Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0005508
The FY 2019 International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI) is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity run by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically through the Office of Citizen Exchanges in the Sports Diplomacy Division. It is a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected organization would be expected to work closely with the Department of State during planning and implementation rather than operating completely independently. The program uses international sports exchanges as a tool of public diplomacy, aiming to advance U.S. foreign policy goals by building relationships and engaging groups that can be difficult to reach through traditional diplomacy.
The core purpose of ISPI is to fund sports exchange projects that serve underserved youth and/or the adults who support them, such as coaches and sports administrators who run youth sports programs. Projects must be reciprocal exchanges between the United States and select countries, and they must use sports as the vehicle to address a broader "Sport and Social Change" theme. The intent is not sports performance for its own sake, but using sports to help young people develop leadership skills, improve academic outcomes, learn tolerance and respect for diversity, and contribute positively to both their home communities and the communities they visit. In other words, sports are treated as a platform for life skills, civic engagement, and cross-cultural understanding.
A central emphasis of the opportunity is inclusion and access. The announcement highlights engagement with hard-to-reach or marginalized groups, including at-risk youth, women and girls, minorities, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers. Programs must focus on both male and female youth participants and/or their coaches and sports administrators, reinforcing the expectation that projects are intentionally designed to be gender-inclusive rather than serving only one group. This focus reflects the Sports Diplomacy approach of using shared experiences in sports to reduce barriers, build confidence, and create sustained people-to-people ties.
Eligibility is limited to U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements of 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3). Applicants are expected to propose and manage exchange programming, which typically includes structured activities such as trainings, workshops, community engagement components, leadership development sessions, and opportunities for participants to interact with U.S. counterparts. Because the award is a cooperative agreement, applicants should anticipate federal involvement in areas like participant selection frameworks, program content alignment with policy goals, and monitoring and evaluation expectations.
The opportunity also includes a key restriction: proposals designed to train elite athletes or elite coaches are not eligible. This is an important boundary that clarifies the program is not intended to function as high-performance athletic development, scouting, or competitive advancement. Instead, the exchanges must be anchored in youth development, social impact, and community-oriented outcomes. Additional eligibility requirements apply as described in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), signaling that applicants should review the complete announcement for compliance details beyond the high-level 501(c)(3) requirement.
From the source data provided, the funding opportunity number is SFOP0005508 and the CFDA number is 19.415. The posting was created on December 14, 2018, with an original application deadline of February 22, 2019. The award ceiling listed is $700,000. The agency is the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the opportunity category is discretionary under a funding activity category labeled as "Other" (with further clarification referenced in the original text field).Apply for SFOP0005508
- 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 2019 International Sports Programming Initiative" 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 Dec 14, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 22, 2019. (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: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: FY 2019 International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI)
What is the FY 2019 International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI)?
ISPI is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity run by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), through the Office of Citizen Exchanges in the Sports Diplomacy Division. It supports international sports exchange projects used as a public diplomacy tool to advance U.S. foreign policy goals by building relationships and engaging audiences that may be difficult to reach through traditional diplomacy.
Which U.S. government office runs this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically through the Office of Citizen Exchanges in the Sports Diplomacy Division.
Is this a grant or a cooperative agreement?
It is offered as a cooperative agreement. That means the selected organization is expected to work closely with the Department of State during planning and implementation rather than operating completely independently.
What does "cooperative agreement" mean for how the project will be run?
Based on the description provided, applicants should plan for federal involvement in areas such as participant selection frameworks, alignment of program content with policy goals, and monitoring and evaluation expectations.
What is the main purpose of ISPI-funded projects?
The core purpose is to fund sports exchange projects that serve underserved youth and/or the adults who support them (such as coaches and sports administrators who run youth sports programs). Sports must be used as the vehicle to address a broader "Sport and Social Change" theme rather than sports performance as the primary goal.
What is meant by the "Sport and Social Change" theme?
Projects should use sports as a platform to help youth develop leadership skills, improve academic outcomes, learn tolerance and respect for diversity, and contribute positively to their communities and the communities they visit. The emphasis is on life skills, civic engagement, and cross-cultural understanding.
Are projects required to be international exchanges?
Yes. Projects must be reciprocal exchanges between the United States and select countries, as described in the opportunity summary.
What does "reciprocal exchange" mean in this context?
The opportunity specifies that exchanges must be reciprocal between the United States and select countries. (Additional details about what forms reciprocity may take are referenced as being in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity.)
Who is the intended participant audience?
The program is intended for underserved youth and/or the adults who support them, including coaches and sports administrators involved in youth sports programs.
Is there a specific focus on inclusion and access?
Yes. A central emphasis is inclusion and access, with specific attention to hard-to-reach or marginalized groups such as at-risk youth, women and girls, minorities, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers.
Do projects have to include both male and female participants?
Yes. Programs must focus on both male and female youth participants and/or their coaches and sports administrators, indicating the expectation that projects are intentionally designed to be gender-inclusive.
Are programs aimed at elite athletes or elite coaches allowed?
No. Proposals designed to train elite athletes or elite coaches are explicitly not eligible. The exchange must be anchored in youth development, social impact, and community-oriented outcomes rather than high-performance athletic development or competitive advancement.
What kinds of activities can be included in an exchange project?
The description indicates programming typically includes structured activities such as trainings, workshops, community engagement components, leadership development sessions, and opportunities for participants to interact with U.S. counterparts.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements of 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
Are there additional eligibility requirements beyond 501(c)(3) status?
Yes. The summary notes that additional eligibility requirements apply as described in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), so applicants are expected to review the complete announcement for compliance details beyond the high-level 501(c)(3) requirement.
What is the opportunity number for this funding announcement?
The funding opportunity number is SFOP0005508.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed is 19.415.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting was created on December 14, 2018.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was February 22, 2019.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $700,000.
What is the funding category and activity category?
The opportunity category is discretionary. The funding activity category is labeled as "Other," with further clarification referenced in the original text field.
How does this program relate to U.S. foreign policy?
The program uses international sports exchanges as a tool of public diplomacy to advance U.S. foreign policy goals by building relationships and engaging groups that can be difficult to reach through traditional diplomacy.
What kinds of outcomes are ISPI projects expected to support?
Based on the summary, projects are intended to support outcomes such as leadership development, improved academic outcomes, tolerance and respect for diversity, positive community contribution, sustained people-to-people ties, and cross-cultural understanding using sports as the platform.
Where should applicants look for the full requirements?
The summary indicates applicants should review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for additional eligibility requirements and compliance details not included in the high-level overview.
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