Notice of Intent: Program to End Modern Slavery FY 2025 | DFOP0017042

Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0017042

This opportunity is a Notice of Intent from the U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office), for the Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS) for FY 2025 (Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0017042, CFDA 19.019). The key point is that this is not an active funding announcement and the TIP Office is not accepting applications right now. In other words, it is an advance signal that a future Statement of Intent and/or Notice of Funding Opportunity may be released later, but nothing can be submitted at this time based on this notice alone.

PEMS is framed as an evidence-driven anti-trafficking initiative with a clear outcome focus: measurably and substantially reducing both the prevalence of human trafficking and the harms the crime causes within targeted populations. The program emphasizes innovative interventions that are shaped and improved through research and strong monitoring, evaluation, and learning (often described as MEL). Another central theme is partnership building, with the TIP Office explicitly pointing to deeper collaboration across government, academia, civil society organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. In practice, this signals a preference for interventions that can be tested, measured, and refined, rather than purely awareness-oriented or activity-based programs that cannot demonstrate impact.

The notice also provides context on the scale and continuity of PEMS. Congress has appropriated $25 million per year for PEMS since 2016, and the program has obligated $200 million to date. While the notice does not promise future award amounts, ceilings, or a specific number of awards (the listing shows award ceiling and expected awards as 0 because this is not an open competition), it does communicate that the TIP Office expects to continue investing in this portfolio and is looking to expand the evidence base on what actually works in anti-trafficking programming.

On the type of projects the TIP Office expects to support in a future competition, the emphasis is on implementing and rigorously evaluating interventions that are considered high-potential and high-impact. The notice describes several categories of interventions that may be of interest: (1) approaches that already have some evidence suggesting effectiveness but need rigorous evaluation to validate results and answer key research questions; (2) interventions that look promising but have not yet had sufficient funding to be evaluated well; (3) approaches that have shown success in other sectors or fields but have not yet been adapted and tested specifically as anti-trafficking interventions; and (4) programs that are strongly grounded in existing research and have a clear design, but have not yet had the resources to move into implementation paired with evaluation. Across these categories, the common thread is a strong interest in credible evidence generation, not just service delivery.

Local expertise is highlighted as critical for implementation under the anticipated future opportunity. That detail matters because it suggests applicants will likely be expected to demonstrate meaningful local leadership, local partnerships, contextual knowledge, and practical feasibility in the place(s) where the intervention will run. It also implies that proposals that rely heavily on outside implementers without strong local ownership or capacity may be less competitive, depending on how the eventual funding announcement is written.

Eligibility, if and when a formal funding opportunity is published, is broad. The notice states that commercial, international, educational, and non-profit organizations may apply, including faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, and public international organizations. It also clarifies that organizations do not need prior experience managing U.S. Department of State cooperative agreements, grants, or contracts to be eligible, which is important for newer or non-traditional implementers that may bring innovative approaches but have limited U.S. government funding history.

Finally, the notice flags a basic administrative requirement that organizations should prepare for early: having a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). While a UEI may not be required at the moment of application submission through the Department of State platform (SAMS Domestic at https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants), it is required for any organization selected for an award. The notice encourages organizations to confirm their UEI or begin the process of obtaining one through SAM.gov (https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration) as soon as possible, since registration steps can take time and can become a bottleneck when an actual solicitation opens.

• The Office to Monitor-Combat Trafficking in Persons in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent: Program to End Modern Slavery FY 2025" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.019.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2099-01-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DFOP0017042

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: