Combating Forced Child Recruitment by FTOs and TCOs

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is soliciting applications to implement a cooperative agreement aimed at combating the forced recruitment of children under 18 by Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Transnational Criminal Organizations in Colombia. The project seeks to strengthen Colombian law enforcement capabilities to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those responsible for child recruitment under Articles 162 and 188D of the Colombian criminal code, with a focus on enhancing intelligence sharing, adopting technological tools for online evidence collection, improving interagency coordination, and identifying legal and regulatory gaps that impede prosecution. The award, with a maximum funding ceiling of $4,000,000, is expected to be a 24-month initiative with a projected start date in September 2026 and a total performance period not to exceed five years. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by July 6, 2026, and are subject to a rigorous pass/fail technical eligibility review followed by a weighted scoring process totaling 100 points, with the highest emphasis placed on the quality of project analysis and design (50 points), followed by program monitoring and risk (20 points), institutional capacity (15 points), and cost effectiveness (15 points). Only technically eligible applicants will advance to the scoring phase, and in cases of equal technical scores, preference will be given to those with lower indirect cost rates under Executive Order 14332. All applicants must possess a Unique Entity Identifier and an active SAM.gov registration, with subrecipients required to obtain a UEI prior to funding disbursement, though SAM.gov registration is not mandatory for subrecipients. Profit or fees are strictly prohibited in all budgets, which must reflect only allowable, necessary, reasonable, and allocable costs governed by 2 CFR 200, Subpart E for non-profits and FAR 48 CFR Part 31 for for-profits. Budgets must follow OMB-approved categories and be submitted using the required templates, with equipment defined as items costing $10,000 or more per unit. Grantees must comply with the Leahy Amendment, prohibiting assistance to security forces involved in gross human rights violations, implement a Trafficking in Persons compliance plan as required by 2 CFR 175, and adhere to U.S. branding guidelines to publicly acknowledge State Department and U.S. Government support. Quarterly performance reports must be submitted through INL’s DevResults system,