Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA ILAB 15 11
Apply for FOA ILAB 15 11
- The Bureau of International Labor Affairs in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Project to Reduce Child Labor and Improve Working Conditions in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.401 International Labor Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 22, 2015 and posted on Jul 22, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 4, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Any commercial, international, educational, or non profit organization(s), including any faith based, community based, or public international organization(s) (PIOs), capable of successfully fulfilling the objectives identified in the Funding Opportunity Description (see Section I) is eligible to apply. ILAB requires that all entities that elect to apply for this opportunity adhere to the specific requirements outlined in this FOA concerning monitoring and evaluation (ME), audits and counter terrorism. In negotiating an award with a PIO, ILAB will discuss the inclusion of appropriate language in the agreement acknowledging the rights and privileges as currently established and afforded to PIOs by the U.S. Government in accordance with U.S. law. The following types of organizations are not eligible to apply nor to participate as subrecipients/contractors Organizations designated by the U.S. Government to be associated with terrorism. Organizations designated by the U.S. Government to have been debarred or suspended. Organizations planning to charge a fee (profit) associated with a project funded by DOL under this award. In addition, foreign governments and entities that are agencies of, or operated by or for, a foreign state or government, are not eligible to apply.
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Opportunity Summary:
The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) offered a cooperative agreement grant opportunity titled "Project to Reduce Child Labor and Improve Working Conditions in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining (ASGM)." The program set aside up to $5,000,000 in total funding for a technical assistance project designed to bring together a broad range of stakeholders and turn that collaboration into practical strategies that reduce child labor and improve labor conditions in ASGM. The award was structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the Department expected to have substantial involvement in the project during implementation, not simply provide funding and step back. The project period could run for as long as four years (48 months) from the award date, and the solicitation indicated an expectation of one award.
The core of the opportunity was convening power: the funded project was expected to organize and coordinate stakeholders across government, industry, and civil society so they could jointly develop and implement solutions. The focus was both country-specific and global. At the country level, the work centered on two pilot countries, Ghana and the Philippines, where ASGM is an important economic activity but is also linked to serious risks including hazardous child labor, unsafe working environments, and weak supply chain oversight. The intent was not only to discuss problems, but to align actors around action plans, policy reforms, and accountability mechanisms that could show measurable progress.
In the pilot countries, the grant emphasized three main objectives. First, it aimed to strengthen and enforce laws and to support the development and implementation of policies and action plans that directly address child labor and poor working conditions in ASGM. This includes helping stakeholders identify where legal and regulatory gaps exist, how enforcement can be made more effective, and how national or local action plans can be made workable in real mining communities. Second, the project sought to expand access for vulnerable households in ASGM areas to social protection services and programs that can stabilize income and improve livelihoods, reducing the economic pressure that often drives children into hazardous work. Third, it aimed to improve transparency and monitoring in gold supply chains, with a particular focus on ASGM, by developing and implementing mechanisms that allow stakeholders to better track and address child labor and labor conditions as gold moves from mine sites through traders and refiners and ultimately into consumer markets.
Beyond Ghana and the Philippines, the opportunity also had a global component. The project was expected to build networks across countries where ASGM is significant and encourage sharing of good practices, lessons learned, and effective models for reducing child labor and improving working conditions. This global element was meant to broaden the impact beyond the pilot sites, creating channels for peer learning and potentially encouraging uptake of successful approaches in other ASGM contexts.
Another notable feature was support for innovation. The grant anticipated funding "pilot innovative initiatives" that test new approaches to address child labor and working conditions in ASGM. While the solicitation language does not list specific pilots, the framing suggests small-scale testing of promising interventions, with an emphasis on identifying what works and could be adapted or scaled by governments, industry, or development partners.
The opportunity defined stakeholders very broadly, reflecting the reality that ASGM is influenced by many actors. Potential stakeholders included national and local governments; private sector entities such as mining companies, smelters, traders, refiners, and retailers; international organizations; trade unions; NGOs and civil society groups; mining consultants; media; academia and think tanks; and community members themselves, including miners, parents, and children. This wide scope underscores that the project was intended to tackle both on-the-ground labor issues and the market and governance systems that shape incentives and oversight.
On eligibility, ILAB allowed applications from a wide range of organization types, including commercial, international, educational, and nonprofit organizations, as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and public international organizations (PIOs), as long as they could credibly fulfill the project objectives. The opportunity explicitly required applicants to comply with ILAB requirements related to monitoring and evaluation, audits, and counter-terrorism provisions. Certain entities were barred, including organizations associated with terrorism, debarred or suspended organizations, and organizations intending to charge a fee or profit connected to the federally funded project. Foreign governments and entities that function as agencies of or are operated by or for a foreign government were also ineligible.
Administratively, the funding opportunity number was FOA-ILAB-15-11 under CFDA 17.401 (International Labor Programs). The opportunity was posted July 22, 2015, with an application deadline of September 4, 2015, and it was archived September 18, 2015. The award ceiling matched the total estimated funding at $5,000,000, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The contact listed for access issues was the Grant Officer, Ms. Elizabeth Whittington, at whittington.e@dol.gov.
