FY2025 YES Placement NOFO.pdf

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FY 2025 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program: Placement Components

Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0017289 Application Deadline: August 15, 2025

A. Basic Information B. Eligibility C. Program Description D. Application Contents and Format E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines F. Application Review Information G. Award Notices H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration I. Other Information

A. Basic Information

1. Overview.

Funding Opportunity Title FY 2025 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program: Placement Components

Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0017289

Announcement Type New Cooperative Agreement

Deadline for Applications August 15, 2025 11:59pm Eastern (Washington DC time)

Assistance Listing Number 19.415

Length of Performance Period 48 months; September 2025 - August 2029

Number of Awards Anticipated 6-8 awards (dependent on final award amounts)

Award Amounts Awards may range from a minimum of $250,000 for the FY2025 base year and $250,000 for each NCC year to a maximum of approximately $7,242,250 in FY 2025 base year, $7,242,250 in FY 2026 first NCC year, and $7,242,250 in FY 2027 second NCC year

Total Available Funding Approximately $21,726,750 pending availability of funds

Type of Funding FY25 Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs (ECE) Funds – base year FY26 Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs (ECE) Funds – NCC one FY27 Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs (ECE) Funds – NCC two

Funding Instrument Type Cooperative Agreement

Anticipated Award Date September 22, 2025

This notice is subject to availability of funding. Issuance of the NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government.

ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.

Non-Competitive Continuations (NCCs): ECA anticipates issuing a cooperative agreement for a period of 20 months (base year), with two additional 14-month periods (NCC years one and two). ECA will notify the recipient at least 90 days before the end of the current year if an NCC will be exercised or not. The decision to exercise a NCC will be subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

2. Executive Summary.

Priority Region: 30 countries of strategic importance

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for cooperative agreements for the FY 2025 Kennedy-Lugar

Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program: Placement Components. YES is a merit-based program that brings approximately 450 emerging leaders to the United States each year from countries of strategic importance. Participants live with volunteer Americans host families in all

50 states, study in U.S. high schools, engage in community service activities, and develop leadership skills for an academic year. The program promotes U.S. national security and strengthens the global competencies of American youth and host families across the country, mainly in small and rural communities, through their interaction with international participants.

U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal

Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to identify host schools; vet, select, and monitor host families; and place and monitor a portion of the students participating in the YES program during the 2026-27 academic year. ECA anticipates that the cooperative agreements will begin on approximately September 22, 2025, and end on approximately

September 30, 2029, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of

State.

It is the Bureau’s intent to award approximately 6 to 8 cooperative agreements with a duration of one base year (covering academic year 2026-27) plus two non-competitive continuation (NCC) years (covering academic years 2027-28 and 2028-29) for an estimated total amount of $7,242,250 ($21,726,750 for three years). Please see section B. Federal Award Information, below for additional details.

The YES Placement Components, which is the subject of this NOFO announcement, is one of two major components of the YES program. The other major component, the Overseas Components, is anticipated to be openly competed and awarded separately in FY 2025.

The Overseas Components award recipient will be responsible for recruitment and selection of students; organization and distribution of participant assignments and application packets to Placement Components award recipients, hereinafter referred to as Placement

Organizations (POs); preparation of cross-cultural materials; pre-departure orientations;

international travel from home to host community and return; facilitation of ongoing communication between the participants’ natural parents and the POs; support of participants with disabilities; participant and alumni database maintenance; and ongoing alumni engagement.

Many key activities of the POs will be conducted in direct coordination with the FY 2025 Overseas Components award recipient. The YES program’s success depends on POs working efficiently with the U.S. Department of State and the Overseas Components award recipient for the duration of the award. The FY 2025 Overseas Components award recipient is responsible for coordinating many overarching YES program implementation activities. Each PO will be provided with the YES Operational Guidelines, a manual that gives instructions to POs for the coordination of tasks.

B. Eligibility

1. Eligible Applicants.

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• U.S. not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations

• U.S. public and private educational institutions

Please see the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional information.

2. Cost Sharing.

There is no minimum or maximum percentage of cost sharing required for this program.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements.

a. All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration in SAM.gov. Please see Section E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines for more information.

b. ECA’s Grant Guidelines require that organizations demonstrate at least four years of experience in conducting international exchanges to be eligible for awards exceeding $130,000 in ECA funding. As noted in Section A. Basic Information, ECA anticipates issuing 6-8 awards for a total of approximately $7,242,250 with the minimum funding level for awards being $250,000 for the base year and $250,000 for each NCC year.

Therefore, organizations must demonstrate four years of experience in conducting international exchanges in your proposal to be eligible to apply under this competition.

c. All proposals must comply with the requirements stated in the NOFO and the PSI; not doing so may result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process.

d. All proposals must contain a SF-424, executive summary, proposal narrative, budget (SF 424A), detailed line-item budget, and budget narrative.

e. Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.

Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424, and additional supporting documentation outlined in the PSI document.

f. Proposals that would accept students only from specific YES countries or that would place all participants in a single community or school will be declared technically ineligible.

C. Program Description

1. Authority.

Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is "to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world." The funding authority for the program above is provided through legislation.

2. Purpose.

YES is a merit-based program that brings approximately 450 emerging leaders to the United States each year from countries of strategic importance. Participants live with volunteer Americans host families in all 50 states, study in U.S. high schools, engage in community service activities, and develop leadership skills for an academic year. The program promotes U.S.

national security and strengthens the global competencies of American youth and host families across the country through their interaction with international participants. POs facilitate activities in host communities that will enhance participants’ understanding of American democracy and civil society.

YES participants may be recruited from countries including Albania, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Thailand, Tunisia, Türkiye, and West Bank. To date, over 15,500 students have participated in the YES program. More information about the YES program can be found at https://yesprograms.org.

3. Program Specific Guidelines.

ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposed project configurations, budgets, and participant numbers in accordance with the program’s needs and availability of funds. In addition, ECA reserves the right to adjust and/or add additional countries should conditions change in a partner country and/or if other countries are identified as viable alternatives and/or Department priorities.

Organizations applying for this cooperative agreement must dedicate key staff who possess a thorough understanding of the secondary school student Exchange Visitor (J-1 Visa) Program regulations for this program (see https://j1visa.state.gov/sponsors/current/regulations-compliance/).

Your proposal must include a plan to place and monitor a minimum of 30 YES participants.

Applicant organizations may work with subaward recipients. Sub-awardees should place at least

10 participants. If using sub-awardees, your proposal must explain how you will provide mentoring, training, oversight, and additional monitoring of participants placed by subaward recipients. Placements may be in any region of the United States. Organizations are strongly encouraged to place participants in clusters of at least three students in a particular local coordinator’s area of responsibility. The FY 2025 YES Overseas Components award recipient will assign participants to POs selected by this process. Your students may come from any of the https://yesprograms.org/ https://j1visa.state.gov/sponsors/current/regulations-compliance/ https://j1visa.state.gov/sponsors/current/regulations-compliance/ countries listed above or others as determined by ECA. ECA will approve final allocations of students to all POs.

Program administration must be in compliance with federal, state, and local tax reporting and withholding regulations as applicable. Recipient organizations must demonstrate regulation adherence in the proposal narrative and budget.

YES Program Participants: YES participants are 15 to 18.5 years old at the start of their program.

They travel to the United States on J-1 visas issued by the U.S. Department of State. Under the terms of their program and visas, they must return to their home countries following the conclusion of their exchange program in the United States. POs are expected to assist the State Department in enforcing this regulation.

YES participants are selected through a rigorous merit-based process and assessed for qualities shown to ensure successful exchange participation. Applicants undergo a series of examinations and an interview to evaluate their ability to adjust to new cultures and English language proficiency. Although most applicants have strong academic preparation and English comprehension, speaking, and writing skills, a small number of participants may need English language or other academic tutoring after arriving in their host communities. Organizations are encouraged to propose resources to meet this need. Finalists also undergo medical screening prior to arrival in the United States.

FY 2025 base year participants will begin to arrive in Washington, DC for a supplementary arrival orientation and then travel to their host communities in early August 2026. Participants with disabilities will be among the first to arrive. Participants will spend 10 to 11 months in the United States before their departure home in June 2027.

