Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0006499
The FY 2020 Safe from the Start initiative and global Innovation Programs to Address GBV funding opportunity (SFOP0006499) is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) discretionary grant competition focused on advancing innovation in gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response in humanitarian and conflict-affected settings. The core aim is to strengthen real-world GBV programming at the field level, especially approaches that measurably improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of services for women, girls, and other survivors of GBV. In practice, this means PRM is looking for proposals that move beyond business-as-usual service delivery and instead introduce practical, scalable improvements that can work in challenging emergency environments where systems are strained, resources are limited, and survivors often face barriers to care and protection.
A second major emphasis is support for the Safe from the Start initiative through work that strengthens institutional policies, standards, and system-wide commitments to gender equality across the humanitarian response architecture. PRM is particularly interested in accountability mechanisms: concrete ways to ensure humanitarian actors actually prioritize and deliver GBV prevention and response in emergencies, rather than treating it as optional or secondary. This can include efforts that improve how agencies set expectations, measure performance, enforce responsibilities, and coordinate decision-making so that GBV risk reduction and survivor support are built into humanitarian planning, funding, and operations from the outset of a crisis.
PRM signals that proposals are more competitive when they contribute to the broader evidence base for GBV programming. That includes generating credible learning about what works, documenting good or promising practices, and building on established standards rather than reinventing them. Applicants are encouraged to align with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action, using the guidelines as a reference point for safe, ethical, and coordinated GBV-related interventions across sectors. Another priority is strengthening inter-agency and inter-sectoral leadership and coordination at both global and field levels, reflecting the reality that GBV prevention and response requires collaboration among protection, health, WASH, shelter, education, camp coordination, and other actors to reduce risks and improve survivor pathways to care.
The award mechanism listed is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates PRM expects a higher level of engagement during implementation than a standard grant, often involving substantial programmatic collaboration, monitoring, and ongoing communication. The listed award ceiling is $800,000. The opportunity was created February 21, 2020, with an original closing date of April 17, 2020. It is associated with CFDA number 19.522. Eligibility is not expressed as a simple category in the notice and is instead described as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced elsewhere in the full announcement.
A critical threshold requirement in this notice is that PRM will only consider funding projects in which at least 50 percent of the target beneficiaries are refugees. This reflects PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and durable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict. As a result, even highly relevant GBV innovation proposals would need to be structured so that refugees make up at least half of the population served, and the project design would need to clearly describe and justify how that beneficiary composition will be met and verified.
Overall, the opportunity is designed for organizations that can pair survivor-centered, field-tested innovation with strong coordination and accountability thinking, producing results and learning that other humanitarian actors can adopt. Competitive submissions would likely show clear alignment with established humanitarian GBV standards, demonstrate practical improvements to service access and quality for women and girls, include a credible approach to evidence generation and documentation, and strengthen cooperation across agencies and sectors while meeting the refugee-beneficiary requirement.Apply for SFOP0006499
- The Department of State, Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2020 Safe from the Start initiative and global Innovation Programs to Address GBV" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.522.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 21, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 17, 2020. (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 $800,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity called and what is its reference number?
The opportunity is titled the FY 2020 Safe from the Start initiative and global Innovation Programs to Address GBV funding opportunity. The funding opportunity number is SFOP0006499.
Which U.S. government office is offering this opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of State opportunity, offered through the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).
What is the main purpose of this grant competition?
The core purpose is to advance innovation in gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response in humanitarian and conflict-affected settings, with a focus on strengthening real-world, field-level GBV programming.
What kinds of settings are projects expected to operate in?
Projects are expected to be relevant to humanitarian and conflict-affected contexts, including emergency environments where systems are strained, resources are limited, and survivors face barriers to care and protection.
What does PRM mean by “innovation” in this opportunity?
Based on the notice description, innovation refers to moving beyond business-as-usual service delivery and introducing practical, scalable improvements that can work in challenging emergency settings. The emphasis is on measurable improvements to the quality, safety, and accessibility of GBV services.
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
The notice highlights women, girls, and other survivors of GBV as key groups for whom service quality, safety, and access should be improved.
Is there a minimum refugee-beneficiary requirement?
Yes. PRM will only consider funding projects in which at least 50 percent of the target beneficiaries are refugees.
How should applicants address the 50 percent refugee threshold in their proposal?
The project design should clearly describe how at least half of the target beneficiaries will be refugees, and it should explain how that beneficiary composition will be met and verified.
What is the second major emphasis area besides field-level GBV programming innovation?
A second emphasis is support for the Safe from the Start initiative through work that strengthens institutional policies, standards, and system-wide commitments to gender equality across the humanitarian response architecture.
What types of “accountability mechanisms” is PRM interested in?
PRM is interested in concrete ways to ensure humanitarian actors prioritize and deliver GBV prevention and response in emergencies. Examples described in the notice include improving how agencies set expectations, measure performance, enforce responsibilities, and coordinate decision-making so GBV risk reduction and survivor support are built into planning, funding, and operations from the outset of a crisis.
Does PRM prioritize coordination across different humanitarian sectors?
Yes. The opportunity emphasizes strengthening inter-agency and inter-sectoral leadership and coordination at global and field levels, reflecting the cross-sector nature of GBV risk reduction and survivor pathways to care.
Which sectors are mentioned as relevant for inter-sector collaboration?
The notice references collaboration among protection, health, WASH, shelter, education, camp coordination, and other actors.
Are proposals expected to contribute to evidence or learning?
Yes. PRM indicates proposals are more competitive when they contribute to the broader evidence base for GBV programming, including generating credible learning about what works and documenting good or promising practices.
Is alignment with established GBV standards encouraged?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to align with established standards and specifically to use the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action as a reference point for safe, ethical, and coordinated interventions.
What is the award mechanism?
The listed award mechanism is a cooperative agreement.
What does it imply that this is a cooperative agreement?
As described in the notice summary, a cooperative agreement typically indicates PRM expects a higher level of engagement during implementation than a standard grant, often involving substantial programmatic collaboration, monitoring, and ongoing communication.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is $800,000.
When was the opportunity created and what was the original closing date?
The opportunity was created on February 21, 2020, and the original closing date was April 17, 2020.
What is the CFDA number associated with this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 19.522.
How is eligibility described in the notice summary provided?
Eligibility is not expressed as a simple category in the summary and is instead described as “Others,” with additional eligibility details referenced elsewhere in the full announcement.
What makes a proposal more competitive according to the notice summary?
Competitive proposals are described as those that: (1) align with established humanitarian GBV standards (including IASC guidance), (2) demonstrate practical improvements to service access and quality for women and girls and other survivors, (3) include a credible approach to evidence generation and documentation of practices, (4) strengthen cooperation across agencies and sectors, and (5) meet the requirement that at least 50 percent of beneficiaries are refugees.
Is PRM looking for projects that can be scaled or replicated?
Yes. The notice emphasizes practical, scalable improvements that can work in difficult emergency environments and produce results and learning that other humanitarian actors can adopt.
Does the opportunity focus only on direct service delivery?
No. While strengthening field-level GBV programming is central, the notice also emphasizes system-level work such as strengthening institutional policies, standards, commitments to gender equality, and accountability mechanisms across humanitarian response systems.
What is the overarching goal of Safe from the Start as reflected in this opportunity?
Based on the description provided, the initiative focus includes ensuring GBV prevention and response are prioritized early in emergencies and embedded into humanitarian planning, funding, and operations, supported by stronger institutional commitments and accountability.
What beneficiary verification expectation is suggested by the notice?
The notice suggests proposals should not only state that refugees will comprise at least 50 percent of beneficiaries, but also explain how that composition will be verified.
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