Public Diplomacy Cultural and Educational Programs (Kyrgyzstan)

The PDS invites proposals for programs that strengthen ties between the United States and the Kyrgyz Republic and support a priority program area in order to highlight shared values and promote bilateral cooperation.  All proposed programs must include an American element, either through a connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s, usage of American educational/informational resources, or any other activities that promote or contribute to increased mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of the Kyrgyz Republic. Competitive proposals will promote continued/sustainable cooperation between the people of the United States and the Kyrgyz Republic even after the project concludes.

Special consideration will be given to proposals which include partnership with Kyrgyz governmental bodies, and to organizations that have a demonstrated track record of implementing these types of partnerships.

Priority Program Areas

• Sustainable Economic Growth
  • Proposals should promote an inclusive creative economy built upon regional connectivity, enhanced human capital, clean energy, and sustainable development.
  • This goal could be advanced through lines of effort such as:
    • Reducing barriers to economic participation, particularly among youth, women, residents of rural areas, and underserved groups.
    • Promoting public advocacy for regulatory reform and business‐friendly policies.
    • Developing programs and tools for small and medium businesses to promote corporate social responsibility, innovation, adaptive technologies, rural economic development, economic diversification, social entrepreneurship, more inclusive and skilled workforce, women’s and youth empowerment, access to finance.
    • Expanding the skills of individuals in the creative industry through artistic, cultural, or technology‐focused trainings or exchanges with U.S. counterparts.
    • Building support for sustainable natural resource management and/or adoption of cleaner energy sources and technologies.
    • Increasing regional trade and interconnectivity based on the C5+1 platform.
  • Project Audience(s) may include:
    • Young people (14‐28 years old), women, and other underserved groups, especially Kyrgyz‐speaking audiences.
    • Small and medium business owners, entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, innovators, creative professionals, influencers, and mentors, especially Kyrgyz‐speaking audiences.
    • Business associations working on improving the business environment, consolidating advocacy efforts to improve the business environment, and promoting public‐private partnerships (PPP).
    • Civil society organizations (CSOs) or universities working in such areas as women/youth empowerment and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics); or
    • Public‐ and private‐sector stakeholders in the areas of energy, air quality, and environmental protection
• Accountable Governance and Stability
  • Proposals should advance a more transparent, accountable, inclusive and democratic system of governance in the Kyrgyz Republic. This goal could be advanced through lines of effort such as:
    • Strengthen civil society and independent media organizations’ ability to collaborate on key issues through new connections and relationships.
    • Educating citizens on rights and protections and media literacy, contributing to increased community engagement, a culture of respect for rule of law, and reduced corruption.
    • Making collaboration between government bodies, civil society, and the private sector more effective, resulting in improved policy formation that is more responsive to citizen needs, more transparent implementation policies, and better‐quality service delivery in equitable, transparent, and accountable way.
  • Project Audience(s) may include:
    • Youth, and students of both public and private schools and universities, particularly in remote and rural areas.
    • Minorities, people with disabilities, and other disadvantaged groups.
    • Community leaders, decision makers, influencers, educators, innovators, particularly in remote and rural areas.
    • Civil society organizations, independent media organizations, and/or non‐profit organizations.
• English Language Programming
  • Proposals should improve English language instruction, spoken language production, and written and oral comprehension in the Kyrgyz Republic, especially for those in the regions outside of the capital and residents of the “novostroika” marginalized communities of Bishkek.
  • This goal could be advanced through lines of effort such as:
    • Increasing spoken English skills and improving classroom lesson delivery techniques of rural English teachers.
    • Creating linkages between advanced students from private English language schools and lower‐level students from under‐resourced public schools, through tutoring and mentorship opportunities
    • Developing improved English language learning methodologies and techniques to be used by public universities, secondary and primary school instructors.
    • Training Kyrgyz tourism operators in intermediate English in order to expand their potential client base.
  • Project Audience(s) may include:
    • Youth, and students of both public and private schools and universities, particularly in remote and rural areas.
    • Minorities, people with disabilities, and other disadvantaged groups.
    • English language educators particularly in remote and rural areas.
    • Tourism operators and employees which cater to international tourists.
    • Local government bodies and educational institutions.
• Climate Change Resilience and Environmental Protection
  • Proposals should engage government, industry, business and/or local communities in developing strategies for mitigation of the effects of climate change, adaptation measures, and in implementing locally driven projects which protect the environment and save resources.
  • This goal could be advanced through lines of effort such as:
    • Creating community‐based programs to conserve and facilitate the re‐use of water.
    • Promoting consumer adoption of housing insulation and energy savings methods which reduce the use of energy.
    • Piloting recycling programs among youth populations, in order to advance environmental awareness and reduce waste.
  • Project Audience(s) may include:
    • Youth, and students of both public and private schools and universities, particularly in remote and rural areas.
    • Business and homeowners.
    • Community leaders, decision makers, influencers, educators, innovators, particularly in remote and rural areas.
    • Civil society organizations, and/or non‐profit organizations.
    • Local government bodies and educational institutions.
• Combating Transnational Threats
  • Proposals should strengthen regional security and stability and combat transnational threats through engagement with diverse, targeted stakeholders on key issues like violent extremism, human trafficking, and emergency preparedness.
  • This goal could be advanced through lines of effort such as:
    • Improving communication and coordination between civil society, local communities, and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to combat transnational threats and regional issues, such as radicalization and violent extremism, human trafficking, natural disasters, public health emergencies, and climate change impact.
    • Developing skills that provide alternative opportunities to individuals who may be drawn to radicalization to increase their economic and societal integration within their communities.
    • Increasing resilience of at‐risk groups to the allure of extremist messages and recruitment attempts through messaging about the dangers of violent extremism.
    • Raising awareness and resilience among vulnerable populations on human trafficking.
    • Fostering dialogue among key stakeholders, including civil society, about preparedness for climate change related challenges.
  • Project Audience(s) may include:
    • At‐risk groups that include young people with limited educational and employment opportunities and other underserved and marginalized groups.
    • Local community members and influencers, including local government officials and law enforcement personnel engaged in countering trafficking in persons (CTIP).
    • Local and national government decision‐making officials and government employees.
    • Civil society organizations working in areas such as conflict prevention and resolution, peacebuilding, prevention of violent extremism, public health, and environmental issues especially in rural areas.

