Building a Community of Practice for Women in Strategic Trade (WiST) | DFOP0010768

Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0010768

Building a Community of Practice for Women in Strategic Trade (WiST) is a U.S. Department of State opportunity run through the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) that funds a single cooperative agreement project designed to strengthen strategic trade controls while elevating women as practitioners and leaders in this space. The core idea is to build or expand a women-focused community of practice in strategic trade so that partner countries, especially those dealing with fragility, conflict, or ongoing crisis, have stronger, more sustainable systems for controlling sensitive trade and preventing proliferation. In practice, the project is meant to support U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities by helping other governments build decision-making structures and operational processes that better reflect the needs and perspectives of partner states and that align with international standards for strategic trade control systems.

The work emphasized in the description centers on improving partner-country capacity to regulate and control transfers of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), WMD-related materials, conventional arms, and dual-use items (goods, software, or technology that can be used for both legitimate civilian purposes and military or proliferation purposes). The opportunity also highlights the operational side of countering illicit trade: helping partners develop the independent ability to detect suspicious transfers, interdict prohibited shipments, investigate networks and violations, and prosecute illicit trafficking cases. The description points to engagement at multiple levels, meaning the project can involve bilateral cooperation with specific governments, regional programming that links several countries and institutions together, and multilateral engagement that reinforces shared norms and international obligations. A key theme is sustainability and independence: the goal is not just one-off training, but helping establish enduring capabilities and systems that partner governments can run themselves.

This opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement, which typically signals substantial involvement by the U.S. government in shaping or supporting implementation compared with a standard grant. The funding opportunity number is DFOP0010768, and it is listed under CFDA 19.901. The award ceiling is $641,225, with an expectation of one award, so the program is structured for a single implementer to lead delivery and coordination rather than multiple parallel awards.

Eligible applicants are broad and include domestic non-federal entities such as state and local governments, tribal governments, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations. It also allows foreign nonprofit organizations, foreign public entities (including foreign public international organizations), and both domestic and foreign for-profit organizations, provided for-profits waive any fee or profit. This wide eligibility suggests the Department is open to proposals from universities, nonprofits, international organizations, and specialized technical implementers that can convene practitioners, deliver capacity-building, and sustain a professional network focused on women in strategic trade and nonproliferation-related controls.

The opportunity was created on March 26, 2024, and the original closing date was May 28, 2024. The overall intent is a practical, policy-relevant project that connects gender-inclusive professional development and networking with measurable improvements in strategic trade control capacity in partner states, particularly in environments where governance and security pressures make effective, standards-based controls harder to build and maintain.

• The Bureau of International Security-Nonproliferation in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Building a Community of Practice for Women in Strategic Trade (WiST)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.901.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-28. (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 $641,225.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DFOP0010768

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