EnsuringPro-American WorkerCritical MineralsSupply Chain inthe Western Hemisphere

The U.S. Department of Labor, through the Bureau of International Labor Affairs and its Office of Trade and Labor Affairs, is offering the Ensuring "Pro-American Worker" Critical Minerals Supply Chains in the Western Hemisphere funding opportunity as a discretionary cooperative agreement. ILAB works to increase American job and wage growth by combating foreign labor abuses and unfair trade practices in global supply chains that undermine U.S. prosperity and security. The objective of this opportunity is to strengthen labor standards compliance and transparency in Western Hemisphere critical mineral supply chains in order to advance U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. The project is intended to address unfair labor practices that disadvantage U.S. workers and reduce labor-related supply chain risks affecting essential minerals used by American manufacturers. Approximately $5 million in total costs is expected to be available, subject to the availability of federal funds, for approximately one cooperative agreement. An applicant may request up to $5 million in total costs. The required period of performance is 36 months from the award date, although applicants may propose a shorter period consistent with their strategy. Activities must focus on Chile, Argentina, or both countries and must address one or more of copper, lithium, and silver. An applicant working in both countries must select at least one critical mineral for each country. Proposed strategies must be context responsive and may include technical guidance to governments, support to employers on labor standards, strengthened industrial relations, support for multi-stakeholder assurance or supply chain tracing systems, and development of policy or enforcement measures addressing labor standards. The project must incorporate meaningful engagement with relevant government agencies, workers and worker organizations, and employers. Strategies are subject to a post-award stakeholder engagement and strategy validation process. Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal organizations, and for-profit organizations. Non-U.S. entities, including public international organizations as described in 2 CFR 200.1, are also eligible. Previous experience managing federal awards is not required, although applicants must persuasively demonstrate their ability to leverage relevant experience and bring it to scale. Organizations associated with terrorism, debarred or suspended organizations, organizations planning to charge a fee or profit associated with the USDOL-funded project, and foreign governments or entities operated by or for a foreign government are not eligible as applicants. Foreign government entities may be permitted as subrecipients in limited circumstances with USDOL approval. Cost sharing or matching is not required and voluntary cost sharing does not receive additional consideration. Applications must contain two separate and distinct parts: a Technical Proposal with required attachments and a Cost Proposal. The Technical Proposal is limited to 50 single-sided, double-spaced pages using 12-point Times New Roman and one-inch margins, subject to stated exclusions from the page limit. Required technical materials include an abstract, table of contents, project design narrative, literature review, project strategy and approach, milestones and targets, monitoring and evaluation information, work plan, capacity and partner statement, key personnel information, management plan, and required attachments including the work plan, relevant sector experience, evidence of country presence, and project management organizational chart. The Cost Proposal includes the SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424A Budget Narrative, country-specific budget narratives for Chile and/or Argentina as applicable, and indirect cost supporting documentation. Applicants must also provide detailed financial information, including three years of organizational financial statements, and are requested to submit the Financial Risk Assessment template. Projects must budget a minimum of 5 percent and up to 8 percent of total direct costs for monitoring and evaluation activities. Communications assets should receive at least $50,000 in direct costs for a one-country project or a total of $75,000 for a multi-country project. Applications are evaluated on a 100-point scale. The Project Design components account for 80 points and the SF-424A Budget Narrative and applicable Country-Specific Budget Narratives account for 20 points. Scored areas include the literature review, activity execution, analytics, adaptive management, innovation, U.S. worker benefit, project milestones and targets, monitoring and evaluation, work plan, organizational capacity and partner experience, key personnel, and management plan. Reviewers determine whether each rating factor thoroughly meets, partially meets, or fails to meet the stated requirements. Selection also includes a risk review examining financial stability, management systems, performance history, audit findings, ability to implement federal requirements, financial health indicators, and transparency. Applicants should demonstrate how the proposed foreign-country activities contribute to increased American job and wage growth and should provide a coherent theory of change linking the problem analysis, activities, outputs, outcomes, monitoring, and long-term impact. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov under FOA-ILAB-26-30 no later than September 21, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Hardcopy, email, telegram, fax, and hand-delivered applications are not accepted. Applicants must have an active System for Award Management registration and a Unique Entity Identifier, and the application must be submitted by an authorized organizational representative. No separate LOI, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement is stated. Technical questions concerning the FOA must be submitted to OGM_ILAB@dol.gov no later than 10 business days before the closing date, which corresponds to September 7, 2026 when business days are calculated by excluding Saturdays and Sundays. Award decisions are expected between September 30, 2026 and December 31, 2026, although USDOL states that decisions may occur earlier or later. The source does not state that this funding opportunity recurs on an annual or other regular schedule.

Address every scored specification fully and convincingly rather than merely restating commitments. Provide an evidence-based theory of change linking activities through outcomes to increased American jobs and wage growth. Use quantitative analysis for U.S. worker benefit where practicable. Ensure the project design, milestones, M&E approach, work plan, staffing, and budget are internally consistent. Demonstrate context-responsive and meaningful multi-stakeholder engagement. Explain innovation relative to past programs. Budget adequately for required M&E, travel, and communications assets. Keep the SF-424 funding request within the $5 million ceiling and consistent with other application documents. Submit through Grants.gov early enough to allow time for validation and correction of errors.