Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0005597

The Wildlife Trafficking Evidence Security and Destruction grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0005597) was offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) as a discretionary grant program under CFDA 19.705. Created on February 13, 2019, with an original application deadline of April 15, 2019, the program aimed to make wildlife trafficking prosecutions stronger and more reliable by improving how physical evidence is handled from the moment it is seized through court proceedings and, when appropriate, through secure storage and eventual destruction. The core focus is on tightening evidence management systems and reinforcing chain-of-custody practices in wildlife trafficking cases across Africa and Southeast Asia, two regions heavily impacted by illicit trade in protected species and wildlife products.

At its heart, the opportunity targets a common weak point in wildlife trafficking enforcement: evidence that is mishandled, poorly documented, insecurely stored, or otherwise compromised can undermine investigations and prosecutions. By supporting practical improvements to evidence security, tracking, and accountability, the program is designed to help law enforcement and justice sector actors preserve the integrity of seized items (for example, ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, timber products, skins, live animals, or other contraband). Strengthening chain of custody means ensuring there is a clear, documented, and auditable record of who collected the evidence, when and where it was collected, how it was packaged and transported, where it was stored, who accessed it, and what happened to it at each stage. When those steps are standardized and consistently followed, it becomes much harder for evidence to be lost, tampered with, stolen, substituted, or challenged in court.

The grant also emphasizes “evidence security and destruction,” which typically reflects the full lifecycle of seized wildlife products. In many wildlife cases, seizures can accumulate quickly and create serious storage and corruption risks if agencies do not have secure facilities, reliable inventory systems, or clear legal procedures. Proper destruction, when legally authorized and carefully documented, can reduce stockpiles that might otherwise be diverted back into illegal markets. Destruction practices also tend to require coordination among enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and custodial authorities so that evidence needed for trial is preserved while non-essential or adjudicated items can be disposed of in a way that is transparent and defensible.

The funding parameters indicate an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000, with an expectation of two awards. That suggests INL anticipated supporting a small number of relatively substantial projects rather than many smaller ones, likely to enable meaningful, on-the-ground improvements such as establishing or upgrading evidence rooms, implementing standardized evidence handling protocols, training personnel on chain-of-custody requirements, improving documentation tools and recordkeeping practices, and strengthening cross-agency coordination between police, wildlife authorities, customs, prosecutors, and courts. Because the activity category is listed as “Other,” the scope is not limited to a single type of intervention and can include a combination of operational, procedural, and capacity-building efforts as long as they directly improve evidence management in wildlife trafficking cases.

Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” which usually indicates that a range of non-federal entities could apply depending on the specific instructions in the full announcement. In practice, programs like this often attract applicants such as non-governmental organizations, international organizations, or specialized implementing partners with experience in criminal justice capacity building, wildlife crime enforcement, evidence management systems, or anti-corruption safeguards. The implementing partner would generally be expected to work closely with relevant host-country government counterparts in Africa and Southeast Asia to ensure that any new procedures, training, or infrastructure fit within local legal frameworks and can be sustained after the grant period ends.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a targeted criminal justice and law enforcement support initiative aimed at making wildlife trafficking cases more prosecutable and less vulnerable to evidentiary challenges. By improving how wildlife crime evidence is secured, tracked, and ultimately disposed of, the program seeks to reduce opportunities for corruption and leakage, protect the integrity of investigations, and increase the likelihood that traffickers can be successfully held accountable in court.

  • The Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wildlife Trafficking Evidence Security and Destruction" 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 Feb 13, 2019.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 15, 2019. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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