Ecuador Justice Sector Capacity Building Program to Combat Transnational Crime and Narcotrafficking | INL19CA0041 WHPECUADOR JUSSEC 05312019

Opportunity Information: Apply for INL19CA0041 WHPECUADOR JUSSEC 05312019

The Ecuador Justice Sector Capacity Building Program to Combat Transnational Crime and Narcotrafficking is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) grant opportunity designed to strengthen Ecuador s ability to investigate and prosecute complex crime, especially transnational organized crime linked to narcotics trafficking, maritime smuggling, and money laundering. Rather than funding a large, one-time diagnostic of the entire justice system, the program is set up to deliver practical, targeted capacity building that can respond quickly to real-time needs raised by Ecuadorian counterparts. The project is meant to function as an implementation vehicle that combines focused assessments with hands-on technical assistance, training, and advisory support, drawing on subject matter expertise that can be deployed rapidly.

At a high level, the program focuses on helping justice sector actors work more effectively across the full chain of criminal justice: investigators, prosecutors, judges, and related institutions that shape how cases are built, litigated, and adjudicated. A major emphasis is sharing best practices in judicial and legislative reforms and translating those lessons into Ecuador-specific tools and improved procedures. The solicitation also signals that applicants may benefit from using local or regional experts who already understand Ecuador s legal framework and can work professionally in Spanish, which suggests the program values context-appropriate support over generic training packages.

The project is organized into four components. Component I centers on institutional development and capacity building for transnational organized crime units within the justice sector. Activities under this component may include identifying priority judicial and legislative gaps that slow down or weaken complex prosecutions, then delivering targeted training, technical expertise, and rapid-response support to improve how multi-faceted cases are handled. The intent is to make justice sector units more efficient and better equipped to pursue organized crime cases that often involve multiple actors, jurisdictions, and criminal methodologies.

Component II focuses on financial crimes, recognizing that organized crime networks rely on laundering proceeds and protecting assets. Under this line of effort, the implementer would provide technical assistance and training related to anti-money laundering approaches, asset recovery and asset management practices, and other financial crime priorities as needed. The program anticipates that emerging needs could require quick sub-projects or deployments, meaning the implementer should be prepared to pivot when Ecuadorian government requests or new threat patterns arise.

Component III addresses maritime crime, reflecting Ecuador s exposure to maritime narcotics trafficking and broader illicit flows moving through coastal routes and ports. This component aims to build justice sector competencies specific to maritime cases, with a notable focus on strengthening prosecutorial capacity. In practice, this can include improving how maritime interdiction events are translated into prosecutable cases, aligning evidence handling and case theory with legal requirements, and strengthening coordination across criminal justice and security institutions involved in maritime enforcement and prosecution.

Component IV provides for embedded advisors. The project will place at least one subject matter expert in an Ecuadorian government institution, potentially within the Attorney General s Office, to deliver day-to-day mentoring and hands-on capacity building. The specific specialty area for the embedded advisor will be selected by INL based on information gathered through the implementer and aligned to priorities within Components I through III. This embedded model indicates a preference for sustained, practical support inside host-country institutions, rather than relying only on short workshops.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which typically means the U.S. government expects substantial involvement in shaping or overseeing implementation during the life of the award. The opportunity number is INL19CA0041 (WHPECUADOR JUSSEC 05312019), issued by the Department of State INL under CFDA 19.705. The anticipated award ceiling is USD 750,000, with one award expected. The opportunity was posted May 31, 2019, with an original closing date of July 16, 2019. Eligible applicants are listed as Others with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice, suggesting eligibility may extend beyond only traditional nonprofit categories depending on the solicitation language.

Overall, the grant supports a structured but flexible program intended to improve Ecuador s justice sector performance against transnational organized crime by pairing targeted assessments with concrete training, technical assistance, rapid deployments, and embedded advisory support in the areas of institutional capacity, financial crimes, and maritime crime.

• The Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ecuador Justice Sector Capacity Building Program to Combat Transnational Crime and Narcotrafficking" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.705.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 31, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 16, 2019. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for INL19CA0041 WHPECUADOR JUSSEC 05312019

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