Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Summit 2027

A.  PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 1. Project Background, Goals, and ObjectivesThe Department of State Agency Strategic Plan outlines U.S. economic and technological dominance (Goal 5) including strengthening the U.S. technological edge, increasing U.S. technical exports and investments, and stopping foreign actor abuse of the global trading system.

Project Goal:

The YSEALI Summit 2027 in Singapore will accelerate adoption of the American AI tech stack in Southeast Asia and strengthen networks of pro-innovation leaders by pairing rising leaders from ASEAN countries with the access to U.S.-origin tools and U.S. AI firms operating in Singapore, addressing problem sets these leaders bring to solve through the several days of the Summit.

Project Audience:

YSEALI Summit 2027 will bring together exchange alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to:

·      Leadership and innovative thinking.

·      Using technology to develop tangible solutions to problem sets in their country or region.

Primary audiences:

·      At least 100 competitively selected early to mid-career professionals who are YSEALI alumni from the 11 ASEAN member states. 

·      The expected 8-15 mentors and resource speakers, including U.S. and ASEAN government officials, private sector leaders, and experts, who will both inform and be informed by YSEALI alumni perspectives.

Secondary audiences:

·      ASEAN nation government leaders in attendance at the ASEAN summit

·      ASEAN nation government officials responsible for pro-innovation policy formulation

·      Peers and colleagues of the YSEALI alumni to whom the alumni will recommend U.S. AI tech products

·      Traditional and non-traditional media to reach the above-mentioned audiences.   

Project Outcomes:  

The project should result in 100 YSEALI alumni using U.S. tech to create solutions to challenges faced in ASEAN countries. The project should also result in adoption of the U.S. tech stack among YSEALI alumni and increased comprehension of how the U.S. and ASEAN countries can align their pro-innovation policies for shared prosperity.

Project Objectives:

Objective 1: Accelerate adoption of the U.S. tech stack by demonstrating how it maximizes freedoms and prosperity in the ASEAN region. 

Activity 1.1. Strategic Discussions on the Advantages of the U.S. Tech Stack: Speakers and discussions will emphasize the advantages and value proposition of the U.S. tech stack. Success will look like:

·      At least 70% of participants demonstrate understanding of the advantages of the U.S. tech stack compared to competitor offerings at the conclusion of the summit

·      At least 60% of participants rank U.S. tech stack products as their preferred AI product, when given an opportunity to compare and choose, six months after the summit.

·      At least 60% of participants report continued use of U.S. AI six months after the summit.

·      At least 40% of participants report recommending U.S. AI products to peers and colleagues six months after the summit.

·      At least 30% of participants report integrating U.S. AI products into their professional portfolio six months after the summit

·      100% of participants post at least two pieces of social media content on at least one digital platform about the advantages of the U.S. tech stack or a U.S. tech product, within two weeks after the summit

Activity 1.2. Strategic Discussion on Pro-Innovation Frameworks: Speakers and discussions will examine how pro-innovation policy will foster U.S.-ASEAN tech alignment and shared prosperity. A training will equip participants on how to advocate for pro-innovation policy to their governments and legislators. Success will look like:

·      At least 70% of participants demonstrate understanding of pro-innovation policy and regulatory frameworks at the conclusion of the summit

·      100% of participants develop an action plan to advocate for pro-innovation policy in their home countries at the conclusion of the summit

·      At least 50% of participants report advocating for pro-innovation policy in their home countries six months after the summit

·      100% of participants post at least two pieces of social media content on at least one digital platform about the advantages of pro-innovation policy and regulatory frameworks, within two weeks after the summit

Activity 1.3. ASEAN Ignite: Fueling the Future with U.S. Tech, a hackathon-style event in which cross-national participant teams harness U.S. AI to develop solutions to shared ASEAN challenges. Success will look like:

·      100% of participant teams produce a working framework to harness U.S. AI and address an ASEAN challenge such as energy security, space innovation, and secure supply chains.

·      At least three participant teams develop cutting-edge solutions that meet a set of pre-defined criteria that are implementable with a small grant, as measured by a standardized rubric.

·      At least three participant teams implement their projects funded with small grants within six months, including turning in reports and briefing Embassy staff on how their projects harness AI and address ASEAN challenges.