Approximate Timeline:

• September 2025: Cooperative Agreements awarded

• January-March 2026: Distribution of participant applications to POs and recruitment of host schools and families

• May-August 2026: Pre-departure orientations conducted by Overseas Components recipient and sub-recipients

• May-August 2026: Host family orientations conducted locally by POs

• Early to late August 2026: Participants arrive in Washington, DC in groups for DC arrival orientation conducted by the Overseas Components award and subaward recipients

• August 31, 2026: All final placement information (host family names and addresses, confirmed school enrollments) to be submitted to the U.S. Department of State

• August-September 2026: Arrival orientations for participants in host communities

• September 2026: First NCC exercised, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State. (First NCC would follow similar timeline to FY 2025 base year, with student applications distributed January-March 2027 for the academic year 2027-2028 cohort and all other events taking place as described here for the 2026-2027 cohort.)

• January-February 2027: Participant Mid-Year orientations

• May 2027: Participant re-entry orientations

• June 2027: Participants depart host communities for return travel to home countries

• September 2027: Second NCC exercised, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State. (Second NCC would follow similar timeline to FY 2025 base year and FY 2026 first NCC, with participant applications distributed January-March 2028 for the academic year 2028-2029 cohort and all other events taking place as described here for the 2026-2027 cohort.)

• September 30, 2029: Cooperative Agreements End

4. Recipient Responsibilities.

Recipient responsibilities are as follows:

4.1 Participant Materials

Prepare participant materials specific to your organization to be distributed by the Overseas

Components recipient during the Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). Materials must be received by the Overseas Components award recipient by May 1, 2026 for distribution at

PDO. All required materials are listed in 22 CFR 62. All materials must identify participants as

U.S. Department of State YES participants.

4.2 Marketing

Develop organization-specific promotional and marketing materials. All official documents and marketing materials must clearly identify YES as a U.S. Department of State program.

Unless a waiver is granted, documents must include the American flag and the State Department seal. ECA will retain copyright use of and may distribute materials related to this program. Please see https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance-1 for the most current guidance.

Additional YES marketing materials may be obtained from the Overseas Components recipient.

4.3 Host Families

• Recruit, screen, select, and secure host families prior to the participants’ departures from their home countries. POs’ practices and procedures for recruiting, screening, and selecting host families and placing YES participants with host families must meet the Exchange Visitor Program regulations for the secondary school student category (22 CFR 62.25).

• Proposals that demonstrate compliance with these regulations and detail the organization’s oversight over local coordinators will be deemed more competitive under the Participant Monitoring review criterion. Please contact the YES program office if you have any questions regarding how the regulations apply to YES participants.

https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance-1

4.4 Host Schools

• Secure enrollment in accredited secondary educational institutions for the students prior to departures from their home countries. POs’ practices and procedures for placing YES participants in secondary schools must meet the Exchange Visitor Program regulations for the secondary school student category (22 CFR 62.25).

• Encourage school administrators to utilize students as resources in the classroom and community. Discuss options for extracurricular activities that correlate with YES goals (e.g., Student Council, Junior Achievement, Future Business Leaders of America, volunteer opportunities).

• Due to cultural sensitivities, POs must obtain ECA concurrence and approval from students and natural parents before placing students in religious schools. POs must request ECA concurrence to utilize award funds for private school tuition. Home schooling and long-term virtual schooling are not allowed; a school may, however, temporarily move to a virtual format to safeguard public health during the period the student is enrolled. POs must inform ECA if students are placed in other non-traditional schools, such as charter or non-religious private schools.

4.5 Clustering

• ECA encourages placements in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in a wide range of rural, urban, and suburban settings. POs that choose to cluster all or most of their participants will be deemed more competitive under the Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Program Aims and Purpose review criterion. A cluster is defined as a minimum of three ECA-funded scholarship students who live within reasonable proximity and can be brought together for activities that address common ECA-funded program themes (e.g., orientations and program enhancement activities). ECA-funded scholarship participants are identified as those participating in YES, the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX), or the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) programs.

• Applicants are expected to cluster a minimum of 60% of their placements. Multiple local coordinators may work together to form a cluster. Applicants must describe how local staff and volunteers will provide non-clustered exchange students the benefits of orientations and enhancement activities.

