Opportunity Information: Apply for ECA ECAPEC 14 021
Apply for ECA ECAPEC 14 021
- The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2014 SportsUnited International Sports Programming Initiative ISPI" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.415 Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs Citizen Exchanges.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 13, 2013 and posted on Dec 12, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 28, 2014 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,800,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $225,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- none
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Opportunity Summary:
The FY 2014 SportsUnited International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI) is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically through its Office of Citizen Exchanges. The program invites eligible U.S.-based nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to propose international exchange projects that use sports as a platform for engagement and learning. The central purpose is to design and deliver sports-focused exchange programming that intentionally reaches underserved youth and/or the adults who support youth sports ecosystems, including coaches and sports administrators who manage youth sports programs. In practice, this kind of opportunity typically sits at the intersection of people-to-people diplomacy, youth development, leadership building, and community capacity building, using sport as the common language to connect participants and encourage sustained engagement.
This opportunity was published under Funding Opportunity Number ECA/ECAPEC-14-021 and is classified under CFDA 19.415, Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs (Citizen Exchanges). The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is listed as "Other" with further clarification in the full announcement. The competition anticipates making around 10 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $1,800,000 for the fiscal year. Individual awards are expected to fall within a defined range, with an award floor of $130,000 and an award ceiling of $225,000. Because the program includes a cost sharing or matching requirement, applicants are expected to contribute a portion of project costs through cash and/or in-kind support, consistent with the details laid out in the full notice.
Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations holding 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (including those other than institutions of higher education), as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The announcement text highlights 501(c)(3) eligibility explicitly, emphasizing that proposals should come from organizations capable of executing exchange programming and managing the operational, administrative, and reporting responsibilities that come with federal assistance awards. While the short summary does not provide additional eligibility limitations, the full announcement would typically spell out any restrictions, required partnerships, participant profiles, geographic considerations, and compliance expectations.
From a project design standpoint, ISPI is framed around exchange projects, meaning proposed activities should be structured to facilitate meaningful interaction across borders rather than simply funding domestic sports programming. The stated target audience is underserved youth and/or the adult leaders who shape youth sports participation, which suggests proposals should be intentional about access, inclusion, and reaching communities that may be overlooked due to economic barriers, limited infrastructure, social marginalization, or lack of program availability. Strong proposals for opportunities like this commonly integrate sports instruction with leadership development, mentorship, team-building, conflict resolution, health and wellness education, or civic engagement components, while also building the professional capacity of coaches and administrators to sustain positive youth development outcomes after the exchange ends. The emphasis on coaches and administrators also signals that workforce development and program management training may be a valued element alongside direct youth engagement.
Key dates for this funding opportunity include a posted date of December 12, 2013, and a closing date of February 28, 2014, with an archive date of March 30, 2014. In other words, it was a time-limited FY 2014 competition that is now closed, but the summary still helps clarify the scale, applicant pool, and program intent for anyone researching past ECA SportsUnited opportunities or preparing for similar future competitions. Applicants seeking the full details were directed to the full announcement via the provided additional information link, which would contain the required program elements, allowable and unallowable costs, monitoring and evaluation expectations, performance reporting, public diplomacy goals, and application formatting rules.
For technical issues accessing the announcement or submitting through Grants.gov, the notice points applicants to the Grants.gov Contact Center, available 24/7 (excluding federal holidays), with phone support at 1-800-518-4726 and email support at support@grants.gov. This reinforces that the standard federal submission pathway and associated troubleshooting support applied to this competition, which is typical for ECA grant announcements administered through Grants.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): FY 2014 SportsUnited International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI)
What is the FY 2014 SportsUnited International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI)?
ISPI is a discretionary grant competition from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), run through the Office of Citizen Exchanges. It supports international exchange projects that use sports as a platform for engagement and learning, with a focus on underserved youth and/or the adults who support youth sports ecosystems (such as coaches and sports administrators).
Which federal office runs this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically through its Office of Citizen Exchanges.
What is the funding opportunity number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is ECA/ECAPEC-14-021.
What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity is listed under CFDA 19.415, Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs (Citizen Exchanges).
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What kinds of projects does ISPI fund?
ISPI funds exchange projects that use sports as the organizing platform to create cross-border engagement and learning. Projects should be designed to facilitate meaningful interaction across countries, rather than functioning as purely domestic sports programming.
Who is the target audience for ISPI programming?
The stated target audience is underserved youth and/or adults who support youth sports ecosystems, including coaches and sports administrators who manage youth sports programs.
What does "underserved youth" imply in this opportunity?
Based on the summary, the program expects proposals to be intentional about access and inclusion, reaching communities that may be overlooked due to economic barriers, limited infrastructure, social marginalization, or lack of program availability.
Does the opportunity support training or capacity building for coaches and administrators?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly includes adults who support youth sports, including coaches and sports administrators. This suggests that proposals may include professional capacity building elements related to sustaining youth sports and positive youth development outcomes.
How many awards were anticipated under this competition?
The competition anticipated making around 10 awards.
What was the estimated total funding available?
The estimated total funding level was $1,800,000 for the fiscal year.
What was the expected award size?
Individual awards were expected to range from a floor of $130,000 to a ceiling of $225,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The program includes a cost sharing or matching requirement. Applicants were expected to contribute a portion of project costs through cash and/or in-kind support, consistent with the details in the full notice.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (including those other than institutions of higher education), as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education.
Does the summary list any additional eligibility restrictions or required partnerships?
No. The short summary does not provide additional eligibility limitations or requirements. It notes that the full announcement would typically contain details such as restrictions, required partnerships, participant profiles, geographic considerations, and compliance expectations.
What is meant by an "exchange project" in this context?
In this opportunity, an exchange project means programming structured to enable meaningful cross-border interaction and engagement, using sports as the common platform for learning and relationship-building.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. It was a time-limited FY 2014 competition and is now closed.
What were the key dates for the competition?
The posted date was December 12, 2013. The closing date was February 28, 2014. The archive date was March 30, 2014.
Where were applicants directed to find the full requirements?
Applicants were directed to the full announcement via the provided additional information link, which would contain required program elements, allowable and unallowable costs, monitoring and evaluation expectations, performance reporting, public diplomacy goals, and application formatting rules.
What should applicants do if they have technical issues with Grants.gov?
The notice directs applicants to contact the Grants.gov Contact Center, which is available 24/7 (excluding federal holidays). Phone: 1-800-518-4726. Email: support@grants.gov.
Does the notice indicate how applications were submitted?
Yes. The notice references standard submission through Grants.gov and provides Grants.gov technical support information, indicating that Grants.gov was the submission pathway for this competition.
What broad outcomes does the program appear designed to support?
Based on the summary description, ISPI sits at the intersection of people-to-people diplomacy, youth development, leadership building, and community capacity building, using sport as the shared platform to connect participants and encourage sustained engagement.
What kinds of activities are commonly integrated into sports-based exchange programming like ISPI?
The summary indicates that strong proposals for opportunities like this commonly integrate sports instruction with leadership development, mentorship, team-building, conflict resolution, health and wellness education, or civic engagement components, while also strengthening the ability of coaches and administrators to support youth development after the exchange ends.
How is the activity category described in the opportunity?
The activity category is listed as "Other," with additional clarification referenced as being available in the full announcement.
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