Federal grant programs / Department of State

ECA U.S. Speaker Program (19.440)

Also known as ECA - U.S. Speaker Program

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$12.9 million
• Grant awards52
• Typical award$3,950
• Awarded in FY 2025$2.3 million
• Size rank1,432 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceProject grants (including individual awards)

Key findings

• Annual funding fell from $3.5 million in fiscal 2021 to $2.3 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1432nd largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 6 largest recipients received 98% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 6 states and territories.

What the program funds

As authorized by the Fulbright-Hays Act, the U.S. Speaker Program of the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs awards a cooperative agreement to an organization with experience in international exchanges for the administration of projects. The U.S. Speaker Program mobilizes American citizen experts from all 50 states to engage foreign professional audiences to directly advance Administration priorities. These programs are not academic exercises; they are forward platforms for America First diplomacy, designed to showcase U.S. excellence, expand U.S. market share, and deliver tangible returns for the American people. The participating U.S. experts represent a broad range of knowledge and responsible and informed opinion. Experts participate in traveling and/or virtual programs in support of U.S. foreign policy objectives. The grantee organization is to be responsible for handling all administrative aspects of the program, including arrangements for participant travel, visas, funding disbursement, mailing of materials, and speaker evaluation reporting.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Public nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Private nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals)

What the money can and cannot pay for

Cooperative Agreements are only available to non-profit U.S. organizations with significant experience with implementing international exchange programs. Cooperative Agreements are only available to non-profit U.S. organizations with significant experience with implementing international exchange programs.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

See Grants.gov and ECA’s website and the U.S. Department of State’s MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) for deadline dates.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

$3,809,000.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Nonprofits received 98% of the money, individuals 1.7% and colleges and universities less than 0.1%.

By state

1 state has a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. It is Vermont.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.