Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0018770

The Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS) Annual Program Statement is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office). It is designed to fund practical, evidence-based efforts that prevent and respond to human trafficking and related forms of modern slavery. The central idea behind PEMS is to create a strategic funding pipeline that supports interventions from early development through testing and evaluation, with the intention of scaling approaches that prove effective. In the grant language, the TIP Office frames this work as directly supporting U.S. national security, economic competitiveness, and broader efforts to combat transnational crime, which signals an emphasis on interventions that can produce measurable impact and reduce the enabling conditions that allow trafficking networks to operate across borders and markets.

PEMS focuses on developing, testing, evaluating, and scaling anti-trafficking interventions, which implies applicants should be prepared to show more than good intentions or general awareness-raising. Competitive proposals will typically align with an outcomes-oriented model: a clearly defined problem, an intervention grounded in credible evidence or theory, a plan to test or rigorously assess results, and a pathway for expansion or replication if the approach works. The program statement language also suggests interest in approaches that are not only victim-centered, but that also disrupt trafficking as a form of organized, profit-driven crime, strengthen systems that deter exploitation, and address risks that affect supply chains, labor markets, migration contexts, and other transnational dynamics.

A broad set of applicant types are eligible. Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations), public and private educational institutions, for-profit organizations, public international organizations, and U.S. government agencies. Foreign governments are not eligible to apply as applicants, but they can still benefit from funded programming, which means projects may involve collaboration with government stakeholders abroad as implementing partners, hosts, or beneficiaries, so long as the foreign government is not the entity submitting the application as the primary applicant.

There are additional compliance and cost considerations for for-profit applicants. Applications submitted by for-profit entities may receive additional review after the panel selection process. Separately, the Department of State does not allow profit under its assistance awards to for-profit or commercial organizations. In practice, that means a for-profit recipient can recover allowable direct and indirect costs, but cannot add an extra margin above those costs. The opportunity defines profit as any amount beyond allowable direct and indirect costs, and it notes that cost allowability for commercial organizations is determined under relevant sections of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), including 48 CFR 30 (Cost Accounting Standards Administration) and 48 CFR 31 (Contract Cost Principles and Procedures). This matters for budgeting: cost structures, indirect rate handling, and documentation expectations may be scrutinized more closely for commercial entities.

From the source data, this opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0018770, with a CFDA number of 19.019. The agency is the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is listed as “Other.” The award ceiling is shown as $8,000,000, indicating the maximum amount for an award under this statement (actual awards may be smaller depending on project scope and available funds). The posting shows an original closing date of 2099-01-01, which typically indicates an open, rolling, or annually refreshed program statement rather than a single near-term deadline; applicants should still verify the specific submission windows or any internal cutoffs stated in the full announcement or related notices. The record lists “ExpectedAwards: 0,” which often reflects that the precise number of awards is not predetermined in the system entry and may depend on funding availability and the quality of applications received.

Overall, PEMS is positioned as a results-driven anti-trafficking grant mechanism aimed at producing scalable, evidence-backed solutions. Organizations considering applying should be ready to articulate a clear, testable intervention model; include monitoring, evaluation, and learning components that demonstrate effectiveness; and show how the work connects to broader anti-trafficking objectives that also intersect with security, economic resilience, and transnational crime disruption.

  • The Office to Monitor-Combat Trafficking in Persons in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Program to End Modern Slavery Annual Program Statement" 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 2026-06-22.
  • 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.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $8,000,000.00 in funding.
  • Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS) Annual Program Statement

What is the Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS) Annual Program Statement?

PEMS is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office). It is intended to fund practical, evidence-based efforts that prevent and respond to human trafficking and related forms of modern slavery.

What is the main goal or purpose of PEMS funding?

The central idea is to build a strategic funding pipeline that supports anti-trafficking interventions from early development through testing and evaluation, with the intention of scaling approaches that prove effective. The TIP Office frames this work as supporting U.S. national security, economic competitiveness, and broader efforts to combat transnational crime.

What kinds of projects does PEMS prioritize?

PEMS focuses on developing, testing, evaluating, and scaling anti-trafficking interventions. The emphasis is on practical, outcomes-oriented work rather than general awareness-raising alone. Proposals are expected to show a clear problem definition, an intervention grounded in credible evidence or theory, a plan to test or rigorously assess results, and a pathway to expand or replicate if successful.

Does PEMS support prevention and response, or only one of those?

Based on the program description, PEMS is designed to fund efforts that both prevent and respond to human trafficking and related forms of modern slavery.

How does PEMS define a competitive, outcomes-oriented proposal?

The program statement language implies that competitive proposals typically include: a clearly defined problem, an intervention grounded in credible evidence or theory, a plan to test or rigorously assess results, and a pathway for expansion or replication if the approach works.

Is PEMS focused only on victim services?

The description suggests interest in approaches that are victim-centered, but also those that disrupt trafficking as organized, profit-driven crime, strengthen systems that deter exploitation, and address risks affecting supply chains, labor markets, migration contexts, and other transnational dynamics.

Does PEMS emphasize disrupting trafficking networks and transnational crime?

Yes. The opportunity language signals an emphasis on interventions that can produce measurable impact and reduce enabling conditions that allow trafficking networks to operate across borders and markets, aligning the work with broader efforts to combat transnational crime.

Who is the funding agency for this opportunity?

The funding agency is the U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office).

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number is DFOP0018770.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 19.019.

What type of funding instrument is used?

The funding instrument is a grant.

What is the activity category for the opportunity?

The activity category is listed as "Other."

Who is eligible to apply for PEMS?

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations), public and private educational institutions, for-profit organizations, public international organizations, and U.S. government agencies.

Are foreign governments eligible to apply as the primary applicant?

No. Foreign governments are not eligible to apply as applicants.

Can projects involve foreign government stakeholders in some way?

Yes. While foreign governments cannot be the primary applicant, they can still benefit from funded programming. Projects may involve collaboration with government stakeholders abroad as implementing partners, hosts, or beneficiaries, as long as the foreign government is not the entity submitting the application.

Are there special review or compliance considerations for for-profit applicants?

Yes. Applications submitted by for-profit entities may receive additional review after the panel selection process. In addition, the Department of State does not allow profit under its assistance awards to for-profit or commercial organizations.

Can a for-profit organization earn profit or fee under this grant?

No. The Department of State does not allow profit under its assistance awards to for-profit or commercial organizations. The opportunity defines profit as any amount beyond allowable direct and indirect costs.

What costs can a for-profit recipient recover if profit is not allowed?

A for-profit recipient can recover allowable direct and indirect costs, but cannot add an extra margin above those costs.

How is cost allowability determined for commercial (for-profit) organizations?

The opportunity notes that cost allowability for commercial organizations is determined under relevant sections of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), including 48 CFR 30 (Cost Accounting Standards Administration) and 48 CFR 31 (Contract Cost Principles and Procedures).

What does the award ceiling mean for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is shown as $8,000,000, indicating the maximum amount for an award under this statement. Actual awards may be smaller depending on project scope and available funds.

Is there a fixed application deadline?

The posting shows an original closing date of 2099-01-01. This typically indicates an open, rolling, or annually refreshed program statement rather than a single near-term deadline. Applicants are expected to verify specific submission windows or internal cutoffs stated in the full announcement or related notices.

What does "ExpectedAwards: 0" mean in the listing?

The record lists "ExpectedAwards: 0," which often reflects that the precise number of awards is not predetermined in the system entry and may depend on funding availability and the quality of applications received.

Does PEMS require monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) components?

The description indicates that organizations should be prepared to include monitoring, evaluation, and learning components that demonstrate effectiveness, especially given the program focus on testing and evaluation and scaling what works.

What does "scaling" mean in the context of PEMS?

In this context, scaling refers to expanding or replicating an intervention that has been tested and evaluated and shown to be effective, consistent with PEMS being structured as a pipeline from development to evaluation to expansion.

Does the opportunity favor evidence-based interventions over awareness-only projects?

Yes. The language emphasizes practical, evidence-based efforts and suggests applicants should be prepared to demonstrate more than general awareness-raising, including a credible intervention model and a plan to assess outcomes.

How does PEMS connect anti-trafficking work to broader policy priorities?

The TIP Office frames PEMS as supporting U.S. national security, economic competitiveness, and efforts to combat transnational crime, signaling interest in interventions that achieve measurable impact and reduce conditions enabling trafficking networks across borders and markets.

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