FAQs: Project to Reduce Child Labor and Improve Working Conditions in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining (ASGM)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Project to Reduce Child Labor and Improve Working Conditions in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining (ASGM)."
Which U.S. government office offered this opportunity?
It was offered by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB).
What type of funding instrument is it?
The award was structured as a cooperative agreement. This means the Department expected to have substantial involvement in the project during implementation, rather than only providing funding and stepping back.
How much funding was available?
Up to $5,000,000 in total funding was set aside for this opportunity.
What is the expected number of awards?
The solicitation indicated an expectation of one award.
What is the maximum project period?
The project period could run for as long as four years (48 months) from the award date.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project is a technical assistance effort designed to bring together a broad range of stakeholders and turn that collaboration into practical strategies that reduce child labor and improve working conditions in ASGM.
What does the opportunity mean by "convening power"?
The funded project was expected to organize and coordinate stakeholders across government, industry, and civil society so they could jointly develop and implement solutions, including action plans, policy reforms, and accountability mechanisms.
Which countries are the pilot countries?
The country-level work centered on two pilot countries: Ghana and the Philippines.
Why were Ghana and the Philippines selected as the focus countries?
In these pilot countries, ASGM is an important economic activity but is also linked to serious risks, including hazardous child labor, unsafe working environments, and weak supply chain oversight.
Is this project only focused on the two pilot countries?
No. In addition to country-level work in Ghana and the Philippines, the opportunity included a global component intended to build networks across countries where ASGM is significant and encourage sharing of good practices and lessons learned.
What are the main objectives in the pilot countries?
The solicitation emphasized three objectives in the pilot countries: (1) strengthen and enforce laws and support development and implementation of policies and action plans addressing child labor and poor working conditions in ASGM; (2) expand access for vulnerable households in ASGM areas to social protection services and programs to stabilize income and improve livelihoods; and (3) improve transparency and monitoring in gold supply chains, especially related to tracking and addressing child labor and labor conditions in ASGM.
What kinds of legal and policy support does the project anticipate?
The project was expected to help stakeholders identify legal and regulatory gaps, improve effectiveness of enforcement, and support development and implementation of workable national or local action plans in mining communities.
How does social protection fit into reducing child labor in ASGM?
The opportunity described expanding access to social protection services and programs for vulnerable households in ASGM areas to stabilize income and improve livelihoods, reducing economic pressures that can push children into hazardous work.
What supply chain issues does the project aim to address?
The project aimed to improve transparency and monitoring in gold supply chains linked to ASGM by developing and implementing mechanisms to better track and address child labor and labor conditions as gold moves from mine sites through traders and refiners and into consumer markets.
What is the global component expected to do?
The global component was expected to build networks across ASGM-significant countries and promote sharing of good practices, lessons learned, and effective models for reducing child labor and improving working conditions, potentially encouraging uptake of successful approaches beyond the pilot countries.
Does the opportunity include support for innovation?
Yes. The grant anticipated funding "pilot innovative initiatives" to test new approaches to address child labor and working conditions in ASGM, with an emphasis on identifying what works and could be adapted or scaled.
Are specific innovative pilots required or defined?
The solicitation framing referenced pilot innovative initiatives but did not list specific pilots in the provided information.
Who are considered stakeholders for this project?
Stakeholders were defined broadly and could include national and local governments; private sector entities (mining companies, smelters, traders, refiners, retailers); international organizations; trade unions; NGOs and civil society groups; mining consultants; media; academia and think tanks; and community members (including miners, parents, and children).
What kinds of organizations were eligible to apply?
ILAB allowed applications from a wide range of organization types, including commercial, international, educational, and nonprofit organizations, as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and public international organizations (PIOs), as long as they could credibly fulfill the project objectives.
What compliance requirements were explicitly mentioned for applicants?
Applicants were required to comply with ILAB requirements related to monitoring and evaluation, audits, and counter-terrorism provisions.
Which entities were not eligible to apply?
Ineligible entities included organizations associated with terrorism; debarred or suspended organizations; organizations intending to charge a fee or profit connected to the federally funded project; and foreign governments or entities that function as agencies of, or are operated by or for, a foreign government.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement stated for this opportunity.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FOA-ILAB-15-11, under CFDA 17.401 (International Labor Programs).
When was the opportunity posted and when were applications due?
The opportunity was posted on July 22, 2015, and the application deadline was September 4, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
It was archived on September 18, 2015.
Who is the contact for access issues related to this opportunity?
The listed contact for access issues was the Grant Officer, Ms. Elizabeth Whittington, at whittington.e@dol.gov.
Does the award ceiling match the total estimated funding?
Yes. The award ceiling matched the total estimated funding amount of $5,000,000.
What does "technical assistance project" imply in this opportunity?
Based on the description provided, the technical assistance focus is on coordination and implementation support: convening stakeholders, aligning them around practical strategies, supporting policy and enforcement improvements, expanding access to social protection, and improving supply chain transparency and monitoring related to ASGM.
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