Public Diplomacy Commercial Partnerships and Entrepreneurship Program

The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Bishkek Public Diplomacy Section has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for its Commercial Partnerships and Entrepreneurship Program. This initiative is designed to stimulate economic ties between the United States and the Kyrgyz Republic by fostering business engagement, enhancing local entrepreneurial capacity, and promoting U.S. commercial interests in the region. As part of the Department’s broader Public Diplomacy strategy, the program seeks to expand access to the Kyrgyz market for American businesses by building a workforce and business ecosystem that is capable of sustaining cross-border commercial ventures, encouraging local adoption of American products and practices, and fostering intellectual property protections that benefit U.S. innovators. The grant is structured to support activities that bolster entrepreneurship and business development using U.S. models, focusing on mid-career and emerging entrepreneurs. Targeted participants include business incubators, trade associations, legal professionals involved in IPR, and government officials. Programming may include training in U.S. business practices such as e-commerce, business planning, IP protection, and access to venture capital. It also aims to connect Kyrgyz enterprises with U.S. businesses, promote consumer awareness of U.S. goods, and educate officials on intellectual property rights. In this way, the initiative simultaneously serves U.S. foreign policy and economic goals. Proposals should aim to create tangible partnerships and economic linkages. The program supports up to five structured objectives such as improving business capacity, hosting networking events, increasing public awareness of U.S. products, educating stakeholders on intellectual property, and enabling access to U.S. technology platforms. Grantees may propose projects that address a maximum of two objectives from the list. The expected outcomes include increased sales of U.S. products, adoption of U.S. business practices, formal partnership agreements between U.S. and Kyrgyz businesses, and broader dissemination of American commercial values. The total funding available is subject to appropriations, but award sizes are expected to range between $25,000 and $75,000, with up to three awards anticipated. Projects must be completed within 12 months, with a potential for continuation on a non-competitive basis if progress is satisfactory and funds are available. While cost sharing is encouraged, it is not mandatory. Both Kyrgyz Republic-based non-profit organizations and U.S.-based NGOs/educational institutions (partnered with local entities) are eligible to apply. For-profit entities are not eligible, even if they fall under other eligible categories. Applications must be submitted by May 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Bishkek time. Submissions can be made through Grants.gov or directly to [email protected]. Mandatory application materials include the SF-424 family of forms, a six-page proposal, budget documentation, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plans, resumes or job descriptions for key personnel, and proof of nonprofit and registration status. Optional but potentially required materials include audit reports and documentation of financial procedures. The evaluation process considers criteria such as the innovation and feasibility of the proposal (25 points), organizational capacity (20), planning (15), budget soundness (10), monitoring and evaluation (10), and sustainability (10). Applicants will typically be notified within 120 days of the deadline. Award announcements are expected for projects beginning in September or October 2026. The embassy reserves the right to fund fewer or more proposals than initially estimated, depending on available resources and alignment with U.S. interests.

Tie proposed activities directly to U.S. commercial interests; prioritize measurable business outcomes; demonstrate U.S. partnership involvement; use M&E template to meet expectations.