Pathways to Success: Career Readiness through American Expertise

The U.S. Mission in Poland, through the Department of State’s Public Diplomacy Section (PD Poland), is offering funding under the Public Diplomacy Grants Program titled “Pathways to Success: Career Readiness through American Expertise.” The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is identified as WAW-NOFO-FY25-02, and it seeks to foster strong U.S.-Poland ties by engaging emerging Polish leaders, specifically high school students aged 16 to 19. The initiative aims to disseminate American leadership, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness best practices among youth in Poland, with an emphasis on building essential soft skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, self-management, problem solving, and career planning. The program encourages proposals that include interactive workshops, training sessions, resume clinics, mentorship meetups, and hands-on career guidance activities. These should ideally feature American experts, alumni of U.S. exchange programs, or professionals with U.S. experience to deliver authentic insights and mentorship. The primary mode of engagement should be in-person, though virtual elements may be included to complement face-to-face programming. Proposals lacking a significant American component or connection to U.S. values and practices will not be considered for funding. Eligible applicants include registered not-for-profit organizations, think tanks, civil society groups, individuals (including alumni of U.S. government exchange programs), and nonprofit or governmental educational institutions such as public libraries and schools. All applicants must either be registered to operate in Poland or partner with a local entity that is. For-profit entities are not eligible. Cost sharing is allowed but not required, and organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered on SAM.gov. Individuals do not need to register on SAM.gov. Applications must be submitted via email to grantspoland@state.gov no later than June 18, 2025. The anticipated start date for funded programs is September 30, 2025. The review period extends through July 31, 2025, with notifications sent by September 1, 2025. Required application components include forms SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B (as applicable), a proposal summary, a detailed budget narrative, CVs of key personnel, letters of support from partners, and a proposed schedule. Submissions must comply with strict formatting requirements and be in English with budgets in U.S. dollars. Evaluation criteria include organizational capacity, alignment with U.S. Embassy priorities, clarity and feasibility of goals, integration of American content, budget realism, and plans for monitoring, evaluation, and sustainability. The funding will be administered as a grant, fixed amount award, or cooperative agreement, depending on the nature of the program and the level of involvement from embassy staff. The maximum funding available is $50,000, with awards ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, and only one to two awards anticipated. Applicants are advised to consult the guidelines and templates provided on the U.S. Embassy in Poland’s website. While there are no specific pre-application deadlines, organizations needing exemptions from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must request these at least two weeks before the deadline. The program does not fund partisan activities, charitable projects, religious initiatives, construction, lobbying, or institutional development activities.