The mission of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) is to nurture a 21st century abolitionist movement against modern-day slavery that emphasizes prosecuting traffickers, protecting and assisting victims, and developing efforts to prevent trafficking from occurring or continuing. While G/TIP has many responsibilities with regard to this mission, one important element of G/TIP's strategy is to provide support for anti-trafficking efforts throughout the world. The financial appropriations approved by Congress and the President allow G/TIP to fund creative and innovative anti-trafficking programs (Anti-Human Trafficking Programs) in locations that demonstrate considerable need. In Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006, G/TIP administered approximately $17 million in funds to combat trafficking worldwide.
G/TIP is utilizing two mechanisms to solicit proposals in Fiscal Year 2007: (1) formal Requests for Proposals (RFPs) posted on the Grants.gov website; and (2) U.S. Embassies abroad. For more information about both mechanisms, please see the "Current Funding Opportunities" Section below.
All proposals submitted to G/TIP in response to a solicitation are subject to a competitive review process. Because G/TIP receives modest funding for programmatic and action-oriented research projects, each proposal must be carefully weighed with respect to the scope of the identified problem, tier placement of the country in which activities will take place, political will and governmental commitment to address trafficking in that country, the feasibility and likely effectiveness of the proposed activities, and the reasonableness of the budget.
Current Funding Opportunities
(1) On October 27, 2006, G/TIP posted a Request for Proposals (RFP) entitled "International Programs to Combat Trafficking in Persons" on the grants.gov web site. That announcement closed on December 1, 2006. The intensive review of the submitted proposals is now complete, and official notifications were sent to all applicants the week of February 26, 2007.
(2) On March 6, 2007, U.S. Embassies were asked to solicit proposals for projects to address identified trafficking problems. These projects may be implemented by locally-based NGOs, U.S.-based NGOs, and international organizations (IOs) or through an Interagency Agreement. While G/TIP centrally manages its anti-trafficking programs, the U.S. Embassies are our key partners in identifying programmatic priorities and possible implementing partners. As such, the Embassies solicit proposals directly, and then submit them to G/TIP for consideration, funding, and project monitoring. Those interested in pursuing this funding opportunity should contact the U.S. Embassy located in the country where proposed project activities would take place, to get Embassy-specific information. All proposals must be submitted via U.S. Embassies, with the only exception being regional or global proposals (see the "Submission Deadline" section below). Further details regarding this solicitation and its requirements can be found below:
Funding Priorities: G/TIP's funds will be used primarily to assist Tier 3 and Tier 2 Watch List countries, though vulnerable Tier 2 countries will also be considered. Priority will be given to address issues or deficiencies identified in the Trafficking in Persons Report and Interim Assessments. Additional factors that will be considered include the severity and scope of the human trafficking problem in the country, the country's financial resources or lack of resources, and the political will on the part of a country's national and/or local governments to work cooperatively to address identified TIP problems.
Activity Priorities: G/TIP encourages the following types of proposals:
Proposal Format: All applicants should use the following format. The proposal narrative (Sections A through D below) must be no more than 5 pages in length. The budget and resumes should be attached.
A. Identifying Information - The applicant should provide the following: (a) legal name of the organization; (b) name of the Organization Director; (c) name of the organization contact for the application; (d) mailing address; (e) phone number; and (f) e-mail address for the application contact.
B. Abstract - A brief summary, not more than one page, that describes the need for the project, proposed activities, and expected results.
C. Problem Statement - The problem statement should describe the need for the project, with regard to the extent and nature of the trafficking problem in the targeted area, including any available qualitative and/or quantitative information, and existing resources available to address the problem.
D. Project Goals/Objectives/Implementation Plan - The applicant should specify the project goals and objectives designed to address the problem, and identify the extent to which the project will address one or more of the three anti-TIP element: prevention, protection, and prosecution. The applicant should describe proposed activities and provide a time-task plan. This section should also describe how effectiveness will be measured in terms of performance indicators.
E. Organizational Capacity - Applications should include a description of the applicant's previous experience with trafficking-related projects, and experience and background in the country/region as these relate to the proposed activities. This section should also identify the project management and staffing plan. If partner organizations will be involved, applicants should identify those organizations, and the roles and responsibilities of each partner.
F. Budget - The budget must identify the total spending amount of funding requested, with a breakdown of amounts to be spent in the following budget categories: (a) personnel; (b) fringe benefits; (c) travel; (d) equipment; (e) supplies; (f) consultants/contracts; (g) other direct costs; (h) indirect costs.
G. Resumes - The application should include one-page resumes for the proposed key staff, if identified. Key staff are those who will perform critical elements of the project.
Program Performance and Evaluation: Measuring the effectiveness of funded programs is of critical importance to G/TIP. Submitted proposals must include proposed performance indicators; however, G/TIP anticipates working with funded grantees to implement standardized measures of performance and enhanced evaluation plans.
Proposed Project Durations: Projects should be no longer than 2 years in length.
Submission Deadline: U.S. Embassies will receive and review proposals in March and early April. Following their review, the Embassies will submit up to five proposals to G/TIP by April 20, 2007. Please contact Embassies directly for further information. Regional or global submissions to G/TIP must be e-mailed no later than 11:59pm on April 20, 2007, to Amy LeMar at LemarAN@state.gov.
Decision-Making and Notification: G/TIP will convene an interagency review panel to assess the proposals and assist in making funding determinations. Applicants can expect to receive notification regarding the status of their proposals approximately 90 days after G/TIP's submission deadline. Applicants should be aware that awards will be made 8-12 months following the completion of the panel review process.
Contact Information: Questions regarding regional or global projects can be directed to Amy LeMar at the e-mail address provided above. Questions regarding other types of projects should be relayed directly to the relevant U.S. Embassy.