Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0017101
S/GWI FY24 RSOI: SHE's BRIGHT (Supporting Her Empowerment: Building Resilient Initiatives and Girls' Hope Together) is a U.S. Department of State, Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues (S/GWI) funding opportunity focused on preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV), with a strong emphasis on ending harmful practices that disproportionately affect girls, particularly female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM). Rather than requesting a full proposal upfront, S/GWI is running an open competition for organizations to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) that lays out both an initial program concept and the applicant's demonstrated ability to manage and deliver the work. The central idea is to support approaches that place girls themselves at the center of change, helping girls and young women not only participate in anti-GBV efforts, but actively shape, lead, and connect them to broader community and policy movements.
A defining feature of this opportunity is its explicit preference for girl-led and girl-serving solutions. S/GWI is looking for projects that directly invest in girl-led initiatives by providing small grants along with practical capacity-strengthening support, so that local groups, networks, and coalitions can design and implement interventions that make sense in their own communities. In parallel, S/GWI also wants applicants to build coordination mechanisms that help girls engage meaningfully with decisionmakers and key stakeholders, such as community leaders, service providers, educators, religious and traditional leaders, and government actors. The intent is to reduce the common gap where girls are consulted but not empowered; here, activities should build girls' networks, leadership, and confidence, and strengthen their individual and collective capacity to inform and drive efforts to end GBV and harmful practices.
The program is geographically targeted and requires applicants to choose one place of implementation, either a single country or a defined region. Eligible options include Indonesia, Nepal, Niger, Sierra Leone, or the West Africa region. The target population is girls and young women ages 10 to 19, so concepts should be designed with adolescent development, safeguarding, and age-appropriate engagement in mind. Successful concepts will likely show how girls can safely lead and contribute, how community-level norms and structures that enable FGM/C and CEFM can be addressed, and how the project will strengthen local ecosystems so progress can continue after the award ends.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which generally means the U.S. government expects to have substantial involvement during implementation (for example, through collaboration, approvals, or ongoing coordination), beyond what is typical in a standard grant. The funding opportunity number is DFOP0017101, associated with CFDA 19.801, and is posted by the Office of the Secretary. S/GWI anticipates making one award, with an award ceiling of $493,339. The opportunity was created on December 26, 2024, and the original closing date is February 25, 2025.
Eligibility is broad. S/GWI welcomes applications from U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based non-profits/NGOs, public international organizations, institutions of higher education (public, private, or state), and even for-profit entities or businesses. Even with that broad eligibility, S/GWI notes a preference to partner with non-profit entities, while leaving room for cases where a for-profit organization may be uniquely positioned to deliver the work. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a focused, girl-centered GBV prevention and response initiative designed to fund locally tailored action, strengthen girl-led networks, and improve the pathways for girls to influence community and policy decisions related to ending FGM/C and CEFM.Apply for DFOP0017101
- The Office of the Secretary in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "S/GWI FY24 RSOI: SHE’s BRIGHT - Supporting Her Empowerment: Building Resilient Initiatives and Girls’ Hope Together" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.801.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-26.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-25. (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 $493,339.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the SHE's BRIGHT funding opportunity?
SHE's BRIGHT (Supporting Her Empowerment: Building Resilient Initiatives and Girls' Hope Together) is a U.S. Department of State, Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues (S/GWI) funding opportunity focused on preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV). A major emphasis is ending harmful practices that disproportionately affect girls, especially female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM).
What is S/GWI asking organizations to submit?
Instead of requesting a full proposal upfront, S/GWI is running an open competition for a Statement of Interest (SOI). The SOI should present (1) an initial program concept and (2) the applicant's demonstrated ability to manage and deliver the work described.
What is the main goal of this program?
The central goal is to support approaches that place girls at the center of change. The program is designed to help girls and young women not only participate in anti-GBV efforts, but actively shape, lead, and connect those efforts to broader community and policy movements that address FGM/C and CEFM.
What types of approaches does S/GWI prefer?
S/GWI explicitly prefers girl-led and girl-serving solutions. The opportunity prioritizes concepts that directly invest in girl-led initiatives and strengthen girls' leadership, networks, and ability to influence decisions related to ending GBV and harmful practices.
How are girl-led initiatives expected to be supported under this opportunity?
S/GWI is looking for projects that provide small grants to local girl-led initiatives, paired with practical capacity-strengthening support. The intent is for local groups, networks, and coalitions to design and implement interventions that fit their own community contexts.
Does the opportunity involve engaging community leaders or decisionmakers?
Yes. Applicants are expected to build coordination mechanisms that support meaningful engagement between girls and key stakeholders such as community leaders, service providers, educators, religious and traditional leaders, and government actors.
How does this opportunity address the issue of token consultation of girls?
The opportunity is designed to reduce the common gap where girls are consulted but not empowered. Activities should help build girls' networks, leadership, confidence, and their individual and collective capacity to inform and drive efforts to end GBV and harmful practices.
Where can projects be implemented?
This program is geographically targeted. Applicants must choose one place of implementation, either a single country or a defined region. Eligible options include Indonesia, Nepal, Niger, Sierra Leone, or the West Africa region.
Do applicants need to choose more than one country or region?
No. Applicants are required to choose one place of implementation: either one eligible country or the defined West Africa region.
Who is the intended target population?
The target population is girls and young women ages 10 to 19. Program concepts should reflect adolescent development considerations, safeguarding needs, and age-appropriate engagement.
What issues should the program concept focus on?
Concepts should align with GBV prevention and response, with strong emphasis on ending harmful practices that disproportionately affect girls, particularly FGM/C and CEFM. Competitive concepts will likely explain how community norms and structures enabling these practices can be addressed, while keeping girls safely and meaningfully involved.
What does S/GWI mean by strengthening the "local ecosystem"?
Based on the opportunity description, S/GWI is looking for concepts that strengthen local networks, coalitions, and coordination so that progress can continue after the award ends, rather than relying only on short-term external support.
What type of award is being offered?
This opportunity is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement.
What is a cooperative agreement in this context?
A cooperative agreement generally means the U.S. government expects to have substantial involvement during implementation. This may include collaboration, approvals, or ongoing coordination beyond what is typical in a standard grant.
How many awards does S/GWI expect to make?
S/GWI anticipates making one award.
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling is $493,339.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is DFOP0017101.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity is associated with CFDA 19.801.
Which office is posting this opportunity?
The opportunity is posted by the Office of the Secretary, within the U.S. Department of State context described for S/GWI.
When was the opportunity created and when does it close?
The opportunity was created on December 26, 2024, and the original closing date is February 25, 2025.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad. S/GWI welcomes applications from U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based non-profits/NGOs, public international organizations, institutions of higher education (public, private, or state), and for-profit entities or businesses.
Are for-profit entities allowed to apply?
Yes. For-profit entities or businesses are included in the eligible applicant types, though S/GWI notes a preference to partner with non-profit entities while leaving room for for-profits that are uniquely positioned to deliver the work.
Is there a preference for certain applicant types?
Yes. While eligibility includes non-profits, public international organizations, higher education institutions, and for-profits, S/GWI indicates a preference to partner with non-profit entities.
What should an SOI demonstrate besides a program idea?
The SOI should also demonstrate the applicant's ability to manage and deliver the work. This opportunity is not only about proposing an idea; it is also about showing operational and implementation capability.
How should applicants reflect safeguarding and age-appropriateness in the concept?
Because the target population is ages 10 to 19, concepts should be designed with adolescent development, safeguarding, and age-appropriate engagement in mind, including how girls can participate and lead safely.
What is the program trying to change at the community and policy levels?
The program aims to help girls connect local anti-GBV work to broader community and policy movements. It also emphasizes building coordination with decisionmakers and stakeholders so girls can meaningfully influence norms, services, and decisions related to ending FGM/C and CEFM.
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