Deadline: 13 September 2019

U.S. Embassy Port Moresby announces an open competition for organizationsinterested in submitting proposals to organize a comprehensive program designed to provide emerging Pacific leaders with the skills and knowledge they need to become leaders in the region’s economic and civic development.

The conference should emphasize experiential learning and capacity building in order to equip participants with the tools they need for success. We encourage pre- and post-conference programming that will reinforce the learnings from the conference. The location of the conference should be either in the United States or the Pacific region and should be selected based on needs of the program, including ease of travel, as well as an opportunity to showcase connections between the United States and the Pacific Island nations.

Goals

Goals of the conference should include:

• Developing the knowledge and skills of youth in the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand, to become economic and civil society leaders who cooperate across the region to address difficult issues.
• Ensuring that emerging Pacific Islands leaders see the United States as a partner in solving regional and global challenges.
• Building a network of emerging Pacific leaders that can share best practices and collaborate on shared challenges.

Program Activities

Not-for-profit organizations or universities are invited to submit a proposal that describes how each of the following activities will be administered:

• Design and implement a 3-4 day program for young leaders between February 2020 and April 2020. Demonstrating planned coordination with partner organizations knowledgeable in the region is highly encouraged.
• The program should accommodate delegates from the following countries: Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Islands of French Polynesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and the American-affiliated Pacific including American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii.
• Delegates may include alumni of the previous YPL conferences. U.S. Embassy Port Moresby is able to provide contact information for alumni delegates. Proposals should include a plan for promoting the conference application across the eligible countries and territories, and identifying and selecting delegates, in partnership with the U.S. embassies in the Pacific region.
• Delegates should be drawn from Pacific Islands youth, including diaspora populations living in Australia and New Zealand, and Maori, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as youth working on Pacific issues in Australia and New Zealand. They should be between the ages of 25-35 who have a track record of making an impact in their community, institution, or company and who have at least two years of professional experience. Proficiency in English and citizenship in one of the participating countries is also required.
• The program should include substantive interaction with U.S. Government representatives as well as non-government organizations, businesses and think tanks that focus on the Pacific, particularly in the areas comprising the predetermined thematic areas.
• The program should also include experiential learning activities, enabling delegates to immerse themselves in relevant areas of the host-country’s community, as pertains to the thematic areas.
• Proposals are encouraged to include opening and closing events, to include key speakers and a broader cross section of the host-country community.
• Participants and leaders should have formal and informal opportunities to network with each other to develop collaborative relationships that will persist after the conference’s conclusion.
• Proposals should explain how participants will be assisted in continuing and building upon the connections and learnings made during the program, and should describe how alumni of the program will be encouraged to continue to build upon their relationships and implement ideas developed at the event.
• Proposals should include management of travel and lodging logistics for all participants, speakers, and staff, as well as venue(s). Proposals must show how grant funds will be used to cover the cost of the venue, transportation, visas, travel insurance, lodging, and meals or per diem for eligible participants, speakers, and staff. All travel funded under the grant agreement should be economy class and must comply with Fly America requirements.
• Proposals should include a plan for publicizing both the application opportunity as well as the conference, to include both traditional and social media, as appropriate, in partnership with the U.S. embassies located in the Pacific region.
• Proposals should include a plan for evaluating the program’s goals, including pre- and post-event surveys of participants.
• Proposals should include a description of the applicant’s experience with U.S.-Pacific relations, youth leadership development, and event organization as well as experience in and/or ties with organizations in the Asia-Pacific or other international expertise.

Funding Information

• Award Ceiling: $250,000
• Award Floor: $10,000

Eligibility Criteria

• U.S. Embassy Port Moresby welcomes applications from non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and private, public, or state institutions of higher education.
• For-profit entities are not eligible to apply.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online via given website.

For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=319528