FY 2026 Sports Envoy Program

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is seeking a cooperative agreement recipient to administer the Sports Envoy Program, an international exchange initiative that deploys current and former American professional athletes and coaches overseas on weeklong missions to advance U.S. foreign policy priorities and promote cross-cultural understanding. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits, public higher education institutions, or private higher education institutions with at least four years of experience conducting international exchanges, active SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and demonstrated capacity to manage J visa requirements under 22 CFR 62. The program requires recipient organizations to manage nine functional areas including envoy recruitment, program preparation and implementation, alumni engagement, storytelling and communications, technology and data management, and comprehensive performance monitoring aligned with the ECA's Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework. Evaluation criteria focus on program quality and planning, institutional capacity related to sports and international travel logistics, cost-effectiveness, follow-on activities and alumni engagement, media and communication strategy, and the development of a robust performance monitoring and evaluation plan. The application deadline is May 26, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, with submission required through Grants.gov.

The anticipated award is a single cooperative agreement valued at approximately $2,600,000 to support an 18-month performance period beginning September 15, 2026. The funding will support approximately 35 international exchanges involving 70 Sports Envoy participants, eight alumni grants of up to $25,000 each, and development of a technology system for program management and data collection. Programs will take place across all six regions of the world, as determined in consultation with the Department's regional bureaus, with individual Sports Envoy deployments typically lasting 4-7 days excluding travel and 7-10 days including travel. Applicants are encouraged to exceed the minimum targets should their expertise enable cost efficiencies.