.

The MEPI Program responds to needs and emerging opportunities for citizens and organizations that target one or more of the following three core objectives.

  1. Participatory Governance: Enable civil society to effectively interact with government officials to increase responsiveness to citizen needs. Enhance citizens’ ability to actively participate in their governments and develop a more informed citizenry. For government officials, to enable their engagement with, and responsiveness to, citizens to resolve issues of shared concern.
  2. Economic Reform: Enable citizens, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector with the skills and resources to provide economic opportunity, and reform the region’s business climate.
  3. Educational Advancement: Enable professional exchanges and trainings between citizens, government officials, educational institutions, and local organizations that build expertise and linkages across the region. Proposals will not be considered that include travel outside of the United States, general education activities such as university scholarships.

Thank you for your interest in the MEPI program in Israel. For more information and inquiries, please email the U.S. Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Section at MepiTelAviv@state.gov

MEPI has been active in the MENA region since 2002, contributing over $900 million to more than 1,000 grant projects administered by our offices in Washington, D.C. and the region.  For more information about MEPI program activities throughout the region, click here.

Applications for the 2023 MEPI Student Leaders Program are open!