Opportunity Information: Apply for ND NOFO 19 102
The Smart Cities Collaboration Competition (Funding Opportunity Number: ND NOFO 19 102) is a U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to India grant opportunity administered through NIO-PAS that supports a university-led competition designed to strengthen the U.S.-India Smart City partnership in Ajmer, Rajasthan. The program centers on forming collaborative student teams from universities in Rajasthan and partner universities in the United States to produce practical, technology-driven solutions for real city infrastructure needs. The overall intent is to move beyond a single technical prototype and guide student teams through a full pipeline that includes problem selection, engineering design, commercialization planning, and market-ready positioning.
Projects are expected to address one or more core infrastructure elements affecting Ajmer. The opportunity highlights a broad range of smart city priorities, including water supply, electricity supply with an emphasis on solar energy, sanitation, efficient urban mobility and public transport, robust IT connectivity and digitalization, improved governance with a particular focus on e-governance and citizen participation, health and education, safety and security of citizens (especially women and girls), and sustainable development. This framing encourages proposals that are not only technically sound but also sensitive to local context, public service delivery, equity, and long-term sustainability.
The competition is structured around three Rajasthan university teams (from three different universities) partnering with three U.S. university teams, either through existing institutional relationships or newly created partnerships. The student participation model is interdisciplinary by design: each team must include students across three streams engineering, business, and marketing/design with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 students per stream. In practical terms, a team might include three engineering students, three business students, and three marketing/design students, with each group taking the lead during the phase that matches their expertise while remaining connected to the full project narrative.
The program unfolds in four phases. Phase 1 focuses on identifying and defining the specific Ajmer infrastructure challenge and matching Rajasthan teams with U.S. partner teams. Phase 2 is an engineering competition phase in which the engineering students develop and pitch technological solutions to address the selected challenge, culminating in a competition pitch conference. Phase 3 shifts to commercialization and viability, with business students developing business models for the winning technological solution and presenting them in a business competition pitch conference. Phase 4 completes the pipeline by having marketing and design students develop marketing plans for the winning business model and compete in a final marketing competition pitch conference. This staged structure is meant to simulate how real innovations progress from problem discovery to solution design to business planning and finally to adoption and scale through effective communication and market strategy.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary grant within the funding activity categories of Education and Environment (CFDA 19.040). 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 announcement lists an award ceiling of $30,000 with an expectation of one award. The notice was created on December 20, 2018, with an original closing date of February 20, 2019. The full announcement is referenced as being available under the related documents tab, which would contain the detailed requirements, selection criteria, and any required proposal components.Apply for ND NOFO 19 102
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to India in the education, environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Smart Cities Collaboration Competition" 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 Dec 20, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 20, 2019. (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 $30,000.00 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.
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Smart Cities Collaboration Competition (ND NOFO 19 102) - FAQs
What is the Smart Cities Collaboration Competition?
The Smart Cities Collaboration Competition is a university-led competition funded through a U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to India grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: ND NOFO 19 102). It supports U.S.-India collaboration to develop practical, technology-driven solutions for real infrastructure needs in Ajmer, Rajasthan.
Who is offering and administering this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to India and is administered through NIO-PAS.
What is the main goal of the program?
The program aims to strengthen the U.S.-India Smart City partnership in Ajmer, Rajasthan by guiding collaborative student teams through a full innovation pipeline: selecting a real infrastructure problem, developing an engineering solution, planning commercialization, and creating market-ready positioning through marketing and design.
What city and region does the competition focus on?
The competition is focused on Ajmer in the state of Rajasthan, India.
What types of projects are expected to be supported?
Projects are expected to address one or more core infrastructure elements affecting Ajmer, with an emphasis on solutions that are practical, technology-driven, and responsive to local context and long-term sustainability.
What smart city priority areas are highlighted in the opportunity?
The opportunity highlights priorities that include water supply, electricity supply (with an emphasis on solar energy), sanitation, efficient urban mobility and public transport, robust IT connectivity and digitalization, improved governance (especially e-governance and citizen participation), health and education, safety and security of citizens (especially women and girls), and sustainable development.
Does the program require collaboration between Indian and U.S. universities?
Yes. The competition is structured around Rajasthan university teams partnering with U.S. university teams. Partnerships may be based on existing institutional relationships or newly created partnerships.
How many teams are expected to participate from Rajasthan and the United States?
The structure described includes three Rajasthan university teams (from three different universities) partnering with three U.S. university teams.
What disciplines must be represented on each student team?
Each team is required to be interdisciplinary, including students from three streams: engineering, business, and marketing/design.
How many students are required per stream on a team?
Each stream must include a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 students per stream (engineering, business, and marketing/design).
What is an example of a compliant team size and composition?
An example provided is a team with three engineering students, three business students, and three marketing/design students, with each group leading during the phase aligned to its expertise while remaining connected to the full project.
How is the competition structured across phases?
The program is organized into four phases: (1) problem identification and team matching, (2) an engineering solution development and pitch competition, (3) a commercialization and business model development pitch competition, and (4) a marketing plan development and final marketing pitch competition.
What happens in Phase 1?
Phase 1 focuses on identifying and defining the specific Ajmer infrastructure challenge to be addressed and matching Rajasthan teams with U.S. partner teams.
What happens in Phase 2?
Phase 2 is the engineering competition phase. Engineering students develop and pitch technological solutions to the selected Ajmer infrastructure challenge, culminating in a competition pitch conference.
What happens in Phase 3?
Phase 3 focuses on commercialization and viability. Business students develop business models for the winning technological solution and present them during a business competition pitch conference.
What happens in Phase 4?
Phase 4 completes the pipeline. Marketing and design students develop marketing plans for the winning business model and compete in a final marketing competition pitch conference.
Is the program limited to building a single technical prototype?
No. The stated intent is to move beyond a single technical prototype by guiding teams through problem selection, engineering design, commercialization planning, and market-ready positioning.
What kinds of outcomes does the program emphasize?
The opportunity emphasizes solutions that are not only technically sound but also sensitive to local context, public service delivery, equity considerations, and long-term sustainability.
What type of grant is this?
This is described as a discretionary grant.
What are the funding activity categories and CFDA listing?
The funding activity categories are Education and Environment, and the CFDA listing provided is 19.040.
Who is eligible to apply?
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).
How much funding is available per award?
The announcement lists an award ceiling of $30,000.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of one award.
When was the notice created and what was the original closing date?
The notice was created on December 20, 2018, and the original closing date was February 20, 2019.
Where can applicants find detailed requirements and selection criteria?
The information notes that the full announcement is available under the related documents tab, which would contain detailed requirements, selection criteria, and required proposal components.
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