Increasing Law Enforcement’s Capability to Prevent, Mitigate, and Respond to Gender-Based Violence | DFOP0010778

Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0010778

The grant opportunity titled "Increasing Law Enforcement's Capability to Prevent, Mitigate, and Respond to Gender-Based Violence" (Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0010778) is a discretionary funding program from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It is designed to strengthen the ability of foreign law enforcement agencies to prevent gender-based violence (GBV), reduce its impact when it occurs, and improve official responses to survivors. In practical terms, the program is aimed at building operational capacity, improving institutional practices, and supporting more effective, victim-centered law enforcement approaches in non-U.S. settings where gaps in prevention, protection, investigation, and accountability may be limiting outcomes.

This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the funding agency expects to be more actively involved during implementation than it would be under a standard grant. While the public description is brief, the core intent is clear: support initiatives that help law enforcement institutions handle GBV cases more effectively across the full cycle of response, including early prevention efforts, immediate response and protection, case handling and investigations, referral pathways, coordination with prosecutors and service providers, and broader mitigation measures that reduce harm and repeat victimization.

The funding activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services, and the program is associated with CFDA number 19.703, which aligns with INL's broader international rule of law and law enforcement capacity-building work. The listed award ceiling is $1,300,000, indicating the maximum possible size of a single award under this solicitation. The posting also lists "Expected Awards: 0," which can appear in some systems when the number of awards is not specified or may depend on the quality of applications and available funds, rather than indicating that no awards will be made. The opportunity was created on March 27, 2024, and the original application closing date was June 12, 2024.

Eligibility is open to a range of nonprofit and educational applicants, including both U.S.-based and foreign-based organizations. Specifically, eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofit and non-governmental organizations, U.S.-based educational institutions that qualify under relevant U.S. tax provisions (including 501(c)(3) and certain public educational entities under 26 U.S.C. 115), as well as foreign-based nonprofit/NGO applicants and foreign-based educational institutions. The eligibility field also highlights nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), which is a common eligibility category in U.S. federal assistance listings and generally indicates that tax-exempt nonprofit status is a key qualifying factor for many applicants.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as funding for programs that help professionalize and strengthen foreign law enforcement responses to gender-based violence through capacity building, systems improvement, and implementation support. Competitive projects under this kind of INL program often emphasize practical outcomes like improved investigative quality, stronger survivor-centered procedures, better evidence handling and documentation, safer reporting mechanisms, stronger coordination across agencies and service providers, and measures that increase accountability while reducing retraumatization of survivors. The central theme is not only responding after violence occurs, but also building institutional capability that contributes to prevention and risk reduction over time.

• The Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Increasing Law Enforcement’s Capability to Prevent, Mitigate, and Respond to Gender-Based Violence" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.703.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-12. (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 $1,300,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for DFOP0010778

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