Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0016888
The FY 2025 Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program Placement Components opportunity is a U.S. Department of State grant competition run by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Office of Citizen Exchanges. It is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning the selected organizations will carry out the program in close coordination with the U.S. government rather than operating completely independently. The focus of this particular competition is on the placement components of FLEX, which centers on bringing high school students from participating European and Eurasian countries to the United States for a full academic-year exchange experience.
FLEX is a long-running program that started in 1993 and is designed to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives through people-to-people diplomacy. The core idea is mutual understanding: students from abroad live inside American communities, learn firsthand how U.S. society functions, and build leadership and civic engagement skills while attending a U.S. high school. At the same time, host families, schools, and local communities gain sustained exposure to the students cultures, languages, and perspectives, which is intended to strengthen long-term relationships between the United States and participating countries across Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Baltics, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia. The announcement notes the scale and track record of the program, citing more than 32,000 FLEX alumni to date.
Funding is available under opportunity number DFOP0016888, listed under CFDA 19.415. The agency has indicated an award ceiling of $10,240,000 and anticipates making up to 9 awards. The application deadline in the notice is October 21, 2024, and the opportunity record was created on August 20, 2024. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education, which signals that the Department is seeking experienced exchange or youth-program operators in the nonprofit sector to implement these placement activities.
In practical terms, the placement components of a year-long high school exchange typically involve recruiting and supporting U.S. host families, placing students in appropriate U.S. secondary schools, and ensuring students have structured opportunities to engage with American civic life and community activities throughout their stay. It also generally implies a strong emphasis on participant welfare and oversight, because an academic-year homestay program requires continuous monitoring, communication with families and schools, and mechanisms to respond to issues as they arise, all coordinated with ECA under the cooperative agreement structure. The full announcement would provide the exact scope, required deliverables, compliance expectations, and budget guidance, but the purpose and program model are clear: manage and support the in-country U.S. placement experience that lets FLEX students live with American families, attend U.S. high school, develop leadership skills, and contribute to cross-cultural understanding in host communities nationwide.Apply for DFOP0016888
- The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2025 Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program Placement Components" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.415.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-20.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,240,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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FY 2025 Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program Placement Components - FAQs
1. What is the FY 2025 FLEX Program Placement Components funding opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of State grant competition administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Office of Citizen Exchanges. It supports the placement components of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program, which brings high school students from participating European and Eurasian countries to the United States for a full academic-year exchange.
2. Which U.S. government office is running this competition?
The competition is run by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Office of Citizen Exchanges.
3. What type of award is this?
The opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement. This means the selected organization(s) will carry out the program in close coordination with the U.S. government (ECA), rather than operating fully independently.
4. What does "cooperative agreement" mean in practical terms for implementation?
Based on the notice description, a cooperative agreement structure implies ongoing coordination with ECA during implementation. For placement activities, this commonly includes close alignment on oversight, participant support, communications, and responses to issues that arise during an academic-year homestay and school placement program.
5. What part of FLEX does this competition focus on?
This competition focuses specifically on the placement components of FLEX. In other words, it centers on the U.S.-based portion of the student exchange experience: placing students with host families and in U.S. secondary schools, and supporting their engagement in American community and civic life during the academic year.
6. What is the overall purpose of the FLEX Program?
FLEX is designed to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives through people-to-people diplomacy. Its core idea is mutual understanding: students experience U.S. society firsthand while building leadership and civic engagement skills, and U.S. host families and communities gain sustained exposure to the students cultures, languages, and perspectives.
7. When did FLEX start, and how large is the alumni network?
The FLEX Program started in 1993. The announcement cites more than 32,000 FLEX alumni to date.
8. Which regions and countries does FLEX draw students from (as described in the notice)?
The notice describes participating countries across Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Baltics, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia.
9. What is the exchange duration for participating students?
The program brings high school students to the United States for a full academic-year exchange experience.
10. What kinds of activities are included in the placement components?
The notice indicates placement components typically include recruiting and supporting U.S. host families, placing students in appropriate U.S. secondary schools, and ensuring students have structured opportunities to engage with American civic life and community activities throughout their stay.
11. Why is participant welfare and oversight emphasized for this opportunity?
The notice highlights that an academic-year homestay program requires continuous monitoring and communication with host families and schools, along with mechanisms to respond to issues as they arise. This oversight is a key part of managing a year-long placement experience.
12. What is the opportunity number for this funding announcement?
The opportunity number is DFOP0016888.
13. What is the CFDA listing for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 19.415.
14. How much funding is available?
The agency indicated an award ceiling of $10,240,000.
15. How many awards does the Department anticipate making?
The agency anticipates making up to 9 awards.
16. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.
17. Are colleges and universities eligible applicants?
No. The eligibility description explicitly excludes institutions of higher education.
18. What does the eligibility limitation suggest about the kind of applicant ECA is seeking?
Because eligibility is limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofits (and excludes higher education institutions), the notice signals that the Department is seeking nonprofit-sector organizations with the capacity to operate youth exchange or similar programs and to implement the placement activities described.
19. What is the application deadline?
The application deadline listed in the notice is October 21, 2024.
20. When was the opportunity record created?
The opportunity record was created on August 20, 2024.
21. What is the core program model that this competition supports?
The described model is an academic-year U.S. placement experience in which FLEX students live with American host families, attend U.S. high school, develop leadership skills, and contribute to cross-cultural understanding in host communities nationwide.
22. What information is not specified in the summary provided and would typically be in the full announcement?
The summary notes that the full announcement would provide the exact scope, required deliverables, compliance expectations, and budget guidance. Those specifics are not included in the information provided here.
23. What are the intended benefits for U.S. host communities?
According to the notice description, host families, schools, and local communities gain sustained exposure to students cultures, languages, and perspectives, which is intended to strengthen long-term relationships between the United States and participating countries.
24. What are the intended benefits for student participants?
Students are expected to learn firsthand how U.S. society functions, build leadership and civic engagement skills, attend a U.S. high school for an academic year, and live within an American community through a host family placement.
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