Start US Up - Paris | PAS FRANCE FY2021 05

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS FRANCE FY2021 05

Start US Up - Paris is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to France) grant opportunity to select one nonprofit partner to design and run a six-month entrepreneurship and leadership program for roughly 20 to 30 young participants from the Ile-de-France region. The core idea is to combine practical startup training with a structured sports component, using athletics to build the kinds of confidence, teamwork, resilience, and leadership that entrepreneurs need alongside classic business skills like pitching, business planning, and financial management. The program, originally launched by the U.S. Embassy in France in 2014, is positioned as both a talent-development pipeline for new founders and a community-building effort that strengthens alumni connections and ties to the Embassy.

The selected organization would be responsible for the full end-to-end program design and delivery across a weekly workshop format, bringing in both American and French experts to ensure participants are exposed to dual perspectives on entrepreneurship and leadership. The grantee must provide hands-on support that helps participants sharpen their projects, clarify strategy, and improve viability over the course of the six months. A key public finale is a pitch event hosted at the U.S. Embassy, where participants present their business projects to a professional jury. In parallel, the program is expected to include English classes so participants can learn to pitch effectively in an international environment, reflecting the program’s emphasis on global readiness and transatlantic exchange.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its explicit link to the Olympic Games legacy and related innovation themes. Because Paris will host the 2024 Olympic Games and Los Angeles will host in 2028, the grant frames the program as part of a broader Paris-LA cooperation focused on transatlantic dialogue and best-practice exchange around Olympics legacy priorities. Applicants are expected to recruit participants whose entrepreneurial projects connect to at least one of four themes: sports and innovation, solidarity and inclusion, events, and sustainable development. Preference is given to startups with social impact, and proposals should show how the curriculum and mentorship will encourage sustainable, durable business models rather than short-term concepts.

The sports element is not incidental; it is a required and structured part of the learning design. The partner organization must organize and lead sports trainings (examples given include boxing, running, and physical training) specifically aimed at developing leadership skills and self-confidence. The grantee must also organize a trip within France that includes a physical and endurance challenge, reinforcing the leadership-through-sport concept in a more immersive setting. In addition to entrepreneurs and business experts, the program is expected to feature keynote addresses and seminars from both inspirational American and French entrepreneurs and high-level French athletes, with the application including a sample list of around 10 potential guest speakers.

Recruitment and selection are central responsibilities of the grantee. The organization must publicize the opportunity widely to attract a strong applicant pool and present a clear recruitment strategy in the proposal. The grantee runs the selection process, including forming the jury and securing a suitable venue for candidate presentations, while the U.S. Embassy participates on the selection jury. The participant target group is 18 to 35-year-old youth from within and around Ile-de-France, and the program seeks a mix of socioeconomic backgrounds and educational/professional paths, signaling an inclusion goal as well as an entrepreneurship goal.

Beyond the cohort experience, the opportunity places real weight on network-building, alumni engagement, and communications. The 2022 program description includes alumni club gatherings for networking and follow-up, as well as the creation and maintenance of an online alumni directory. The grantee is expected to develop and maintain a broader Start US Up network to strengthen the program’s reputation among professional circles, the Olympic Games ecosystem, and government representatives, and to present a network-development strategy in the application. Separately, the grantee must build a robust communications plan that highlights the program, participant successes, and U.S. Embassy involvement, including web presence, social media, content creation, and press/public relations, along with consistent reporting and regular coordination with the Embassy.

A notable operational requirement is coordination with a newly expanded Start US Up chapter in Marseille. The Marseille chapter follows the same calendar as the Ile-de-France chapter, and the Paris grantee must organize joint programming with Marseille once per month, alternating hosting duties every other month. Proposals therefore need to explain clearly how the applicant will collaborate with the Marseille program, manage logistics, and ensure the two chapters remain aligned while still serving their regional participants.

In practical grant terms, this is a discretionary funding opportunity funded through a cooperative agreement, meaning the Embassy is likely to remain actively involved through coordination, selection participation, and ongoing communication expectations. The opportunity is offered by the Department of State, U.S. Mission to France, with eligibility limited to nonprofits holding U.S. 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The funding opportunity number is PAS FRANCE FY2021 05, with an award ceiling of $102,500 and one expected award. The original posting indicates a creation date of July 12, 2021 and an original closing date of August 20, 2021.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to France in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), business and commerce, community development, education, employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Start US Up - Paris" 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 Jul 12, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 20, 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 $102,500.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for PAS FRANCE FY2021 05

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: