Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Summit 2027 | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): YSEALI Summit 2027 (U.S. Mission to Singapore)

1) What is the YSEALI Summit 2027 funding opportunity?

The YSEALI Summit 2027 is a U.S. Mission to Singapore funding opportunity to support a major regional program in Singapore focused on artificial intelligence (AI), innovation policy, and U.S.-ASEAN technological alignment. The award is made as a Cooperative Agreement, meaning the U.S. government will have substantial involvement to support program success.

2) What is the main purpose of the summit?

The summit is designed to expand awareness and real-world use of U.S.-origin AI tools in Southeast Asia and to strengthen a network of pro-innovation leaders across ASEAN. A central program concept is pairing YSEALI alumni with access to U.S. tools, U.S. AI firms operating in Singapore, and mentors who can help turn ideas into practical solutions.

3) What does the opportunity mean by accelerating adoption of the "American AI tech stack"?

Based on the opportunity description, this refers to increasing participants' hands-on use and continued adoption of U.S.-origin AI tools and products. The summit is structured as a working session where participants apply U.S. AI tools to policy and development challenges from their home contexts, with follow-up indicators tracked after the event.

4) Who is the funding agency and what is the funding instrument?

The opportunity is issued by the U.S. Mission to Singapore. The instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, which indicates substantial U.S. government involvement in the project in ways needed for success.

5) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PDS SINGAPORE FY26 001, and the CFDA number is 19.452.

6) How much funding is available and how many awards are expected?

The opportunity anticipates one award with a funding ceiling of $500,000.

7) What is the application deadline?

The opportunity closes on 2026-08-05.

8) Who is eligible to apply as an organization?

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations (including NGOs and think tanks), public and private educational institutions, public international organizations, and governmental institutions. For-profit entities are explicitly not eligible.

9) Are for-profit companies eligible to apply?

No. The opportunity explicitly states that for-profit entities are not eligible applicants.

10) Who are the intended participants/beneficiaries of the summit?

Participants must be YSEALI exchange alumni. The program targets early to mid-career professionals. There is no formal age limit stated, though most participants are expected to be working professionals.

11) How many participants are expected to attend?

The summit expects to convene at least 100 competitively selected YSEALI exchange alumni.

12) Which countries are included for participant selection?

Participants are drawn from all 11 ASEAN member states listed in the opportunity: Brunei, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and Singapore.

13) Are mentors and speakers included, and how many?

Yes. The summit plans for roughly 8 to 15 mentors and resource speakers from ASEAN and the United States, including government officials, private sector leaders, and technical experts.

14) What are the main objectives of the summit?

The opportunity defines two main objectives: (1) accelerating adoption of U.S. technology (including hands-on experience with U.S. AI tools and learning about pro-innovation policy and regulatory frameworks), and (2) positioning the United States as ASEAN's Comprehensive Strategic Partner to the next generation of regional leaders.

15) What activities are expected under Objective 1 (technology adoption and pro-innovation policy)?

Expected activities include structured discussions and speaker sessions on the value proposition of U.S. AI products, hands-on tool use to build solutions, and training on what pro-innovation policy and regulatory frameworks look like and how alumni can advocate for them with governments and legislators at home. The opportunity expects every participant to leave with an action plan.

16) What is "ASEAN Ignite: Fueling the Future with U.S. Tech"?

It is a hackathon-style summit event where cross-national teams use U.S. AI tools to develop frameworks or prototypes addressing shared regional challenges. Illustrative themes listed include energy security, space innovation, and secure supply chains.

17) Are small grants mentioned for hackathon outcomes?

Yes. The opportunity anticipates that top solutions may receive small grants, and selected teams are expected to implement their projects and report results within six months, including briefings to U.S. Embassy staff.

18) How will success be measured for increased adoption of U.S. AI tools?

Measures include participant understanding at the end of the summit and follow-up indicators six months later. Examples listed include participants ranking U.S. products as preferred, continuing to use U.S. AI tools, recommending them to colleagues, and integrating them into professional work.

19) What follow-up is expected after the summit for participants?

The recipient is expected to provide ongoing mentorship and monitoring to support alumni as they execute action plans. For certain hackathon teams receiving support, implementation and reporting are expected within six months, including briefings to U.S. Embassy staff.

20) What is Objective 2 about (strategic and diplomatic positioning)?

Objective 2 focuses on positioning the United States as ASEAN's Comprehensive Strategic Partner to the next generation of regional leaders. The summit intends to demonstrate the breadth of U.S. engagement through collaboration with U.S. companies and commemorative programming tied to the 50th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations.

21) How many U.S. companies are expected to be involved?

The opportunity states the summit will collaborate with at least five U.S. companies in key industries that highlight U.S. technology leadership.

22) What is the 50th anniversary element and what is "50 Under 50"?

The summit includes a commemorative element tied to the 50th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations, including remarks from U.S. government officials and a "50 Under 50" celebration, as described in the opportunity.

23) How will success be measured for Objective 2?

Success measures include participant attitudes at the end of the summit, such as whether they see the U.S.-ASEAN relationship as contributing to shared prosperity and a free and open Indo-Pacific, and whether the closing programming motivates continued engagement with the U.S. Department of State.

24) Where will the program take place?

The summit is designed to convene in Singapore.

25) What does "end-to-end program delivery" mean for the award recipient?

The recipient is responsible for full program delivery, including recruitment and selection, required communications and outreach, orientations, participant welfare planning, post-summit mentorship and monitoring, content production, and monitoring and evaluation and reporting.

26) Does the recipient have to run recruitment and selection directly?

Yes. The opportunity requires the recipient to demonstrate capacity to run recruitment and selection directly, without relying on in-country partners.

27) What recruitment process requirements are specified?

The opportunity calls for a competitive and transparent recruitment process, including a mobile-friendly application system and a scoring rubric.

28) Do U.S. Embassies play a role in participant selection?

Yes. Each U.S. Embassy in participating countries will review and approve the shortlist of selected participants.

29) What communications and outreach components are required?

The recipient must develop a communications and outreach plan and maintain communications channels such as a website, informational materials, and official social media managed under U.S. government branding rules. The recipient is also expected to produce communications products after the summit, including short impact videos and digital content that meet Department of State branding and messaging standards.

30) Is any virtual orientation required?

Yes. The recipient must deliver at least one virtual pre-departure orientation, developed in coordination with the Public Diplomacy Section at U.S. Embassy Singapore.

31) What health, safety, and welfare requirements are included?

The recipient must have a robust health, safety, and welfare plan, including clear procedures for emergencies and prompt reporting to the embassy when issues arise.

32) What monitoring and evaluation (M&E) requirements are included?

A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan is required, with reporting before and after the summit to assess performance against stated objectives and to inform future engagement.

33) Who cannot participate as beneficiaries?

U.S. Department of State employees and staff of the recipient or its contractors cannot participate as beneficiaries/participants. However, they may support the program as facilitators or speakers.

34) Are certain proposals expected to receive special consideration?

Yes. The opportunity notes that applicants with projects showing strong regional engagement or strengthened U.S.-ASEAN partnerships are expected to receive special consideration.

35) Who are the intended secondary audiences beyond the direct participants?

The summit is designed to influence secondary audiences such as ASEAN leaders attending the broader ASEAN summit, government officials responsible for innovation policy, the professional networks of the alumni, and media audiences that can amplify program messages.