Build Partner Resilience to Counter Proliferator State Hybrid Threats in the Nonproliferation Arena | DFOP0016984

Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0016984

Build Partner Resilience to Counter Proliferator State Hybrid Threats in the Nonproliferation Arena (Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0016984) is a discretionary U.S. government funding opportunity issued by the Department of State's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, specifically the Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (ISN/CTR). The focus is on strengthening international partners' ability to respond to "hybrid threats" tied to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), with a clear emphasis on chemical weapons incidents and the information warfare that often surrounds them. The program is framed around a broader concern that long-standing nonproliferation norms are weakening, and that some proliferator states and affiliated threat actors are increasingly willing to cross lines that used to carry stronger political and practical deterrents.

The core problem this opportunity is trying to tackle is twofold. First, it highlights a worrying pattern over the last decade: the real-world use of WMD-related materials, particularly chemical agents, not just in battlefields but in targeted attacks such as assassination attempts. Second, it underlines that these incidents are frequently paired with disinformation and competing narratives about what happened, who was responsible, and whether prohibited weapons were involved at all. Those false or conflicting WMD-related narratives can delay attribution, fracture international consensus, erode public trust, and ultimately make it harder for the international community to enforce norms against chemical weapons and other WMD. In practice, the opportunity is aimed at helping partner countries and institutions build resilience not only to the operational side of WMD threats, but also to the narrative manipulation that seeks to deflect blame and generate confusion after an incident.

The award structure indicates a relatively substantial program. The listed award ceiling is $3,000,000, and the agency anticipates making around 10 awards. That combination suggests multiple projects may be funded to address different regions, threat profiles, or capability gaps, rather than a single large flagship effort. The closing date provided is January 17, 2025, giving potential applicants a clear deadline for proposal preparation and submission planning. The opportunity is associated with CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) number 19.033, which corresponds to Department of State assistance programming.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive, which signals an interest in pulling expertise from many parts of the nonproliferation and security ecosystem. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofits and NGOs (with or without 501(c)(3) status), foreign-based nonprofits/NGOs, federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), public international organizations, foreign public organizations, U.S. and foreign institutions of higher education (public or private), and even U.S. for-profit organizations or businesses. That wide eligibility pool implies the government is open to proposals ranging from policy and analytical work to training, capacity building, technical assistance, applied research, and operationally oriented programming, as long as the work supports the stated goal of countering proliferator-state hybrid threats in the nonproliferation arena.

In short, this grant opportunity is about helping partners withstand and counter a modern pattern of WMD-related coercion and norm-breaking, where chemical weapons use and other WMD-linked incidents are paired with active narrative warfare. The U.S. government is seeking implementers who can help build the practical and institutional resilience needed to reduce confusion, improve responses, and reinforce nonproliferation norms when malign actors attempt to test international red lines through both action and disinformation.

• The Bureau of International Security-Nonproliferation in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Build Partner Resilience to Counter Proliferator State Hybrid Threats in the Nonproliferation Arena" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.033.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-17. (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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DFOP0016984

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