Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS SA SYLEP2021
The Saudi Young Leaders Exchange Program (SYLEP) is a U.S. Department of State-funded exchange initiative announced by the Office of Public Affairs (PAS) at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh. Released as a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on June 2, 2020, with an application deadline of July 2, 2020, the program is designed as a cooperative agreement (CFDA 19.021) supporting a U.S.-based educational and cultural exchange for young Saudi participants. The funded organization would run an outreach and exchange program anchored by a three-week visit to the United States planned for Summer 2021, with structured activities before and after travel to ensure the experience translates into longer-term community impact.
The core purpose of SYLEP is to engage English-speaking undergraduate students and recent graduates from Saudi Arabia in programming that emphasizes civic-minded leadership and constructive community involvement. The exchange is expected to focus on themes such as community engagement that contributes to peace and prosperity, leadership development, respect for diversity, tolerance of religious beliefs, and mutual cultural understanding between Saudis and Americans. In practice, this means proposals should outline how participants will build practical skills, deepen cross-cultural awareness, and return home prepared to apply what they learned through service-oriented or community-based initiatives.
The timeline described in the opportunity makes SYLEP more than a standalone trip. Planning and outreach are expected to begin around September 2020, well ahead of the Summer 2021 exchange period. After the U.S. portion concludes, the program is meant to continue through follow-on activities in participants' home communities in Saudi Arabia. A key feature is alumni engagement, including alumni-driven community projects tied directly to the program themes, so participants remain connected, active, and able to demonstrate outcomes beyond the exchange itself.
Program scale and logistics are clearly defined. Proposals should be able to accommodate up to 50 participants, with travel to the United States potentially organized in as many as two cohorts during Summer 2021. Grant funds are intended to cover both planning and implementation of the U.S.-based programming, including a homestay component with American families and the costs associated with international travel for participants. This implies the implementing organization must be capable of arranging partner sites, schedules, and participant support services in the United States, while coordinating closely with U.S. government counterparts.
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, along with the U.S. Consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran, retains an active role in the participant side of the program. Those posts will recruit, screen, and select the Saudi participants and will also support alumni efforts, working in coordination with the award recipient. Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, applicants should expect substantial engagement from the U.S. government during planning, execution, and follow-on phases, with shared responsibilities and ongoing coordination.
Eligibility is limited to public and private non-profit organizations that hold IRS 501(c)(3) status, specifically excluding institutions of higher education under the eligibility line provided. The funding category is listed under community development, reflecting the expectation that the exchange generates tangible civic and social benefits and not only academic or cultural exposure.
In terms of funding levels, the Embassy indicated an intent, pending availability of funds, to award one cooperative agreement with funding up to $500,000 per year. The award could be extended for up to two additional years if funding remains available, program goals are being met successfully, and both the Embassy and the awardee agree to continue. The opportunity anticipates a single award, which suggests a competitive process where applicants must demonstrate strong program design, operational capacity, and a credible plan for measurable outcomes and alumni sustainability.
The legal authority for SYLEP comes from the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (Public Law 87-256), commonly known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. This framework emphasizes increasing mutual understanding between Americans and people in other countries, strengthening international ties through educational and cultural exchange, and fostering friendly, peaceful relations. SYLEP is positioned as a practical expression of that mandate by pairing a U.S. exchange experience with leadership training and community-based follow-through intended to produce lasting relationships and constructive engagement in Saudi participants' communities.Apply for PAS SA SYLEP2021
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Saudi Young Leaders Exchange Program (SYLEP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.021.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 02, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 02, 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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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