Supporting U.S. Cybersecurity Capacity Building for ASEAN Countries | ESF CYBASEAN FY20 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for ESF CYBASEAN FY20 01

The grant opportunity titled "Supporting U.S. Cybersecurity Capacity Building for ASEAN Countries" is a U.S. Department of State program run through the U.S. Mission to Singapore. It is designed to strengthen cybersecurity capacity across Southeast Asia, with a primary focus on ASEAN member states and other Southeast Asian countries that are eligible for Economic Support Funds (ESF). The overall intent is to help countries in the region improve cyber awareness, develop stronger policies and institutional approaches, and build practical skills so they can better prevent, manage, and respond to cyber incidents in a threat environment that is cross-border and constantly changing.

This funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. government expects to be actively involved in the project’s direction and implementation rather than simply providing a pass-through grant. The award is fixed at exactly USD 651,750 from FY 2020 ESF funds, contingent on funds being available, and the program anticipates making one award total. The planned period of performance is 36 months, giving the recipient time to organize multiple activities, deliver training programming over time, and support follow-on assessment and planning work rather than running a one-off event.

The work supported by the award is framed around existing U.S.-Singapore and ASEAN-linked capacity-building platforms. Specifically, it aligns with the U.S.-Singapore Cybersecurity Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) for ASEAN Countries and the U.S.-Singapore Third-Country Training Program (TCTP). It also fits under the broader umbrella of the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE), which serves as a regional hub for cybersecurity training, collaboration, and capability development. In practice, that means the awardee would be helping implement or expand training and advisory activities that complement these established initiatives, rather than creating an entirely separate program from scratch.

The project is divided into two major parts. The first part focuses on logistical and event support for delivering a series of cybersecurity trainings. The trainings are intended to be comprehensive and rigorous, building a "whole of capability" approach that can raise cybersecurity maturity levels across participating countries. While the notice does not list specific course titles in the excerpt provided, the goal is clearly to develop practical readiness across areas like workforce skills, operational coordination, and institutional resilience so that governments and related stakeholders in the region are more prepared to address cyber threats that often spread across national boundaries.

The second part concentrates on gap analysis and advisory services. This component is about assessing what participating ESF-eligible countries still need in terms of policies, technical expertise, institutional processes, and training content, then using those findings to propose or design expanded cooperative cybersecurity capacity-building efforts. A key output implied here is a roadmap or set of recommendations for new or improved trainings that could be brought under ASCCE, effectively helping shape what the next phase of regional capacity building should look like based on real, observed gaps rather than assumptions.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number ESF CYBASEAN FY20 01 and CFDA number 19.124, with the activity category described as science and technology and other research and development. The eligibility category is broadly stated as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced but not included in the provided text, suggesting that prospective applicants would need to consult the full NOFO to confirm which organization types are allowed and whether any geographic, institutional, or partnership requirements apply.

Key dates included in the source information show the opportunity was created on June 14, 2021, with an original closing date of July 23, 2021. The legal funding authority is the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which is a common statutory basis for U.S. foreign assistance programs and reinforces that the project is intended to advance U.S. foreign policy and regional stability objectives through targeted capacity building.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Singapore in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Supporting U.S. Cybersecurity Capacity Building for ASEAN Countries" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.124.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 14, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 23, 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 $651,750.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ESF CYBASEAN FY20 01

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