Deadline: 1 May 2020
The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Sports Diplomacy Division, of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for implementation of two exchange programs under a single cooperative agreement: the FY 2020 Sports Visitor and Sports Envoy Programs.
Sports diplomacy enhances cross-cultural understanding and opens new avenues of dialogue and collaboration between individuals and nations. Sports-based people-topeople exchanges can lay the foundation of trust needed to build a more stable, secure, and prosperous world. Sports provide a platform for inclusion and create opportunities for people to realize their potential to contribute fully to society. The Sports Visitor and Sports Envoy programs use sports to support U.S. foreign policy goals and promote key U.S. values on and off the field related to the importance of education, community engagement, and respect for diversity.
In support of U.S. Department of State foreign policy objectives, ECA’s Office of Citizen Exchanges welcomes proposals that directly respond to goals of the Sports Visitor and Sports Envoy Programs.
The Sports Visitor and Sports Envoy Programs are designed to achieve the following goals:
- Advance U.S. foreign policy goals;
- Increase and deepen understanding of U.S. society, culture, and history, and dispel stereotypes;
- Promote cross-cultural and mutual understanding, and appreciation for diversity, between American and international participants; and
- Cultivate leadership and develop capacity for participants to build stable communities and strong civil society institutions in the U.S. and abroad.
Applicant organizations are invited to submit one application to administer one cooperative agreement for both the Sports Visitor and Sports Envoy programs that addresses the aforementioned goals.
In submitting a proposal to implement the Sports Visitor and Sports Envoy Programs, applicants should clearly demonstrate their understanding of, and commitment to, the following guiding principles:
- Demonstrating an original and flexible program design that is balanced with consistently high-quality implementation;
- Designing an expandable model that allows for U.S. embassies and consulates or other partners to buy-in, increasing participant numbers, above and beyond those afforded through this NOFO;
- Planning for a cost-efficient program, while maximizing participant numbers, and building on effective sport for development and sports diplomacy initiatives;
- Valuing the narrative power of sports and promoting the exchanges through high quality media and communication; and
- Demonstrating leadership, expertise, and strong networks with American and international sport-based youth development organizations.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $2,750,000
- Award Ceiling: $2,750,000
- Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2020
- Anticipated Project Completion Date: March 31, 2022
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition.
- Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
- All applicants must also have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and be registered in SAM.gov.
Eligible Regions/Countries: ECA anticipates that foreign Sports Visitor participants will be drawn from, and American Sports Envoys will be sent to, all six regions of the world (Africa, East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, Near East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere). Participating countries and regions for the Sports Visitor and Sports Envoy Program will be determined by ECA, in coordination with the Department’s regional bureaus and Public Affairs Sections (PAS) at U.S. embassies after the award has been issued.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=324943