Countering Violent Extremism in the Philippines through Targeted, Networked, and Effective Initiatives | SFOP0005506

Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0005506

The grant opportunity titled "Countering Violent Extremism in the Philippines through Targeted, Networked, and Effective Initiatives" is an open competition from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO). CSO's broader mission is to help U.S. diplomats anticipate, prevent, and respond to conflicts that threaten U.S. interests or national security. It does this by combining conflict analysis and data visualization with strategic planning, operational surge capacity, targeted programming, and diplomatic engagement to better understand and address fragile or conflict-affected environments. In this specific announcement, CSO is seeking a program that focuses on preventing violent extremism in the Philippines by working directly with local governance and civil society actors in communities where recruitment and radicalization to violence have occurred.

At the center of the opportunity is a capacity-building approach meant to reduce key drivers of violent extremism while strengthening community resilience in carefully selected locations. The program is designed to support a small number of targeted local government units (LGUs) and local community nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), with an emphasis on improving their ability to recognize and mitigate the local conditions that allow violent extremist organizations (VEOs) to spread messaging and recruit. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, the project is meant to be tailored to particular community dynamics and to specific vulnerable segments of the population, reflecting the idea that the pathways into radicalization can differ by locality, age group, social network, economic situation, or exposure to conflict and disinformation.

Geographically, the focus areas named in the announcement are Basilan, Maguindanao, and Zamboanga. The specific target localities within those provinces, along with the particular LGUs and community NGOs that will benefit, are not predetermined in the notice. Instead, they are expected to be identified through close coordination among the selected program implementer, CSO, and the U.S. Embassy in Manila. This suggests the awardee will need to be prepared to collaborate tightly with U.S. government stakeholders during initial scoping, selection of partners, and ongoing program adjustments, and to align activities with evolving on-the-ground realities and diplomatic priorities.

Once the target localities and partner organizations are selected, the core programmatic sequence is clear. The implementer is expected to train and equip those LGUs and NGOs to carry out assessments of violent-extremism-related needs, vulnerabilities, and existing sources of resilience among identified at-risk population segments. The goal is not just to conduct assessments, but to translate findings into practical local action by building the partners' ability to design, resource, and manage community-level initiatives that address those specific needs. In practice, this points toward strengthening local systems: improving how local actors diagnose risk factors, plan interventions, mobilize resources, coordinate across institutions, and manage programs that can blunt recruitment narratives and reduce the appeal or reach of violent extremist messaging.

From an award and administrative standpoint, this opportunity is issued as a discretionary Cooperative Agreement, which typically indicates a more substantial level of U.S. government involvement during implementation than a standard grant. The funding activity category is listed as Community Development (CFDA 19.121). The anticipated number of awards is one, with an award ceiling of $1,678,750. The opportunity was created on December 13, 2018, with an original closing date of January 24, 2019, indicating it was a time-bound competitive call during that period. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), meaning applicants would generally be U.S.-registered charitable nonprofits capable of implementing overseas stabilization or community resilience programming, often in partnership with local entities.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted countering violent extremism (CVE) capacity-building project in select Philippine localities, built around three connected aims: identifying where recruitment risks are highest, strengthening local institutions that can respond credibly and sustainably, and enabling those local institutions to develop and run their own locally grounded prevention initiatives. The emphasis on networked, targeted, and effective initiatives signals that the program is expected to be focused (not diffuse), collaborative across local stakeholders, and oriented toward practical, measurable improvements in communities facing elevated recruitment and radicalization pressures.

• The Department of State, Bureau of Conflict Stabilization Operations in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Countering Violent Extremism in the Philippines through Targeted, Networked, and Effective Initiatives" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 13, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 24, 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 $1,678,750.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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