United States Grant Tender

Deadline 6 September 2019The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs OES Office of Conservation and Water ECW at the Department of State announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity NOFO for Mapping Illicit Supply Networks to Combat Conservation Crimes at their Convergence to work with developing countries and partners to gather data and build capacity to identify analyze and map the illegal and illicit supply networks associated with conservation crimes and areas of convergence among them whether convergence of actors financial flows geography etc in the Mekong region.The program will focus on Myanmar Cambodia Laos Thailand and Vietnam. The results aim to influence policy makers in this region and will inform ongoing U.S. programs and the design and implementation of future interventions to assist developing countries in combating conservation crimes.Program GoalsTo understand the links between the different trafficking networks associated with conservation crimes in the Mekong region in order to assist developing countries to combat conservation crimes at their convergence and stop the illegal extraction and trade in these resources shifting illicit revenue streams away from criminal actors and directing benefits towards governments and communities.The project aims to advance the initiative to combat conservation crimes by mapping illicit supply networks to combat conservation crimes at their convergence. OES aims to reduce conservation crimes in the Mekong through effective programming at the national regional and international levels to combat organized crime and illegal activities associated with wildlife trafficking illegal logging and associated trade ILAT illegal unreported and unregulated IUU fishing and the illegal and illicit extraction and trade of precious metals and gemstones. For this funding opportunity OES intends to focus on trafficking in all of these resources in the Mekong region. The program will include technical assistance to 1 conduct research on the movement of trafficked resources within or through the Mekong region 2 map the illicit supply networks associated with these resources to identify points of convergence among these illegal activities and 3 deliver recommendations for policy and technical capacity development efforts to further address conservation crimes as a group.This program will complement ongoing programs funded by the U.S. Department of State to combat wildlife trafficking illegal logging and associated trade IUU fishing and illegal mining.Expected ResultsA report of which resources are most threatened by conservation crimes in the Mekong countries individually and as a region associated drivers of the illegal trade in these resources and possible future trends for each of the conservation crimes in the regionAn understanding of links among all conservation crimes as well as between conservation crimes and organized criminal networks in the Mekong regionIdentification of convergence nodes within the illicit supply networks associated with conservation crimes in the Mekong region and a series of narrative case studies to illustrate these connectionsRecommendations based on the above findings and analysis to improve existing and inform future interventions to assist developing countries to address conservation crimes as a groupProgram ActivitiesPHASE I Scoping Conservation Crimes and Illicit Supply NetworksModality Primarily desk review data collection consolidation and analysis primary research including field work as appropriateSuggested Period of Performance 6-8 monthsActivity 1.a Research and AnalysisActivity 1.b Mapping and Other Data VisualizationActivity 1.c Phase I Reporting and Selection of Convergence NodesPHASE II In-Depth Reporting and RecommendationsModality Research to include primary and secondary sources including key informant interviews and field work as appropriateSuggested Period of Performance 16-18 monthsActivity 2.a In-Depth Research and Case StudiesActivity 2.d DevelopDeliver Final Program Report and RecommendationsFunding InformationAward Ceiling 1137500Award Floor 1137500Eligibility CriteriaEligibility is limited to U.S. or overseas-based Non-profitnon-governmental organizations NGOs having a 501c3 status with the IRS and U.S. or overseas privatestate institutions of higher education. Due to the nature of the program goal partnerships and consortia are encouraged where additional expertise may be required to successfully carry out award activities.How to ApplyApplications must be submitted online via given website.