FY 2026 Leaders Lead On-Demand

The Leaders Lead On-Demand (LLOD) program is administered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically through its Office of Citizen Exchanges. As part of its broader public diplomacy mission, ECA supports programs that promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries. The LLOD initiative enables the Department of State to respond rapidly to foreign policy priorities by implementing flexible and tailored exchange projects for emerging leaders and mid-level professionals worldwide. The FY26 LLOD program will be awarded as a single cooperative agreement valued at approximately $1,000,000, contingent upon the availability of funds. The program spans a performance period of 24 to 30 months, with an anticipated award date of July 30, 2026. The selected recipient will implement a portfolio of four to six tailored exchange projects, each designed to foster professional collaboration between approximately 75 participants—comprising around 55 international participants and 20 U.S. participants. These projects are expected to strengthen global, regional, and local networks of practitioners while emphasizing U.S. leadership and expertise. Each LLOD project includes at least one U.S.-based segment and a required overseas segment involving U.S. participants. Projects may incorporate regional meetings, small grants competitions, and local training activities. The recipient will work collaboratively with the Department of State, including U.S. embassies and consulates, to design and deliver each project, select participants, and facilitate all logistical elements such as travel, lodging, and visa support. Participant recruitment must be merit-based and aligned with program goals, and all selected individuals must demonstrate relevant expertise, leadership potential, and a commitment to cross-cultural engagement. Organizations eligible to apply include U.S.-based nonprofits and educational institutions with at least four years of experience conducting international exchanges. Proposals must comply with the NOFO and accompanying Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI), and only one proposal per organization will be reviewed. Required submission components include forms SF-424 and SF-424A, a proposal narrative, executive summary, detailed line-item budget, and budget narrative. Applicants must also register with SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov no later than May 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Evaluation will be based on several criteria: quality of the program plan, institutional capacity, cost-effectiveness, and monitoring and evaluation strategy. The cooperative agreement includes substantial involvement by the Department of State, including approval of key personnel and project plans, oversight of participant selection, and regular monitoring of program performance. The program is structured to support urgent and emerging policy objectives. It emphasizes participant leadership development, civic engagement, cross-cultural understanding, and professional networking. The awardee is also responsible for tracking participant data, implementing a robust monitoring and evaluation framework (preferably aligned with ECA’s MODE Framework), and submitting both financial and performance reports. A virtual exchange component is strongly encouraged to complement in-person programming and expand the reach of the initiative.

Applicants should clearly demonstrate their capacity to run multiple simultaneous international exchanges, use the ECA MODE Framework for evaluation, and show prior successful management of similar cooperative agreements.