Deadline: 5-Jul-23
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out projects to counter wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia.
INL seeks to fund programs that improve Southeast Asia’s will and capacity to investigate, arrest, prosecute, convict, and sentence to the fullest extent of the law the criminal organizations that perpetrate wildlife trafficking, especially the leaders and mid-level members of those organizations. Proposals must include details on how the applicant proposes to provide technical assistance to Southeast Asia in one or more of the following areas: strengthen legislative frameworks, enhance law enforcement and investigative capabilities, develop prosecutorial and judicial capacity, and/or support cross-border law enforcement cooperation at the provincial, national, regional, and international levels.
Project Goal and Objectives
- To strengthen criminal justice institutions in Southeast Asia to undertake successful enforcement, investigative, and prosecutorial functions for wildlife crimes, as well as credible measures that prevent wildlife crime.
- INL will prioritize proposals for unique, groundbreaking programs. In addition, INL will prioritize proposals that include anti-corruption activities, and/or combat the criminal organizations that perpetrate wildlife crime. Proposals should display how proposed work would complement existing efforts. Applicants should detail how they will keep other stakeholders apprised of their efforts and coordinate with, but not duplicate, their efforts.
- The program is comprised of the following objectives and sub-objectives:
- Country-Specific Objectives:
- Objective 1: Laos
- Proposals must include activities to achieve at least one of the following sub-objectives listed below. Priority will be given to proposals that include new and innovative activities.
- Sub-Objective 1.1: Increase the capacity of customs and law enforcement to detect, interdict, seize, and transfer illegal wildlife products to investigatory agencies. Activities within this objective should focus on improving interdiction efforts in ports, airports, and other border checkpoints that are identified chokepoints or transit points for trafficking wildlife.
- Sub-Objective 1.2: Improve wildlife law enforcement capacity to prevent, detect, and investigate wildlife criminals and their contraband through specialized training and equipment. Activities within this objective may include all levels of enforcement— from ranger training and assistance to improving investigations following seizures and other evidence of wildlife trafficking in target countries.
- Sub-Objective 1.3: Improve Lao capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases against wildlife crimes and related offenses with appropriate sentencing structures. Activities within this objective should focus on providing assistance that strengthens case management, enhances prosecutorial skills, improves chain of custody of evidence, and sensitizes judges to the detrimental economic, security, and public health effects of wildlife trafficking where prosecutions for wildlife trafficking cases are weak or non-existent. Under this objective, applicants may also propose work that seeks to improve Lao laws that will make enforcement of wildlife trafficking more effective.
- Sub-Objective 1.4: Enhance inter-agency and/or sub-regional cooperation among criminal justice entities at all professional levels.
- Sub-Objective 1.5: Strengthen anti-corruption efforts within relevant agencies to enhance government response, improve government accountability, and strengthen transparency as it relates to wildlife crime. Activities within this objective should focus on supporting legal, institutional, and/or policy changes that reduce vulnerability to corruption and increase accountability and transparency within government institutions responsible for interdicting, investigating, or prosecuting wildlife trafficking cases.
- Proposals must include activities to achieve at least one of the following sub-objectives listed below. Priority will be given to proposals that include new and innovative activities.
- Objective 2: Malaysia
- Proposals must include activities to achieve at least one of the following sub-objectives listed below and may include efforts at the state level, federal level, or a combination of both.
- Sub-Objective 2.1: Increase the capacity of customs and law enforcement to detect, interdict, seize, and transfer illegal wildlife products to investigatory agencies. Activities within this objective should focus on improving interdiction efforts in ports, airports, and other border checkpoints that are identified chokepoints or transit points for trafficking wildlife. Activities can include training and assistance to a wide range of actors such as customs officers, border officials, airport and port authorities, and law enforcement, as well as coordination with shipping and air transit industries.
- Sub-Objective 2.2: Improve wildlife law enforcement capacity to prevent, detect, and investigate wildlife criminals and their contraband through specialized training and equipment. Activities within this objective may include all levels of enforcement— from ranger training and assistance to improving investigations following seizures and other evidence of wildlife trafficking in target countries. Improving investigations can include a range of tools such as expanding intelligence-based enforcement operations, building on realistic technology-based investigative capacity, enhancing analytic capacity to track money laundering and financial crimes, and strengthening skills to effectively use electronic and digital evidence in investigations, such as mobile device forensics and sampling procedures. Proposals may build on existing efforts to enhance an intelligence unit.
