Reimagining Juvenile Reintegration Centers in El Salvador | INL22CA0038 WHPELSAL JUVREINTCTRS 042622

Opportunity Information: Apply for INL22CA0038 WHPELSAL JUVREINTCTRS 042622

The grant opportunity titled "Reimagining Juvenile Reintegration Centers in El Salvador" (Funding Opportunity Number INL22CA0038) is a discretionary U.S. Department of State program run through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the awardee should expect an active partnership with the U.S. government during implementation rather than operating with fully hands-off oversight. The activity sits within the Law, Justice, and Legal Services category (CFDA 19.703) and is designed to support a focused project that examines El Salvador's juvenile justice system and produces practical, evidence-based recommendations for improvement, with specific attention to juvenile reintegration centers and the broader process surrounding juvenile offending and rehabilitation.

At its core, the opportunity responds to long-standing structural weaknesses in El Salvador's justice and social service systems. The solicitation points to a history of limited institutional capacity, low public investment in justice institutions, and insufficient social services for at-risk youth and affected communities. In that context, juvenile offenders often face a system where alternatives to detention are scarce, and where judicial processes can be inconsistent, unstandardized, and unreliable. The problem statement in the announcement emphasizes that these conditions can fail multiple stakeholders at once: the young people involved, the communities they come from, and the state interests tied to public safety, rule of law, and long-term reintegration outcomes. The project envisioned under this grant is therefore primarily analytical and advisory: it is meant to study current conditions and propose improvements that make processes more consistent and effective and that better align outcomes with rehabilitation and reintegration goals.

Funding is capped at $200,000 for a single expected award, so this is a relatively targeted initiative rather than a large-scale service delivery program. The competitive window listed in the source information shows the opportunity was created on April 26, 2022, with an original closing date of May 26, 2022. While the budget ceiling is modest, the intent is to fund a high-impact assessment and recommendation effort that can inform reforms, policy adjustments, operational changes, or program redesign in the juvenile justice space, especially around reintegration centers and the pathways that lead youth into and out of those facilities.

Eligibility is broad across several common implementing partner types, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit categories listed). This eligibility profile signals that INL is open to applicants with research, evaluation, justice-sector reform, or youth rehabilitation expertise, including universities, think tanks, and specialized NGOs that can credibly conduct system assessments and translate findings into actionable recommendations.

In practical terms, a successful project under this opportunity would be expected to map and analyze how juvenile cases are handled, where decision-making is inconsistent, what alternatives to detention exist or are missing, and how reintegration centers function relative to their intended role. It would likely involve reviewing procedures and standards, examining service availability for youth, identifying gaps in coordination between justice institutions and social services, and proposing reforms that improve fairness, reliability, and rehabilitative outcomes. The emphasis throughout is on improving the system so it better serves the best interests of juveniles while also supporting community stability and the broader interests of the Salvadoran state in reducing recidivism and strengthening rule-of-law institutions.

• The Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Reimagining Juvenile Reintegration Centers in El Salvador" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.703.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 26, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 26, 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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for INL22CA0038 WHPELSAL JUVREINTCTRS 042622

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