Deadline: 26-Sep-23
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL, or the Department) is offering grants to strengthen civil society capacity to protect migrant workers, particularly Mexican nationals participating in U.S. temporary foreign worker (TFW) programs, by supporting fair recruitment initiatives, improving civil society organizations’ and TFWs’ awareness of labor rights, and increasing the use of formal mechanisms to exercise those rights.
The project shall be designed to achieve the outcomes necessary to achieve the project objective and substantially contribute to the desired long-term impact(s). USDOL has identified the following outcomes as necessary to achieve the project objective:
- Outcome 1: Civil society organizations gain knowledge and capacity to advance issues surrounding migrant worker labor rights, including ethical recruitment, fair pay, occupational safety and health, gender equity, and remediation of unfair practices.
- Outcome 2: Civil society organizations provide improved services to migrant workers throughout their labor migration to ensure their labor rights are protected.
The award recipient should choose between two (2) to four (4) states in Mexico, focusing on high-sending communities, areas with documented recruiter fraud, and locations where the grantee and partner organizations have strong relationships. This project should be transnational and cross-border, with most activities in Mexico and some activities working with migrant workers, particularly TFW in the H-2A and H-2B programs, while they are in the United States.
Funding Information
- Funding will be provided in the form of a cooperative agreement. Approximately $3,000,000 total costs are expected to be available to fund one (1) award. Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $3,000,000 total costs.
- The required period of performance is 54 months from the effective date of the award. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities
- In addition to its normal consultative role as grantor, ILAB’s substantial involvement in program activities may focus on elements that are essential to meet program requirements and ensure achievement of program objectives and outcomes. ILAB’s involvement may include, but not be limited to:
- Liaising with in-country USG officials and host country governments on matters related to the project.
- Collaborating substantially on the project strategy and implementation, as well as the development of the project document package.
- Collaborating substantially on the development and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation plan and all of its components.
- Providing highly specialized input on the technical definitions and concepts of workers’ rights, international labor standards, occupational safety and health (OSH), industrial relations, social dialogue, collective bargaining, freedom of association, acceptable conditions of work, stakeholder compliance, non-discrimination, labor courts, labor administration, labor inspection, labor law and judicial reform, legal and policy frameworks, child labor, forced labor, human trafficking, and effective enforcement, among others.
- Being substantially and actively involved in designing research, service provision, and/or capacity building activities jointly with the recipient.
- Reviewing and providing input on project’s planning for sustainability and collaborating to promote sustainability of project efforts, including through replication of good practices.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- U.S. organizations:
- Nonprofits, including any faith-based organizations or community-based organizations
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
- For-Profit organizations
- Non-U.S. organizations:
- Non-U.S. Entities, including PIOs
Ineligible
- Organizations designated by the U.S. Government to be associated with terrorism.
- Organizations designated by the U.S. Government to have been debarred or suspended.
- Organizations planning to charge a fee (profit) associated with a project funded by a USDOL award.
- Foreign governments and entities that are agencies of, or operated by or for, a foreign state or government are not eligible to apply.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.