Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS KAZ ALM PAS 21 011
The "Makerspace Expands! - STEAM Opportunities" grant opportunity is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan) public diplomacy funding call managed through PAS Nur-Sultan and PAS Almaty. It invites proposals for short, results-oriented projects that expand access to STEAM learning and innovation programming in Kazakhstan, blending education with cultural programming and civil society engagement. The overall purpose is economic development: helping young people gain practical, in-demand technical skills and problem-solving abilities that can translate into employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
A key requirement is that in-person programming must be carried out in partnership with at least one American Space or Makerspace in specific cities: Almaty, Nur-Sultan, Oskemen, Shymkent, Karaganda, Kostonay, Pavlodar, Petropavlovsk, Aktobe, and Oral. Virtual activities, by contrast, are expected to be accessible to participants across the entire country, which opens the door for nationwide cohorts, online trainings, and hybrid models that connect regional participants to the American Spaces and Makerspaces network.
The intended audiences are youth ages 14 to 25, along with entrepreneurs and innovators, women and girls, other marginalized groups, and civil society or nonprofit organizations. In practice, this signals a preference for programs that are inclusive and broaden participation in STEAM fields, especially for groups that may face barriers to accessing technical education, mentorship, and professional networks.
Programmatically, the opportunity is structured around building a partner network that expands STEAM access and strengthens a "maker" ecosystem. Projects are expected to leverage the resources and models of American innovation supported by Chevron and the American Spaces/Makerspaces network. Recipients are expected to deliver mentorship, training, and other capacity-building activities, not just one-off events. The solicitation outlines three main objectives, and applicants can design proposals that address one or multiple objectives, as long as the activities clearly map to measurable skills-building outcomes.
The first objective focuses on strengthening participants ability to solve real problems using STEAM skills through mentorship, trainings, and hands-on activities. The notice suggests formats like makeathons hosted at each participating American Space/Makerspace with a culminating final event in one of the network cities, Arduino clubs with a nationwide Arduino Maker Challenge, and hackathons aimed at practical challenges such as environmental issues. It also highlights more aspirational pathways, like sponsoring and mentoring individuals or teams to compete in international STEAM competitions (examples given include the World Solar Challenge and Google Science Fair), as well as applied challenges like do-it-yourself recycling competitions that combine engineering thinking with community impact.
The second objective targets educators, aiming to improve teachers capacity to integrate STEAM into classroom instruction. Suggested approaches include creative STEAM workshops for public school teachers and digital literacy/ICT courses tailored for Kazakh-speaking educators. The opportunity also proposes relationship-based models that keep educators connected to American Spaces and Makerspaces over time, such as an "Adopt-a-Space" concept where educators partner with a space for ongoing workshops and activities. To broaden geographic reach beyond major cities, the notice also encourages a "Makerspace on the Road" model that brings STEAM resources, training, and programming to rural communities.
The third objective is about nurturing the maker community and creative industries by combining STEAM with business and communications skills. The examples here show that the program is not limited to traditional coding and robotics; it can include creative production and civil society-oriented content as long as it is innovative and skills-based. Suggested activities include a podcasting online course in Kazakh and creative writing programs designed to strengthen civil society, implying that communication, storytelling, and digital production can be positioned as part of a broader creative economy and innovation ecosystem.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary competitive grant issued as a cooperative agreement, meaning the funder may expect closer coordination during implementation than a standard grant. The total funding available is $120,000, with an anticipated three awards depending on proposed budgets and program scope. Individual award sizes can range widely, from $5,000 up to $120,000, allowing both small pilot projects and larger national efforts. The performance period is six months, so proposals need to be tightly planned with achievable deliverables, realistic staffing, and a timeline that fits within a half-year implementation window. The funding source is FY21 Smith-Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds under CFDA 19.040, and the opportunity specifies eligibility for nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education).
Finally, the notice includes key dates and context: it was created May 26, 2021, had an original closing date of June 26, 2021, and anticipated a start date of July 20, 2021, while noting that awards are subject to the availability of funds. Overall, the grant is best understood as a rapid, partnership-driven initiative to expand hands-on STEAM learning, strengthen teacher capacity, and grow a maker and creative-industry pipeline, all anchored in collaboration with the American Spaces and Makerspaces network in Kazakhstan and designed to produce practical, workforce-relevant skills for youth and other target groups.Apply for DOS KAZ ALM PAS 21 011
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Makerspace Expands! - STEAM Opportunities" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 26, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 26, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $120,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Makerspace Expands! - STEAM Opportunities
What is the "Makerspace Expands! - STEAM Opportunities" grant?
It is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan) public diplomacy funding opportunity for short, results-oriented projects that expand access to STEAM learning and innovation programming in Kazakhstan. The call emphasizes hands-on skills development, cultural programming, and civil society engagement, with an overall economic development purpose (helping young people build practical, in-demand skills tied to employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation).
Who is offering and managing this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of State through the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan, and it is managed through PAS Nur-Sultan and PAS Almaty.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The central purpose is economic development through STEAM: improving practical technical skills and problem-solving abilities that can translate into workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and innovation in Kazakhstan.
What types of projects does the opportunity seek?
The call invites proposals for short, results-oriented projects that expand STEAM access and strengthen a maker ecosystem. Projects are expected to include mentorship, training, and other capacity-building activities (not only one-time events) and should map to measurable skills-building outcomes.
Who are the intended participants or audiences?