- Sub-Objective 2.3: Improve national and state capabilities to prosecute and adjudicate cases against wildlife crimes and related offenses with appropriate sentencing structures. Activities within this objective should focus on providing assistance that strengthens case management, enhances prosecutorial skills, improves chain of custody, and sensitizes judges to the detrimental economic, security, economic, and public health effects of wildlife trafficking in countries where prosecutions for wildlife trafficking cases are weak or non-existent.
- Sub-Objective 2.4: Build on inter-agency and/or sub-regional cooperation among criminal justice entities at all professional levels.
- Sub-Objective 2.5: Strengthen anti-corruption efforts within relevant agencies to enhance government response, improve government accountability, and strengthen transparency as it relates to wildlife crime. Activities within this objective should focus on supporting legal, institutional, and/or policy changes that reduce vulnerability to corruption and increase accountability and transparency within government institutions responsible for interdicting, investigating, or prosecuting wildlife trafficking cases.
- Proposals must include activities to achieve at least one of the following sub-objectives listed below and may include efforts at the state level, federal level, or a combination of both.
- Objective 1: Laos
- Region-Specific Objectives:
- Objective 3: Priority Borders
- Because corruption facilitates wildlife trafficking, proposals should also include anti-corruption activities. These activities should focus on steps to prevent and combat the corruption that enables wildlife trafficking, such as police professionalization, engagement of civil society, rewards programs. Proposals should not include a demand reduction program to reduce consumer demand for illegal wildlife products. Some identified priority border crossings are as followed, but applicants may propose alternate or additional borders from the Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and/or Thailand sides. The applicant does not need to include all listed borders, and proposals should identify specific checkpoints.
- Proposals may include Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and/or Thailand.
- Sub-Objective 3.1: Increase the capacity of customs and law enforcement to detect, interdict, seize, and transfer illegal wildlife products to investigatory agencies through proper evidence handling. Activities within this objective should focus on improving interdiction efforts in ports, airports, and other border checkpoints that are identified chokepoints or transit points for trafficking wildlife.
- Sub-Objective 3.2: Improve wildlife law enforcement capacity to prevent, detect, and investigate wildlife criminals and their contraband through specialized training and equipment. Activities within this objective may include all levels of enforcement— from ranger training and assistance to improving investigations following seizures and other evidence of wildlife trafficking in target countries.
- Sub-Objective 3.3: Strengthen anti-corruption efforts within relevant agencies to enhance government response, improve government accountability, and strengthen transparency as it relates to wildlife crime. Activities within this objective should focus on supporting legal, institutional, and/or policy changes that reduce vulnerability to corruption and increase accountability and transparency within government institutions responsible for interdicting, investigating, or prosecuting wildlife trafficking cases.
- Objective 3: Priority Borders
- Country-Specific Objectives:
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 24-36 months (as indicated in each objective)
- Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2023
- Number of awards anticipated: 3-5 awards (dependent on amounts)
- Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $750,000 to a maximum of $2,000,000
- Total available funding: $5,500,000
- Objective 1: Laos
- Award Ceiling: $1,750,000
- Award floor: $750,000
- Anticipated number of Awards: 1-2
- Length of Performance Period: 36 months
- Objective 2: Malaysia
- Award Ceiling: $1,750,000
- Award floor: $750,000
- Anticipated number of Awards: 1-2
- Length of Performance Period: 24 months
- Objective 3: Priority Borders
- Award Ceiling: $2,000,000
- Award floor: $1,000,000
- Anticipated number of Awards: 1
- Length of Performance Period: 24 months
Priority Region/Countries: Southeast Asia; Thailand; Laos; Malaysia; Vietnam
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
- U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code;
- U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section
- 26 US 115 of the US 115 of the U.S. tax code;
- Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
- Foreign-based educational institutions
- Applicants must also meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply to this NOFO:
- Demonstrate host-government support and the ability to work in the target country(ies).
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
