$7M multi-country grant competition to reduce worst forms of child labor
announced by the US Labor Department

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced a $7 million competitive solicitation for a project supporting efforts to reduce the worst forms of child labor by building local and national capacity of governments in at least eight countries.

This project will combat child labor through capacity building activities that support:

1. bringing current national legislation related to child labor into compliance with international standards;
2. improved monitoring and enforcement of policies and laws related to child labor;
3. development, improvement and effective implementation of national plans of action on child labor; and
4. enhanced implementation of policies and programs to reduce and prevent the worst forms of child labor, including programs to increase access to basic education, vocational training, social protection services and poverty reduction initiatives, for populations vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor.

Applicants must propose to work with host governments and other local actors to build national capacities to reduce child labor in target countries, such as Burkina Faso and Nepal. Applicants must also describe their capacity to implement similar activities in six additional countries to be selected by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs after award. Eligible applicants include any commercial; international; educational; or nonprofit organization(s), including any faith-based, community-based or public international organization(s), capable of successfully implementing the actions outlined in the solicitation.

Applications must be submitted by July 2, 2014, at 5 p.m. EDT electronically via http://www.grants.gov or in hard copy format to the U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Room S-4307, Washington, DC 20210, Attention: Helen Williams.

All cooperative agreement awards will be made by Sept. 30, 2014. The solicitation for cooperative agreement applications (SCA 14-05) is available online at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/grants/ and http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=254089.