FY 2025 Arts and Music Envoy

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is offering a cooperative agreement opportunity through the FY 2025 Arts and Music Envoy program. This initiative is managed by the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Cultural Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/CU), and is designed to engage American artists and arts professionals in international cultural exchange programs. These exchanges will be developed in partnership with U.S. Missions to promote foreign policy goals, build mutual understanding, and enhance America’s global cultural presence. The program will be implemented under the cooperative agreement model, with substantial involvement from ECA in decision-making, particularly regarding the selection of program participants and project development. The program aims to send approximately 180 professional U.S. artists and arts experts overseas to participate in around 30 short-term cultural exchange programs between September 15, 2025, and December 31, 2027. These programs may include performances, workshops, collaborations, and masterclasses in diverse fields such as music, dance, culinary arts, film, literature, visual arts, and textiles. Programming under the theme of America250 will be emphasized in 2026, celebrating American artistic achievements in conjunction with the country's Semiquincentennial. Additionally, a multi-media toolkit will be developed to assist U.S. diplomats with public engagement, particularly with emerging artists and English learners. Applicants must be U.S.-based nonprofit organizations or not-for-profit educational institutions with at least four years of experience conducting international exchanges involving budgets exceeding $130,000. All applicants must possess a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered in SAM.gov. Only one application will be considered per organization, and submissions must include required forms such as SF-424, proposal narratives, line-item budgets, and budget narratives. The anticipated award amount is $3,010,000, and only one award is expected to be issued. There is no matching requirement, but cost sharing is encouraged. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by August 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The anticipated award date is September 15, 2025. All applicants are required to register with MyGrants, the Department of State’s grants management system, before applying. The Department retains the right to adjust, renew, or not award the grant based on availability of funds and program needs. Proposals will be evaluated on several criteria including program quality, institutional capacity, cost-effectiveness, and performance monitoring plans. Comprehensive responsibilities for the grantee include artist recruitment and selection, program logistics and management, fiscal oversight, creation of media and educational materials, and performance monitoring in alignment with ECA’s Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework. All activities must be aligned with ECA branding and communication policies, and recipients must adhere to federal anti-discrimination laws and provide required performance and financial reporting. The main point of contact for the program is Kathryn Warnes, who can be reached at warnesk1@state.gov or 771-205-8764. Applications must strictly follow the guidelines laid out in the NOFO and Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) to be considered eligible.

Only one application per legal entity. Use MODE Framework.