Closed · DFOP0017930 · CFDA 19.408 · Discretionary
FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program
Federal grant opportunity posted by Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs, cataloged on Grants.gov.
- $2.5M-$2.5M
- Award range
- Closed
- Status
- May 18, 2026
- Close date
- 1
- Expected awards
The verdict
FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program is a closed discretionary listing from Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs that offered $2,500,000 -- $2,500,000 across 1 expected award. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number. PlainGrants indexes 554 other opportunities from Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
- $2.5M-$2.5M
- award range
- Closed
- application status
- 1
- expected award
- 19.408
- CFDA program
Recently closed NOFO
This listing closed on May 18, 2026. CFDA 19.408 may re-announce under a new opportunity number. Historical award band was $2,500,000 -- $2,500,000.
According to Grants.gov (extract vintage 2026-08-10), this record reflects the officially published listing. See methodology.
Deadline tracker
Application window closed
Closed May 18, 2026
Expected Awards
1
Instrument
Cooperative Agreement
Description
The United States Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program celebrates America's 250th anniversary by showcasing U.S. leadership from the Industrial Revolution to the Digital Revolution, focusing on revitalizing manufacturing, advancing AI, and strengthening supply chains. This Freedom 250 initiative will spark collaboration between U.S. community colleges, international vocational leaders, and U.S. industry partners to address emerging labor market demands that advance U.S. interests and drive economic development. The program will launch with a summit in Washington, D.C. to highlight America’s industrial heritage, current leadership in manufacturing and AI, and the role of U.S. community colleges in preparing the workforce of tomorrow. The program will also include a U.S. exchange for approximately 100 higher education officials, commerce leaders, and policymakers from countries strategically important to U.S. industry. The group should be divided into four cohorts comprised of approximately 25 representatives from approximately 3-4 countries, determined based on U.S. foreign policy priorities in consultation with ECA, U.S. embassies, and regional bureau input. These two-week regional programs will take place in approximately four U.S. cities with strong higher education-industry partnerships. Through site visits, hands-on learning, and industry engagement, international participants will gain knowledge of U.S. best practices in manufacturing and technology training, enabling them to adopt similar approaches and establish partnerships that advantage U.S. companies. The summit should occur between December 2026 and March 2027 and be followed immediately by the in-person regional exchanges. The successful applicant will provide responsive and flexible programming with activities tailored to U.S. priorities for vocational-technical education and commercial diplomacy that will lead to measurable positive policy change. Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.
Campus–civic applicant bridge · 4 doors
FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education bridges educational institutions with civic applicant types (4 doors: Public / state-controlled institutions of higher education; Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than IHEs); Private institutions of higher education; Others (see official listing text)). Expect campus and public/nonprofit operators in the same printed set. The extract does not mark applicant cost-sharing as required. Instrument: Cooperative Agreement. Funding-activity code maps to Other (O). This eligibility-code string dominates the Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs book (508 peers, 92% of 555).
- Code 06
- Public / state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Code 12
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than IHEs)
- Code 20
- Private institutions of higher education
- Code 25
- Others (see official listing text)
Codes are Grants.gov eligibility category values from the extract vintage 2026-08-10. Confirm the full eligibility statement on the official listing or the Grants.gov eligibility reference.
Official Listing on Grants.gov
View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.
Agency Contact
Matt Sacco
More from Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs
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FY 2026 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals and Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Staff Exchange
Annual Program Statement for U.S. Presentation at International Architecture Biennales
What to do next
FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education is closed; use the parent program and agency catalog for the next funding cycle.
- Browse open federal opportunities in the same category when this listing is closed. Open opportunities
- Look up CFDA 19.408 across all indexed listings before you commit to this opportunity alone. Eligibility finder
- Compare award ranges across federal categories before you pick a single CFDA. All categories
Opportunity deadlines and eligibility change on Grants.gov; PlainGrants mirrors the extract and is not the submission system.
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
| Publisher | PlainGrants |
| Sources | the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov |