Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0008639
The Disrupting Malign State Behavior grant opportunity (SFOP0008639) is a U.S. Department of State program run through the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation that funds projects designed to strengthen how foreign partner nations recognize and respond to malign state actor activity. The core idea is capacity-building: helping partner governments and relevant stakeholders better identify, understand, and counter activities by hostile or coercive states that can undermine U.S. national security interests, broader international security, and long-standing nonproliferation norms. The scope is intentionally broad and focuses on practical training that improves awareness and response across both public institutions and the private sector.
The solicitation emphasizes training and related support that enable partner countries to deal with a range of malign behaviors. These include state-driven influence and interference that threatens national decision-making and security, aggression and coercion involving land, air, and maritime borders, and the exploitation of national strategic assets such as key infrastructure, critical industries, or other high-value resources that can be leveraged for political or military advantage. Another major theme is the protection of globally emerging and sensitive technologies. This reflects concerns that adversarial states may seek to acquire, divert, or misuse advanced technologies, data, and know-how in ways that erode international security and weaken nonproliferation safeguards. In practice, proposed activities under this opportunity would be expected to help partner nations build the knowledge, coordination, and tools needed to detect and mitigate these threats before they create long-term vulnerabilities.
Funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, which typically means the Department of State expects to remain actively involved in project direction, coordination, and oversight rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal engagement. The award ceiling listed is $1,000,000, and the program anticipated making up to 10 awards, suggesting support for multiple projects that may be regionally focused or tailored to different partner-country needs. The opportunity was created on February 17, 2022, with an original application deadline of April 22, 2022. The CFDA number associated with the program is 19.901, and eligibility is listed as "Others," indicating that applicants may include a range of organization types as clarified in the full eligibility text for the notice, rather than being limited to a single standard category.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a security cooperation and nonproliferation capacity-building effort. It aims to improve partner nations ability to spot malign state tactics, reduce exposure to coercive influence, safeguard strategic assets and sensitive technologies, and strengthen resilience in domains where state aggression or exploitation can show up, from border and maritime security to technology protection and public-private coordination.Apply for SFOP0008639
- The Department of State, Bureau of International Security-Nonproliferation in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Disrupting Malign State Behavior" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.901.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 17, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 22, 2022. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Disrupting Malign State Behavior (SFOP0008639)
What is the Disrupting Malign State Behavior grant opportunity (SFOP0008639)?
Disrupting Malign State Behavior (SFOP0008639) is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity that funds projects designed to strengthen how foreign partner nations recognize and respond to malign state actor activity. The focus is on practical capacity-building that improves awareness, coordination, and response capabilities.
Which U.S. government office runs this program?
The program is run through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation.
What is the main goal of the program?
The main goal is to help foreign partner governments and relevant stakeholders better identify, understand, and counter hostile or coercive state activities that can undermine U.S. national security interests, broader international security, and long-standing nonproliferation norms.
What types of activities does the solicitation emphasize?
The solicitation emphasizes training and related support that improve a partner country’s ability to recognize and respond to malign state behavior. It is oriented toward practical training that strengthens awareness and response across public institutions and the private sector.
How broad is the program scope?
The scope is intentionally broad and is centered on practical capacity-building. It is designed to support a range of projects depending on partner-country needs, including efforts that strengthen detection and mitigation of malign activities before they create long-term vulnerabilities.
What kinds of malign state behaviors are within scope?
Examples described in the notice include state-driven influence and interference that threatens national decision-making and security; aggression and coercion involving land, air, and maritime borders; and exploitation of national strategic assets such as key infrastructure, critical industries, and other high-value resources that can be leveraged for political or military advantage.
Does the opportunity address influence and interference activities?
Yes. The solicitation includes state-driven influence and interference that threatens national decision-making and security as one of the malign behaviors partner nations should be equipped to recognize and counter.
Does the opportunity cover border, air, and maritime security issues?
Yes. The described scope includes aggression and coercion involving land, air, and maritime borders.
What does the program mean by protecting "strategic assets"?
In the context of this opportunity, strategic assets include national assets such as key infrastructure, critical industries, or other high-value resources that could be exploited by malign actors for political or military advantage.
Is emerging technology protection part of the program?
Yes. A major theme is protecting globally emerging and sensitive technologies, reflecting concerns about adversarial states acquiring, diverting, or misusing advanced technologies, data, and know-how in ways that erode international security and weaken nonproliferation safeguards.
What outcomes are projects expected to support?
Proposed activities are expected to help partner nations build knowledge, coordination, and tools to detect and mitigate malign state threats before they create long-term vulnerabilities. The broader intent is to reduce exposure to coercive influence, safeguard strategic assets and sensitive technologies, and strengthen resilience.
Who are the intended beneficiaries or participants?
The program is aimed at foreign partner nations, including partner governments and relevant stakeholders. The solicitation also highlights improving awareness and response across both public institutions and the private sector.
What type of award is being offered?
Funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement.
What is a discretionary cooperative agreement in this context?
As described, a discretionary cooperative agreement typically means the Department of State expects to remain actively involved in project direction, coordination, and oversight, rather than issuing a grant with minimal federal engagement.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $1,000,000.
How many awards does the program expect to make?
The program anticipated making up to 10 awards.
Does the program expect multiple projects serving different regions or partner-country needs?
Yes. The notice suggests support for multiple projects that may be regionally focused or tailored to different partner-country needs.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on February 17, 2022.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was April 22, 2022.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number associated with the program is 19.901.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "Others," which indicates applicants may include a range of organization types as clarified in the full eligibility text for the notice, rather than being limited to a single standard category.
Is the program best understood as security cooperation or something else?
Based on the description provided, this opportunity is best understood as a security cooperation and nonproliferation capacity-building effort that strengthens partner-nation resilience against malign state tactics.
What areas of resilience does the program aim to strengthen?
The program aims to strengthen resilience in domains where state aggression or exploitation can appear, including decision-making integrity, border and maritime domains, protection of strategic assets, sensitive technology protection, and public-private coordination.
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