U.S. Department of State Grant for the 2025 Young Trilateral Leaders Network eSports Competition

Funding Opportunity Title: 2025 Young Trilateral Leaders Network (YTL) eSports Competition

Funding Opportunity Number: PD-SEOUL-FY25-01

Deadline for Applications: December 2, 2024, 11:59 p.m. GMT+9

CFDA Number: 19.022

Total Amount Available: $100,000

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Executive Summary

The U.S. Embassy Seoul and U.S. Embassy Tokyo are excited to announce a trilateral esports program as part of the 2025 Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Network. This program seeks to foster cross-border collaboration among youth aged 20-39 from the United States, Republic of Korea (ROK), and Japan, building on outcomes from recent trilateral summits. Through a combination of virtual and in-person activities, participants will develop key skills such as cross-cultural communication, teamwork, and digital literacy.

This cooperative grant program was made possible through a new public private partnership between the Department of State and Coupang, a Fortune 200 technology company headquartered in Seattle, to advance U.S. Government’s efforts to drive innovation and economic security in the Indo-Pacific region.

The program will culminate in an esports competition in the ROK in 2025, with high-performing teams traveling for the final event. In addition to competition, participants will receive training in areas like conflict resolution and leveraging esports for positive social impact.

Successful applicants will design a comprehensive plan for recruitment, virtual engagements, and final competition logistics. Proposals should also include a strong monitoring and evaluation component to track the program’s impact on trilateral cooperation.

Goals and Objectives

This project aims to bring rising leaders together to form trilateral esports teams who will compete together in an esports competition to take place in the ROK in the first half of 2025. A key facet of the program will include training on issues designed to build a cohort of trilateral champions who know how to work with one another across borders, promoting skills such as cross-cultural communication, teamwork, technological literacy, strategic thinking, conflict mediation and resolution, identifying and combatting discrimination in digital spaces, and how gaming — especially values of sportsmanship and healthy competition — can be used to make a positive social impact. This project should also raise awareness amongst the general public by asking teams to document their journey training together and collaborating towards a common goal across borders – producing content that will be shared via social media and other public outlets.

Given the international nature of the teams, most of the program may take place virtually, with funding available for some high-performing teams to travel to the ROK for the final competition. The final in-person portion should also utilize Embassy Seoul’s network of American Spaces as venues for some of the trainings and gatherings. Applications should make a clear link between the program’s goals and their choice of game(s), which should be limited to those made by Korean, Japanese, or American entities. The winning team will participate in an appropriate follow-on activity, suggested as a trip to the United States to learn about U.S. innovation in eSports education and business as well as the importance of combating online disinformation. The grantee will be responsible for planning and implementing this trip.

Target Audience: Korean and Japanese college students and young professionals aged 20-39 from diverse backgrounds who work in gaming, esports, emerging technologies, successful eSports players, or those who have a demonstrated interest in the gaming sector, speak fluent English, and are interested in trilateral collaboration. Participants must be comfortable appearing in Embassy and YTL social media and other digital products about the competition. The total number of participants should be adjusted based on the available budget.

Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility

Location: Most portions leading to the final eSports competition can take place virtually. The final competition must take place in the ROK in the first half of 2025. As a cooperative grant, Embassy Seoul will maintain substantial involvement in the selection of a local partner to host the competition.

Timeline: Successful proposals should include a defined recruitment period, series of virtual engagements, social media and digital outreach plan, and competition in the ROK in the first half of 2025.

Alumni Engagement: Participants who successfully complete the program will become YTL alumni and will be eligible to apply for future YTL-sponsored programs, which include other substantive opportunities to engage with trilateral youth and appear in public awareness campaigns. Participants may also be offered admission to other organization-specific alumni associations run by the implementing partner, but these activities should not form part of this grant.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): Proposals must include a substantive monitoring and evaluation plan that sets clear goals and metrics to be tracked throughout the project. In addition, M&E plans should include data collection (via focus groups, surveys, etc.) of participant populations to capture their feedback on the program and opinions on broader trilateral cooperation.

Misc:

•            Proposals must include an American element or connection with U.S. experts, organizations, or institutions. Proposals may include requests for international travel and related costs of experts, speakers, and key individuals in support of broader activities.

•            Given the nature of trilateral programs, programs should be conducted in English – or if the target population lacks English fluency, must include interpretation. Programs whose exclusive goal is teaching English will not be considered.  

Note: Not mandatory, but you may use the templates provided here:

Proposal Template / Budget Template

All application materials must be submitted by email to SeoulPDGrants@state.gov