FY 2024 English Access Scholarship Program | SFOP0010323

Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0010323

The FY 2024 English Access Scholarship Program grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0010323) is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) cooperative agreement focused on expanding English language learning and strengthening English teaching capacity worldwide through a major public diplomacy initiative. Known widely as the English Access Scholarship Program (formerly the English Access Microscholarship Program), Access has operated since 2004 and has grown into a flagship, high-visibility program that connects educational opportunity with broader U.S. foreign policy and people-to-people engagement goals. The program is built around a large global footprint and established results, citing more than 200,000 student alumni and over 10,000 teacher alumni across more than 85 countries, which signals that applicants should be prepared to manage programming at scale and in alignment with long-running program standards.

At its core, Access targets bright, underserved youth, primarily ages 13 to 20, using a teaching approach that emphasizes critical thinking, student-centered learning, and communicative language instruction rather than rote memorization. The program design is organized around four pillars that must be integrated throughout the curriculum and related activities: global citizenship themes, 21st-century skills, U.S. culture and values, and communicative English language instruction. In practice, that means proposals are expected to go beyond traditional language classes and incorporate broader skill-building and thematic content that supports leadership development, civic engagement concepts, and cross-cultural understanding alongside measurable English gains.

The implementing office is the Office of English Language Programs (ECA/A/L) within ECA, and the opportunity anticipates programming for roughly 15,000 participants, including not only students but also teachers and alumni. Programming formats are flexible and can be delivered in-person, virtually, or through hybrid models. Activities may occur in-country, regionally, and potentially in the United States, reflecting an expectation that the awardee can coordinate across multiple contexts and potentially manage travel or exchange-linked components depending on final program design and approvals. A notable feature is the continued emphasis on teacher professional development, which has been a formal part of Access for more than a decade. Many Access sites are positioned as model classrooms within their countries, so proposals should align with modern language pedagogy and demonstrate credible capacity to support teacher training, mentoring, and classroom impact that can extend beyond the direct student cohort.

This opportunity is categorized as discretionary and will be awarded as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the U.S. government expects substantial involvement in program direction, oversight, or collaboration during implementation compared to a standard grant. The total award ceiling is listed as $26,000,000, with one expected award, indicating a single large-scale implementer rather than multiple smaller awards. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), along with other eligible entities as specified in the full notice. The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 19.421, and the issuing agency is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The closing date shown is May 28, 2024, and applicants should pay close attention to the submission rule limiting consideration to one proposal per applicant organization. If multiple submissions from the same applicant appear in Grants.gov, ECA will only review the submission that is closest in time to the NOFO deadline, and that submission becomes the only version considered. This creates a practical risk for organizations that upload multiple iterations, so internal controls around versioning, approvals, and final submission timing matter. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at selecting a single capable organization that can deliver a large, high-profile global English and public diplomacy program grounded in the four pillars, centered on underserved youth, and supported by sustained teacher development and alumni engagement across diverse delivery formats.

• The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2024 English Access Scholarship Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.421.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $26,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for SFOP0010323

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