Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0004983
The U.S. Department of State, through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and specifically its Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), announced a competitive grant opportunity to run the FY 2018 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Academic Year 2019-2020 and to support the 2019 outbound Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Staff Exchange (CBBSX). The purpose of this opportunity is to fund an organization that can facilitate structured educational exchanges between the United States and Germany, bringing Americans and Germans into sustained contact through study, training, and professional placements. At the heart of the program is public diplomacy: reinforcing the long-standing U.S.-German partnership by giving young people and emerging professionals direct experience with each other’s societies and democratic institutions, while also building durable personal networks and institutional ties that continue after the exchange ends.
The funded organization would be expected to administer the CBYX program across three main components: Secondary School, Vocational Studies, and Young Professionals. Each component is designed for a different participant group and pathway, but they share the same core idea of immersive exchange. The secondary school component typically involves students living with host families and attending school in the partner country to deepen language skills, cultural understanding, and day-to-day familiarity with civic life. The vocational studies component generally focuses on participants pursuing technical or career-oriented training, often pairing classroom learning with practical experience that aligns with workforce development. The young professionals component supports early-career participants in placements and programming that expose them to professional norms, workplace culture, and leadership development in the partner country. The announcement also notes that CBBSX participants will be supported by the same organization facilitating the Young Professional exchanges, meaning the grantee must have the capacity to handle the additional planning and support needs of the staff exchange as part of the broader program structure.
This opportunity is offered as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which usually indicates that ECA anticipates substantial involvement during implementation. In practice, that often means the grantee is responsible for day-to-day operations and program delivery, while the agency remains engaged in monitoring, coordination, and ensuring the program meets public diplomacy goals and statutory requirements. The listing is associated with CFDA number 19.415 and is administered by the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Eligibility is open to U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements of 26 USC 501(c)(3), and the opportunity also indicates that public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education may apply, along with other applicants as further clarified in the full notice. The solicitation was created on April 26, 2018, with an original application deadline of June 7, 2018. The award ceiling listed is $950,000. The notice lists expected awards as 0, which can reflect how the forecast was entered or the fact that the number of awards was not specified in the summary fields, rather than meaning the program will not be funded.
Overall, this grant competition seeks a capable administering organization to recruit and support participants, coordinate exchange logistics, and deliver programming that advances mutual understanding between Americans and Germans. The larger objective is not only short-term educational benefit for participants, but also long-term relationship building that strengthens democratic values, cross-cultural competence, and U.S.-German institutional collaboration for years beyond the exchange experience.Apply for SFOP0004983
- The Department of State, Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2018 (Academic Year 2019-2020) Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange and (2019) Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Staff Exchange" 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 Apr 26, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 07, 2018. (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 $950,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity?
This is a competitive U.S. Department of State grant opportunity, administered through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY). It funds an organization to administer the FY 2018 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Academic Year 2019-2020 and to support the 2019 outbound Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Staff Exchange (CBBSX).
What is the purpose of the program being funded?
The purpose is to facilitate structured educational exchanges between the United States and Germany. The program is designed to bring Americans and Germans into sustained contact through study, training, and professional placements, reinforcing the long-standing U.S.-German partnership through public diplomacy and long-term relationship building.
Which U.S. government office is offering and managing this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of State through ECA, specifically the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY). It is administered under the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
What type of award is this?
This is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement generally indicates substantial involvement by ECA during implementation, with the grantee handling day-to-day program operations while ECA remains actively engaged in coordination, oversight, and ensuring the program meets public diplomacy goals and applicable requirements.
What does "cooperative agreement" mean for how the program will be run?
Based on the description provided, the funded organization would be expected to deliver program operations and logistics, while ECA stays involved in monitoring and coordination and in ensuring that the exchange advances public diplomacy objectives and meets statutory requirements. In other words, the relationship is more hands-on than a standard grant.
What programs must the funded organization administer?
The funded organization must administer the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) across three components: Secondary School, Vocational Studies, and Young Professionals. In addition, the organization must support the 2019 outbound Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Staff Exchange (CBBSX) as part of the overall program structure.
What are the three CBYX components included in the award?
The CBYX program is described as having three main components:
- Secondary School: Typically includes living with host families and attending school in the partner country to develop language skills, cultural understanding, and familiarity with civic life.
- Vocational Studies: Generally focuses on technical or career-oriented training and may pair classroom learning with practical experience aligned with workforce development.
- Young Professionals: Supports early-career participants in professional placements and programming that emphasize professional norms, workplace culture, and leadership development in the partner country.
How is the staff exchange (CBBSX) connected to the CBYX program?
The notice states that CBBSX participants will be supported by the same organization facilitating the Young Professional exchanges. That means the grantee must have the capacity to plan and support the staff exchange in addition to administering the broader CBYX program components.
What are the core goals or themes of the exchange?
The exchange is centered on public diplomacy and mutual understanding. The stated goals include reinforcing the U.S.-German partnership, providing participants direct experience with each other’s societies and democratic institutions, and building durable personal networks and institutional ties that continue after the exchange ends.
What kinds of activities or experiences are emphasized in the program model?
The program model emphasizes immersive exchanges through study, training, and professional placements. Examples described include host family stays and school attendance (secondary school), technical or career-oriented training paired with practical experience (vocational studies), and workplace placements with leadership development elements (young professionals).
What is the CFDA number for this funding opportunity?
The listing is associated with CFDA number 19.415.
Who is eligible to apply for this award?
Eligibility is open to U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements of 26 USC 501(c)(3). The opportunity also indicates that public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, as well as private institutions of higher education, may apply. The notice mentions that other applicants may be eligible as further clarified in the full notice.
Is this opportunity limited to nonprofit organizations?
The summary explicitly includes U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations meeting 26 USC 501(c)(3), and it also includes certain higher education institutions (public/state-controlled and private). Any additional eligible applicant types are referenced as being clarified in the full notice.
When was the solicitation created and what was the application deadline?
The solicitation was created on April 26, 2018, and the original application deadline was June 7, 2018.
What is the maximum funding amount available (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $950,000.
Does the notice specify how many awards will be made?
The notice lists expected awards as 0 in the summary fields. The description notes that this can reflect how the forecast was entered or that the number of awards was not specified in the summary fields, rather than indicating the program will not be funded.
What is the exchange relationship this award supports?
The award supports bilateral exchange between the United States and Germany, with programming designed to create sustained contact and deeper understanding through education and professional experiences.
What would the funded organization generally be responsible for?
The funded organization is expected to administer the program components and facilitate the exchanges by recruiting and supporting participants, coordinating exchange logistics, and delivering programming that advances mutual understanding and the program’s public diplomacy goals.
What longer-term outcomes is the program intended to achieve?
Beyond short-term educational benefits, the stated objective is long-term relationship building that strengthens democratic values, cross-cultural competence, and U.S.-German institutional collaboration well beyond the participants’ exchange experience.
What timeframe does the funded CBYX program cover?
The opportunity is to run the FY 2018 CBYX for Academic Year 2019-2020. It also includes support for the 2019 outbound CBBSX staff exchange.
Is this a youth-only program?
The CBYX program includes a Secondary School component and other pathways (Vocational Studies and Young Professionals). The staff exchange (CBBSX) is also included, supporting emerging professionals and staff participants as described.
Why does the announcement emphasize public diplomacy?
The announcement frames the exchange as a public diplomacy tool to reinforce the U.S.-German partnership by giving participants first-hand exposure to each other’s societies and democratic institutions and by building lasting personal and institutional networks.
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