PD ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT | PD LAPAZ FY26 01

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the PD Annual Program Statement (PD LAPAZ FY26 01)?

The PD Annual Program Statement (Funding Opportunity Number: PD LAPAZ FY26 01) is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Mission to Bolivia (U.S. Embassy La Paz) through its Public Diplomacy Section. It funds public diplomacy projects designed to strengthen the U.S.-Bolivia bilateral relationship by advancing U.S. priorities while building constructive, long-term ties with Bolivian communities and institutions.

Who is offering this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is administered by the U.S. Mission to Bolivia (U.S. Embassy La Paz), specifically through the Embassy's Public Diplomacy Section.

What is the main purpose of this funding?

The overall purpose is to strengthen the U.S.-Bolivia relationship by supporting public diplomacy projects that build mutual understanding and durable partnerships, while also advancing U.S. government priorities reflected in the program objectives and priority areas.

What type of funding instrument is used?

The program uses a grant funding instrument.

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The program is listed under CFDA 19.040.

How much funding is available per award?

The award ceiling is $40,000 per award.

When is the application deadline?

The original closing date listed for the opportunity is August 15, 2026.

Who is eligible to apply?

The opportunity is open to a wide range of applicants, including U.S. or Bolivian non-profit organizations (such as NGOs, civil society groups, and think tanks), public and private educational institutions, individuals, public international organizations, and governmental institutions.

Do applicants need to be based in the United States to apply?

No. The opportunity explicitly allows both U.S. and Bolivian applicants, including U.S. or Bolivian non-profit organizations and institutions, as well as individuals and other eligible entity types.

Is this program focused on projects in Bolivia?

Yes. The funding is run by the U.S. Embassy in La Paz and is aimed at projects that engage Bolivian communities and institutions and strengthen the U.S.-Bolivia bilateral relationship.

What are the program's big-picture objectives?

The program is framed around four major U.S. government objectives: (1) Celebrate American Excellence, (2) Make America Safer, (3) Make America Stronger, and (4) Make America More Prosperous.

What does "Celebrate American Excellence" mean in this program?

This objective focuses on showcasing American innovation, technological leadership, entrepreneurship, and achievements across areas such as science, technology, sports, industry, and culture. Projects are expected to tell credible, compelling stories about U.S. dynamism, highlight the quality and reliability of American products, services, and standards, and reinforce values such as free enterprise, individual liberty, and merit-based achievement.

What does "Make America Safer" mean in this program?

This objective supports efforts related to preventing illegal immigration by addressing root causes in Bolivia, strengthening the fight against transnational crime (with emphasis on narcotics trafficking, synthetic drugs, and fentanyl precursors), enhancing information-sharing and law enforcement cooperation, and countering foreign anti-American propaganda or influence operations that could create strategic risks for U.S. interests in the region.

What does "Make America Stronger" mean in this program?

This objective emphasizes transparency and anti-corruption initiatives, strengthening rule of law and institutional capacity (especially in judicial and law enforcement sectors), and protecting digital freedom. It also includes countering disinformation and foreign propaganda with factual information and pro-free-speech messaging.

What does "Make America More Prosperous" mean in this program?

This objective focuses on expanding commercial ties and improving the environment for U.S. investment and partnerships, deepening people-to-people connections through educational and cultural exchange, and promoting English language learning as a practical tool for trade, study opportunities, and cross-cultural understanding.

What are the Embassy's priority program areas for proposals?

Priority program areas highlighted include: (1) supporting Bolivia's economic opening and encouraging U.S. commercial partnerships (including entrepreneurship, formalization, transparent financial systems, and English language programming tied to trade and exchange), (2) building civil society capacity for transparent, responsible natural resource governance and addressing risks tied to illegal mining and illicit trafficking, (3) supporting freedom of speech and an independent press through investigative journalism, media literacy, and countering censorship and disinformation, and (4) strengthening U.S.-Bolivian partnerships through outreach, leadership development, exchanges, and institution-to-institution collaboration, including cultural programming that credibly counters anti-American narratives.

What kinds of economic and commercial projects are encouraged?

