FY 2020 International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI)

Grants to USA nonprofit organizations for overseas exchange sports programs involving USA and international youth from eligible countries. Applicants are advised that the necessary registrations may take up to four weeks to complete. Funding is intended for programs that emphasize sports activities for underserved youth, including people with disabilities. In light of the Beijing 2022
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games taking place during the implementation phase,
organizations are encouraged to propose exchange programs with an emphasis on Paralympic and adaptive sports.

Applicant organizations are invited to submit one application to administer one Cooperative Agreement which consists of at least four two-way exchange programs (four groups of foreign participants traveling to the United States, and four groups of American participants traveling overseas), each lasting a minimum of two-weeks (inclusive of travel), under the Sport for Social Change theme. Each of the approximately four cooperative agreements will support approximately 45 foreign youth, sports administrators, emerging leaders in the sports sector, and/or coaches from one of the regions listed (East Asia and the Pacific; Europe and Eurasia; Near East and North Africa; South and Central Asia; Sub-Saharan Africa; or Western Hemisphere) and support approximately 45 American youth, sports administrators, emerging leaders in the sports sector, and/or coaches from all across the United States. Overall, the foreign participants can come from a designated country or multiple countries from the same regional group. Final country selections will be determined after the award has been issued in consultation with the ECA Program Officer and the Department’s Regional Bureaus. 

The award recipient organization may conduct up to two of the four two-way exchange programs. The award recipient organization must also oversee and monitor at least two additional subaward recipient organizations to conduct the remaining two-way exchange programs. Each of the two-way exchange programs are required to last approximately two-weeks in duration, inclusive of travel, but can last longer, if possible. Through the cooperative agreement, the award recipient organization will be responsible for the management and oversight of the four two-way exchange programs and for the oversight of the subaward recipient organizations that implement the programs. 

Audience: The intended audiences are non-elite youth (approximately 15 years old and above) and coaches and/or administrators (approximately 23 years old and above). Participants will include women, minorities, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers. The program will work with coaches/sports administrators, emerging leaders in the sports sector, and non-governmental organizations in communities in the countries/regions specified to reach these intended audiences. 

Detailed information about the eligible theme for the exchange program can be found starting at https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/fy20_ispi_nofo.pdf#page=3.

Eligible Regions/Counties can be found starting at https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/fy20_ispi_nofo.pdf#page=4.

Allowable expenses can be found starting at https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/fy20_ispi_nofo.pdf#page=17.