Closed · DFOP0018219 · CFDA 19.415 · Discretionary

FY 2026 Future Leaders Exchange Global (FLEX Global)

Federal grant opportunity posted by Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs, cataloged on Grants.gov.

$400K-$22M
Award range
Closed
Status
June 29, 2026
Close date
11
Expected awards

The verdict

FY 2026 Future Leaders Exchange Global (FLEX Global) is a closed discretionary listing from Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs that offered $400,000 -- $22,000,000 across 11 expected awards. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number. PlainGrants indexes 554 other opportunities from Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

$400K-$22M
award range
Closed
application status
11
expected awards
19.415
CFDA program

Recently closed NOFO

This listing closed on June 29, 2026. CFDA 19.415 may re-announce under a new opportunity number. Historical award band was $400,000 -- $22,000,000.

According to Grants.gov (extract vintage 2026-08-10), this record reflects the officially published listing. See methodology.

Deadline tracker

Application window closed

Closed June 29, 2026

Posted Apr 29 Closes Jun 29

Expected Awards

11

Instrument

Cooperative Agreement

Description

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) invite proposals for cooperative agreements to implement the FY 2026 FLEX Global high school exchange program. Applicants may apply for one or both of the following program components: · Administrative Component: Manages overseas operations, recruitment and selection of inbound and outbound participants, travel, host family recruitment and placement for outbound participants (e.g., American students studying abroad), database and website management for all inbound and outbound participants, alumni activities for all inbound and outbound participants, program-wide events, and overall program coordination. · Placement Component: Manages host family and school placement of inbound foreign participants in the U.S., regional “American Excellence” enhancement type activities, and ongoing monitoring and support. FLEX Global builds on the 34-year legacy of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program and the 24-year legacy of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program, expanding participation beyond specific world regions. The program advances U.S. interests by cultivating a network of young leaders who understand and support U.S. culture and priorities, with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, civic engagement, and leadership. Key Activities: · Up to 1,200 foreign high school participants will study in the U.S. for an academic year. · Up to 150 American high school participants will study abroad for an academic year. As noted above, this element of the program will be managed entirely through the Administrative Component. Organizations applying solely for the Placement Component should not include any costs related to this activity. · All participants live with host families, attend high school, and engage in leadership and American Excellence enhancement activities. ECA expects to issue one award for the Administrative Component and six to ten awards for the Placement Component. Eligible organizations may apply for one or both components but must submit a separate proposal for each component. The POGI document outlines the activities, roles, and responsibilities of the FLEX Global Administrative Component and Placement Component recipients. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

Campus–civic applicant bridge · 4 doors

FY 2026 Future Leaders Exchange Global 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.

View on Grants.gov

Agency Contact

Amy Schulz

What to do next

FY 2026 Future Leaders Exchange Global 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 19.415 across all indexed listings before you commit to this opportunity alone. Eligibility finder
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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.

Data sourced from the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGrants