FY 2026 U.S. LEADS Program for Education, Manufacturing, AI

Grants.gov Open Opportunities

Published March 13th, 2026

Detected March 14th, 2026

Summary

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has announced the FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program. This initiative aims to foster international collaboration and showcase U.S. expertise in manufacturing and AI.

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What changed

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has released details for the FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program. This program, part of the Freedom 250 initiative, focuses on revitalizing manufacturing, advancing AI, and strengthening supply chains through collaboration between U.S. community colleges, international vocational leaders, and industry partners. It includes a summit in Washington, D.C., and a two-week exchange program for approximately 100 international participants from strategically important countries.

While this is a notice of a program and not a rule with direct compliance obligations for most entities, eligible educational institutions and nonprofits are encouraged to review the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for potential grant applications. The program aims to foster policy change and partnerships that benefit U.S. industry and economic development. The summit is scheduled between December 2026 and March 2027, immediately followed by regional exchanges.

What to do next

Review the FY26 NOFO for the U.S. LEADS Program for potential grant opportunities.
Identify relevant international partners and U.S. industry collaborators for potential program participation.

Source document (simplified)

FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program

Agency: Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Assistance Listings: 19.408 -- Academic Exchange Programs - Teachers

Last Updated: March 13, 2026 View version history on Grants.gov

Description

The United States Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program celebrates America's 250th anniversary by showcasing U.S. leadership from the Industrial Revolution to the Digital Revolution, focusing on revitalizing manufacturing, advancing AI, and strengthening supply chains. This Freedom 250 initiative will spark collaboration between U.S. community colleges, international vocational leaders, and U.S. industry partners to address emerging labor market demands that advance U.S. interests and drive economic development. The program will launch with a summit in Washington, D.C. to highlight America’s industrial heritage, current leadership in manufacturing and AI, and the role of U.S. community colleges in preparing the workforce of tomorrow.

The program will also include a U.S. exchange for approximately 100 higher education officials, commerce leaders, and policymakers from countries strategically important to U.S. industry. The group should be divided into four cohorts comprised of approximately 25 representatives from approximately 3-4 countries, determined based on U.S. foreign policy priorities in consultation with ECA, U.S. embassies, and regional bureau input. These two-week regional programs will take place in approximately four U.S. cities with strong higher education-industry partnerships. Through site visits, hands-on learning, and industry engagement, international participants will gain knowledge of U.S. best practices in manufacturing and technology training, enabling them to adopt similar approaches and establish partnerships that advantage U.S. companies. The summit should occur between December 2026 and March 2027 and be followed immediately by the in-person regional exchanges. The successful applicant will provide responsive and flexible programming with activities tailored to U.S. priorities for vocational-technical education and commercial diplomacy that will lead to measurable positive policy change. Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Education

Private institutions of higher education
Public and state institutions of higher education

Miscellaneous

Other

Nonprofit

Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)

Additional information

Please see full announcement.

Grantor contact information

Description

Matt Sacco

Email

SaccoMJ@state.gov

Documents

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| File name | Description | Last updated |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FY26NOFOU.S._LEADS.pdf | FY 2026 U.S. Leadership in Education, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Skills (U.S. LEADS) Program NOFO | Mar 13, 2026 03:22 PM UTC |
| performancemonitoringplanmode2.3_02.03.2025-4.docx | ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (DOCX) | Mar 13, 2026 03:22 PM UTC |
| performancemonitoringplanmode2.3_02.03.2025.pdf | ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (PDF) | Mar 13, 2026 03:23 PM UTC |