The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons (UNVTF), administered by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has issued its Tenth Cycle Special Window Call for Proposals under Sub-Programme One. This funding initiative focuses on medium- to long-term assistance projects designed to support victims of human trafficking in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America & the Caribbean regions. Established by the UN General Assembly in 2010, the UNVTF is a victim-centered funding mechanism that supports humanitarian, legal, and financial aid to trafficking victims through civil society organizations globally. Since inception, the fund has backed over 215 projects in more than 60 countries, positively impacting over 100,000 victims.
The current call aims to strengthen frontline efforts to assist vulnerable and underserved victims, with a particular emphasis on women, children, and marginalized communities such as LGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, indigenous populations, and those displaced due to conflict or climate crises. Projects must demonstrate alignment with the UN Trafficking Protocol and are encouraged to integrate trauma-informed, rights-based, and survivor-led methodologies. Funding will support services including medical aid, shelter, psychosocial and legal assistance, family reunification, education, vocational training, and economic empowerment. Proposals addressing forms of trafficking such as sexual exploitation, forced labor, domestic servitude, forced criminality, and child trafficking in sport will receive priority consideration.
Organizations applying must be nonprofit entities registered by 1 December 2022 in both their home and implementation countries. They must have at least two years’ experience providing direct services to trafficking victims or similar vulnerable populations. Applicants must also be registered in the UN Partner Portal (UNPP) and have a valid Partner ID. Supporting documents include a completed proposal and budget, legal registration and financial statements, a partner declaration, and two letters of reference. If relevant, evidence of secured co-funding is also required.
Proposals must be submitted by email to unodc-victimsfund@un.org no later than 16 November 2025 at 23:59 CET. Submissions must be complete, written in English or Spanish, and packaged into a single email without password-protected files. The evaluation process consists of eligibility checks and a technical assessment based on criteria such as relevance, innovation, value for money, and organizational background. Priority will be given to survivor-led and first-time applicants.
Proposals will be reviewed and scored by a technical evaluation team. Selected proposals will enter a provisional shortlist, and final awards will be based on funding availability. Projects must be implemented within 24 months, with the earliest start date projected as 1 January 2026. Unsuccessful but shortlisted proposals may be retained for future consideration for up to two years from submission. UNODC will offer two virtual information sessions on 6 and 7 November 2025 and will publish clarifications from applicant inquiries made by 24 October 2025.
Align with victim-centric, trauma-informed frameworks; emphasize value for money; tailor interventions to marginalized and underserved populations.