Objective 2: Present the United States as ASEAN’s Comprehensive Strategic Partner to the Next Generation of Leaders: 

Activity 2.1: Show the depth and breadth of U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia as ASEAN’s Comprehensive Strategic Partner by collaborating with at least five U.S. companies in key industries that demonstrate U.S. tech leadership. 

Activity 2.2: Commemorate the 50th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations with remarks from U.S. Government officials and a “50 Under 50” celebration. Success will look like:

·      At least 70% of summit participants believe that the U.S.-ASEAN relationship is a force for shared prosperity and a free and open Indo-Pacific at the conclusion of the summit.

·      At least 70% of surveyed fair attendees report the closing ceremony energized them to continue working with the U.S. Department of State at the conclusion of the summit.  

2b. Participants

The YSEALI Summit will bring together 100 YSEALI exchange alumni, which includes alumni from the U.S.-based YSEALI Professional and Academic Fellowship programs, YSEALI regional workshops, YSEALI Women’s Leadership Academy, and the YSEALI Seeds for the Future competition winners.

There is no age minimum or maximum, but the expectation is that most participants will be working professionals. Program participants are YSEALI exchange alumni who travel from their ASEAN member state of residence (Brunei, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam) to or from within Singapore under cooperative agreement funding. The award recipient will coordinate with the U.S. Department of State to recruit YSEALI exchange alumni as participants of the YSEALI Summit. The application to participate in the YSEALI Summit will be open on a competitive, merit basis to all categories of exchange alumni. Competitive applicants will demonstrate their substantial involvement in projects that have had a considerable impact in their communities, countries, or the region based on their YSEALI experience. Projects that demonstrate active regional engagement or strengthen partnerships between the United States and ASEAN will receive special consideration. Each U.S. Embassy will review and approve applicant shortlists for their countries.

Employees of the U.S. Department of State, the recipient, subaward recipients, and/or contractors are not eligible to benefit from the program as participants but may contribute to the program as facilitators or resource speakers.

Proposals must support approximately 100 participants and 8-15 resource speakers from ASEAN member countries and/or the United States. Nationals from other countries may be considered on a case-by-case basis to serve as resource speakers. 

2c. Overview of key program components

All proposals should contain detailed information related to the following key program components.

Program Promotion and Outreach – The recipient will develop a public communication plan that includes managing a program website, creating informational documents, and developing and managing official program social media accounts in line with U.S. government branding requirements

Recruitment and Selection – The recipient will create and disseminate recruitment materials, develop and manage an online, mobile-friendly application system, and create an application scoring system to ensure a fair and open competition. The applicant must demonstrate that it has the internal capacity and expertise to carry out recruitment and related activities directly, without reliance on an in-country partner.

Virtual Program Launch / Pre-Departure Orientations (PDOs) – The recipient will develop and host at least one virtual pre-departure orientation for summit participants. The PDO(s) should prepare the participants for their summit experience and include elements related to program goals, expectations, and health and safety information. PDO planning and execution should take place in collaboration with the Public Diplomacy Section of U.S. Embassy Singapore. The recipient may compensate resource speakers and delivery of thematic content with a reasonable honorarium, but this is not a requirement.  

Safety – The recipient will develop and implement a plan to monitor the health, safety, and welfare of summit participants, including identifying adequate resources to respond to potential emergencies. The recipient is responsible for promptly informing U.S. Embassy Singapore regarding any program or participant issues or emergencies and any actions the recipient takes to address these. 

Post Summit Support – The recipient will provide adequate mentorship support for the alumni groups as they implement their summit action plans. The recipient will monitor their progress. The recipient will design and produce media and communication materials that highlight summit outcomes and success stories featuring the participants – including short impact videos and related digital content – to showcase achievements, demonstrate results, and communicate the summit’s contribution to U.S. foreign policy objectives and compliance with Department of State branding and communication standards. 

Monitoring and Evaluation – The recipient will develop and implement a comprehensive plan to monitor and evaluate the program’s effectiveness in reaching the stated objectives. The recipient will provide reports before the Summit and after the activity to document the monitoring and evaluation and inform future public engagement efforts in this area.

3. Substantial Involvement The U.S. Embassy anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement and will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement.