Grants / Department of State / U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan

DOS-KAZ-AST-PDS-26-001: Freedom 250: Kazakhstan Youth Leadership Camp

Closed Closed April 17, 2026 Opportunity DOS-KAZ-AST-PDS-26-001 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Austrian-American Partnership Fund (AAPF) (OFOP0002825). Status: Closes January 1, 2099 (26353 days left). It is in our archive of U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan notices from 2026.

• Award ceiling$80,000
• Award floor$40,000
• Total funding$80,000
• Expected awards1
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeCooperative Agreement

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.

• Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

The following organizations are eligible to apply: ● Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations ● Public and private educational institutions● Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions

Is this a realistic fit?

• Past Public Diplomacy Programs awards averaged $26,570; this notice allows up to $80,000 per award.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

The U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan announces an open competition to implement a youth leadership camp in summer 2026, exclusively targeting FLEX program alternates, highly qualified exchange program applicants not selected as finalists due to limited spaces. The camp will provide up to 50 FLEX alternates with an intensive entrepreneurship and job skills-building experience, focusing on U.S. best practices, American excellence, and leadership development. Themes will include U.S. entrepreneurship case studies, business project design, public speaking in English, and financial literacy. U.S. speakers will be invited as trainers, and FLEX alumni will serve as mentors. In recognition of Freedom250 - the 2026 commemoration of the United States' founding - this program will deepen participants' understanding of American values of innovation, entrepreneurship, and opportunity, equipping them with career skills to champion U.S.-Kazakhstan economic cooperation and partnerships with American businesses as they emerge as future leaders. The most active participants will have the opportunity to implement local entrepreneurship projects after the camp. Proposals that leverage U.S. Department of State resources such as RELO, American Spaces, Makerspaces, and EducationUSA will be given preference. The camp will extend the impact of FLEX to wider audiences in Kazakhstan and develop a new cadre of future leaders to support long-term U.S.-Kazakhstan cooperation. This project will increase youth engagement with USG alumni and American peers, improve job skills and understanding of U.S. entrepreneurship models among Kazakh youth, and foster a network of youth leaders with a strong interest in the United States. Project Audience(s): The primary audience for this project includes young people between the ages of 15 and 17 years old, who were semi-finalists and alternates of FLEX youth exchange program in the 2026-2027 academic year. Youth should include: ● High school students; ● First- and second-year college students; ● Alternates of FLEX program from various regions of Kazakhstan, including from outside of Astana and Almaty. Applicants should propose a location for the camp. This is essential in fostering a network of young leaders who can drive positive change across the whole country. Project Goal: Support youth leadership and entrepreneurship development, as well as understanding of U.S.

Category: Other.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, OFOP0002825, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.