Funding Information

• Funding Mechanism Type:  Cooperative Agreement AND/OR Grant
• Estimated Award Ceiling:  $80,000
• Estimated Award Floor:  $5,000
• Length of Project Period:  6‐12 months
• Number of Awards Anticipated:  Up to 5 awards (Pending availability of funds)
• Anticipated Program Start Date:  November 2024
• This notice is subject to availability of funding.
  • This program will be funded under the appropriate Public Diplomacy authorization. All programming is subject to the statutory limitations of the funding determined.
  • The average approved award range is between $15,000 and $25,000.
• Funding Mechanism Type:  Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that Embassy staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation.  In case PDS determines a cooperative agreement is the most appropriate funding mechanism, the U.S. Embassy may be more actively involved in the project execution and anticipate having moderate to substantial involvement once the award has been made.
• Support for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA): All programs should consider strategies for expanding the pool of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries to afford opportunities for as diverse and inclusive population as is feasible to bring diverse perspectives based on religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, and age to implementation of the program.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • Kyrgyz Republic‐registered:
  • Not‐for‐profit organizations,
  • Civil society/non‐governmental organizations,
  • Think tanks,
  • Public and private not‐for‐profit educational institutions,
  • Individuals
  • U.S. non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), educational institutions, and individuals seeking funding to support cultural and/or educational programs in the Kyrgyz Republic and partnering with Kyrgyz Republic‐registered organizations. Applications with no clear description of a Kyrgyz‐Republic‐registered partner and its role in the proposed project will be rejected during the pre‐screening stage.
• Organizations may sub‐contract with other entities, but only one, non‐governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub‐contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.  For‐profit entities are not eligible for this funding opportunity.
• This program does not allow: 
  • Projects relating to partisan political activity.
  • Charitable or development activities.
  • Construction projects.
  • Projects that support specific religious activities.
  • Fund‐raising campaigns.
  • Lobbying for specific legislation or programs.
  • Scientific research or surveys.
  • Commercial projects.
  • Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization.
  • Projects that duplicate existing projects; or
  • Illegal activities.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.