Grants / Department of State / Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs

DFOP0018339: FY 2026 Stewards of Cultural Heritage

Closed Closed July 10, 2026 Opportunity DFOP0018339 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs notices from 2026.

• Award ceiling$1.0 million
• Award floor$1.0 million
• Expected awards1
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeCooperative Agreement

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits and colleges and universities.

• 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)

Please see full announcement.

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Special International Exchange Grant Programs awards averaged $1.7 million; this notice allows up to $1.0 million per award.
• Most of the program's money (100% over five years) went to nonprofits.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

ECA announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to develop and implement a program that will convene cultural ministers from key countries at an iconic location in the United States for high level discussions on cultural heritage and cultural property protection as part of the State Department’s programming to mark America’s 250th birthday. The implementing partner will work closely with ECA to develop the program’s one-to-two-day exchange agenda, including showcasing innovation and new technologies of the U.S. private sector and other American institutions in the cultural heritage field; strengthening cooperation in combatting art and antiquities trafficking; and using cultural heritage to amplify global narratives on America’s foundational values. The convening will feature U.S. models, standards, and best practices; strengthen relationships with key countries in the cultural heritage field; and produce concrete follow-on steps to advance the program’s agenda. Two to three virtual sessions with working level representatives of the selected cultural ministers will precede the U.S. program, helping gain input into and solidify the agenda. Participants will include 25-40 cultural ministers or equivalents/designees from select countries; representatives from the U.S. government, U.S. companies and other institutions involved in cultural heritage preservation and protection; and U.S. law enforcement focused on combatting art and antiquities trafficking. The program will introduce the foreign participants to U.S. advancements in cultural property protection and preservation, strengthen commercial diplomacy, and accelerate coordination between ECA and U.S. law enforcement, thereby enhancing border security and reducing financing from trafficked art and antiquities. Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional Information.

Category: Other.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

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