Combating Wildlife Trafficking | F17AS00184

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00184

The Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced a discretionary funding opportunity called "Combating Wildlife Trafficking" (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00184) to support projects that strengthen how countries implement and enforce the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The core purpose is to improve the global ability to stop illegal trade in protected wildlife and plants, recognizing that trafficking threatens biodiversity and also affects U.S. national interests. The opportunity is designed to align with a broader, whole-of-government U.S. approach to countering wildlife trafficking, as reflected in the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 and the National Strategy referenced in that law.

A central theme in the notice is that strong international rules only work when countries have solid domestic systems to carry them out. USFWS highlights its primary role in providing support and technical assistance to CITES Parties so they can adopt and maintain the right domestic measures to implement the treaty effectively. In practical terms, the grant is aimed at projects that help countries strengthen their legal frameworks, administrative processes, and enforcement capacity so CITES requirements are not just written down but actually applied. By focusing on CITES implementation, the program targets one of the key mechanisms used globally to regulate and control international trade in endangered and threatened species.

Funding is offered through a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect a more active partnership with the federal government than a typical grant, often including coordination, shared planning, or ongoing involvement by USFWS during project implementation. The award ceiling listed is $250,000. The notice was created on April 4, 2017, with an original closing date of June 3, 2017. The listing shows "ExpectedAwards: 0," which can indicate the number was not specified in the public summary or was subject to change based on available funds, merit, and program priorities.

Eligible applicants are broad and include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private colleges and universities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, individuals, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and other applicants as clarified in the full eligibility section of the notice. The activity sits at the intersection of environment, natural resources, and enforcement-related fields (including law, justice, and legal services), and it is associated with CFDA number 15.679. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as targeted capacity-building support: it is not simply about wildlife conservation in the abstract, but about improving the policies, institutions, and enforcement tools that make international wildlife trade controls credible and effective.

The legal and policy authorities cited in the notice underscore how the program fits into established U.S. directives. These include Executive Order 13648 (July 5, 2013) establishing the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking, the Implementation Plan for that Strategy (February 11, 2014), and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543). Taken together, these authorities frame wildlife trafficking as both a conservation crisis and a governance and security challenge, and they justify USFWS using financial and technical assistance to help strengthen international arrangements and domestic implementation systems that protect species from illegal trade.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, law, justice and legal services, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Combating Wildlife Trafficking" 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 Apr 04, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 03, 2017. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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