Opportunity Information: Apply for F19AS00065
The Marine Turtle Conservation Fund and Combating Wildlife Trafficking Strategy and Partnerships Program (Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00065) is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), through its International Affairs Program. The overall intent is to fund targeted, practical projects that produce measurable conservation outcomes by tackling a specific wildlife trafficking problem: the illegal harvest and trade of hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in East and Southeast Asia. Hawksbills are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and the program frames trafficking as not only a conservation crisis but also a broader security and governance issue tied to corruption and transnational criminal networks.
This particular Notice of Funding Opportunity focuses on combating the trafficking of marine turtles, with an emphasis on hawksbills being poached and traded for their shells, meat, and eggs. The geographic scope is explicitly regional and includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and China. Projects are expected to intervene along the trafficking chain, from poaching at nesting beaches to movement through transit points to end-market demand, with the goal of reducing illegal killing and trade pressure on remaining hawksbill populations.
USFWS signals four main priority result areas that proposals should address (one or more). First, it prioritizes reducing illegal killing and trafficking through stronger community-based protection on key nesting beaches, reflecting the idea that local stewardship, monitoring, and on-the-ground protection can directly cut poaching. Second, it prioritizes improving understanding of trafficking routes and major transit points, which points to support for intelligence gathering, investigative analysis, mapping of supply chains, and other work that helps enforcement agencies focus limited resources where they will have the greatest impact. Third, it prioritizes enhancing the application and enforcement of existing laws and prohibitions against marine turtle trafficking, suggesting an interest in projects that strengthen enforcement capacity, interagency coordination, case development, prosecutions, and compliance with current legal frameworks rather than creating entirely new laws. Fourth, it prioritizes the development and promotion of evidence-based behavior change strategies to reduce consumer demand for marine turtle products, meaning proposals can focus on social and behavioral research, demand-reduction campaigns, and interventions that are tested and grounded in data rather than awareness raising alone.
From a funding and competition standpoint, the opportunity is structured as a grant with an award ceiling of $200,000 and an expectation of about five awards. The original posting dates indicate it was created on December 18, 2018, with an original closing date of February 19, 2019. The assistance listing is under CFDA 15.679, and the activity category is Environment and Natural Resources, which signals the program sits within federal financial assistance mechanisms used for conservation and related international work.
Eligibility is broad and includes most common applicant types that might carry out international conservation and anti-trafficking projects. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; individuals; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. In practice, that means proposals could come from conservation NGOs, research institutions, community organizations, government agencies, or private sector entities, as long as they can credibly deliver anti-trafficking and conservation outcomes aligned with the program priorities.
In plain terms, the grant is designed to back focused projects that can show real-world reductions in hawksbill turtle trafficking by strengthening protection at nesting sites, improving trafficking intelligence and targeting, increasing effective enforcement of existing prohibitions, and reducing demand through tested behavior change approaches across key countries in East and Southeast Asia.Apply for F19AS00065
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Marine Turtle Conservation Fund and Combating Wildlife Trafficking Strategy and Partnerships Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.679.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 18, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 19, 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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund and Combating Wildlife Trafficking Strategy and Partnerships Program, Funding Opportunity Number F19AS00065.
Which agency is running this program?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), through its International Affairs Program.
What is the main purpose of the funding?
The overall intent is to fund targeted, practical projects with measurable conservation outcomes that address a specific wildlife trafficking problem: the illegal harvest and trade of hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in East and Southeast Asia.
Which species is the primary focus of this Notice of Funding Opportunity?
The primary focus is the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), which is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Why does the program treat hawksbill trafficking as more than a conservation issue?
The program frames trafficking as both a conservation crisis and a broader security and governance issue because it is tied to corruption and transnational criminal networks.
What types of illegal activities does the funding aim to address?
The NOFO emphasizes hawksbills being poached and traded for their shells, meat, and eggs, and supports projects that reduce illegal killing and trade pressure on remaining populations.
What is the geographic scope of eligible project work?
The geographic scope is regional and explicitly includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and China.
Does the program expect projects to address the full trafficking chain?
Yes. Projects are expected to intervene along the trafficking chain, from poaching at nesting beaches, to movement through transit points, to end-market demand.
What are the main priority result areas for proposals?
USFWS highlights four priority result areas that proposals should address (one or more):
- Reducing illegal killing and trafficking through stronger community-based protection on key nesting beaches
- Improving understanding of trafficking routes and major transit points
- Enhancing the application and enforcement of existing laws and prohibitions against marine turtle trafficking
- Developing and promoting evidence-based behavior change strategies to reduce consumer demand for marine turtle products
Do proposals have to address all four priority areas?
No. Proposals are expected to address one or more of the four priority result areas.
What does "community-based protection on key nesting beaches" imply?
It reflects an approach where local stewardship, monitoring, and on-the-ground protection at nesting beaches are used to directly reduce poaching and illegal take.
What does the program mean by improving understanding of trafficking routes and transit points?
This priority points to work such as intelligence gathering, investigative analysis, mapping supply chains, and identifying routes and major transit points so enforcement agencies can target limited resources for maximum impact.
What does the enforcement priority focus on?
It focuses on strengthening the application and enforcement of existing laws and prohibitions related to marine turtle trafficking, including efforts that improve enforcement capacity, interagency coordination, case development, prosecutions, and compliance with current legal frameworks.
Is the program looking to create new laws to stop trafficking?
The emphasis is on enforcing existing laws and prohibitions rather than creating entirely new laws.
What qualifies as an "evidence-based behavior change" approach under this opportunity?
The NOFO signals interest in approaches grounded in data and testing, such as social and behavioral research and demand-reduction campaigns that go beyond awareness raising alone.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $200,000.
About how many awards does USFWS expect to make?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of about five awards.
What type of funding mechanism is this?
This opportunity is structured as a grant and is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.
What is the CFDA (assistance listing) number for this program?
The assistance listing is CFDA 15.679.
What is the activity category for this funding opportunity?
The activity category is Environment and Natural Resources.
When was this opportunity originally posted, and when did it close?
The posting dates provided indicate it was created on December 18, 2018, with an original closing date of February 19, 2019.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County, city or township governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- Other tribal organizations
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status
- Individuals
- For-profit organizations other than small businesses
- Small businesses
Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to be eligible?
No. Nonprofits are eligible with or without 501(c)(3) status.
Are individuals eligible to apply for this funding?
Yes. Individuals are listed as eligible applicants.
Can for-profit organizations apply?
Yes. Both for-profit organizations other than small businesses and small businesses are included in the eligible applicant types.
What kinds of organizations are expected to apply in practice?
Based on the eligible applicant types and the stated goals, likely applicants include conservation NGOs, research institutions, community organizations, government agencies, and private sector entities that can credibly deliver anti-trafficking and conservation outcomes aligned with the priorities.
What outcomes is this grant trying to achieve in plain terms?
The grant is designed to back focused projects that can show real-world reductions in hawksbill turtle trafficking by strengthening nesting site protection, improving trafficking intelligence and targeting, increasing effective enforcement of existing prohibitions, and reducing consumer demand through tested behavior change approaches across key countries in East and Southeast Asia.
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| Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund: Traditional Conservation Grants Apply for F19AS00134 Funding Number: F19AS00134 Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Department of the Interior, United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Apply for F19AS00138 Funding Number: F19AS00138 Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $268,000 |
| Department of the Interior, United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds-Joint Ventures Apply for F19AS00140 Funding Number: F19AS00140 Agency: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Category: Environment, Natural Resources Funding Amount: $702,000 |
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