Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0017188
The FY 2025 Youth Ambassadors Africa Program (YA-AF, opportunity number DFOP0017188) is a U.S. Department of State grant competition run by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division. It will fund one organization to design and deliver a three-week, U.S.-based exchange program for youth and adult mentors from countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The exchange is built around two main themes: civic engagement and leadership development, with an emphasis on giving participants practical exposure to how communities organize, lead, and solve local problems in the United States.
A key feature of this opportunity is how participant recruitment and selection will work. U.S. embassies and consulates in sub-Saharan Africa (referred to as posts) will handle recruiting, screening, and selecting the youth and adult mentors who take part. The awarded U.S. organization is responsible for planning and implementing the U.S. program experience once participants are selected, coordinating the schedule and content, and ensuring the exchange aligns closely with ECA program goals and requirements.
The program model is intended to be immersive and highly interactive. The U.S. portion should include structured workshops (for example, civic education, leadership skills, community problem-solving, and related training), community site visits that connect directly to civic engagement and leadership in practice, and homestays with American families to deepen cultural exchange. The announcement also stresses that participants must have multiple, meaningful opportunities to engage with U.S. peers rather than only observing institutions or receiving lectures. In practice, that typically means joint activities, collaborative sessions, and community-based interactions that put youth participants in real conversations and shared work with Americans of similar ages.
ECA funding is designed to cover the full arc of the exchange cycle, not just the three weeks in the United States. The grant supports planning and delivery of the U.S.-based programming, travel logistics and arrangements for participants (including any required pre-departure domestic travel and international flights), and follow-on projects after participants return home. Those follow-on projects are meant to translate lessons learned into tangible community impact, with participants applying their civic engagement and leadership training in ways that benefit their home communities and share the value of the exchange more broadly.
This opportunity will be awarded as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the Department of State expects substantial involvement during implementation (such as coordination on key program elements, approvals, and ongoing collaboration). The funding ceiling is $1,000,000, with one award expected. Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, public and private institutions of higher education, and certain public/state-controlled higher education institutions, along with other eligible entities as specified in the full notice. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding under CFDA number 19.415, and the application deadline listed is June 30, 2025 (original closing date). For official requirements, contacts, and the complete set of program rules and proposal instructions, applicants are directed to consult the full announcement.Apply for DFOP0017188
- The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2025 Youth Ambassadors Africa Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.415.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2025-04-30.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-06-30. (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 $1,000,000.00 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, Others.
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