4.6 English and Academic Tutoring

POs should anticipate that a small percentage of students may require English or other academic tutoring to support them in their educational requirements. You are not expected to organize a formal tutoring program. However, you should offer cost-effective plans for how you would address this need and budget for it. Your proposal should describe your strengths in placing and supporting students who need tutoring. (See section C.7. Allowable Costs)

4.7 Students with Disabilities

The YES program provides special assistance to approximately 10 to 15 participants with disabilities each year. Participants with disabilities go through the same selection process as other YES participants. After attending a preparatory workshop managed by the Overseas

Components recipient in August, YES participants with disabilities will arrive in their host communities. Your proposal must include a plan for placing, monitoring, and supporting participants with disabilities, helping them adjust to their community, and finding appropriate resources and accommodations for them, as needed and as required by law.

Separate funding is provided through the Overseas Components award to help support participants with disabilities. POs will coordinate necessary reasonable accommodation expenses with the Overseas Components award recipient. It is anticipated that each PO will be assigned at least one participant with a disability.

For your information, the responsibilities of the FY 2025 Overseas Components award recipient regarding participants with disabilities include the following:

• Contacting disability organizations for hosting outreach.

• Conducting a 3-4 day preparatory workshop for students immediately upon their arrival to educate students on the legal rights of and resources available for people with disabilities in the United States. The FY 2025 Overseas Components award recipient will be responsible for travel to and from the workshop.

• Thoroughly assessing each participant’s condition and specific needs during the Preparatory Workshop and providing an assessment report to the appropriate PO.

• Providing POs with support and resources throughout the year.

• Providing funding for reasonable accommodations for participants with disabilities.

4.8 Trainings/Orientations

Plan and conduct the following trainings and orientations. Proposals should include (as an appendix) sample outlines with relevant topics to be covered in these trainings and orientations.

• YES-specific Staff/Volunteer Training and Orientation: Conduct YES-specific training for all your employees, including all local coordinators, volunteers, and third parties acting on your behalf who are involved in the FY 2025 Placement Component awards. This training should be designed to provide the methods and tools necessary for monitoring and counseling YES participants, their host families, and school personnel, with sensitivity to cross-cultural issues specific to this exchange population. The training must ensure understanding of the goals, expectations, and requirements of the YES program as explained in this NOFO, as well as all J-1 visa requirements. J-1 visa regulations require that all local coordinators be trained and knowledgeable regarding the J-1 visa requirements. Your proposal must describe a training and knowledge-review plan to meet this obligation. If you receive an award, your semi-annual performance reports (see item 4.17 below) must detail and confirm the implementation of your training and knowledge-review plan. Your local coordinator training data will be included in ECA’s required annual compliance reporting to the Office of Private Sector Programs.

• Host Family Orientation: Prior to the participants’ arrival, conduct an in-person YES-specific orientation for all screened and selected host families and provide them with the information and reference materials necessary to host and support a YES participant.

(Note: Previous interviews during the screening and selection process do not constitute this YES-specific orientation.) The YES program office recommends that orientations for families hosting YES participants not include other non-YES host families to ensure that adequate attention is given to YES program-related and cross-cultural issues, or that orientations include a separate session solely for YES host families.

• Arrival Orientation for Participants: Your practices and procedures for the YES participant arrival orientation must meet the general J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program regulations and the Secondary School Student category-specific orientation requirements. Orientations should take place within one month of the participants’ arrival and address the PO’s policies, procedures, and rules, as well as the PO’s procedures for communicating with participants and for monitoring and supporting their exchange, with sensitivity to cultural issues specific to this exchange population. The orientations must ensure understanding of the goals, expectations, and requirements of the YES program as explained in this NOFO. ECA strongly recommends that participant orientations be conducted in person.

• Mid-Year Orientation: Arrange a mid-year orientation to meet with all YES participants approximately halfway through their exchange programs, preferably in January. The purpose of this meeting is to assess their progress in achieving program and personal goals and to provide the necessary assistance to enable them to meet these goals.

• Re-entry Training: Prepare participants to bring closure to their American exchange experiences and prepare them for re-entry to their home countries. Ensure students receive relevant information about YES alumni opportunities in their respective countries and discuss individual plans for possible alumni projects. Note: Alumni activities are coordinated in the students’ countries by the Overseas Components award recipient.

4.9 Participant Monitoring and Support

ECA employs a team of Participant Monitoring Specialists who oversee the health and safety of all YES participants during their time on program in the United States, and POs will work closely with ECA’s monitors on escalated cases, which must be documented in a timely way.

Your practices and procedures for monitoring YES participants must meet the Exchange Visitor Program regulations for the secondary school student category, i.e., 22 CFR 62.25.

ECA’s Youth Programs Division in the Office of Citizen Exchanges provides the following further guidance that POs must follow:

Participant Monitoring Guidance Local Coordinators: A local coordinator is essential to the day-to-day support of each YES participant and is defined as a representative of the PO who lives in the host community, identifies and vets potential host families, processes host school enrollment of, and provides guidance and support for the participant and host family during the program year, among other duties listed in the J-1 visa regulations. The PO will ensure that each YES participant has access to a local coordinator within 120 miles of their host family home, per J-1 visa regulations. Local coordinators must report all placement changes and student on-program support concerns to the PO in a timely manner, as indicated below in Communication Guidance.

• Participant Progress: Local coordinators will monitor participants’ academic progress, social adjustment, and participation in activities such as community service. Exemplary achievements and other program-related endeavors will be tracked in monthly contact reports.

• Reporting Systems: Use reporting systems to distribute and collect monthly updates, reports, and other communications that students will fill out and submit themselves. Your proposal should provide details on this system. Plans that describe ways to attain 100% student participation will be deemed more competitive under the Participant Monitoring review criterion. The purpose of these participant monthly updates is to allow YES participants to report issues and to allow the POs to track these issues effectively. POs must promptly notify ECA and the Overseas Components award recipient about problems, inconsistencies, or concerns that are identified from these updates.

• Participant Support: Local coordinators will identify when participants may need additional support from their natural parents, peers, or other PO staff; arrange counseling for participants, if needed; document the circumstances; and notify the PO which will, when necessary, notify the FY 2025 Overseas Components award recipient to gain natural parent perspective or concurrence. POs also will notify ECA when necessary.

• Early Returns: If a situation leads to an early return request, provide ECA with consistent and thorough documentation that ensures that the involved participants, host families, and natural families are aware of the situation and have been consulted on its resolution.

Promptly prepare a clear and concise Incident Report of the circumstances, detailing actions taken and communication between parties. The report will be shared with the Overseas Components award recipient and ECA. Only ECA’s Youth Programs Division can make the decision to terminate and repatriate a student; under no circumstances will POs, or anyone acting on their behalf, inform YES participants or imply to them that their programs will terminate or that they will be repatriated without specific direction from the Youth Programs Division.

Site Visits

• Full-time permanent employees or official designees of the PO’s headquarters office must conduct site visits to 20% of the PO’s YES participants in their host family/community environments. The visits should cover a combination of clustered and non-clustered students.

• Submit site visit plans to ECA through the on-program support email address. Site visit plans for October-December should be submitted by September 30, 2026. Site visit plans for January-June should be submitted by December 15, 2026.

In addition to PO site visits, the ECA Participant Monitoring Unit members will conduct site visits to students in their host schools and host communities. POs should be prepared to assist the

ECA Participant Monitoring Unit in the scheduling of monitoring visits throughout the program year.

Communication Guidance

• POs, whether or not they are designated as sponsors by the U.S. Department of State, must report to ECA any matters that are required to be reported by a sponsor pursuant to the J-1 visa regulations.

• Provide ECA’s Participant Monitoring Unit with reports of all situations that affect the health, safety, or well-being of YES participants. Timeframes for reporting specific issues can be found in the YES Operational Guidelines. ECA’s Youth Programs Division will in turn be responsible for reporting to the Office of Private Sector Exchange.

• Enter complete, accurate, and up-to-date placement information into the YES web-based database, including host family and local coordinator changes that occur during the year within 48 hours of the time that the change took place.

4.10 Enhancements

Conduct civic education and leadership development programs throughout the exchange. (Also see Section C.7. Allowable Costs) Funding for enhancement activities should be disbursed in small increments throughout the year to encourage a variety of activities. Applicants should budget $400 per participant to cover the cost of these activities. Enhancement funds may not be spent on large, packaged sightseeing trips. All enhancement activities should include debrief sessions so participants can discuss and analyze what they have experienced.

• Program Enhancement Activities: Conduct civic education and related activities to increase the participants’ understanding of American culture, values, and history. These activities should expose students to key elements of American civil society and foster dialogue and enduring ties between the participants and their host communities.

Examples include briefings on local or state government and the judicial system; and programs on community issues and concerns that expose participants to and increase their understanding of American society.

• Leadership Development Programs: You are encouraged to earmark a portion of the

$400 per participant enhancement activities fund for specialized training for the development of leadership skills such as public speaking, team building, critical thinking, and goal setting so that the participants are prepared to apply these skills both while on program and after they return to their home countries. Proposed training should explore issues that foster civic responsibility, public service, conflict resolution, and project management. You are encouraged to interact with established local youth-oriented groups and to use free or low-cost resources, and/or provide scholarships through cost-share to enable YES participants to participate in local and national leadership trainings.

This section of the application will be assessed under the Program Planning and Ability to

Achieve Program Aims and Purpose review criterion.

• Department of State-Initiated Activities: In a timely fashion, distribute information from ECA to all YES participants regarding Department of State-initiated YES program activities and ad-hoc program-related activities that may arise during the year (e.g., online meetings or briefings).

4.11 Community Service Activities

YES participants are required to perform a minimum of 30 hours of community service activities during their program year, although POs may set a higher minimum number for their YES participants. POs are expected to assist participants in identifying opportunities for community service and provide them and their host families with clear guidelines that reflect standards, requirements, and expectations, including but not limited to the following:

• Minimum number of hours and type (e.g., volunteer work or other tasks) of required community service;

• Method by which POs will monitor community service; and

• Consequences of failing to meet this obligation.

4.12 Health Benefits Coverage

ECA offers the Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) benefits plan for students participating in the program. Detailed information on ASPE can be found at:

https://www.sevencorners.com/about/gov/usdos. There is no cost to a PO that opts to use the ASPE plan. POs wishing to use a different plan must demonstrate that the alternate plan provides comparable or more comprehensive coverage. Coverage must begin when participants depart their home countries and not conclude until they return home. Participants with disabilities who participate in the Disability Components

Preparatory Workshop must be covered by the PO’s health benefits policy, or the ASPE benefits plan during the workshop. If you choose not to use ASPE, your proposal must include a copy of your chosen health benefits policy and must include the cost of the policy in the proposed budget. The benefits plan you propose to use must meet the requirements of 22 CFR 62.14. Participants and their natural families must be informed in writing of any limitations of coverage noted in the policies.

4.13 Student Financial and Gift Incentives

Participants are required to engage in program activities, including orientations, cluster meetings, and community service, and to make cultural presentations. Therefore, POs should not request funds to give students monetary or other material incentives to participate in program-related activities.

4.14 ECA Academic Year Programs Annual Meeting

Send one or two representatives to participate in the annual ECA academic year programs meeting to be held for two days in Washington, DC.

4.15 Program Impact Highlights

Regularly provide timely reports of participants’ significant accomplishments and host community impact throughout the exchange.

Inform ECA of any publicity featuring the YES program or participants, particularly any engagements with government officials or articles in the media. When the media interact with YES participants, POs should identify YES as a U.S. Department of State program.

4.16 Student Likeness (Photos and Video) Usage

If selected, you should confirm with the Overseas Components award recipient that a waiver, signed by the participant and the participant’s natural family, to have photographic or video images of the participant taken, reproduced, and published, is on record before allowing such activity.

4.17 Performance Reporting

• Report the organization’s successes and challenges in achieving program goals and outcomes through two semi-annual reports and other interim updates, as requested.

The YES program office will supply semi-annual report guidelines. POs must submit semi-annual performance reports no more than 30 days after the reporting-period end date.

These due dates will be listed in the award agreement. As noted in section 4.8 Trainings and Orientations above, J-1 visa regulations require that all local coordinators be trained and knowledgeable regarding the J-1 visa requirements. Your proposal must describe a training and knowledge-review plan to meet this obligation, and your semi-annual performance reports must detail and confirm the implementation of your training and knowledge-review plan. Please see section H.2 Reporting Requirements for detailed instructions on how to submit performance and financial reports.

• Submit a final program report no more than 120 days after the expiration or termination of the award.

4.18 Financial Reporting

Prepare and submit semi-annual and final financial reports.

4.19 Financial Management

Manage fiscal data and accounting for award funding, as required by federal law, including cost sharing and any funds provided to approved subaward recipients, if applicable.

4.20 Subaward Recipient Management

• If applicable, ensure that subaward recipients have received a copy of the NOFO and are versed in all requirements, including OMB Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, your organization’s expectations, and J-1 visa regulations.

• Monitor and oversee subaward recipients to ensure quality of performance of YES program duties under your organization’s award.

4.21 U.S. Department of State Web Resources

• Outreach Resources: During the cooperative agreement period, ECA may develop hosting resources to assist POs with hosting outreach and to promote YES as a U.S.

Department of State program. POs are expected to support promotional campaigns by providing information to ECA and updating promotional materials as requested.

• Online Communities: All PO staff and volunteers associated with YES are expected to be knowledgeable about the U.S. Department of State’s resources such as www.alumni.state.gov, and to register as members or guest members of the websites, as applicable. Staff and coordinator training, as well as participant and host family orientations, should include presentations and demonstrations on these resources.

• U.S. Department of State resource sites must be promoted effectively to participants, and you should prepare participants to become active members of the alumni site. While POs may provide their own resources and online opportunities, these additional online resources may not replace involvement with U.S. Department of State online communities for exchange participants and alumni.

4.22 Website Management

The PO’s YES website page must be easily accessible from the organization’s homepage and be kept up to date. Please use the U.S. Department of State seal and the American flag on the YES webpage. For online student profiles, your website must be secure, so only those who have been fully vetted will be able to see a photo or view personally identifiable information. These profiles, both online and printed materials, should identify students as YES program participants to differentiate them from your organization’s private students.

5. Goals and Objectives.

YES Inbound Program Goals: The overall goals of the YES program are as follows:

• Support U.S. national security interests by promoting increased understanding of the United States, including its society, institutions, values, and culture by emerging leaders of strategically important countries and in alumni communities abroad.

• Foster lasting personal and professional ties between participants and U.S. citizens;

• Advance participants’ leadership skills and their understanding of civil society during the exchange experience and beyond;

• Enhance cross-cultural competencies of American youth and host community members through interaction with international students.

Outcomes/ Results: Through participation in the program, YES participants will do the following:

• Acquire an understanding of the key elements of U.S. culture and society, including concepts such as volunteerism and an awareness of and respect for the rule of law;

• Share information about their home countries and cultures with American communities;

• Actively engage with their host schools and communities and develop enduring ties;

• Develop leadership skills by participating in community service and civic education training in the United States; and

• Share and apply the experiences, knowledge and leadership skills gained through the program in their home communities as YES alumni.

6. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E).

Distinct from grants or cooperative agreement monitoring and participant monitoring, performance monitoring is designed to assess progress against a program’s goals and objectives.

A performance monitoring framework is vital to tracking the direction, pace, and magnitude of change that result from ECA programs.

ECA created the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework to measure the performance of

ECA programs. The MODE Framework provides standard indicators and corresponding survey questions to ensure consistent measures across all ECA programs.

In establishing strong performance management practices, ECA is concerned with collecting indicator data on participant outcomes. Because the YES program is implemented by both

Placement Components awardees and an Overseas Components awardee, a determination has been made that the primary responsibility for collecting indicator data on participant outcomes will lie with the Overseas Components awardee, through the MODE (Monitoring Data for ECA) framework. Therefore, your proposal should confirm that your organization will, if it receives a

Placement Components award under this NOFO, support the Bureau’s overall performance monitoring efforts established for the YES program, to include updating and providing contact information, as requested by ECA, administering additional tools to participants that are separate from your organization’s internal monitoring of the program, maintaining all data collected, including survey responses and contact information, for a minimum of three years following completion of each participant’s exchange program, as well as making YES stakeholders aware they may be requested to take a survey.

In addition, proposals must also describe your organization’s plan to monitor the project’s activities both during and after program implementation, to include surveying students to assess program impact, tracking host families and other key participants, and developing a monitoring plan to measure the organization’s success in achieving the YES program outcomes. These performance monitoring activities should be separate from the M&E activities (such as data collection for ECA’s MODE framework) conducted by the Overseas Components recipient.

