Opportunity Information: Apply for ECA ECAPEC 18 102

The FY 2018 International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI) is a U.S. Department of State program run through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Sports Diplomacy Division. It funds international sports exchange projects that use sport as a practical tool for social development and diplomacy, with a clear emphasis on reaching underserved youth and the adults who support them, such as coaches and sports administrators who manage youth programs. The opportunity is structured as an open competition, meaning eligible organizations submit proposals describing how they would design and manage these exchanges.

At its core, ISPI supports reciprocal exchanges between the United States and selected partner countries. The exchanges are meant to advance a “Sport and Social Change” approach, where sport is not treated as the end goal, but as the vehicle for broader outcomes. Program activities are expected to help young people build leadership and life skills, strengthen academic engagement and success, promote tolerance, and increase respect for diversity. The exchanges are also designed to encourage participants to contribute positively in both their home communities and the U.S. communities that host them, reinforcing the idea that sports-based programming can generate lasting community ties and civic-minded action rather than short-term training experiences.

A major rationale behind ISPI is the role of sports diplomacy in advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives by creating points of contact with groups that are often difficult to engage through traditional diplomacy. The announcement highlights that these programs can be especially effective with at-risk youth, women, minorities, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers. In practice, that means proposals should show a credible plan for recruitment, access, and inclusion, and for creating an environment where participants from different backgrounds can interact safely and meaningfully through sport and related educational programming.

The program is intentionally not aimed at developing high-performance or professional sports talent. Proposals focused on training elite athletes or elite coaches are explicitly ineligible. Instead, the focus has to remain on youth development and community-level impact, and the program design needs to reflect that by integrating leadership development, mentoring, community service, education components, and dialogue on inclusion and mutual understanding. Another requirement emphasized in the summary is that programming must focus on both male and female youth and/or their coaches and sports administrators, so applicants should anticipate gender inclusion expectations and design activities accordingly.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this opportunity is a discretionary award offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically implies a more active partnership with the Department of State compared to a standard grant. The Funding Opportunity Number is ECA ECAPEC 18 102, the CFDA number is 19.415, and the original application closing date was April 30, 2018. The award ceiling listed is $700,000, and the notice indicates that multiple awards were expected (the exact number is not specified in the provided text).

Eligible applicants include U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education, with an “Others” category also listed in the source data. While the summary notes that additional eligibility requirements apply, those details are contained in the full announcement. Overall, ISPI is positioned for organizations that can credibly run international exchange programming, demonstrate strong youth development and inclusion expertise, and use sport as a structured platform to advance leadership, educational outcomes, social cohesion, and cross-cultural understanding.

  • The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2018 International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI)" 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 2018-02-28.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-04-30. (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 $700,000.00 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.
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