Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0017856
Apply for DFOP0017856
- The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2026 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.415.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-03-03.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-05-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FY 2026 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) Program is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding opportunity to support a large-scale, American-led virtual exchange initiative connecting young leaders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with peers across the United States. Offered through the Global Leaders Division within ECA's Office of Citizen Exchanges, the award will fund one organization to design, administer, and implement year-round digital programming that advances U.S. foreign policy priorities by highlighting American scientific excellence, technological leadership, and innovation, while also emphasizing core U.S. principles such as freedom of speech, individual liberty, and the rule of law as drivers of peace, prosperity, and opportunity.
At the program level, JCSVEI is built around structured online engagement where participants learn about and discuss U.S. leadership in science, technology, business, and civic life, and then work collaboratively across borders. The initiative is not limited to passive webinars; it is meant to be interactive and production-oriented, pushing participants to create and share digital content that tells stories about American communities and the U.S. commitment to open exchange and collaboration. The opportunity specifically mentions outputs like digital storytelling projects, podcasts, vlogs, and other media products, which signals that applicants should plan for content development pipelines, editorial support, digital safety considerations, and distribution strategies that reflect ECA branding and public diplomacy goals.
A major thematic expectation is that participants will be challenged to apply "American ingenuity" to practical problem-solving tied to economic opportunity, job creation, and digital connectivity. In other words, the virtual exchange is expected to go beyond dialogue and move into solution-building activities that can be framed as contributing to shared prosperity and regional stability. The description also links the initiative to broader diplomatic objectives, including reinforcing the spirit of the Abraham Accords and advancing U.S. engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Applicants should therefore anticipate that programming will need to be politically and culturally informed, aligned with U.S. strategic messaging, and designed to strengthen ties between American communities and key Middle Eastern partners in a way that supports a "secure, prosperous, and interconnected region."
In terms of delivery model and scale, JCSVEI is designed to use multiple virtual exchange formats including live dialogues, collaborative digital projects, online trainings, and virtual workshops. The target reach is approximately 8,000 participants annually, which implies a high-throughput program with repeatable program cycles, strong recruitment and onboarding systems, and robust facilitation capacity. The program is also expected to promote mutual collaboration while grounding that engagement in U.S. leadership, with an explicit aim of encouraging youth to see the United States as a trusted partner in science, entrepreneurship, and global problem-solving. That combination of mutuality and strategic framing is typical of ECA exchanges, and it suggests proposals should balance two-way exchange practices with clear public diplomacy objectives and measurable outcomes.
The opportunity also calls for sustained engagement beyond the core virtual exchange experience through an Alumni Leadership Academy. This alumni component is intended to retain and develop participants who show strong leadership potential, equipping them to serve as ambassadors of U.S. values and as connectors between American and Middle Eastern communities. Follow-on activities are expected to reinforce long-term networks and relationships that support U.S. economic, security, and diplomatic priorities, so applicants should plan for an alumni engagement strategy that includes leadership development, networking structures, continued collaborative projects, and mechanisms to track alumni impact over time.
Administratively, this is a cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. government anticipates substantial involvement in the project, typically through collaboration on planning, deliverables, approvals, and performance monitoring. The award will go to a single prime recipient, but the prime must demonstrate the ability to recruit, select, and manage up to six partner organizations as sub-award recipients to implement virtual exchange components under the JCSVEI umbrella. The prime recipient is responsible for full oversight of those sub-awards, including compliance, accountability, and ensuring alignment with ECA goals, performance measures, and branding standards. Practically, that means applicants need to show they can run a multi-partner consortium: competitively identify and onboard partners, establish clear scopes of work, monitor performance, manage risk, ensure consistent participant safeguarding practices, and maintain unified program branding and reporting.
Key funding and eligibility details are straightforward. The opportunity number is DFOP0017856, the instrument type is a cooperative agreement, and it is categorized as discretionary funding. The CFDA number listed is 19.415. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), along with other eligible entities as permitted in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity. The agency is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The application deadline is May 1, 2026 (OriginalClosingDate: 2026-05-01). The award ceiling is $4,000,000, and ECA expects to make one award.
Overall, this opportunity is essentially seeking a single experienced prime implementer capable of running a high-volume, media- and collaboration-focused virtual exchange platform at scale, with strong program design, digital facilitation, youth engagement, and public diplomacy expertise. Competitive proposals will need to demonstrate not only compelling virtual programming for MENA and U.S. youth, but also the operational ability to manage multiple sub-award partners, produce participant-generated digital content responsibly, sustain alumni networks, and measure outcomes in ways that clearly map back to ECA's stated objectives and U.S. foreign policy priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - FY 2026 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI)
What is the FY 2026 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) Program?
JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding opportunity to support a large-scale, American-led virtual exchange initiative. It is designed to connect young leaders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with peers across the United States through year-round digital programming.
Which U.S. government office is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), through the Global Leaders Division within ECA's Office of Citizen Exchanges.
What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA number?
The funding opportunity number is DFOP0017856, and the CFDA number listed is 19.415.
What type of award is JCSVEI?
This opportunity will be funded through a cooperative agreement, which means the U.S. government anticipates substantial involvement in the project (for example, collaboration on planning, deliverables, approvals, and performance monitoring).
How many awards does ECA expect to make?
ECA expects to make one award under this opportunity.
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling is $4,000,000.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline is May 1, 2026 (OriginalClosingDate: 2026-05-01).
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), along with other eligible entities as permitted in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
The program funds one organization to design, administer, and implement year-round digital programming that advances U.S. foreign policy priorities. It aims to highlight American scientific excellence, technological leadership, and innovation, while emphasizing core U.S. principles such as freedom of speech, individual liberty, and the rule of law as drivers of peace, prosperity, and opportunity.
Who are the intended participants?
The initiative is intended to connect young leaders in the MENA region with peers across the United States through structured online engagement and collaborative digital work.
What geographic regions does the exchange connect?
The exchange connects participants in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with participants across the United States.
What scale of participation is expected?
The target reach is approximately 8,000 participants annually, implying a high-throughput program with repeatable program cycles, strong recruitment and onboarding systems, and robust facilitation capacity.
What types of virtual programming are expected?
The opportunity describes multiple virtual exchange formats, including live dialogues, collaborative digital projects, online trainings, and virtual workshops. Programming is intended to be year-round and structured for sustained engagement.
Is the program meant to be interactive or primarily webinar-based?
It is explicitly meant to be interactive and production-oriented, not limited to passive webinars. Participants are expected to learn, discuss, and then work collaboratively across borders.
What kinds of participant outputs are expected?
The opportunity specifically mentions outputs such as digital storytelling projects, podcasts, vlogs, and other media products. This signals a strong emphasis on content creation and sharing as part of the exchange experience.
How does the program frame the role of U.S. leadership and values?
The initiative is designed to highlight U.S. leadership in science, technology, business, and civic life, while emphasizing U.S. principles like freedom of speech, individual liberty, and the rule of law. It also aims to encourage youth to see the United States as a trusted partner in science, entrepreneurship, and global problem-solving.
What thematic focus areas are emphasized in the opportunity?
Participants are expected to apply "American ingenuity" to practical problem-solving tied to economic opportunity, job creation, and digital connectivity. The exchange is expected to move beyond dialogue into solution-building activities connected to shared prosperity and regional stability.
How does the opportunity connect to U.S. diplomatic priorities?
The description links the initiative to reinforcing the spirit of the Abraham Accords and advancing U.S. engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Programming is expected to be politically and culturally informed, aligned with U.S. strategic messaging, and designed to strengthen ties between American communities and key Middle Eastern partners in support of a secure, prosperous, and interconnected region.
What is the Alumni Leadership Academy mentioned in the opportunity?
The opportunity calls for sustained engagement beyond the core virtual exchange experience through an Alumni Leadership Academy. This alumni component is intended to retain and develop participants with strong leadership potential and to reinforce long-term networks and relationships.
What is the expected purpose of the alumni component?
The alumni component is intended to equip strong participants to serve as ambassadors of U.S. values and as connectors between American and Middle Eastern communities. Follow-on activities are expected to support long-term networks aligned with U.S. economic, security, and diplomatic priorities, and to include mechanisms to track alumni impact over time.
What is the expected role of the prime recipient?
The award will go to a single prime recipient responsible for designing, administering, and implementing the overall initiative. The prime recipient must also demonstrate the ability to recruit, select, and manage up to six partner organizations as sub-award recipients implementing virtual exchange components under the JCSVEI umbrella.
How many sub-award partners can be involved, and who oversees them?
The prime recipient must be able to manage up to six partner organizations as sub-award recipients. The prime is responsible for full oversight of these sub-awards, including compliance, accountability, performance monitoring, and alignment with ECA goals, performance measures, and branding standards.
What administrative and management capabilities are implied by the opportunity?
Based on the description, applicants should be prepared to run a multi-partner consortium, competitively identify and onboard partners, establish clear scopes of work, monitor performance, manage risk, ensure consistent participant safeguarding practices, maintain unified program branding, and meet reporting expectations under a cooperative agreement model.
What considerations are implied for digital content creation and distribution?
Because the opportunity emphasizes participant-generated media (digital storytelling, podcasts, vlogs, and similar products), it implies that applicants should plan for content development pipelines, editorial support, digital safety considerations, and distribution strategies that reflect ECA branding and public diplomacy goals.
How does the opportunity describe the balance between mutual exchange and U.S. strategic messaging?
The initiative is expected to promote mutual collaboration while grounding engagement in U.S. leadership and values, which suggests proposals should balance two-way exchange practices with clear public diplomacy objectives and measurable outcomes mapped to ECA priorities.
What does "year-round digital programming" suggest about implementation?
It suggests an ongoing program calendar rather than a one-time event, with sustained virtual engagement through multiple formats (dialogues, workshops, trainings, and collaborative projects) and the operational capacity to support continuous recruitment, onboarding, facilitation, and alumni engagement.
What agency is listed as the funder?
The agency is the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
How is this opportunity categorized?
It is categorized as discretionary funding.
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