Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0006333
The Tomorrow's Leaders Undergraduate (TLU) Program is a U.S. Department of State education grant opportunity focused on strengthening undergraduate leadership education and work-readiness for young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The program is built around a core challenge the opportunity highlights: even with significant spending on education across the region, many graduates are not leaving school with the practical and professional skills employers expect. This mismatch contributes to persistently high youth unemployment in MENA. In response, TLU is designed as a degree-granting, university-level initiative that pairs academic study with leadership development and structured internship experiences, aiming to help students build competencies that translate more directly into the labor market.
This opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant under a Cooperative Agreement, meaning the awarding agency anticipates an active partnership role with the recipient during implementation rather than a hands-off funding relationship. The funding activity category is Education, and the opportunity is administered by the Department of State, specifically through Assistance Coordination. The funded programming is intended to take place at select U.S.-accredited institutions located in MENA, combining the quality assurance associated with U.S. accreditation with local or regional access for students.
In terms of award scale, the published ceiling for an individual award is $5,500,000, and the Department of State anticipated making approximately three awards under this competition. The opportunity was posted on December 20, 2019, with an original application deadline of February 18, 2020. The funding opportunity number is SFOP0006333, and the associated CFDA number listed is 19.500.
Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement's eligibility section, which typically signals that the competition may be open to a range of organizations (often including institutions of higher education, nonprofits, or other qualified entities) depending on the detailed criteria in the complete notice. Overall, TLU is positioned as a workforce-relevant higher education investment that combines undergraduate degree pathways, leadership training, and internships to improve graduates' employability and leadership capacity across MENA.Apply for SFOP0006333
- The Department of State, Assistance Coordination in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate (TLU) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.500.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 20, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 18, 2020. (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 $5,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Tomorrow's Leaders Undergraduate (TLU) Program
1) What is the Tomorrow's Leaders Undergraduate (TLU) Program?
The Tomorrow's Leaders Undergraduate (TLU) Program is a U.S. Department of State education grant opportunity focused on strengthening undergraduate leadership education and work-readiness for young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It is designed as a university-level, degree-granting initiative that combines academic study with leadership development and structured internship experiences.
2) What problem is this grant opportunity trying to address?
The opportunity highlights a core challenge in MENA: despite significant spending on education across the region, many graduates do not leave school with the practical and professional skills employers expect. This mismatch contributes to persistently high youth unemployment. TLU is intended to help close that gap by linking undergraduate education to leadership training and workforce-relevant internship experiences.
3) What are the main components of the TLU program model?
Based on the description provided, TLU is structured around three connected components: (1) undergraduate academic study leading to a degree, (2) leadership development, and (3) structured internships intended to build competencies that translate more directly into the labor market.
4) Is this a degree program or a short-term training program?
The opportunity is described as a degree-granting, university-level initiative. That framing indicates it is centered on undergraduate degree pathways rather than a stand-alone short course or workshop model.
5) What region is the program intended to serve?
The program focuses on young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and is positioned as a higher education investment to improve employability and leadership capacity across the region.
6) Where is the funded programming expected to take place?
The funded programming is intended to take place at select U.S.-accredited institutions located in MENA. The opportunity emphasizes combining U.S. accreditation quality assurance with local or regional access for students.
7) Who is the funding agency for this opportunity?
The funding agency is the U.S. Department of State. The opportunity is administered through Assistance Coordination.
8) What is the funding activity category for this grant?
The funding activity category listed for this opportunity is Education.
9) What type of award is being offered?
This is a discretionary grant offered under a Cooperative Agreement. That means the awarding agency anticipates an active partnership role with the recipient during implementation, rather than a fully hands-off funding relationship.
10) What does it mean that the award is a Cooperative Agreement?
The description indicates the Department of State expects to be actively involved as a partner during implementation. In practical terms, that typically means there may be ongoing coordination, collaboration, or shared decision-making between the agency and the recipient, consistent with how cooperative agreements are generally described in the opportunity summary.
11) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The published ceiling for an individual award is $5,500,000.
12) How many awards were anticipated under this competition?
The Department of State anticipated making approximately three awards under this competition.
13) When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on December 20, 2019.
14) What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was February 18, 2020.
15) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The funding opportunity number is SFOP0006333.
16) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA number listed is 19.500.
17) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement's eligibility section. This typically signals that the competition may be open to a range of organization types depending on the detailed criteria in the complete notice.
18) Does the opportunity specify which kinds of organizations might qualify under "Others"?
The summary notes that "Others" often includes a range of qualified entities (for example, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, or other qualified entities), but it also states that the detailed criteria are in the full announcement's eligibility section. The summary itself does not provide the full eligibility list.
19) What is the intended outcome of the TLU program?
The opportunity positions TLU as workforce-relevant higher education designed to improve graduates' employability and leadership capacity. By pairing degree study with leadership development and internships, the program aims to help students build competencies that connect more directly to labor market expectations.
20) Why does the opportunity emphasize U.S. accreditation for institutions in MENA?
The description indicates that hosting programming at U.S.-accredited institutions in MENA is intended to combine the quality assurance associated with U.S. accreditation with local or regional access for students.
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