Strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Organized Crime Specialized Departments for Organized Crime Through Expert Advisory Support | Apply Online

Grant Opportunity FAQs (OFOP0003410)

1) What is this grant opportunity?

This is a discretionary grant opportunity (OFOP0003410) offered by the U.S. Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina through the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It is focused on strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina's specialized prosecutorial capacity for anti-organized crime and anti-corruption work.

2) What is the main goal of the program?

The main goal is to improve how specialized prosecutorial departments investigate, build, prioritize, and prosecute complex, high-level organized crime and corruption cases in a consistent, structured, and more effective manner.

3) Which institutions are intended to benefit from this grant?

The grant is designed to support two key prosecutorial entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

• The Specialized Department for Corruption and Organized Crime in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (POSKOK)
• The counterpart specialized department in Republika Srpska

4) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are individuals (not organizations). This signals that INL is seeking qualified individual experts who can provide practitioner-to-practitioner advisory support and mentoring.

5) What types of experts is INL looking for?

The opportunity describes a need for seasoned practitioners who can provide hands-on advisory support. Examples referenced include senior prosecutors, specialized investigators, anti-corruption advisors, or similar experts capable of delivering specialized mentoring and guidance.

6) What kinds of activities are supported under this grant?

The grant focuses on practical capacity-building inside prosecutorial structures. Activities described include structured advisory sessions, case-based mentoring with prosecutors, engagement with judges and investigators, and participation in legal reform working groups.

7) Is this grant focused on public awareness campaigns or broad general training?

No. The announcement emphasizes practical, embedded capacity-building within prosecutorial units rather than broad public awareness efforts or general training.

8) What is meant by "hands-on advisory support and mentoring" in this context?

Based on the announcement, this means working closely with prosecutors on real-world prosecutorial needs through structured advisory sessions and mentoring tied to casework, with additional engagement of judges and investigators where relevant.

9) Will the expert(s) only work with prosecutors?

No. While prosecutors are the primary focus, the announcement also expects engagement with judges and investigators as part of the structured advisory and mentoring approach.

10) Does the program include legal reform work?

Yes. The announcement states that the expert(s) will participate in legal reform working groups, indicating the work is meant to influence both day-to-day practice and the broader legal/procedural environment that affects organized crime and corruption prosecutions.

11) What legal framework is specifically referenced in the opportunity?

The announcement references the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's 2014 Law on the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime, and emphasizes helping institutions translate that framework into consistent operational practice.

12) What is a key deliverable expected from this grant?

A major highlighted deliverable is the development of a structured case prioritization framework to help specialized departments decide which cases to pursue first, allocate limited personnel and resources, and focus on matters expected to have the greatest impact.

13) Why is a structured case prioritization framework important for these units?

The announcement points to a common challenge for specialized departments: complex caseloads combined with limited resources. A prioritization framework is intended to support more strategic management of high-level cases and improve resource allocation decisions.

14) How does the opportunity connect local crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina to transnational threats?

The threat picture described in the announcement links criminal networks operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina to broader transnational networks, including documented links to Western Hemisphere cartels. The announcement notes alleged involvement in laundering drug proceeds and protecting corrupt officials.

15) Why does the announcement describe these issues as relevant to U.S. interests?

The announcement presents cartel-linked and transnational organized crime connections as a direct risk to U.S. security and economic interests, particularly where networks facilitate money laundering and corruption tied to international criminal activity.

16) What is the significance of Bosnia and Herzegovina's geographic position mentioned in the opportunity?

The announcement notes that Bosnia and Herzegovina sits on the Balkan Route, described as a corridor used for trafficking narcotics and weapons and facilitating migrant smuggling. This context is used to underscore the importance of capable institutions that can disrupt cross-border criminal organizations and corruption.

17) Does the grant prioritize cases with an international or U.S.-related connection?

Yes. The announcement states that the case prioritization approach should also improve the departments' ability to identify investigations with a U.S. nexus, such as those tied to international money laundering channels, cartel-linked trafficking, or corruption intersecting with transnational criminal activity.

18) What is the funding category and CFDA number for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed in the law, justice, and legal services category, with CFDA number 19.703.

19) What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $75,000.

20) How many awards does INL expect to make?

The announcement indicates up to two expected awards, suggesting INL may select one or two individual experts depending on the approach proposed and the needs across the two entities.

21) What is the application timeline for this opportunity?

The opportunity was created on 2026-07-30, and the application closing date is 2026-09-28.

22) Is this opportunity intended to support both entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska)?

Yes. The program description names both POSKOK in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its counterpart in Republika Srpska as the two key entities to be supported.

23) What is the overall approach emphasized by the announcement?

The announcement emphasizes improving prosecutorial methodology and institutional practice through structured, consistent, practitioner-oriented support, aligned with existing legal frameworks, and reinforced by participation in legal reform working groups.