FY 2025 Arts and Music Envoy | DFOP0017280

Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0017280

The FY 2025 Arts and Music Envoy opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0017280) is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) program run through the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Cultural Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/CU). It is an open, discretionary competition that will fund one organization through a cooperative agreement to design and deliver overseas cultural exchange programs featuring American artists and arts experts. The central purpose is public diplomacy: using high-caliber U.S. artistic and cultural engagement abroad to support U.S. foreign policy objectives, advance American interests, and strengthen relationships through direct, person-to-person exchange.

At its core, the program sends professional U.S. artists and cultural experts overseas as "envoys" for short-term engagements that typically run from about five days up to three weeks. These engagements are developed in partnership with U.S. embassies and consulates (U.S. Missions) and can include performances, collaborative events, workshops, masterclasses, and other high-visibility activities that put American creative excellence on display while encouraging mutual understanding with host-country audiences. While in-person travel is central to the model, the program also allows virtual and hybrid formats, which can expand reach, add flexibility, and support programming when travel or scheduling constraints arise.

A major program emphasis is the U.S. Semiquincentennial, commonly branded as "America250," which will serve as the overarching theme for programming in 2026. Under this theme, the exchanges are meant to highlight the depth and variety of U.S. creative traditions and the role of the arts and music in the country’s history and civic identity. The announcement frames the arts as a patriotic expression of American cultural achievement and positions cultural programming as a way to reinforce U.S. global influence, strengthen strategic partnerships, promote freedom of expression, and contribute to regional stability through cultural dialogue.

Beyond live exchanges, the award also supports the development of multimedia resource toolkits. These toolkits are intended primarily for U.S. diplomats and public diplomacy teams to use with general audiences, English learners, and emerging musicians and artists. Applicants are expected to propose potential topic areas and toolkit components that effectively showcase American artistic excellence. Although America250 is a key driver, the toolkits are described as supporting America250 "but not exclusively," meaning they should have broader utility for ongoing embassy engagement and outreach.

In terms of scale, ECA anticipates facilitating approximately 30 exchange programs and deploying around 180 U.S. artists and cultural experts overseas during the award period. The selected recipient must be prepared to handle high-level or time-sensitive requests tied to America250, including requests that may come directly from U.S. Ambassadors. The announcement also signals that applicants are encouraged to exceed the projected program numbers if they can do so through efficiencies, suggesting that strong operational capacity and cost-effective program design are viewed positively.

The single expected award recipient will carry the full organizational and administrative burden of running the program. That includes building and maintaining a competitive selection process to assemble a strong roster of envoys across genres and creative industries, ensuring artistic merit and representing U.S. innovation and excellence. It also implies responsibility for end-to-end program logistics and support, such as coordinating with U.S. Missions, planning and delivering program content, arranging travel and schedules, supporting participants, and executing events abroad in line with ECA goals and public diplomacy priorities, especially in countries central to the Department of State’s mission.

Key application and eligibility details include the following: the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement (indicating substantial federal involvement and close coordination during implementation), the CFDA number listed is 19.415, and the opportunity is open to eligible applicants including U.S. public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and U.S. nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions), among others as indicated by "Others." The total available funding is up to an award ceiling of $3,010,000, with one award expected. The opportunity was created on 2025-06-17, and the original closing date is 2025-08-15.

• The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2025 Arts and Music Envoy" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.415.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-06-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-15. (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 $3,010,000.00 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 DFOP0017280

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