Freedom 250: Kazakhstan Youth Leadership Camp

The "Freedom 250: Kazakhstan Youth Leadership Camp" is a cooperative agreement opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of State, through its U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Kazakhstan, under the Public Diplomacy Section. As part of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding in 2026, the program seeks to deepen youth engagement and foster leadership potential among FLEX program alternates—Kazakhstani youth who advanced through the rigorous selection process of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program but were not selected as finalists. This initiative underscores American values such as entrepreneurship, opportunity, and innovation, providing an immersive, U.S.-focused learning experience without requiring international travel. The proposed program is structured around a summer camp in 2026, with a performance period lasting up to 18 months. The camp will support up to 50 FLEX alternates aged 15 to 17, including high school students and first- and second-year college students from across Kazakhstan. These participants will engage in an intensive series of workshops on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, public speaking in English, and leadership development. The programming will be led by American speakers and FLEX alumni, and will leverage U.S. Department of State resources such as EducationUSA, RELO, American Spaces, and Makerspaces. The primary goals of the project are fourfold: to build youth leadership and career skills; to improve understanding of U.S. entrepreneurial models; to facilitate youth-designed business project proposals; and to encourage sustained mentorship through USG alumni networks. Specific measurable objectives include at least 80% of participants demonstrating a 20% improvement in targeted skills, increased knowledge of U.S. business culture, submission of business project proposals with half scoring 75 or higher on standardized rubrics, and ongoing mentorship relationships maintained beyond the program’s completion. Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity include not-for-profit organizations, civil society NGOs, public and private educational institutions, governmental institutions, and public international organizations. For-profit entities are ineligible to apply as primary recipients. Cost sharing is encouraged but not required. All applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and active registration in SAM.gov prior to applying. Only one proposal per organization may be submitted. The application process requires submission through either Grants.gov or directly via email to [email protected]. Required application components include SF-424 and SF-424A forms, a full proposal (maximum 12 pages), resumes or position descriptions for key staff, a detailed budget and justification narrative, and supporting documents such as letters of support and proof of nonprofit status. A draft Monitoring and Evaluation Plan is also required and will be refined in partnership with the Public Diplomacy Section upon award. The deadline to submit applications is April 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Astana Time. The anticipated start date for the project is June 2026. All applications will be evaluated based on criteria including the quality and feasibility of the proposed project, the organizational capacity of the applicant, the strength of planning and evaluation strategies, and budget realism. Notifications of award decisions are expected within 120 days following the deadline. Awards will be disbursed through SF-270 requests and recipients must comply with all applicable federal regulations.

Highlight U.S. values and use of State Department resources; ensure robust M&E and project feasibility; define roles clearly; follow budget and eligibility rules closely.