Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary in Sabah

The U.S. Department of State, through the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur Public Diplomacy Section, is offering funding under the opportunity titled Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary in Sabah. This initiative is part of the broader Freedom250 commemoration and is funded through FY26 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds. The program is designed to highlight American excellence while strengthening bilateral ties between the United States and Malaysia, specifically focusing on the Malaysian state of Sabah. The opportunity reflects the Department of State’s mission to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives through cultural, educational, and people-to-people engagement initiatives. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support innovative programs that showcase U.S. leadership across sectors such as innovation, entrepreneurship, education, arts, and culture. Programs are expected to engage key Malaysian audiences, including youth, educators, entrepreneurs, women, and civil society leaders. Applicants are encouraged to design initiatives that foster dialogue, build sustainable partnerships, and create long-term impact beyond the grant period. According to the NOFO document, priority is given to projects that demonstrate measurable outcomes, strengthen U.S.-Malaysia relations, and align with regional U.S. strategic interests. Funding is available for a wide range of activities, including cultural exchanges, STEM and English language education programs, entrepreneurship initiatives, arts and music performances, sports diplomacy, and commemorative events. Applicants must budget for all program-related costs such as personnel, travel, participant support, communications, and monitoring and evaluation. However, funds cannot be used for prohibited expenses such as alcohol, political activities, construction, or major equipment purchases. While cost sharing is not required, proposals that include financial or in-kind contributions may receive additional consideration during the evaluation process. Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, cultural organizations, professional associations, community-based organizations, Malaysian government entities, and public international organizations. For-profit entities are explicitly excluded. Applicants must demonstrate experience implementing programs in Sabah or the ability to establish partnerships with local organizations. Additionally, all applicants must maintain an active SAM.gov registration and possess a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), unless exempted. Programs must primarily take place in Sabah and comply with all applicable Malaysian laws and regulations. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov or via email to the Public Diplomacy Section. Required components include standard federal forms (SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B if applicable), a detailed proposal (up to 15 pages), a summary page, budget justification narrative, and supporting documents such as resumes and letters of support. The proposal must clearly outline objectives, activities, timelines, evaluation plans, and sustainability strategies. Applications must be submitted in English and adhere to formatting requirements specified in the NOFO. Applications are due by May 11, 2026, at 5:00 PM Malaysia Time. The review process is expected to take approximately 6 to 8 weeks, after which selected applicants will be notified. Awards will range from $50,000 to $150,000, with an anticipated total funding pool of $150,000 and approximately 1 to 4 awards issued. Funded projects are expected to begin in July 2026 and must be completed within a 12-month performance period. Recipients will be required to submit quarterly and final programmatic and financial reports, participate in monitoring and evaluation activities, and collaborate with the U.S. Embassy throughout implementation.

Emphasize measurable outcomes strong monitoring and evaluation plans sustainability and alignment with U.S. foreign policy priorities