Access Alumni Outreach and Engagement and English Access Scholarship Program

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement. PDS will be involved in the selection of participants, review of proposed publications, or more. 

Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 20 months or less.  

This notice is subject to availability of funding. The Public Diplomacy Section reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described under circumstances deemed to be in the best interest of the U.S. government, pending the availability of funds and approval of the designated grants officer. 

Executive Summary 

The U.S. Department of State’s Consulate General in Almaty, Kazakhstan announces an open competition to implement a program for the design and execution of two projects: Access Alumni Outreach and Engagement and English Access Scholarship Program (Access) for the 2026-2028 cycle. This program will reach two audiences in South Kazakhstan: up to 300 Access Program alumni (ages 16–30, cohorts 2016–2026) across Shymkent, Kyzylorda, Taraz, Turkistan, and Almaty, and 32 new Access students (ages 13–15, 2026–2028 cohort) from the Shymkent or Taraz areas. 

For alumni, the 12-months program re-engages graduates through sustained activities that strengthen English, expand knowledge of U.S. history, culture, and Freedom 250 themes, and build professional networks across five cities. 

For new students, a 20-month intensive English curriculum targets measurable proficiency gains, increased awareness of U.S. culture and values, and direct pathways to U.S. government-sponsored exchange and scholarship opportunities. 

Both tracks advance U.S. foreign policy by cultivating English-proficient, U.S.-engaged youth leaders in a strategically important region of Central Asia, while sustaining long-term people-to-people ties through a growing network of Access alumni serving as community connectors and future exchange candidates.