Intended audiences include youth ages 14 to 25, entrepreneurs and innovators, women and girls, other marginalized groups, and civil society or nonprofit organizations. The notice signals a preference for inclusive programming that broadens participation in STEAM, particularly for groups that face barriers to technical education and professional networks.
Is partnership with an American Space or Makerspace required?
Yes for in-person programming: any in-person activities must be carried out in partnership with at least one American Space or Makerspace in the specified network cities listed in the opportunity.
Which cities are eligible for required in-person partnerships?
The eligible cities listed for American Space/Makerspace partnerships are: Almaty, Nur-Sultan, Oskemen, Shymkent, Karaganda, Kostonay, Pavlodar, Petropavlovsk, Aktobe, and Oral.
Can projects be fully virtual or hybrid?
Virtual activities are expected to be accessible to participants across the entire country, which supports nationwide cohorts, online trainings, and hybrid models that connect regional participants to the American Spaces and Makerspaces network.
What are the main program objectives applicants can address?
The solicitation outlines three main objectives. Applicants may design projects that address one objective or multiple objectives, as long as the activities clearly map to measurable skills-building outcomes.
What is Objective 1 focused on?
Objective 1 focuses on strengthening participants' ability to solve real problems using STEAM skills through mentorship, trainings, and hands-on activities.
What are examples of activities under Objective 1?
Examples suggested include makeathons hosted at participating American Spaces/Makerspaces with a culminating final event in one of the network cities; Arduino clubs with a nationwide Arduino Maker Challenge; hackathons aimed at practical challenges such as environmental issues; mentoring and sponsoring individuals or teams to compete in international STEAM competitions (examples mentioned include the World Solar Challenge and Google Science Fair); and applied community-impact challenges such as do-it-yourself recycling competitions.
What is Objective 2 focused on?
Objective 2 targets educators and aims to improve teachers' capacity to integrate STEAM into classroom instruction.
What are examples of activities under Objective 2?
Suggested activities include creative STEAM workshops for public school teachers and digital literacy/ICT courses tailored for Kazakh-speaking educators. The notice also encourages ongoing relationship models such as an "Adopt-a-Space" approach where educators partner with an American Space/Makerspace for continuing workshops and activities, and a "Makerspace on the Road" model to bring STEAM resources and training to rural communities.
What is Objective 3 focused on?
Objective 3 focuses on nurturing the maker community and creative industries by combining STEAM with business and communications skills. The opportunity indicates that programming can extend beyond traditional coding and robotics if it is innovative and skills-based and aligns with the broader maker/creative economy ecosystem.
What are examples of activities under Objective 3?
Examples include a podcasting online course in Kazakh and creative writing programs designed to strengthen civil society, positioning communication, storytelling, and digital production as part of a broader creative economy and innovation ecosystem.
Does the opportunity emphasize one-time events or longer-term engagement?
The notice emphasizes mentorship, training, and capacity-building rather than one-off events. Applicants are expected to build skills over time and contribute to a partner network that expands STEAM access and strengthens the maker ecosystem.
How much total funding is available?
The total funding available is $120,000.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity anticipates approximately three awards, depending on proposed budgets and program scope.
What is the award size range?
Individual award amounts can range from $5,000 up to $120,000, allowing for both smaller pilot projects and larger national efforts.
What type of award is this (grant or cooperative agreement)?
This is issued as a cooperative agreement. That structure indicates the funder may expect closer coordination during implementation than under a standard grant.
How long is the project performance period?
The performance period is six months, so proposed activities and deliverables should be designed to fit within a half-year implementation timeline.
What eligibility is specified in the notice?
The opportunity specifies eligibility for nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.
What funding source is identified for this opportunity?
The funding source is FY21 Smith-Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds under CFDA 19.040.
What is the geographic scope of the program?
Programming is focused on Kazakhstan. In-person activities must partner with an American Space/Makerspace in one of the specified cities, while virtual components are expected to be accessible nationwide.
How does the opportunity connect STEAM with civil society and cultural programming?
The call frames STEAM expansion as part of public diplomacy and explicitly mentions blending education with cultural programming and civil society engagement. Some example activities (such as creative writing designed to strengthen civil society) illustrate that projects may include communications and creative production when they are innovative and skills-based.
Is there a focus on inclusion and underserved groups?
Yes. The listed audiences include women and girls, marginalized groups, and civil society/nonprofit organizations, indicating a preference for inclusive program designs that broaden participation and access.
Does the notice encourage nationwide participation beyond major cities?
Yes. Virtual activities are expected to be accessible across Kazakhstan, and the notice also encourages outreach models like "Makerspace on the Road" to bring resources and training to rural communities.
What are the key dates mentioned in the notice?
The notice was created on May 26, 2021. The original closing date was June 26, 2021. The anticipated start date was July 20, 2021, with awards subject to the availability of funds.
Are awards guaranteed?
No. The notice states that awards are subject to the availability of funds.
What should proposals emphasize to fit this call?
Based on the notice description, proposals should be tightly planned for a six-month period, be partnership-driven (including required in-person partnerships with the American Spaces/Makerspaces network), and clearly connect activities to measurable skills-building outcomes through mentorship, training, and hands-on learning.
What role do American Spaces and Makerspaces play in the program model?
They function as anchor partners and implementation hubs, especially for in-person activities. The program is also described as leveraging American innovation resources and models supported by Chevron and the American Spaces/Makerspaces network.
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