Western Hemisphere Regional Transnational Crime Assessment and Analysis | SFOP0007196

Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0007196

The Western Hemisphere Regional Transnational Crime Assessment and Analysis opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0007196) is a discretionary grant solicitation from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), focused on strengthening how the U.S. government and partners understand and respond to transnational crime across the Western Hemisphere. The core problem the program is trying to solve is that transnational criminal organizations (including gangs and drug cartels) are not only driving violence and insecurity, but are also weakening border security, expanding illicit economies, and causing direct harm to communities throughout Central America, South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. A major theme in the announcement is that these groups take advantage of pervasive corruption and weak rule of law, using those gaps to move money, protect their operations, and divert public resources that would otherwise support legitimate governance and development.

A central motivation for the grants is the current lack of reliable, data-driven analytics that clearly define the scale and shape of corruption, financial crimes, and criminal networks across the hemisphere, as well as the lack of rigorous evidence on what interventions actually work. INL is essentially looking for projects that can produce comprehensive assessments and actionable analysis, not just descriptive reporting. The expectation is that better measurement and more credible analytical products will improve policy decision-making and help INL and other stakeholders target foreign assistance programming more effectively, including decisions about where to focus resources, what strategies to prioritize, and how to evaluate whether anti-corruption and anti-crime efforts are making a measurable difference.

The solicitation indicates INL plans to fund three separate grant projects (Expected Awards: 3). Each project is intended to contribute to a broader regional understanding of anti-corruption issues, financial crimes, criminal networks, and the impacts of interventions in these areas. While the notice does not spell out a single mandated methodology in the excerpt provided, the emphasis on "data driven, reliable analytics" suggests INL is seeking applicants capable of using robust research and analytical approaches, such as systematic data collection, network analysis, trend analysis, comparative assessment across countries or subregions, and evaluation frameworks that can link interventions to outcomes. The geographical scope is explicitly regional and cross-border in nature, consistent with how transnational criminal organizations operate and how corruption and illicit finance often move through multiple jurisdictions.

Administratively, this is a grant under the Law, Justice and Legal Services activity category (CFDA/Assistance Listing number 19.705). The opportunity was created on July 9, 2020, with an original closing date of August 8, 2020. The award ceiling listed is $306,760, indicating the maximum funding level per award (or per project, depending on how INL structures the individual grants under the solicitation). Eligibility is categorized broadly as "Others," with further clarification referenced in an additional eligibility information field, which typically means applicants may include a range of non-federal entities (often nonprofits, NGOs, think tanks, research institutions, and similar organizations), but would need to consult the full notice for exact constraints.

In practical terms, the work product INL is seeking from these awards is the kind of regional assessment and analysis that can translate into operational guidance: clearer pictures of how corruption enables criminal organizations, how financial crimes and illicit finance systems function in different subregions, how criminal networks are structured and connected, and which anti-corruption or anti-crime interventions have demonstrated impact. The overarching goal is to fill critical information gaps with credible evidence so that policy and programming decisions related to security, justice sector support, and rule-of-law initiatives in the Western Hemisphere are grounded in stronger analysis rather than incomplete or inconsistent data.

• The Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Western Hemisphere Regional Transnational Crime Assessment and Analysis" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.705.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 09, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 08, 2020. (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 $306,760.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for SFOP0007196

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