Southern Cone Cooperation Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Sector Support | DFOP0019393

Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0019393

The Southern Cone Cooperation Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Sector Support opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0019393) is a discretionary U.S. government grant issued by the Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), focused on strengthening law enforcement and criminal justice capacity across Southern Cone Cooperation (SCC) partner countries. The core purpose is to let INL provide timely, targeted technical assistance to key agencies in the region that are working to combat transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and to prevent foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) from establishing a foothold or operating effectively. In practical terms, the funding is aimed at improving how partner-country institutions detect, investigate, prosecute, and disrupt complex cross-border criminal and terrorist-linked networks, and at reinforcing the justice-sector capabilities needed to sustain those efforts.

This opportunity will be awarded as a cooperative agreement, which typically means INL expects close coordination and substantial engagement in program direction compared to a standard grant. The activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services under CFDA 19.705. The announcement anticipates a single award, with an award ceiling of $500,000, indicating a relatively focused program rather than a broad multi-recipient portfolio. The posting was created on 2026-07-16, and the original application deadline is 2026-08-17, so prospective applicants should plan around a short turnaround window and assume that proposal readiness, partner coordination, and compliance documentation will need to be assembled quickly.

Eligibility is broad and includes both U.S.-based and foreign-based organizations. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations and U.S.-based educational institutions that qualify under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or under 26 U.S.C. 115, as well as foreign-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations and foreign-based educational institutions. The competition also allows participation by for-profit organizations, including both U.S.-based and foreign-based for-profits, which suggests INL is open to specialized technical implementers that can deliver training, advisory services, analytical support, or other operational assistance. Overall, the opportunity is designed for organizations that can credibly support law enforcement and justice-sector partners with practical expertise, rapid deployment capability, and program management that can operate in a sensitive, interagency, international security environment.

At its center, the program is about enabling responsive technical assistance rather than funding large infrastructure projects. While the notice does not list specific deliverables, the described mission points to support that can help partner agencies work more effectively against organized crime and terrorist facilitation in the region. That often translates into assistance such as specialized training, mentoring, advisory support, development of investigative and prosecutorial tools, strengthening interagency coordination, and improving the operational link between police, prosecutors, courts, and other justice actors. The emphasis on both TCOs and preventing FTO activity signals attention to the overlap between organized crime and terrorism-related facilitation, including financing, logistics, travel, procurement, document fraud, and corruption risks that can enable networked threats.

In short, this INL opportunity is a single-award, up-to-$500,000 cooperative agreement intended to improve Southern Cone partner countries capacity to counter transnational organized crime and inhibit foreign terrorist organizations through targeted law enforcement and criminal justice technical assistance. It is open to a wide range of qualified implementers, including NGOs, educational institutions, and for-profit entities in the United States and abroad, with applications due by mid-August 2026.

• The Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Southern Cone Cooperation Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Sector Support" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.705.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-07-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-08-17. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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