Access Alumni Outreach and Engagement and English Access Scholarship Program
This open federal grant from Saltanat Gninenko Grants Coordinator supports education-focused work and is available to nonprofits and other eligible applicants, with applications due Aug 21, 2026. It provides awards up to $30K–$50K.
See full details on Grants.govOpportunity description
Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement. PDS will be involved in the selection of participants, review of proposed publications, or more.
Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 20 months or less.
This notice is subject to availability of funding. The Public Diplomacy Section reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described under circumstances deemed to be in the best interest of the U.S. government, pending the availability of funds and approval of the designated grants officer.
Executive Summary
The U.S. Department of State’s Consulate General in Almaty, Kazakhstan announces an open competition to implement a program for the design and execution of two projects: Access Alumni Outreach and Engagement and English Access Scholarship Program (Access) for the 2026-2028 cycle. This program will reach two audiences in South Kazakhstan: up to 300 Access Program alumni (ages 16–30, cohorts 2016–2026) across Shymkent, Kyzylorda, Taraz, Turkistan, and Almaty, and 32 new Access students (ages 13–15, 2026–2028 cohort) from the Shymkent or Taraz areas.
For alumni, the 12-months program re-engages graduates through sustained activities that strengthen English, expand knowledge of U.S. history, culture, and Freedom 250 themes, and build professional networks across five cities.
For new students, a 20-month intensive English curriculum targets measurable proficiency gains, increased awareness of U.S. culture and values, and direct pathways to U.S. government-sponsored exchange and scholarship opportunities.
Both tracks advance U.S. foreign policy by cultivating English-proficient, U.S.-engaged youth leaders in a strategically important region of Central Asia, while sustaining long-term people-to-people ties through a growing network of Access alumni serving as community connectors and future exchange candidates.
Who can apply
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
The following organizations are eligible to apply: 1. Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations in Kazakhstan 2. U.S. Government-sponsored program alumni associations in KazakhstanAll organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration in SAM.gov. Please see Section E.3 for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov. Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding under this funding opportunity.
Funding
Agency contact
Saltanat Gninenko Grants Coordinator
Yerassyl Toleugazinov Resource Coordinator Phone 7273554802
sgp-kazakhstan@state.govWhere to apply
Applications go through Grants.gov directly. We recommend reading the full announcement and double-checking eligibility and dates on the official listing first.
Official Grants.gov listingThis page reflects public-domain data from Grants.gov and is informational only. VolunteerBadge does not award or manage federal funding and has no affiliation with Grants.gov or the awarding agency. Verify before you apply.