FY 2026 Community Solutions Program
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- DFOP0018816
- Agency
-
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Department of State
- Applications due
- Award size
- $3,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Other
- Eligible applicants
-
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- Points of contact
-
- Linnéa Allison allisonle@state.gov (202) 632-6060
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs seeks one cooperative agreement applicant to design and implement the FY 2026 Community Solutions Program, with applications due July 23, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. This is a single-award opportunity with an award ceiling of approximately $3 million and a 28-month period of performance.
Eligible applicants are U.S. not-for-profit organizations and higher education institutions (public and private) with at least four years of experience conducting international exchanges. No cost share is required.
The program will engage 50–60 international community leaders aged 27–39 from approximately 30–40 strategically selected countries across Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere in a three- to four-month exchange in the United States. Approximately 20–25 American participants will conduct reciprocal exchanges. Participants will work directly with American counterparts on real-world economic growth initiatives in key sectors including culinary industries/farm-to-table, business and entrepreneurship, hospitality and tourism, and technology and innovation. The award also funds track-based training, regional coordination, innovation labs, pre-departure and U.S.-based orientations, an end-of-program capstone workshop in Washington D.C., and alumni programming.
The recipient must demonstrate comprehensive monitoring and evaluation capabilities aligned with ECA's Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework Version 2.3, including specific performance indicators, data collection requirements submitted through MyGrants, and detailed participant databases with tracking information shared with ECA and participating U.S. embassies. Records must be retained for three years from the final expenditure report.
The program operates under CFDA 19.415 (Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs - Citizen Exchanges). The anticipated award date is September 4, 2026.
Synopsis
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
The Global Leaders Division in the Office of Citizen Exchanges at the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) seeks proposals for a cooperative agreement to design and implement the FY 2026 Community Solutions Program (CSP). The United States has a strong tradition of hard work, entrepreneurship, and local leadership that has powered economic growth. American communities succeed by building on what they do best - innovating, strengthening key industries, and coordinating business, workforce, and community leadership to deliver results. CSP invests in American and international community leaders interested in learning from proven U.S. approaches to regional economic growth. It will engage leaders, ages 27-39, who will work alongside American partners to understand how regional industry clusters and locally driven strategies expand opportunities that benefit the American people. During a three- to four-month exchange in the United States, approximately 50-60 participants will work directly with American counterparts on real-world economic growth initiatives across key sectors such as: culinary industries/farm-to-table; business and entrepreneurship; hospitality and tourism; technology and innovation, and others as proposed. Placements will demonstrate how U.S. communities organize around regional industry clusters to attract talent, secure investment, grow businesses, and strengthen local economies.
Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.
Update #1 ·
The Global Leaders Division in the Office of Citizen Exchanges at the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) seeks proposals for a cooperative agreement to design and implement the FY 2026 Community Solutions Program (CSP). The United States has a strong tradition of hard work, entrepreneurship, and local leadership that has powered economic growth. American communities succeed by building on what they do best - innovating, strengthening key industries, and coordinating business, workforce, and community leadership to deliver results. CSP invests in American and international community leaders interested in learning from proven U.S. approaches to regional economic growth. It will engage leaders, ages 27-39, who will work alongside American partners to understand how regional industry clusters and locally driven strategies expand opportunities that benefit the American people. During a three- to four-month exchange in the United States, approximately 50-60 participants will work directly with American counterparts on real-world economic growth initiatives across key sectors such as: culinary industries/farm-to-table; business and entrepreneurship; hospitality and tourism; technology and innovation, and others as proposed. Placements will demonstrate how U.S. communities organize around regional industry clusters to attract talent, secure investment, grow businesses, and strengthen local economies. Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Monitoring Plan_MODE 2.3_April 2025_V2.pdf | ||
| Performance Monitoring Plan_MODE 2.3_April 2025_V2.docx | DOCX document | |
| FY26_CSP_NOFO.pdf |
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