Opportunity Information: Apply for SUSMAS24CA0004
The 2025 YSEALI Seeds for the Future opportunity is a U.S. Mission to ASEAN grant (cooperative agreement) to select one organization to run the 11th year of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Seeds for the Future program. YSEALI is the U.S. government initiative focused on building a long-term network of emerging leaders across Southeast Asia who can collaborate across borders on shared challenges. The Seeds for the Future component specifically funds youth-led, community-focused projects and pairs that funding with training, mentorship, and ongoing engagement. The target participant pool for the subgrants is young leaders ages 18 to 35 who are citizens and residents of ASEAN member states (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) or Timor-Leste. Projects typically align with YSEALI’s four priority themes: civic engagement, economic empowerment and social entrepreneurship, education, and environmental issues.
This award is not a direct “apply to get a seed grant” posting for youth teams. Instead, it is a competition to choose an implementing organization that will design and administer the regional Seeds program on the U.S. government’s behalf, in close coordination with the U.S. Mission to ASEAN (USASEAN) and the Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Public Diplomacy). The selected recipient will be responsible for running an open competition for youth teams, managing the full subgrant process end-to-end, and delivering required convenings, monitoring, evaluation, and communications. Because it is a cooperative agreement, the U.S. Mission to ASEAN will be substantially involved in key decisions, especially final selection of participants and overall program direction.
A major part of the work is building and operating the application and selection pipeline. The recipient must provide an online site or platform to receive and manage applications (and respond to applicant questions), as well as offer virtual support resources such as webinars to help applicants submit strong proposals. The recipient will collaborate with USASEAN to develop scoring criteria, then review and score applications and produce a shortlist of up to 40 projects. USASEAN retains substantial involvement in final selection, and the recipient and USASEAN will coordinate notifications to winning teams.
The program also requires an in-person kick-off workshop in early 2025 hosted in an ASEAN country. The workshop must be two to three days and bring together the selected project teams (up to three members per project). The agenda is expected to be highly practical, focusing on subgrant readiness and project execution skills such as budgeting, grant administration, communications, reporting, work planning, and digital storytelling, while also giving teams space to refine plans and collaborate. The recipient must take ownership of all logistics and programming, and the overall budget must cover participant and trainer travel and event costs, including flights, lodging, per diem, and venue. The workshop should include a cultural site visit and YSEALI-branded swag for participants. Speaker, facilitator, and mentor eligibility is also defined: they should be citizens of the United States, an ASEAN member state, or Timor-Leste. Beyond the training content, the program is expected to intentionally weave in leadership development, a “giving back” ethos, and stronger Southeast Asian/ASEAN identity grounded in shared values and shared challenges.
After the workshop, the recipient must provide ongoing mentorship and structured follow-on engagement throughout the year. Each subgrantee should be paired with a mentor who supports implementation. The program design must include continuing virtual touchpoints at least once every two months after the kick-off workshop to keep grantees connected with one another, the implementer, and USASEAN, and to help troubleshoot challenges as projects roll out. These follow-on elements are not optional add-ons; they must be built into the monitoring and evaluation plan so that learning, accountability, and community-building continue well beyond the initial convening.
A clear and staged subgrant disbursement schedule is required, with funds distributed to winning projects by January 2025 using a milestone-based approach. Sixty percent is released after the team submits a detailed timeline and work plan that also includes a marketing strategy. Thirty-five percent is released after a mid-term report that includes both qualitative and quantitative metrics capturing direct and indirect impacts. The final five percent is released after a final report with detailed results. This structure signals that the implementer must set up strong compliance and reporting systems and be prepared to coach teams on how to meet documentation and measurement expectations.
Ongoing monitoring and grant management are central to the award. The recipient is expected to actively oversee implementation and monitor subgrants with at least weekly correspondence with subgrant participants, collect monthly updates plus mid-term and final reports, and track budget usage. The recipient must also provide USASEAN with quarterly and final programmatic and financial reports. Those reports should do more than list activities; they must summarize progress across projects, highlight milestones, document successes and challenges, and present measurable outcomes using both qualitative and quantitative indicators tied to community impact.
