Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Summit

Funding Opportunity Title: 2027 Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Summit

Funding Opportunity Number: PD-SEOUL-FY26-04

Deadline for Applications: Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (GMT+9)

CFDA Number: 19.040

Type of Funding: FY26 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds

Total Amount Available: $250,000

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

This NOFO is currently listed under Assistance Listing 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs and the Smith-Mundt Act authority. The final funding source, statutory authority, assistance listing, and total available funding remain subject to confirmation and may be updated before award. Any material changes will be issued through an amendment to this NOFO.

Executive Summary

The U.S. Embassy Seoul Public Diplomacy Section invites proposals to implement the 2027 Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Summit in the Republic of Korea. This initiative directly operationalizes Administration priorities by cultivating next-generation leaders equipped to reinforce the strategic indispensability of U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation.

Now in its fourth year, the YTL Summit will return to the Republic of Korea for the first time since its 2024 inaugural convening in Busan. The 2027 Summit will evolve to an action-oriented, security policy lab. It will convene a highly qualified cohort of 50 emerging leaders (ages 18 to 35) from the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, alongside select participants from other regional Indo-Pacific countries.

To directly support national security priorities, the fourth YTL Summit will introduce a dedicated Advanced Security and Technology Track focusing on maritime security in the age of artificial intelligence, quantum-enabled threats, critical minerals supply chains, technologically advanced shipbuilding, and emerging technology governance.

Program Goal

The overarching goal of the 2027 Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Summit is to cultivate a self-sustaining network of trilateral Alliance Champions possessing the technical literacy, strategic networks, and geopolitical alignment required to advance U.S. interests in their future professional capacities.

The 2027 YTL Summit will build on the YTL series, including the inaugural 2024 summit held in Busan, the 2025 summit held in Japan, and the 2026 summit to be held in the United States in August 2026. As the fourth year of the initiative, the 2027 summit should deepen the network’s policy focus and operational relevance by introducing a dedicated security track focused on maritime security in the age of artificial intelligence, quantum-enabled threats, critical minerals, supply chain security, and emerging technology governance. The target date for the 2027 summit is August 2027.

Program Objectives

• Objective 1 (Policy Literacy): Deepen participant understanding of threats to freedom in the Indo-Pacific, specifically highlighting how emerging technologies alter the maritime landscape.

• Objective 2 (Alliance Commitment): Measurably increase participant alignment with U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral defense, economic, and security frameworks.

• Objective 3 (Career Vectoring): Directly transition participants into professional pipelines within government, defense industrial bases, strategic finance, and advanced technology sectors that support trilateral security and economic cooperation.

Core Program Design (The Summit Model)

The awardee will design and implement a program structure consisting of the following sequential components. Applicants may propose adjustments to the sequence, format, or delivery method where appropriate, but proposals should clearly demonstrate how the overall summit model will be implemented.

• Cohort Recruitment and Vetting: Recruit and screen 50 elite participants -- 15 from the U.S., 15 from the ROK, 15 from Japan, and up to 5 from key Indo-Pacific nations. Candidates must be drawn from advanced tech sectors, the defense industry, security policy, and strategic finance—or, if students, must demonstrate a sophisticated awareness of and commitment to pursue a career in one of those fields. The embassy retains final authority over all selections.

• Pre-Summit Virtual Bootcamps: Plan and host three to four virtual orientation sessions before participant travel. These sessions should introduce participants to the summit themes, build shared background knowledge, feature expert speakers, and include interactive learning or group engagement components that prepare participants for the in-person summit.

• The 2027 In-Person Summit in the Republic of Korea: Develop and implement a three-day summit convening leaders from the United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and select other Indo-Pacific countries. The summit should include expert-led plenary sessions, cross-national working groups, structured simulations, mentorship, networking, and other activities that build participants’ policy fluency and professional relationships. Participants will arrive one day before the summit and depart one day after the summit.

• Crisis Tabletop Simulation: Design and facilitate at least one highly realistic tabletop exercise simulating a regional tech-security or gray-zone crisis requiring immediate trilateral coordination. The exercise should help participants understand the operational and policy challenges of coordinated response among the United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and other regional partners.

• Cross-National Working Groups: Organize approximately eight to ten participant cross-national working groups that develop concrete policy positions, recommendations, or other constrained deliverables on topics such as maritime security, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, critical minerals, emerging technology governance, and related security challenges over the course of the summit.

• Expert and Mentor Engagement: Arrange for up to five industry leaders or international experts to speak at the summit and serve as mentors. Expert engagement should be integrated throughout the summit and should support both plenary learning and small-group work. The embassy will have final approval of all industry leaders and experts.

• Industrial and Security Site Visit: Organize one site visit to a location or organization of significance to the summit’s themes, subject to embassy approval. The site visit should reinforce program objectives and deepen participant understanding of the Republic of Korea’s role in trilateral security and emerging technology cooperation.

• Alumni Mentor Integration: Integrate YTL alumni or other relevant alumni mentors throughout the program where appropriate. Alumni mentors may support orientation sessions, working groups, tabletop exercises, participant networking, or follow-on engagement.

• Participant Action Plans: Participants will develop actionable project proposals that address emerging threats to maritime security and propose the projects in a competitive pitch session. At least three teams will be selected to implement their projects with a small grant within nine months, including turning in reports and briefing Embassy staff on project outcomes. Follow-on activities may include publication, dissemination, and promotion of participant projects. Participants who are not selected for funding should be encouraged to implement key aspects of their proposals.

• Follow-on engagement: Propose a practical follow-on plan to sustain the YTL network after the summit. Follow-on activities may include mentorship, alumni engagement, virtual discussions, publication or dissemination of participant deliverables, or other activities that help maintain participant commitment to trilateral cooperation.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Applicants must submit an M&E Plan featuring a standardized, rubric-based approach to measuring data beyond simple participant satisfaction. The plan must track:

• Performance indicators, such as the number of applicants recruited, number of participants selected, number of countries represented, number of virtual orientation sessions held, number of participants completing orientation sessions, number of experts or mentors engaged, number of plenary sessions delivered, number of tabletop exercises conducted, number of working groups formed, number of policy positions or other deliverables completed, number of follow-on activities conducted, participant satisfaction, participant knowledge gains, and participant-reported changes in commitment to trilateral cooperation.

• Targets and, where appropriate, baseline data.

• Data collection methods, such as application records, attendance records, participant surveys, pre- and post-program assessments, mentor feedback, working group deliverables, event records, interviews, and digital analytics.

• Methods for assessing whether participants improved their understanding of allied security cooperation, threats to freedom in the Indo-Pacific, emerging technology and security linkages, trilateral coordination challenges, and professional pathways related to the summit’s themes.

Substantial Involvement

The U.S. Embassy Seoul Public Diplomacy Section will maintain substantial involvement throughout the planning and implementation of the program. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Participation in the recruitment, review, and interview process of potential participants.

• Final approval of all participants.

• Final approval of all international experts, speakers, and mentors.

• Approval of venue and lodging arrangements.

• Embassy will co-develop the summit agenda and curriculum.

• Participation in the design of virtual and in-person program content, including speaker recommendations, session structure, tabletop exercise design, and working group formats.

• Review and approval of participant recruitment materials, selection criteria, and final participant lists.

• Review and approval of public outreach materials, branding, and program visibility products.

• Participation in summit sessions, remarks, mentorship, or other program activities, as appropriate.

• Collaboration on the design and monitoring of follow-on activities.

Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations

• Public and private educational institutions

• Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions

Individuals are not eligible to apply under this NOFO.

Applicants should demonstrate the organizational capacity, subject-matter understanding, and relevant program management experience necessary to design and implement a high-visibility, international leadership summit focused on U.S.-ROK-Japan cooperation, regional security, and emerging technology issues.

Competitive applicants should demonstrate experience organizing complex international programs, managing participant recruitment and selection, coordinating travel and logistics across multiple countries, facilitating expert-led policy programming, and supporting cross-national youth or emerging leader networks. Applicants must also demonstrate experience and capacity to operate an international summit in the Republic of Korea. Applicants should demonstrate familiarity with the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, and the broader Indo-Pacific policy environment, as well as the ability to coordinate with relevant U.S., Korean, Japanese, and regional experts, mentors, institutions, and public-facing program venues.

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