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...