Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0008097
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), announced a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0008097) to fund a single regional assessment focused on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Western Hemisphere. The central goal is to take a hard look at how governments across South America, Central America, and the Caribbean are currently set up to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute IUU fishing, with special emphasis on IUU activity linked to malign foreign actors, including state-backed or government-supported fleets and networks. In practical terms, the project is meant to map what tools exist today, where gaps remain, and what kinds of reforms or operational approaches could strengthen enforcement and accountability.
The assessment is expected to examine both law enforcement and legislative approaches. On the law enforcement side, that can include how maritime authorities, coast guards, navies, police, fisheries agencies, prosecutors, and financial investigators coordinate (or fail to coordinate), what investigative authorities and capacities they have, and what barriers limit effective action in territorial seas, contiguous zones, and exclusive economic zones (EEZs). On the legislative side, the work should review whether national laws define and penalize IUU fishing in a way that enables real enforcement, whether evidentiary standards and procedures support prosecutions, and whether there are legal hooks to address related conduct that often comes bundled with IUU fishing.
A major emphasis of the project is identifying other crimes associated with IUU fishing by malign actors. The opportunity specifically calls out corruption and money laundering as examples, signaling that INL is looking beyond fisheries violations alone and wants a more complete picture of the criminal ecosystem that can surround distant-water fishing operations. That could include the movement and laundering of proceeds, bribery that weakens port and customs controls, document fraud, beneficial ownership concealment, shell companies, illicit transshipment practices, and other enabling activities that help illegal catch enter legitimate supply chains or evade scrutiny. The assessment is also expected to gather anecdotes and real-world accounts that illustrate the harms caused by government-backed malign actors engaged in IUU fishing, capturing impacts in human terms rather than only statistics. These anecdotes may cover economic harm to local fishers, food security concerns, environmental degradation, reduced government revenue, intimidation at sea, or broader community-level effects.
The geographic scope is explicitly regional, covering South and Central American countries and Caribbean nations, and focusing on activity in maritime zones where these states exercise sovereignty or jurisdiction (territorial waters and contiguous waters) as well as their EEZs. The subject matter is therefore both transnational and maritime by nature, and the assessment is positioned as a tool to help decision-makers understand patterns, vulnerabilities, and enforcement or legislative gaps that malign actors exploit across multiple jurisdictions.
From an administrative standpoint, the award is a grant with an anticipated single award (Expected Awards: 1) and a maximum funding level (Award Ceiling) of $300,000. The opportunity was created on May 3, 2021, with an original closing date of July 2, 2021. The funding activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services, and the CFDA number listed is 19.703. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with a note to consult the opportunity text for clarification, implying that the applicant pool may include a range of non-federal entities depending on the detailed eligibility language in the full announcement.
In short, INL is offering up to $300,000 to support one organization in producing a Western Hemisphere-wide assessment that (1) reviews and compares country approaches to enforcement and legislation against IUU fishing, (2) concentrates on IUU fishing tied to malign foreign, potentially state-supported actors operating in national waters and EEZs, (3) surfaces connected criminal conduct like corruption and money laundering, and (4) documents on-the-ground stories that convey the real impacts of these activities on governments and communities across the region.Apply for SFOP0008097
- 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 Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Assessment" 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 May 03, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 02, 2021. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0008097, to fund a single regional assessment on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Western Hemisphere.
How many awards does INL expect to make?
INL anticipates making one award (Expected Awards: 1) for this opportunity.
What is the maximum amount of funding available?
The award ceiling for this opportunity is $300,000.
What is the central purpose of the funded project?
The project is intended to produce a regional assessment that examines how governments across South America, Central America, and the Caribbean are currently structured to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute IUU fishing, with a special emphasis on IUU activity linked to malign foreign actors, including state-backed or government-supported fleets and networks.
What region does the assessment need to cover?
The geographic scope is regional and explicitly includes South America, Central America, and the Caribbean (Western Hemisphere focus).
What maritime areas are included in the scope of the assessment?
The assessment is expected to consider barriers and capabilities affecting action in territorial seas, contiguous zones, and exclusive economic zones (EEZs).
Does the opportunity focus on a specific type of IUU fishing activity?
Yes. A key emphasis is on IUU fishing activity linked to malign foreign actors, including state-backed or government-supported fleets and networks.
What does INL want the assessment to do in practical terms?
In practical terms, the assessment is meant to map what tools exist today, identify where gaps remain, and describe reforms or operational approaches that could strengthen enforcement and accountability against IUU fishing connected to malign actors.
What kinds of government institutions and roles may be examined on the law enforcement side?
The opportunity indicates the assessment can cover how maritime authorities, coast guards, navies, police, fisheries agencies, prosecutors, and financial investigators coordinate (or fail to coordinate), along with what investigative authorities and capacities they have and what barriers limit effective action.
Is coordination among agencies a topic INL expects the assessment to address?
Yes. The opportunity specifically highlights coordination issues among maritime authorities, security services, fisheries agencies, prosecutors, and financial investigators as an area to examine.
What legislative or legal topics are expected to be reviewed?
The assessment is expected to review whether national laws define and penalize IUU fishing in ways that enable real enforcement, whether evidentiary standards and procedures support prosecutions, and whether legal tools exist to address related conduct often associated with IUU fishing.
Does the assessment need to address crimes beyond fisheries violations?
Yes. A major emphasis is identifying other crimes associated with IUU fishing by malign actors, with corruption and money laundering specifically called out as examples.
What examples of related criminal activity does the opportunity mention?
The description references corruption and money laundering and also notes enabling activities that may include bribery that weakens port and customs controls, document fraud, beneficial ownership concealment, shell companies, illicit transshipment practices, and other methods that help illegal catch enter legitimate supply chains or evade scrutiny.
Why does INL emphasize corruption and money laundering in an IUU fishing assessment?
The opportunity signals that INL is looking beyond fisheries violations alone and wants a broader picture of the criminal ecosystem that can surround distant-water fishing operations, including how proceeds may be moved and laundered and how corruption can undermine enforcement.
What are "malign foreign actors" in the context of this opportunity?
Based on the opportunity description, this refers to foreign actors involved in IUU fishing, including state-backed or government-supported fleets and networks that exploit enforcement and legislative vulnerabilities across multiple jurisdictions.
Is the assessment expected to include real-world examples or stories?
Yes. The assessment is expected to gather anecdotes and real-world accounts that illustrate the harms caused by government-backed malign actors engaged in IUU fishing, capturing impacts in human terms rather than only statistics.
What types of harms might the requested anecdotes cover?
The opportunity suggests anecdotes may address economic harm to local fishers, food security concerns, environmental degradation, reduced government revenue, intimidation at sea, and broader community-level effects.
Is the work intended to be comparative across countries?
Yes. The assessment is described as reviewing and comparing country approaches to enforcement and legislation against IUU fishing across the region.
What is the funding activity category listed for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 19.703.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "Others," with a note to consult the opportunity text for clarification. This implies a potentially broad set of non-federal entities may be eligible depending on the detailed eligibility language in the full announcement.
What is the opportunity creation date and original closing date?
The opportunity was created on May 3, 2021, with an original closing date of July 2, 2021.
Is this award a contract or a grant?
This opportunity is a grant award.
What is the main deliverable INL is funding?
The main deliverable is a single, Western Hemisphere-wide regional assessment that reviews enforcement and legislative approaches to IUU fishing, emphasizes malign foreign/state-supported actors, identifies linked crimes like corruption and money laundering, and documents real-world impacts through anecdotes.
Does the opportunity specify that the assessment must focus on governments' capabilities?
Yes. The description centers on how governments are set up to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute IUU fishing and on identifying tools, gaps, and potential reforms or operational approaches to strengthen enforcement and accountability.
Does the opportunity suggest that the problem is transnational?
Yes. The scope is regional across multiple jurisdictions and maritime zones, and it is framed as transnational and maritime in nature, focusing on patterns and vulnerabilities exploited across countries.
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