Deadline: 26-Jun-23
The Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to strengthen the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS)’s ability to counter al-Shabaab financing and tax collection efforts by encouraging the public to report on known or suspected al-Shabaab tax collectors and schemes.
Goals
The program will contribute to the following Department of State strategic goals:
- Goal 1: Civilian security and justice authorities in East Africa – including Somalia and Kenya – prevent, disrupt, degrade, respond to, investigate, and prosecute terrorist activity.
- Goal 2: Existing or emerging terrorist groups are contained, and their operational capabilities are degraded, with a particular focus on Somalia and Kenya.
Program Objective(s)
- Goal: By October 2025, the FGS has a hotline through which civilians can report on al-Shabaab members involved in tax collection or financial activities; and the implementor produces awareness-raising content that informs and incentivizes individuals to anonymously report alShabaab financing activities to the hotline.
- Objective 1: By January 2024, the FGS has established a list of known and suspected alShabaab members who assist in financing or tax collection activities.
- The proposal must include a plan and criteria to assist relevant FGS stakeholders in developing a list of high-profile al-Shabaab financiers and tax collectors.
- Objective 2: By March 2024, the FGS establishes a hotline, under the Ministry of Internal Security (MOIS), for citizens to anonymously report information that will assist in the arrest, prosecution, or defection of al-Shabaab tax collectors and financiers.
- The proposal must include a plan to institutionalize policy, training, and standard operating procedures.
- The proposal must include a plan to recruit, train, equip, and deploy new officers to sustain and expand the messaging and hotline program.
- The proposal must include a plan to establish an interagency coordination mechanism between the hotline unit and the Somali SPF, Defector Rehabilitation Program (DRP), and Financial Reporting Center (FRC) to aid in the creation of targeted messaging campaign content.
- Objective 3: By March 2024, the implementor partners with a local or regional media production entity, under the MOIS, to develop and deliver counter illicit finance messaging campaigns directly tied to SPF and FRC law enforcement objectives targeting al-Shabaab members named on the FGS produced list. This media is intended to facilitate calls into the hotline.
- The production entity must be capable of designing, creating, and delivering tailored messaging to:
- raise public awareness about the vast financial network and key individuals within al-Shabaab; and
- and spur action among civilians and al-Shabaab insiders, defectors, and network beneficiaries to increase reporting to the established hotline.
- The production entity must be capable of designing, creating, and delivering tailored messaging to:
- Objective 4: By April 2024, the hotline unit proactively passes information received from the public to appropriate law enforcement entity for investigation, arrest, and prosecution.
- Objective 1: By January 2024, the FGS has established a list of known and suspected alShabaab members who assist in financing or tax collection activities.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 24 months
- Number of awards anticipated: One (1) award
- Total available funding: $2,962,5000
- Anticipated program start date: 30 September 2023
Participants and Audiences: The intended beneficiary for this project is a law enforcement unit or combination of units within the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Internal Security with the authority to work across agencies.
Priority Country or Region: Somalia
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations.
- Public and private educational institutions
- For-profit organizations (only if allowed by appropriation)
- Public International Organizations (PIOs) and Governmental institutions
- Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.