Notice of Funding Opportunity: Drug Demand Reduction Program in Peru

Deadline: 19-Sep-23

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announces an open competition for organizations to submit a statement of interest (SOI) to carry out a program to expand access to substance abuse treatment in rural areas of Peru.

INL’s foreign assistance programs and diplomatic engagement are critical tools in advancing U.S. policy objectives. One of the greatest strengths is the flexibility to confront emerging challenges, but they can be most effective if they are strategic in how and where they engage to build partner nation capacity. Accordingly, this strategy sets up a framework for understanding how INL prioritizes foreign assistance and diplomatic engagement, which identifies three strategic goals to guide INL’s efforts:

• Disrupt or deter significant illicit drug trafficking and other transnational criminal activity that threatens U.S. national security, public safety, or drives irregular migration to the United States.
• Reduce instability in strategically vital regions and strengthen the resilience of partners facing malign influence.
• Drive global action through international engagement that promotes interoperable criminal justice systems and common standards to combat shared criminal threats.

The Bureau’s priority programs support three inter-related objectives:

• Building Criminal Justice Systems: Institutionalize rule of law by developing and expanding criminal justice systems to strengthen partner country law enforcement and judicial effectiveness, foster cooperation in legal affairs, and advance respect for human rights;
• Counter-Narcotics: Disrupt the overseas production and trafficking of illicit drugs through targeted counter-narcotics and institution-building assistance and coordination with foreign nations and international organizations, and;
• Transnational Crime: Minimize the impact of transnational crime and criminal networks on the United States and its allies through enhanced international cooperation and foreign assistance.

Program Objectives

• The proposed program should seek to expand access to substance abuse treatment and prevention for rural and indigenous communities in Peru, using a recently published UTC curriculum for rural interventions.
• This program will work in coordination with Peruvian government entities including, but not limited to, the National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (DEVIDA), the Ministry of Health (MINSA) Directorate of Mental Health, the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP), the Ministry of Education (MINEDU), the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (MINJUS), local and regional authorities, and civil society. Programs should focus on rural populations, prioritizing areas with indigenous populations and those at a high-risk for trafficking in persons.
• The proposal must incorporate the UTC 53 Community-based Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD) Treatment in Rural Settings from the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP). A Spanish translation of UTC 53 is forthcoming. Proposals should consider, but are not required to include the following activities:
  • Assess the prevalence of substance use disorders and drug offenses in prioritized rural and indigenous areas.
  • Identify needs and gaps in rural health-care access related to treating substance abuse disorders.
  • In coordination with community mental health centers, create unique rural outreach initiatives and programs to allow greater access to treatment and drug prevention interventions for isolated communities.
  • Strong monitoring and evaluation plans for all program activities. The applicant should budget for staff and instructor travel to rural areas, salaries, workshop costs, and printed materials, as many rural areas do not have access to computers or reliable internet, etc.

Funding Information

• Approximate Length of Project: 24-36 months
• Anticipated Number of Awards: 1 award
• Approximate Award Amount(s): Awards may range from a minimum of $280,000 to a maximum of $300,000
• Anticipated Project Start: January 2024

Participants and Audiences

• The activity is targeted at Peruvians living in rural areas, mental health professionals, and the local governments who serve those areas. In addition, the program may partially target national authorities and other key decision makers based in Lima.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
  • Overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
  • Overseas-based private/state educational institutions Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.
• Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.