Building Partner Capacity to Counter Chemical Weapons Threats | DFOP0016990

Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0016990

Building Partner Capacity to Counter Chemical Weapons Threats is a U.S. government grant opportunity focused on strengthening international capabilities to prevent, detect, and respond to chemical weapons risks in a changing technical landscape. The opportunity is rooted in the concern that chemical weapons use by proliferator states has been rising, which weakens the long-standing global norm against chemical weapons and directly undermines broader nonproliferation efforts. A key driver behind this program is the recognition that modern chemical threats are no longer limited to well-known, traditional agents. Instead, proliferators are increasingly exploring and developing non-traditional agents (NTAs), pharmaceutical-based agents (PBAs), and other novel compounds that can be harder to identify quickly and confidently. These newer categories can complicate real-world incident response because they may evade standard detection approaches, blur medical and forensic signatures, and make attribution more difficult, which in turn reduces the deterrent effect that comes from being able to prove who was responsible.

The notice also emphasizes that the technical environment surrounding chemical weapons is changing in ways that lower the barrier to entry for a wider range of actors. Chemical-relevant scientific knowledge and tools are spreading more rapidly due to the pace of innovation and the decentralization of research fields that can be misused. In parallel, emerging technologies such as generative AI and machine learning are highlighted as accelerants that can make it easier to access information, optimize processes, or reduce the specialized expertise historically required for certain steps involved in chemical agent development. Taken together, these trends mean that both state and non-state actors, including terrorist groups, may see new opportunities to pursue chemical weapons capabilities. The grant opportunity is positioned as a way to build partner capacity to counter these evolving threats, especially where detection, identification, and attribution are central challenges.

From an administrative standpoint, the funding opportunity is issued by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, under CFDA number 19.033. It is a discretionary opportunity and will be awarded using a cooperative agreement, which generally signals that the government expects to have substantial involvement during the period of performance, such as collaboration on planning, coordination, or oversight as the project progresses. The opportunity number is DFOP0016990 and the title is exactly Building Partner Capacity to Counter Chemical Weapons Threats. The original closing date listed is January 17, 2025, and the posting/creation date is October 26, 2024.

The funding scale is relatively significant. The award ceiling is $4,000,000 per award, and the program anticipates making about five awards. While the notice text provided does not list specific project activities, the framing strongly indicates that competitive proposals would likely need to show credible pathways to strengthening partner readiness against advanced or emerging chemical threats. That typically aligns with areas such as improving technical and operational capacity for chemical agent detection and identification, strengthening forensic and attribution-related capabilities, enhancing preparedness and response systems, and building sustainable institutional knowledge and coordination mechanisms. The emphasis on NTAs and PBAs suggests that proposals that directly address gaps created by novel agents, including training, equipment, methods development, protocols, and cross-border cooperation, would be especially relevant, provided they remain focused on defensive, nonproliferation-oriented outcomes.

Eligibility is broad and includes a mix of domestic and international entities across nonprofit, academic, commercial, and public-sector categories. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), foreign-based nonprofit/NGOs, federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), public international organizations, foreign public organizations, U.S.-based private/public/state institutions of higher education, foreign-based institutions of higher education, and U.S. for-profit organizations or businesses. This wide eligibility range suggests the government is open to technical, training, policy, and operational capacity-building approaches, and it creates room for consortium-style proposals that combine specialized strengths, such as academic science expertise, practitioner training experience, and on-the-ground implementation capabilities in partner countries.

Overall, the opportunity is designed to counter the evolving chemical weapons threat environment by investing in partner capabilities that can keep pace with newer agents, faster innovation cycles, and the expanding accessibility of CW-relevant know-how. It reflects an urgency around maintaining the credibility of global chemical weapons norms and ensuring that when chemical incidents occur, partners have the technical ability to detect what was used, identify it accurately, and support attribution in a way that strengthens accountability and deterrence.

• The Bureau of International Security-Nonproliferation in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Building Partner Capacity to Counter Chemical Weapons Threats" 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 $4,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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