Well Told Grants

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

PDS-FRANCE-FY2025-02: Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary (APS 2025)

Closed Closed January 5, 2026 Opportunity PDS-FRANCE-FY2025-02

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 France notices from 2025.

U.S. Mission to France offered grants of up to $24,999 (at least $5,000) to nonprofits and colleges and universities. It expected to make $100,000 in total. Applications closed on January 5, 2026.

From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed August 28, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.

Key dates

PostedJune 27, 2025
DeadlineJanuary 5, 2026
Archived by Grants.govFebruary 4, 2026

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to nonprofits and colleges and universities.

For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities.

Is this a realistic fit?

What the grant funds

Commemoration of America's 250th Anniversary On July 4, 2026, the United States of America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Throughout 2026, the U.S. Mission to France will commemorate this milestone, highlighting the historical and future connections between France and the United States. The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Mission to France is pleased to announce this funding opportunity as part of this celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary. This is an Annual Program Statement (APS 250) that invites proposals for our year-long campaign to tell the story of America in France. It aims to support organizations in creating and developing public programs that celebrate the people, events, ideas, and legacies related to the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and the 250 years of diplomacy and shared prosperity with France that followed. Proposed programs must: Include French audiences. Strengthen bilateral ties between the United States and France. Promote increased understanding of the United States among the French public. Demonstrate a clear connection to the 250th anniversary. Programs should focus on themes of innovation, American history, and/or the Franco-American partnership. All programs must include a clear U.S. element or connection, which could involve cooperation with experts, private or public organizations, or institutions from the United States. Programs with a countrywide reach will be considered favorably. We seek innovative public diplomacy initiatives that showcase the full extent of American excellence and U.S.-French cooperation, past, present, and future. This will be achieved through various public diplomacy outreach and experiential learning, highlighting achievements, legacies, and contributions, and translating these historical moments into lessons for the future. Priority themes for the U.S. Mission to France include: Innovation - American Ingenuity Across Borders. American History - Reflecting on Our Past, Shaping Our Future. Partnership 250 Years of Diplomacy and Shared Prosperity. All application materials must be submitted in English and U.S. dollars to GrantsFrance@state.gov by: Round #1 - September 2, 2025, at 18:00 CET. Round #2 - January 5, 2026, at18:00 CET. Applications forms are available at the website of the U.S.

Category: Other.

Who has won Public Diplomacy Programs grants before

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Public Diplomacy Programs (19.040) awarded $358 million across 13,489 grant awards, an average of $26,570 per award.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees2,478$50.3 million
Meridian International CenterDistrict of Columbia27$6.5 million
American Councils for International Education: Actr/Accels, Inc.District of Columbia72$4.7 million
Cultural Vistas, Inc.District of Columbia22$4.7 million
World Learning Inc.Vermont25$4.4 million

Top states: District of Columbia ($44.3 million), New York ($12.8 million), California ($12.3 million), Virginia ($5.3 million), Texas ($4.8 million).

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.

Questions people ask

Is PDS-FRANCE-FY2025-02 still open?

No. It closed on January 5, 2026. A newer notice is open: OFOP0002825, closes January 1, 2099 (26353 days left).

Who can apply for Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary (APS 2025)?

U.S. Mission to France accepted applications from nonprofits and colleges and universities. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

What is the deadline for Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary (APS 2025)?

Closed January 5, 2026. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $24,999 each. About $100,000 in total.

Who has won Public Diplomacy Programs grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees, Meridian International Center, American Councils for International Education: Actr/Accels, Inc. The program made 13,489 awards worth $358 million in that time.

Similar open grants