Program to End Modern Slavery Annual Program Statement

The U.S. Department of State, through the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, is accepting applications under the Program to End Modern Slavery Annual Program Statement, opportunity number DFOP0018770. The program is funded through FY 2026 International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement funding and is subject to the availability of funds. The Program to End Modern Slavery establishes a strategic funding framework to develop, test, evaluate, and scale evidence-based anti-trafficking interventions. Its purpose is to strengthen global responses to human trafficking, reduce the prevalence of trafficking, and advance U.S. national security, economic competitiveness, and efforts to combat transnational crime. Projects may operate in a single country, regionally, or globally, but must combat human trafficking outside the United States and align with U.S. Government foreign policy goals. The program supports four priority areas representing different stages and types of anti-trafficking work. Priority Area 1 supports problem analysis and program development, with funding up to $1,000,000 and performance periods of 12 to 24 months. Priority Area 2 supports piloting and testing of intervention concepts that have some evidence of effectiveness, with funding up to $4,000,000 and performance periods of 24 to 36 months. Priority Area 3 supports full-scale implementation and rigorous evaluation of interventions that demonstrated promising pilot-stage results, with funding up to $8,000,000 and performance periods of 24 to 60 months. Priority Area 4 supports technological innovation and private-sector participation to consolidate evidence and data on effective human trafficking programming, with funding up to $2,500,000 and performance periods of 12 to 36 months. Overall awards may range from $500,000 to $8,000,000, and approximately $25 million is available pending funding availability. Multiple awards are anticipated. Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society and nongovernmental organizations, public and private educational institutions, for-profit organizations, Public International Organizations, and U.S. government agencies. Applicants may form consortia and designate subrecipients, but the lead applicant must be clearly identified. Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier and an active SAM.gov registration, subject to specified exemptions. Cost sharing, matching, and cost participation are not required, although voluntary cost share may be proposed and will not result in preferential evaluation. For-profit entities may be subject to additional review and may not earn profit under Department of State assistance awards. Applicants may submit no more than four applications as a prime. Programs involving partisan political activity, charitable or development activities, specific religious activities, fundraising campaigns, U.S. lobbying, primarily organizational growth or institutional development, duplication of existing programs, proprietary or isolated pilots, or findings with limited relevance to the wider field are not eligible. Applications must clearly address the goals and objectives of the opportunity, use English, state budgets in U.S. dollars, number all pages, and follow the specified formatting requirements. Required forms include the SF-424 and SF-424A, with the SF-424B required for specified applicants. An optional summary page may be included. The proposal is limited to 10 pages and must address the proposal summary, organization background and previous U.S. government grants, problem statement, goals and measurable objectives, project activities, methods and design, schedule and timeline, key personnel, sub-awardees, monitoring and evaluation, and future funding or sustainability. Applicants must also submit a detailed budget justification narrative and required attachments, including one-page CVs or resumes for key personnel, letters of support from project sub-awardees, and the latest NICRA when applicable. All application materials must be submitted electronically through MyGrants. Questions about the application process may be sent to TIPGrants@state.gov. MyGrants Customer Support is available at 1 (888) 313-4567. Applications are evaluated first for technical eligibility and completeness and then through formal content review by a panel of Department of State regional and subject matter experts. The scoring criteria are Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea, 30 points; Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants, 20 points; Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives, 15 points; Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, 15 points; Budget, 10 points; and Sustainability, 10 points. Equivalent-scoring applications may be differentiated by indirect cost rate, with preference given to the lower rate as a tie-breaking mechanism. Final award decisions also consider alignment with Administration priorities, the National Security Strategy, executive orders, the Department of State Agency Strategic Plan, and country-specific recommendations in the annual Trafficking in Persons Report. Prior to award, the Department also evaluates financial stability, management systems, performance history, audit findings, and the applicant's ability to implement requirements. Proposals are accepted throughout the stated annual submission period. Proposals received between June 19 and September 30, 2026, are prioritized and are scheduled for review by December 31, 2026. Proposals received between October 1 and December 31, 2026, are scheduled for review by March 31, 2027. Additional reviews may occur if funding is available, and applicants receive responses on a rolling basis based on final Department leadership approvals and funding availability. The anticipated program start period is April through July 2027. Although the basic information table lists a performance range of 12 to 72 months, the narrative directs applicants to propose projects completed within 60 months, and the individual priority areas specify periods ranging from 12 to 60 months. Because this is expressly an Annual Program Statement, future cycles are anticipated, but the source does not provide an explicit opening date for the next annual cycle. Award funds are subject to detailed federal restrictions and post-award requirements. Funds may not support UNRWA, prohibited activities encouraging mass-migration caravans toward the U.S. southwest border, alcoholic beverages, or prohibited unmanned aircraft systems, and other federal foreign-assistance restrictions and certifications apply. Construction is not categorically prohibited, but Department policy restricts its use and imposes additional conditions. Recipients generally must submit quarterly performance and financial reports no more than 30 days after each U.S. fiscal quarter and a final report within 120 days after the project period ends. Research and data products subject to TIP Office review must be approved before public release or use and made available for open-access publication before the end of the performance period. Awards may be grants or cooperative agreements, with cooperative agreements involving substantial Department participation. Continuation funding may be considered noncompetitively subject to funding availability, satisfactory progress, and a Department determination that continuation is in its best interest.

Align the proposal directly with applicable U.S. policy priorities and country-specific TIP Report recommendations. Demonstrate that the trafficking problem is consequential to the United States and that the project addresses a significant evidence, implementation, or capacity gap without duplicating existing work. Present a clear theory of change, measurable outcomes, realistic implementation timeline, rigorous monitoring and evaluation approach, credible cost analysis and value for money, meaningful local ownership, and a sustainability plan beginning at project inception. Ensure every required application component is included because incomplete or technically noncompliant proposals are ineligible.