Communications and storytelling are another required workstream. The recipient must collect media (photos and videos) and project stories and execute a robust communications and social media plan to amplify subgrantee work through YSEALI channels, including the YSEALI website and social platforms. All public-facing content must follow Department of State and YSEALI branding guidance, including required use of the U.S. flag and the YSEALI Seeds logo. The implementer is also expected to develop program materials such as a syllabus, a detailed event program with participant and speaker biographies, and printed items like banners and backdrops. A digital engagement strategy is required as well, including options like live video or real-time online engagement during the program. One explicit restriction is that the recipient should not create or launch a new event-specific website; domain, hosting, and website build costs will not be covered.
The opportunity also emphasizes learning and continuous improvement. The recipient must conduct pre- and post-workshop surveys to measure effectiveness and knowledge gains and produce a “lessons learned” product to inform future Seeds cycles. In practice, that means applicants for this cooperative agreement should propose a credible evaluation approach, define meaningful indicators, and show how they will capture learning from both the workshop and the year-long project implementation phase.
Administratively, the grant is issued by the U.S. Mission to ASEAN under Funding Opportunity Number SUSMAS24CA0004. It is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument, categorized under community development (CFDA 19.040). The award ceiling is $300,000, with one expected award. The original application closing date listed is 2024-07-17. Eligible applicants include U.S. and foreign public or private educational institutions and U.S. and foreign not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks). For-profit entities and individuals are not eligible to apply. The full Notice of Funding Opportunity is hosted on the U.S. Mission to ASEAN website and provides the official requirements, application instructions, and detailed evaluation criteria.Apply for SUSMAS24CA0004
- The U.S. Mission to ASEAN in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2025 YSEALI Seeds for the Future" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-11.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-17. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.
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FAQs: 2025 YSEALI Seeds for the Future (Implementing Organization Competition)
1) What is the 2025 YSEALI Seeds for the Future opportunity?
It is a U.S. Mission to ASEAN (USASEAN) grant opportunity (a cooperative agreement) to select one organization to design and run the 11th year of the YSEALI Seeds for the Future program in 2025.
2) Is this an opportunity for youth teams to apply for seed funding directly?
No. This posting is not a direct seed-grant application for youth teams. It is a competition to select an implementing organization that will later run an open competition for youth-led project teams and administer the subgrants.
3) What is YSEALI and how does Seeds for the Future fit into it?
YSEALI (Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative) is a U.S. government initiative focused on building a long-term network of emerging leaders across Southeast Asia who can collaborate across borders on shared challenges. The Seeds for the Future component funds youth-led, community-focused projects and pairs funding with training, mentorship, and ongoing engagement.
4) Who is the funder and what is the instrument type?
The grant is issued by the U.S. Mission to ASEAN under a cooperative agreement. Because it is a cooperative agreement, USASEAN will be substantially involved in key decisions and overall program direction.
5) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SUSMAS24CA0004.
6) What is the program category/CFDA number?
The opportunity is categorized under community development (CFDA 19.040).
7) How many awards are expected and what is the maximum award amount?
One award is expected, with an award ceiling of $300,000.
8) What is the application deadline listed for this opportunity?
The original application closing date listed is 2024-07-17.
9) Who is eligible to apply for this cooperative agreement?
Eligible applicants include U.S. and foreign public or private educational institutions and U.S. and foreign not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks).
10) Who is not eligible to apply?
For-profit entities and individuals are not eligible to apply.
11) What does the selected implementing organization have to do?
The selected recipient must design and administer the regional Seeds program on the U.S. government’s behalf, in close coordination with USASEAN and the Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Public Diplomacy). Responsibilities include running the open competition for youth teams, managing the full subgrant process end-to-end, delivering required convenings, conducting monitoring and evaluation, and carrying out communications and storytelling.
12) How involved will USASEAN be after an organization is selected?
USASEAN will be substantially involved in key decisions, especially the final selection of participants and overall program direction. The implementer is expected to collaborate with USASEAN on scoring criteria, shortlisting, and coordinating notifications to winning teams.
13) Who are the intended participants for the subgrants (the youth teams) once the program is running?
The target participant pool is young leaders ages 18 to 35 who are citizens and residents of ASEAN member states (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) or Timor-Leste.
14) What kinds of projects does YSEALI Seeds for the Future support?
Projects are youth-led and community-focused and typically align with YSEALI’s four priority themes: civic engagement; economic empowerment and social entrepreneurship; education; and environmental issues.
15) What application system must the implementer provide?
The recipient must provide an online site or platform to receive and manage applications and respond to applicant questions. The recipient must also offer virtual support resources (such as webinars) to help applicants submit strong proposals.
16) What is the selection process the implementer must run?
The implementer collaborates with USASEAN to develop scoring criteria, then reviews and scores applications and produces a shortlist of up to 40 projects. USASEAN retains substantial involvement in final selection, and the implementer and USASEAN coordinate notifications to winning teams.
17) Is there an in-person convening requirement?
Yes. The program requires an in-person kick-off workshop in early 2025 hosted in an ASEAN country.
18) How long is the kick-off workshop and who attends?
The kick-off workshop must be two to three days and bring together the selected project teams, with up to three members per project.
19) What is the workshop expected to cover?
The workshop agenda is expected to be highly practical and focus on subgrant readiness and project execution skills such as budgeting, grant administration, communications, reporting, work planning, and digital storytelling. It should also give teams space to refine plans and collaborate.
20) What logistics must the implementer cover for the workshop?
The implementer must take ownership of all logistics and programming, and the overall program budget must cover participant and trainer travel and event costs, including flights, lodging, per diem, and venue.
21) Are there any required workshop elements beyond training sessions?
Yes. The workshop should include a cultural site visit and YSEALI-branded swag for participants. The program is also expected to intentionally weave in leadership development, a giving back ethos, and stronger Southeast Asian/ASEAN identity grounded in shared values and shared challenges.
22) Are there restrictions on who can serve as speakers, facilitators, or mentors?
Yes. Speaker, facilitator, and mentor eligibility is defined: they should be citizens of the United States, an ASEAN member state, or Timor-Leste.
23) What ongoing support is required after the kick-off workshop?
The implementer must provide ongoing mentorship and structured follow-on engagement throughout the year. Each subgrantee should be paired with a mentor who supports implementation.
24) How often must the program include follow-on touchpoints?
The program design must include continuing virtual touchpoints at least once every two months after the kick-off workshop to keep grantees connected and to help troubleshoot challenges as projects roll out.
25) Are follow-on engagement activities optional?
No. The follow-on elements are required and must be built into the monitoring and evaluation plan so that learning, accountability, and community-building continue well beyond the initial convening.
26) When must subgrant funds be distributed to winning projects?
The opportunity specifies that funds must be distributed to winning projects by January 2025 using a milestone-based approach.
27) What is the required subgrant disbursement schedule?
A staged, milestone-based schedule is required:
- 60% released after the team submits a detailed timeline and work plan that includes a marketing strategy
- 35% released after a mid-term report with qualitative and quantitative metrics capturing direct and indirect impacts
- 5% released after a final report with detailed results
28) What monitoring and grant management cadence is expected?
The recipient is expected to actively oversee implementation and monitor subgrants with at least weekly correspondence with subgrant participants, collect monthly updates plus mid-term and final reports, and track budget usage.
29) What reporting is required to USASEAN?
The implementer must provide USASEAN with quarterly and final programmatic and financial reports. These reports must summarize progress across projects, highlight milestones, document successes and challenges, and present measurable outcomes using qualitative and quantitative indicators tied to community impact.
30) What communications and storytelling deliverables are required?
Communications are a required workstream. The implementer must collect media (photos and videos) and project stories and execute a robust communications and social media plan to amplify subgrantee work through YSEALI channels, including the YSEALI website and social platforms.
31) Are there branding requirements for public-facing content?
Yes. All public-facing content must follow Department of State and YSEALI branding guidance, including required use of the U.S. flag and the YSEALI Seeds logo.
32) What program materials is the implementer expected to produce?
The implementer is expected to develop program materials such as a syllabus, a detailed event program with participant and speaker biographies, and printed items like banners and backdrops.
33) Is a digital engagement strategy required?
Yes. A digital engagement strategy is required, including options like live video or real-time online engagement during the program.
34) Can the implementer create a new event-specific website for this program?
No. One explicit restriction is that the recipient should not create or launch a new event-specific website. Domain, hosting, and website build costs will not be covered.
35) What evaluation and learning activities are required?
The implementer must conduct pre- and post-workshop surveys to measure effectiveness and knowledge gains and produce a lessons learned product to inform future Seeds cycles. Applicants are expected to propose a credible evaluation approach, define meaningful indicators, and show how learning will be captured from both the workshop and the year-long implementation phase.
36) Where can applicants find the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and detailed requirements?
The full Notice of Funding Opportunity is hosted on the U.S. Mission to ASEAN website and provides the official requirements, application instructions, and detailed evaluation criteria.
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