Emergency Assistance for Fundamental Freedom Defenders
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- DFOP0019749
- Agency
-
Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor
Department of State
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $4,932,500
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Other
- Eligible applicants
- Not on record
- Points of contact
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor is soliciting applications for the Emergency Assistance for Fundamental Freedom Defenders cooperative agreement with a single anticipated award of $4,932,500 and an application deadline of September 8, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET.
Eligible applicants include U.S.-based and foreign-based nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and for-profit organizations, all of which must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier and maintain active SAM.gov registration. The program operates globally outside the United States, excluding Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The cooperative agreement will provide 12 to 18 months of performance funding for flexible, short-term emergency financial and critical services to individuals and organizations facing imminent threats due to their work defending fundamental freedoms of speech, peaceful assembly, and association. Support mechanisms include cash transfers, individual grants, in-kind assistance, legal support, safehouses, trauma counseling, equipment replacement, and referrals for medium-term services. Beneficiaries must have demonstrated at least six months of nonviolent work defending fundamental freedoms. At least 50 percent of available funding is reserved for beneficiaries referred by the Department of State, with remaining funds supporting applicant-identified cases.
Post-award requirements include detailed work plans due within 45 days, monitoring and evaluation plans due within 100 days, and security and risk management plans due within 60 days. The Department maintains substantial involvement throughout the award period in approving work plans, program materials, beneficiary eligibility, and security coordination. Annual reporting on foreign assistance data elements is required. Recipients are subject to 2 CFR Subpart F audit requirements with annual determinations made at time of award and a seven-year record retention period.
The opportunity is assigned to CFDA 19.345, International Programs to Support Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
Synopsis
The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) seeks to make available on-demand, emergency support for individuals and organizations that face imminent threat due to their work to promote and defend fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of speech, peaceful assembly, and association articulated in the United States' founding documents. The program will provide assistance to defenders who are facing threat of attack, arbitrary arrest, detention, prosecution, or are otherwise at imminent risk of harm, through a program that provides short-term emergency funding to enable them to continue their work pressing for democratic government and reform and respect for human rights.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| MTDC Calculation Table.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Budget Template FY26 with MTDC Calculation_Final (1).xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| 2026 Proposal Submission Instructions Updated.pdf | ||
| DFOP0019749 Emergency Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity_Revised 9-1-2026.pdf |
Posting history
| Listing | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunity | ||
| Opportunity |
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