Southern Cone Cooperation Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Sector Support

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) within the U.S. Department of State is soliciting proposals to support law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in the Southern Cone region—specifically Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay—in combating transnational criminal organizations and preventing foreign terrorist organizations from operating in the region. The award will be structured as a cooperative agreement with a performance period of 24 months, beginning in September 2026 and concluding in August 2028. Applicants must demonstrate institutional capacity and prior experience in similar contexts, with evaluation emphasizing the quality of systems to manage travel and events (40 points), the applicant’s record and capacity (25 points), and the robustness of program monitoring and risk mitigation strategies (20 points). The evaluation is trade-off based, prioritizing technical merit over cost. Proposals must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by August 17, 2026, and include required forms such as SF-424, SF-424A, a 20-page narrative, budget documents, biographical summaries, and key personnel listings, all adhering to strict formatting guidelines including 12-point Times New Roman font, single spacing, and one-inch margins. All applicants must hold an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered in SAM.gov, with subrecipients required to obtain a UEI prior to award. Compliance with federal regulations including 2 CFR Part 200 and FAR Part 31 is mandatory, encompassing cost principles, financial management, and reporting. Key prohibitions include construction expenditures, funding related to abortion, gender ideology, or discriminatory equity practices under the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance policy, and non-compliance with the Leahy Law vetting process for security personnel, which mandates submission of participant information at least 60 days in advance. All travel must comply with the Fly America Act, and consultant daily rates are capped at $784.62. Performance metrics must be tracked using DevResults, and applicants must submit detailed implementation plans within two weeks of award. Additionally, applicants must certify compliance with anti-trafficking requirements and federal anti-discrimination statutes, with false certifications potentially triggering liability under the False Claims Act. All deliverables must reflect U.S. government branding standards and include a thorough risk analysis rated by likelihood and impact as defined in INL’s Project Risk Analysis template.