International Labor Programs
Active
- Assistance listing
- 17.401
- Agency
-
Bureau of International Labor Affairs
Department of Labor
- Grant awards
- 203 $1,256,393,477 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 16-0165-0-1-505
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) funds technical assistance projects through Cooperative Agreements (CFDA 17.401) that combat child labor, forced labor, and labor rights violations in global supply chains and trade-critical sectors, with the most recent grant award dated December 31, 2025.
The program funds concrete interventions in international labor governance: strengthening enforcement of labor laws and international standards in supply chains; building capacity of workers' organizations, civil society, and government institutions; improving monitoring and data systems for labor violations; and addressing labor abuses in critical sectors including shipbuilding, nickel and cobalt mining, agricultural commodities, textiles, and seafood. Recent awards demonstrate breadth across geographies and labor issues. ILAB awarded Delaware County Community College $24 million for a U.S.-South Korea shipbuilding fellowship training 1,456 workers; Partners of the Americas $46.2 million to reduce wage suppression in Mexican automotive, electronics, and logistics sectors; the Center for Advanced Defense Studies $9 million to address forced labor in Indonesia's nickel industry; and PACT $42 million to reduce child and forced labor in DRC cobalt and copper mining. Projects typically run 36 to 54 months and engage host governments, private-sector buyers and suppliers, worker organizations, and civil society as implementation partners.
The portfolio is heavily concentrated in Cooperative Agreements, which represent 97 percent of 203 total awards issued since 2007. The Department of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs has issued 197 awards valued at $1.26 billion in federal dollars, dominating the funding stream; the remaining Department of Labor office issued 6 awards totaling $734 thousand. Recent award pace shows 8 to 16 awards per year over the past five years. Combined federal and non-federal dollars obligated total $1.28 billion, indicating minimal cost-share requirements from recipients.
Active grant opportunities posted in 2026 include FOA-ILAB-26-28 (Supporting Implementation of Labor Provisions in Trade Arrangements, due September 21); FOA-ILAB-26-29 (Protecting American Seafood Supply from Unfair Labor Practices, due September 21); FOA-ILAB-26-30 (Critical Minerals Supply Chains in Western Hemisphere, due September 21); FOA-ILAB-26-44 (Freedom Shield: Global Forced Labor Import Prohibition, due September 21); and FOA-ILAB-26-42 (Cotton Traceability Solutions, due unspecified). Earlier 2025 opportunities remain under development and allow applications from commercial, educational, nonprofit, faith-based, and community-based organizations meeting eligibility criteria. No closed-out or expired recent opportunities were identified; program remains actively soliciting proposals.
Objective and description
- Objective
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) prioritizes the interests of American workers in U.S. trade and international labor and employment policy, strengthening U.S. jobs and wages, by combating foreign labor abuses and unfair trade practice
- Description
ILAB technical assistance projects combat exploitative child labor and forced labor around the world, as well as implement model programs that address worker rights issues in countries with which the United States has free trade agreements or trade preference programs. These projects increase American job and wage growth by combating foreign labor abuse and unfair trade practices in global supply chains that undermine U.S. prosperity and security, while shaping international labor standards towards U.S. objectives. ILAB ensures that American workers and businesses benefit from the Administration's trade agenda by counteracting labor practices overseas that undermine American competitiveness, including vigorously enforcing labor provisions in trade agreements.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
See available funding opportunities posted at https://www.grants.gov/search-grants.html?cfda=17.401. Prospective applicants may, as a starting point, sort listings based on the general eligibility criteria listed on the menu at the left-hand-side of the page. Individual listings contain additional information on eligibility.
- Beneficiary eligibility
See available funding opportunities posted at https://www.grants.gov/search-grants.html?cfda=17.401. Individual listings contain information on eligible beneficiaries.
- Uses of assistance
That funds available to the Bureau of International Labor Affairs may be used to administer or operate international labor activities, bilateral and multilateral technical assistance, and microfinance programs, by or through contracts, grants, subgrants and other arrangements, including programs to combat exploitative child labor internationally and model programs that address worker rights issues through technical assistance in countries with which the United States has free trade agreements or trade preference programs.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Projects generally run from 3 to 4 years.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for this listing will be posted on Grants.gov
- Criteria for selecting proposals
See available funding opportunities posted at https://www.grants.gov/search-grants.html?cfda=17.401. Individual listings describe the selection process and criteria.
- Award procedure
Procedures for each project are specified in the applicable request for proposals. Generally, the procedure is as follows: A technical review panel composed of federal staff and peer reviewers evaluates eligible submitted applications. The panel prepares a report for the Grant Officer identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each application and the cumulative rating. Selections are made based on the best rated proposals, as well as other factors as cited in the funding opportunity announcement. Once selections are made by the Grant Officer, an Award Notification is sent to awardees. If an application is rejected, a letter is sent to the applicant as notification that they were not selected as a recipient.
- Deadlines
Application deadlines are included in each Funding Opportunity Announcement.
- Appeals
Additional information and contact procedures are detailed within each Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Grant opportunities
Show 39 more
Latest 49 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 203 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International Labor Organization | $376,095,319 | 30% |
| 2 | American Center For International Labor Solidarity | $147,211,500 | 12% |
| 3 | Partners Of The Americas, Inc. | $98,304,558 | 8% |
| 4 | World Vision Inc. | $87,199,184 | 7% |
| 5 | American Institutes For Research In The Behavioral Sciences | $83,701,000 | 7% |
| 6 | Winrock International Institute For Agricultural Development | $81,464,725 | 6% |
| 7 | Pact, Inc. | $69,199,636 | 6% |
| 8 | Verite Inc. | $31,927,897 | 3% |
| 9 | Mass Maritime Academy | $29,000,000 | 2% |
| 10 | Pan American Development Foundation, Inc. | $26,400,000 | 2% |
10 of 64 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $209,200,000 |
| FY2025 | $64,766,052 |
| FY2024 | $109,745,000 |
| FY2023 | $159,801,725 |
| FY2022 | $197,158,173 |
| FY2021 | $104,511,429 |
| FY2020 | $51,511,551 |
| FY2019 | $49,769,095 |
| FY2018 | $54,403,110 |
| FY2017 | $56,555,341 |
| FY2016 | $64,360,992 |
| FY2015 | $77,354,563 |
| FY2014 | $15,000,000 |
| FY2013 | $5,000,000 |
Show all 14
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 17.401?
Assistance Listing 17.401 is International Labor Programs, a federal grant program run by Bureau of International Labor Affairs (Department of Labor).
What is the CFDA number for International Labor Programs?
Its CFDA number is 17.401: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 17.401 awarded?
203 grant awards under 17.401 have obligated $1,256,393,477 in federal funds to 64 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 17.401?
The recipients obligated the most under International Labor Programs are International Labor Organization ($376,095,319), American Center For International Labor Solidarity ($147,211,500) and Partners Of The Americas, Inc. ($98,304,558).
How much did 17.401 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 17.401 obligated $64,766,052 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 17.401?
2 of the latest 49 opportunities under 17.401 are open or forecasted. The latest, Supporting Implementation of the Labor Provisions of Trade Arrangements for American Worker Competitiveness, was posted on August 21, 2026.
On GovTribe
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