Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor

The Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) is a civilian sub-agency that administers federal contracts and grants to advance democratic governance, fundamental freedoms, human rights, and labor rights globally through civil society organizations, research institutions, and international partners.

DRL's contract portfolio totals 668 awards worth $767.7 million in combined potential value, with $430.1 million obligated as of the most recent award on September 30, 2026. Award volume has declined sharply over the past five years, from 44 in 2022 to 25 in 2023, 18 in 2024, 6 in 2025, and 7 year-to-date in 2026. The competitive base remains highly fragmented: the top five primes by award count hold 52 percent of recent awards, but by potential value the top five hold only 15 percent, indicating heavy reliance on smaller procurements and Schedule task orders. Goldbelt C6, LLC leads by award count with 15 awards totaling $22.1 million in potential value; Contracting Resources Group Inc. leads by potential value at $41.5 million across five awards. The remaining 144 distinct primes share the balance. Two-thirds of all contract awards carry no set-aside designation; Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (10 percent of awards) and small business set-asides (10 percent combined) represent the largest set-aside categories, followed by HUBZone (5 percent), 8(a) sole source (5 percent), and competitive 8(a) (4 percent).

DRL's grant portfolio is substantially larger: 981 total awards distributing $4.08 billion in federal dollars obligated. Grant activity has contracted dramatically, dropping from 211 awards in 2022 to 22 in 2023, 19 in 2024, 1 in 2025, and 1 in 2026. Grant recipients are moderately concentrated: the top five by award count hold 24 percent of recent awards, but by federal dollars the top five hold 33 percent, driven by National Endowment For Democracy's dominance at $1.27 billion across five awards. Internews Network, Freedom House Inc., American Bar Association, and National Democratic Institute For International Affairs round out the top recipients by count. Grants are overwhelmingly structured as Project Grants (90 percent of awards) with Cooperative Agreements comprising the remaining 10 percent.

Recent grant opportunities open as of August 2026 span democracy protection, human rights documentation, and labor rights enforcement: Emergency Assistance for Fundamental Freedom Defenders (due September 8, 2026, offering $4.9 million for at-risk defenders); Early Warning and Response in Nigeria (Cooperative Agreement for community-based conflict prevention); Independent Journalism Consortium in Europe (supporting fact-based reporting); Global Rapid Response Fund for Advancing Fundamental Freedoms (short-term interventions responding to threats); Documenting Violence Against Women and Children (data collection on sexual violence and trafficking); Documenting Human Rights Abuses and Countering DPRK Propaganda; and Countering Transnational Repression Through Evidence-based Research and Global Coalition Against Transnational Repression. Standing annual program statements for Trafficking in Persons Office programs (due January 1, 2099) support prosecuting traffickers, protecting victims, and preventing human trafficking globally and through Child Protection Compacts. The solicitation pace has accelerated significantly in August and early September 2026, with over two dozen opportunities posted in that window.