Creating Opportunities through Market Development in Sports and Digital Skills

The U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan, through its Public Diplomacy Section (PDS), is offering funding for initiatives under the program titled "Creating Opportunities through Market Development in Sports and Digital Skills." This grant opportunity aims to enhance U.S.-Kazakhstan ties by promoting U.S. best practices and values within the domains of sports diplomacy and digital skills development. This initiative is intended to foster bilateral cooperation, economic development, and cultural understanding between the two nations. The program will support initiatives that strengthen people-to-people ties and increase awareness of U.S. values and innovations. The grant supports two primary goals. The first is to deepen Kazakh-American ties through sports by promoting sports diplomacy. Projects should emphasize American values such as teamwork and community engagement while facilitating partnerships between Kazakh and U.S. institutions. Target audiences include youth, sports professionals, female athletes, and sports managers. The second goal focuses on equipping young professionals in Kazakhstan with technical skills in digital technology, artificial intelligence, and communication. Proposals in this category should aim to increase employability, foster entrepreneurial capabilities, and encourage collaboration with U.S. technology experts and companies. The funding opportunity is open to not-for-profit organizations, public and private educational institutions, individuals, and public international organizations from both the U.S. and Kazakhstan. For-profit entities are not eligible. Sub-contracting is allowed under specific conditions, and cost sharing or matching is not required. Applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered in SAM.gov, except individuals who are exempt from these requirements. Applications must include mandatory federal forms (SF-424 series), a detailed proposal of no more than six pages, resumes of key personnel, letters of support from partners, budget documents, and a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan. The proposal must describe the project’s objectives, methods, timeline, personnel, sustainability plan, and expected outcomes. All documents must be in English and in U.S. dollars. Submission can be done either via email or through Grants.gov. The grant amount ranges from $10,000 to $40,000, with a performance period between 9 to 12 months. An estimated 4 to 8 awards will be granted, with projects expected to start on or after October 1, 2025. Applications must be submitted by July 17, 2025, at 11:59 PM GMT+5. Pre-award costs are not allowed, and funds cannot be used for construction, partisan political activities, fundraising, or direct social services. Evaluation of applications will be based on criteria such as program quality and feasibility, organizational capacity, project planning, budget reasonableness, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability. Successful applicants will be notified within 120 days of the application deadline. For questions, applicants may contact the Public Diplomacy Section at kzpdsgrantproposal@state.gov.

Ensure all documents are complete, in English, and budgets in U.S. dollars. Use provided templates where available. Address all required criteria and submit by the firm deadline.