Funding Opportunity for Youth Empowerment Through International Exchange (Uzbekistan)

Deadline: 1-Aug-22

The U.S. Embassy Tashkent Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to conduct innovative and creative short-term, youth-focused exchange programs to promote and improve mutual understanding and people-to-people ties between the United States and Uzbekistan.

Applications outlining initiatives or exchange programs that focus on leadership skills and global citizenship will be supported.

This funding opportunity seeks to support secondary and university students through the development of leadership skills, global citizenship, and addressing shared challenges through partnership with the United States. Grant activities should be short-term, youth-focused exchange programs, with participants spending 10 to 30 days in the United States.

Objectives

• The Embassy seeks applications that use in-person exchange programs to focus on one or more of the themes and objectives.
  • Theme 1: Building leadership skills. Program elements focused on improving leadership skills could include leadership self-analysis, peer-to-peer discussions with U.S. counterparts or U.S. mentors, career building skills, volunteering and social entrepreneurship, and breakout sessions for field-specific discussion such as technology or business.
    • Objective: Increase leadership and other critical job skills among youth through professional development opportunities in the United States.
  • Theme 2: Developing Global Citizens. Students could gain knowledge and tools about how to impact their communities through opportunities to network with U.S. youth organizations, including in areas of women’s empowerment and strengthening civil society. Activities could include U.S. specialists conducting computer literacy courses, English language classes focused on global citizenship, community service, media literacy classes, digital storytelling, and debate sessions.
    • Objective: Promote civic engagement among Uzbekistani youth through programming aimed at increasing their understanding of community service, global citizenship, and other youth capacity development activities

Project Goal: Empower emerging young leaders in Uzbekistan with the knowledge and skills to participate in a global economy.

Funding Information

• Funding Mechanism Type: Cooperative Agreement
• Estimated Total Project Funding: $500,000
• Estimated Award Ceiling: $250,000
• Estimated Award Floor: $50,000
• Length of Project Period: 12 months
• Anticipated programs start date: September 1, 2022

Project Audience(s): The Embassy encourages applications from institutions and organizations from the United States and all regions of Uzbekistan. Implementers will be fully responsible for all elements of the program, from recruitment and preparatory logistics inside Uzbekistan, travel, and program elements in the United States. Primary audiences for proposals should be youth, either secondary school students ages 15-17 or university students.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • Must be an accredited school, institute, teacher training center, university, or nonprofit organization completely based in Uzbekistan or the United States.
• Activities must be conducted either in English with Uzbek translation, or entirely in English. English language learning content can be included but should not be the focus of the program. If the program is entirely in English, the grantee organization is responsible for determining that participants have appropriate English levels to participate fully.
• Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, nongovernmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=341644