7. Allowable Costs.

Allowable costs for the program include the following:

• National and regional coordinator trainings

• Orientations (post-arrival, mid-program, re-entry) for participants and host families

• Stipends and honoraria for non-salaried staff and volunteers

• Host family screening (criminal background checks, interviews, home visits)

• Participant and host family monitoring (counseling, troubleshooting, moving students as needed)

• Program materials (including description of how they will be used)

• Mandatory school fees (including books, activity fees, or registration costs; in exceptional instances only, school transportation and tuition may be allowable costs)

• Insurance costs, if not using ECA’s ASPE benefits plan

• Salaries and benefits, domestic travel, communications, equipment, and supplies

• Please refer to the PSI document for complete budget guidelines and formatting instructions.

Your proposal budget should also include these required costs:

• $200 fixed-rate monthly allowance for each participant for 11 months

• $300 average per participant incidentals allowance to be spent by host family for school-related expenses (e.g., yearbook, locker fees, school transportation fees, gym clothing) for which receipts must be provided

• $100 average per participant emergency expense fund to be retained by Placement Organization for small emergency expenses (e.g., eyeglasses, dental problems not covered by health benefits)

• $400 average per participant enhancement activities fund (all field trips, cultural enhancement and leadership development activities, community service projects, etc.

must be included in this amount; additional funding requests will not be accepted)

• Support and monitoring of local staff, including support for home/community visits to 20% of students

• Travel costs for at least one person (and not more than two) from each organization, including any sub-award recipients, to attend the in-person, two-day ECA Youth Programs

Division annual meeting in Washington, DC, every year.

• The budget should distinguish between participant costs and non-participant costs. It should not include the categories of “program costs” and “administrative costs.”

8. Cost Share.

ECA encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs. When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's contribution may be reduced in like proportion.

9. Program Information and History.

Please see yesprograms.org for program information and history.

https://yesprograms.org/

10. Freedom and Democracy Guidelines.

Public Law 104-319 provides that "in carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy," the Bureau "shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries." Public Law 106 - 113 requires that the governments of the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection process.

Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.

11. Virtual Exchange Component.

When changing political, health, environmental, or other similar circumstances require a suspension or halt of in-person activities and where ECA determines that a virtual alternative is appropriate and viable, award recipients should demonstrate the ability and capacity to transition from in-person to virtual exchanges. Proposals should demonstrate the organization’s capacity to provide innovative options for virtual activities to substitute for in-person engagement for program participants. Organizations should consider how they will implement virtual exchange activities, given the potential limits to internet access from participants in some locations and while continuing to advance foreign policy objectives and achieve lasting benefits for U.S. citizens and international participants.

In addition to planning for virtual exchange activities if in-person programming is prohibited, ECA welcomes innovative ideas on how organizations can leverage virtual programming technologies during or in addition to in-person programming. ECA encourages organizations submitting proposals in response to this solicitation to suggest one or more virtual exchange components to complement the in-person exchange. The virtual exchange component(s) could come before, during and/or after the physical exchange. The objective for the virtual exchange component(s) is to augment the impact of the in-person exchange described in this solicitation. ECA encourages organizations to propose virtual exchange ideas that take advantage of ECA’s existing web and social networking platforms. Virtual exchange components would be coordinated with and approved by the ECA program office and U.S. missions abroad on a project-by-project basis.

12. Communications Guidance for ECA Recipients.

All ECA Recipients must adhere to the requirements in ECA’s Communications Guidance on the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.

13. Celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial.

ECA is excited to play a key role in making the Semiquincentennial – commonly known as “America250” – a truly global celebration. As the period of performance for this award is scheduled to cover part or all of calendar year (CY) 2026, the applicant may wish to consider ways the program can celebrate America250. Any America250 focused activities or plans will be subject to ECA approval and direction, and changes may be requested by ECA. Use of any ECA-provided America250 brand elements will be subject to advance ECA approval and require adherence to Department of State and ECA guidelines for such branding.

https://eca.state.gov/comms-guidance

14. Substantial Involvement.

In a cooperative agreement, the Department is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring, as follows:

1. Hosting an annual meeting for all award…