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.Apply for SFOP0005597
- 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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Wildlife Trafficking Evidence Security and Destruction (SFOP0005597) - FAQs
What is the Wildlife Trafficking Evidence Security and Destruction grant opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity run by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It is a discretionary grant program (CFDA 19.705) focused on strengthening wildlife trafficking prosecutions by improving how physical evidence is handled from seizure through court proceedings and, when appropriate, secure storage and eventual destruction.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SFOP0005597.
Which U.S. government office offered this opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
When was this grant opportunity created?
It was created on February 13, 2019.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was April 15, 2019.
What problem is this grant trying to address?
The program targets a common weak point in wildlife trafficking enforcement: evidence that is mishandled, poorly documented, insecurely stored, or otherwise compromised can weaken investigations and prosecutions and can be challenged in court. The grant supports improvements that protect the integrity of physical evidence and make prosecutions stronger and more reliable.
What does “evidence security” mean in the context of this grant?
Evidence security refers to practical measures that keep seized wildlife products and related contraband protected from loss, theft, tampering, substitution, or unauthorized access. This includes secure storage, controlled access, reliable inventory practices, and clear accountability for who handles evidence at each stage.
What does “chain of custody” mean, and why does it matter here?
Chain of custody is the documented, auditable record of how evidence is handled over time. It typically includes 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 step. Strong chain-of-custody practices make evidence harder to dispute in court and reduce opportunities for evidence to be compromised.
What types of seized items does this grant focus on?
The opportunity is focused on wildlife trafficking evidence and contraband such as ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales, timber products, skins, live animals, and other illegally traded wildlife products.
Which regions are the priority focus for activities?
The core focus is on wildlife trafficking cases across Africa and Southeast Asia.
What does “evidence security and destruction” cover across the lifecycle of a case?
It covers the full lifecycle of seized wildlife products: secure handling and documentation from the moment of seizure, preservation through investigation and court processes, secure storage to prevent leakage or corruption risks, and destruction when legally authorized and appropriately documented.
Why does the grant emphasize destruction of wildlife trafficking evidence?
Seizures can accumulate quickly, creating storage burdens and corruption risks if stockpiles are insecure or poorly managed. When destruction is legally authorized and carefully documented, it can reduce stockpiles that might otherwise be diverted back into illegal markets, while preserving necessary evidence for trial.
Does the program require coordination among different agencies?
Yes. Evidence handling and destruction typically require coordination among enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and custodial authorities so evidence needed for trial is preserved and non-essential or adjudicated items can be disposed of transparently and defensibly.
What kinds of projects or activities were expected under this opportunity?
The opportunity anticipated practical, on-the-ground improvements that directly strengthen evidence management in wildlife trafficking cases. Examples described include 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 (for example, among police, wildlife authorities, customs, prosecutors, and courts).
Is the scope limited to a single type of intervention?
No. The activity category is listed as “Other,” and the described scope allows for a combination of operational, procedural, and capacity-building efforts as long as they directly improve evidence management in wildlife trafficking cases.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is up to $1,000,000.
How many awards were expected?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of two awards.
What does the expected number of awards suggest about project size?
With an award ceiling up to $1,000,000 and an expectation of two awards, INL appeared to anticipate supporting a small number of relatively substantial projects rather than many smaller ones, aiming for meaningful improvements in evidence management systems.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” which generally indicates that a range of non-federal entities could apply depending on the detailed instructions in the full announcement.
What types of applicants might typically pursue a grant like this?
Based on how programs like this commonly operate, likely applicants could include 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.
What role would an implementing partner likely play?
An implementing partner would generally be expected to work closely with relevant host-country government counterparts in Africa and Southeast Asia to ensure new procedures, training, and infrastructure align with local legal frameworks and can be sustained after the grant period ends.
What is the overall goal of the program?
The overall goal is to make wildlife trafficking cases more prosecutable and less vulnerable to evidentiary challenges by improving how evidence is secured, tracked, and ultimately disposed of. This is intended to reduce opportunities for corruption and leakage, protect investigations, and increase the likelihood of successful prosecutions.
What does CFDA 19.705 refer to in this listing?
CFDA 19.705 is the program reference associated with this discretionary grant opportunity as described in the opportunity information.
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