The Embassy is interested in projects that promote U.S.-Bolivia trade and investment, visibly position American businesses and products as attractive and trustworthy options, support market-based reforms, improve rule of law and openness to U.S. investment, and promote entrepreneurship connected to U.S. supply chains and American business practices. The program also encourages helping small businesses and entrepreneurs enter the formal economy (business registration, tax compliance, access to formal financial services) and expanding participation in transparent financial systems that reduce money laundering risks.

Is English language programming an eligible activity area?

Yes. English language learning is explicitly emphasized as a practical enabler of trade, workforce development, and academic exchange linked to the United States.

What types of natural resource and environmental governance activities fit this opportunity?

The program prioritizes initiatives that build civil society capacity to manage natural resources transparently and responsibly, promote responsible resource development using U.S. partnerships and technology, and address security and governance risks associated with illegal mining operations that can finance criminal organizations and fuel instability.

Does the opportunity address illegal mining and related criminal risks?

Yes. The program highlights governance and security risks tied to illegal mining operations, including the potential for such activities to fund criminal organizations and contribute to instability, and it favors efforts that strengthen oversight and transparency.

Are projects related to countering "debt-trap" dynamics and economic predation relevant?

Yes. The program signals interest in educating audiences about debt-trap dynamics and contrasting those approaches with U.S. partnership models, as part of addressing economic predation by adversarial nations.

Are anti-trafficking efforts within scope?

Yes. The statement connects human trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and antiquities trafficking to transnational criminal revenue streams and includes these issues within the broader focus on countering illicit networks and strengthening governance.

What kinds of media and free expression projects are encouraged?

The Embassy is looking for projects that defend freedom of speech, push back against censorship, strengthen investigative journalism and other accountability-focused media that exposes corruption, and build media literacy so citizens can better recognize propaganda, disinformation, and foreign influence operations, including anti-U.S. narratives.

Does the program support digital freedom and counter-disinformation work?

Yes. Digital freedom and countering disinformation and foreign propaganda with factual information and pro-free-speech messaging are explicitly included under the "Make America Stronger" objective and reinforced in the independent press and media literacy priority area.

What types of partnership-building activities are preferred?

Preferred activities include leadership development for emerging leaders who understand American values and see the United States as a partner of choice, facilitation of educational exchange and study opportunities in the United States, and institution-to-institution partnerships between Bolivian and American organizations that highlight U.S. innovation and leadership.

Is cultural programming eligible under this opportunity?

Yes. Cultural programming that celebrates American culture and achievement is encouraged, especially when it credibly and locally counteracts anti-American narratives and is rooted in real examples of U.S. excellence and collaboration.

Does the Embassy want projects outside major cities?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly encourages projects that reach beyond major cities into hard-to-access regions, indicating a preference for broader geographic inclusion and outreach to communities with limited exposure to U.S. engagement.

How should applicants align proposals to be competitive?

Strong proposals will clearly map project activities to one or more stated priority areas and objectives, identify specific Bolivian audiences to be reached (including underserved regions where relevant), and show how the project will measurably strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between Bolivians and Americans while advancing the Embassy's strategic goals.

What does the program mean by "public diplomacy" projects?

Based on the statement, public diplomacy projects are those that build constructive, long-term ties and mutual understanding between the United States and Bolivian communities and institutions, using programming that advances U.S. priorities across areas like economic engagement, governance and transparency, rule of law, media freedom, and resilience to propaganda and disinformation.

Is the program limited to one theme, or can a project address multiple priorities?

The statement describes multiple objectives and priority program areas and suggests competitiveness comes from clearly mapping activities to one or more of them, indicating that projects may align with one or several priorities as long as the alignment is clear and credible.

What kinds of outcomes is the Embassy looking for?

The program emphasizes measurable strengthening of mutual understanding and cooperation between Bolivians and Americans, relationship-building with communities and institutions, and practical outcomes aligned to the priority areas (for example, improved civic oversight and transparency, stronger media literacy, expanded people-to-people ties, or increased engagement around U.S.-Bolivia commercial partnerships).