Promoting the Voices and Engagement of Persons with Lived Experience to Prevent Labor Exploitation

This funding opportunity is a Notice of Intent issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, signaling the agency’s plan to award a cooperative agreement without full and open competition. The Bureau of International Labor Affairs is responsible for advancing global labor standards, strengthening labor systems, and combating exploitative labor practices worldwide. Through its International Labor Programs, the agency supports initiatives that address forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor, often in partnership with governments, civil society organizations, and international stakeholders. The purpose of this specific initiative is to promote the voices and engagement of individuals with lived experience of labor exploitation. These individuals include those who have directly experienced human trafficking, forced labor, child labor, or related exploitative conditions. The project is designed to elevate their perspectives and ensure their meaningful participation in efforts to prevent labor exploitation. By centering lived experience, the initiative aims to improve the relevance and effectiveness of policies and programs intended to combat labor abuses. Funding under this opportunity will support activities that provide technical assistance to both individuals with lived experience and to governmental bodies. The project will focus on amplifying survivor voices through structured engagement, capacity building, and advisory roles. Additionally, it will support governments in institutionalizing mechanisms that incorporate lived experience into policymaking, program design, and implementation. This may include developing frameworks, training systems, and advisory councils that embed survivor leadership into labor and anti-trafficking strategies. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, indicating substantial involvement from the funding agency in the execution of the project. The total estimated funding for the program is two million dollars, with a single award expected. Both the award ceiling and floor are set at two million dollars, reflecting that only one recipient will receive the full amount. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement associated with this funding. Eligibility for this opportunity is highly restricted. The Notice of Intent explicitly states that it is not a request for applications and that the Department of Labor intends to fund a specific organization, Free the Slaves, without open competition. As such, no general applicant pool is eligible to apply. This type of announcement serves primarily as a transparency mechanism to inform the public of planned funding decisions. There are no defined application timelines, submission processes, or evaluation criteria provided, as this is not an open solicitation. Similarly, there are no deadlines for letters of intent, concept papers, or full proposals. The announcement does not specify a project start date, award date, or performance period, though these would typically be negotiated directly with the selected recipient. For additional information, interested parties may contact the listed program representative at the Bureau of International Labor Affairs.