Countering Terrorist Recruitment of Central Asian Foreign Workers
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- DFOP0018082
- Agency
-
Bureau of Counterterrorism
Department of State
- Applications due
- Award size
- $986,679
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Other
- Eligible applicants
- Not on record
- Points of contact
-
- BE Stearns stearnsbe@state.gov
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) is seeking proposals to counter ISIS-K's online radicalization and recruitment of Central Asian foreign workers, particularly Tajik and Uzbek speakers. Proposed activities may include online peer engagement, digital literacy training, law enforcement community trust-building, digital forensics enhancement, and technical assistance to Central Asian law enforcement partners to improve their capacity to identify and investigate terrorist recruitment efforts. All applicants must designate a Central Asian law enforcement agency as a mandatory beneficiary of technical assistance, with all participants required to have law enforcement and counterterrorism mandates and passing Leahy Vetting requirements. Evaluation will assess how well proposals address all three stated program outcomes (investigation, prosecution, and community resilience initiatives), demonstrate sustainability of capability-building in Central Asian law enforcement, and comply with Executive Orders 14149 and 14332 protecting free speech while countering recruitment. The deadline for proposal submission is June 9, 2026, with the notice posted on May 8, 2026.
The maximum award amount is $986,679 per cooperative agreement, with the Bureau of Counterterrorism anticipating at least one award but potentially funding up to two awards pending funding availability. Projects are structured as multi-year initiatives with performance periods of up to three years, requiring detailed budget templates with itemized breakdowns for all sub-awards and indirect cost calculations through either a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or up to 15 percent of Modified Total Direct Costs. Primary places of performance will be Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, though proposals may include all five Central Asian countries if methodologically justified, with activities explicitly prohibited from targeting individuals within the United States.
Synopsis
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity for projects that counter ISIS-K's online radicalization and recruitment of Central Asian foreign workers, particularly Tajik and Uzbek speakers. ISIS-K uses sophisticated, multilingual online propaganda-including on social media, gaming platforms, and via generative AI-to target vulnerable labor migrants from Central Asia working abroad. This recruitment pipeline creates a persistent risk that seemingly localized radicalization abroad can translate into attacks on U.S. soil or against U.S. persons and assets in key transit hubs. This project is intended to advance early investigative interventions in this recruitment pipeline to close pathways that terrorists can use to move people, money, and operational guidance toward targets in the United States. Activities may include online peer engagement to address isolation among foreign workers; pre-departure and on-arrival consultations; digital literacy training; measures to strengthen trust between local law enforcement and communities to encourage reporting; enhancement of information-sharing platforms; enhanced digital forensics capabilities; and partnerships with experts and non-governmental organizations to identify and disrupt terrorist recruitment online, thereby reducing threats to the U.S. This project should also provide technical assistance to Central Asian law enforcement partners to improve their ability to identify and investigate digital evidence of terrorist recruitment efforts leading to counterterrorism prosecutions.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Q&A for NOFO DFOP0018082.pdf | ||
| 1.02.10 CT PITT Template - 2026-02-12 - ALL FUNDING MECHANISMS - FINAL.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| 1.02.9 PMP Template & How To Guide - 2026-02-12 - GRANTS ONLY - FINAL.docx | DOCX document | |
| 1.02.8 Logic Model Template and How to Guide - 2026-02-12 - GRANTS ONLY - FINAL.docx | DOCX document | |
| 1.03.1 Budget Template FY25 with MTDC Calculation_Final.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
Posting history
| Listing | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunity | ||
| Opportunity | ||
| Opportunity |
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