Deadline: 29 April 2019
The United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs INL is seeking applications from qualified U.S. and non-U.S. based non-governmental (NGOs) for a Grant to implement a program entitled “Criminal Justice Civil Society Program.”
The United States Embassy in Podgorica supports specific projects and initiatives that facilitate the engagement of Montenegrin citizens in criminal justice reform efforts through grant awards up to $50,000. The main goal of the program is to help Montenegro transition to a more effective and transparent criminal justice system by engaging citizens in the process through watchdog and monitoring activities, advocacy and policy-making, research, and public education. Grants are awarded to U.S. and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), media, or other organizations that have a proven track record in the criminal justice field and good organizational capacities.
Project Goals
The Criminal Justice Civil Society Program aims to support up to ten successful applications from NGOs from U.S. and Montenegro. Projects that this program aims to support should be focused on activities from the following areas:
- Organized Crime
- Fight against corruption
- Transparency in criminal justice institutions
- Countering Human Trafficking
- Countering violent extremism, including rightwing, ethno-nationalist extremism
- Counter-narcotics
Project Objectives
The Commission is interested in projects that support the engagement of the Montenegrin society in the criminal justice reform process. Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Organized Crime (Examples: support to the work of the new independent Special State Prosecutor for Organized Crime and Corruption; encouraging citizen watchdog activities involved in fighting organized crime; use of integrated, multi-agency approaches to fight organized crime.)
- Corruption (Example: support to the work of the new preventive Anti-Corruption Agency; sector specific corruption proposals, focusing on particular corruption risk areas such as procurement, education, health care, etc.; avoiding public official conflict of interests; citizen watchdog activities regarding the public official asset declaration form system.)
- Transparency in criminal justice institutions (Example: support to Press and Public Information Offices in courts, prosecution offices, and police; use of freedom of information procedures.)
- Human Trafficking (Example: educational activities for raising awareness of the trafficking in persons, support to law enforcement agencies in identifying and processing cases of human trafficking)
- Countering Violent Extremism, including rightwing, ethno-nationalist extremism (Example: public information and education campaigns to discourage Montenegrin citizens from serving as foreign fighters in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere; programs supporting ethnic and religious tolerance and moderation; programs researching and identifying trends in rightwing ethno-nationalist extremism; reintegration and rehabilitation of former foreign fighters.)
- Counter-Narcotics (Example: demand reduction campaigns; diversion efforts; rehabilitation of addicted persons.)
Funding Information
The anticipated total federal funding amount is not to exceed $200,000. The period of performance is two (2) years with an anticipated start date of July 2019.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to:
- Applicants that qualify to receive U.S. grants, not-for-profit/non/governmental organizations (NGOs), with the ability to develop and successfully implement projects in Montenegro, and meet INL’s reporting requirements. Organizations must also be able to demonstrate current (or pending) country registration in Montenegro.
- Applicants must have demonstrated experience implementing similar education or capacity building programs, preferably in Montenegro. INL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering similar programs and/or federal grant awards.
- Applicants must have the ability to produce course materials, deliver training, and conduct evaluations in Montenegrin and English. The applicant’s staff should be proficient in English in order to fulfill reporting requirements.
- Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with stakeholders in order to successfully carry out the proposed program.
- Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other members as sub-award partners.
- Applicants must be able to respond to the NOFO and be able to mobilize in a short period.
PLEASE NOTE: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.
How to Apply
To apply for a grant, organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=313315