Securing Fair and Reliable Critical Mineral Supply Chains

The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT), has announced the availability of approximately $9 million in federal funds through Funding Opportunity Number FOA-ILAB-25-15. The program, titled “Securing Fair and Reliable Critical Mineral Supply Chains,” aims to strengthen the integrity of global mineral supply chains by addressing child labor and forced labor in two high-priority countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Indonesia. The program will provide up to $5 million for one cooperative agreement in the DRC and up to $4 million for one cooperative agreement in Indonesia, with each project lasting up to 54 months from the date of award:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}. The program is designed to align with U.S. trade and labor policy priorities by securing access to critical minerals essential for industries such as defense, energy, electronics, and infrastructure. These minerals—including cobalt, copper, tantalum, tin, tungsten in the DRC, and nickel (with the option to include tin) in Indonesia—are identified on the Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. The FOA requires applicants to propose strategies in two key focus areas: improving policy and legal frameworks to align with international labor standards and building capacity for monitoring, enforcement, and remediation to eliminate child and forced labor from supply chains:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}. Applicants must also design and conduct a supply chain research study within the first three years of the project. This research should map supply chain actors, analyze risks of child and forced labor, and produce actionable data and case studies. The results will contribute to ILAB’s broader research and policy engagement work. Substantial involvement by ILAB will include technical guidance, collaboration on project strategy, and joint participation in monitoring and evaluation efforts. This partnership model ensures that recipients work closely with U.S. government officials, host country stakeholders, and private sector actors:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}. Eligibility is open to a broad range of applicants, including U.S. and non-U.S. nonprofit and for-profit organizations, faith-based and community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, public international organizations, and tribal entities. Foreign governments and government-operated entities are not eligible to apply but may participate as subrecipients with approval. Applicants are not required to demonstrate previous experience with federal funding but must show capacity to manage large-scale, complex international projects:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov. Required documents include SF-424 and SF-424A forms, a technical proposal of no more than 50 pages, a cost proposal, and attachments such as a work plan, sustainability strategy, evidence of country presence, and organizational charts. Applicants must be registered in SAM.gov with a valid Unique Entity Identifier. All applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on September 26, 2025. ILAB anticipates making award decisions between September 30 and December 31, 2025:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}. Applications will be evaluated on a 100-point scale based on problem analysis, project strategy, sustainability, milestones, monitoring and evaluation, organizational capacity, and budget justification. Final selections will be made by the Grant Officer, who may also consider risk assessments, geographic balance, and past performance. The Department reserves the right not to make an award, to increase award amounts, or to modify implementation if conditions in the DRC or Indonesia prevent execution as planned:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}.

Align with U.S. trade and labor policy; incorporate ILAB research and tools; emphasize sustainability; avoid duplication of efforts