Total Amount Available: $200,000

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Executive Summary

The U.S. Embassy Seoul Public Diplomacy Section and U.S. Embassy Tokyo Public Diplomacy Section announce an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out the 2026 Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) network’s third annual summit, to be held in the Summer of 2026 in the United States in a location of significance to all three countries, for instance Hawaii or other U.S. location with well-developed and cost-effective transportation linkages with both the ROK and Japan.

The trilateral relationship between the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) has never been more important to advance security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. This program will build upon the inaugural 2024 YTL Summit held in Busan, Republic of Korea and 2025 YTL Summit held in Osaka, Japan, aiming to give youth leaders a firm policy background in the security and economic issues facing the trilateral partnership as well as a platform to collaborate on joint projects – while also developing leadership and public engagement skills to help them inspire peers to also support the trilateral partnership.

Goals and ObjectivesProposals must include an American element or connection with U.S. experts, organizations, or institutions and should clearly explain the applicants’ previous experience running similar programs across the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States.

The Summit will focus on developing the leadership skills and global outlook of a cohort of approximately 50 youth leaders from the three countries. Participants should have demonstrated leadership abilities, a track record of engagement in their communities, and the capacity to collaborate with peers from other nations. We will also leverage the expertise of youth leaders from other Department of State regional youth leadership programs like the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), the Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Program, and the Young South Asian Leaders Initiative (YSALI) to share best practices as well as build institutional linkages between the Department’s suite of Indo-Pacific youth leadership programs.

This Youth Summit is a key pillar of Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL), a regional youth initiative that creates space for young leaders to make meaningful contributions to trilateral policy discussions that bolster U.S. security alliances with both countries, contributing to a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Indo-Pacific region. YTL fosters a tight-knit network of emerging leaders who understand the issues facing trilateral partnership while working together to identify innovative solutions to future global challenges. Participants who complete the program can continue contributing to the network as YTL alumni.

Participants / Beneficiaries

The program will support a cohort of approximately 50 youth leaders from the United States, Republic of Korea, and Japan.

Eligibility criteria:

• Ages 18 to 35
• Fluent in English
• Demonstrated record of leadership and community engagement
• Proven ability to collaborate in multinational settings
• Deep interest in and understanding of the U.S.–ROK–Japan trilateral partnership, shown through academic, professional, or volunteer experience

Residency requirements:

• Korean and Japanese applicants must reside in ROK or Japan
• American participants may reside in the U.S., ROK, or Japan

Participants will be selected through a public online application, with final approval by the U.S. government. Selection will be jointly managed by the recipient, U.S. Embassy Seoul, and U.S. Embassy Tokyo. The program may also include participants from YSEALI, YPL, and YSALI in coordination with those respective managing offices.

Recipient Expectations

Program Structure:

Proposals should incorporate four primary elements:

(1) Pre-program promotion and selection process: The recipient will design and implement a program promotion and online application process for prospective participants, including a dedicated application portal. Proposals should include a plan to incorporate U.S. Embassy promotional channels, U.S. Embassy concurrence on the selection process, and U.S. Embassy participation in applicant selection itself.

(2) Four-week period (minimum) of virtual engagement: The recipient will organize a series of preparatory virtual engagements with the participants to generate excitement for the summit, prepare summit objectives and structure, and allow participants to build rapport. These events should also include subject-matter experts (academic, civil society, government, etc.) from all three countries who can speak about trilateral partnership, youth civic engagement, and other issues relevant to the theme of trilateral security and economic issues. These engagements should also lay out logistics and expectations for the in-person summit.

(3) Three-day (minimum) summit in the United States (preferably Hawaii or other location of significance to all three countries): The recipient will organize a summit to include lectures, exercises, facilitated workshops, and training sessions that cover topics such as organizing, advocacy, civic engagement, and briefings on international issues (e.g., regional security, trade and economics, supply chain issues, emerging technologies). The sessions should be led by expert trainers and subject-matter experts representing the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Participants may also lead sessions about youth initiatives in their own countries. The final output of this summit should be an actionable plan leading to follow-on activity projects. The recipient may also organize limited visits to relevant cultural and/or political sites and community service/social engagement activities to connect with the host community. The recipient will be responsible for arranging all logistics, including travel, transportation, food, and other items as necessary. Decisions on venues for the Summit will be determined with the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.

(4) Follow-on activities: Following the summit, the recipient will conduct mentorship activities and facilitate/monitor any potential follow-on projects.

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