Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0017371
The grant opportunity titled "Impeding MCF Through STCs" (Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0017371) is a U.S. Department of State program administered by the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. It is a discretionary funding opportunity offered through a cooperative agreement, meaning the government expects to stay actively involved in shaping, coordinating, or overseeing project activities rather than simply providing funds and stepping back. The overall purpose is to help both governments and the private sector take more effective, practical steps to prevent advanced technologies from being acquired by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated actors in ways that could support military modernization and broader technological and economic dominance objectives.
At the core of the program is a focus on stopping the transfer or diversion of "weaponizable" and dual-use technologies, especially those that are critical to modern defense and strategic competition. The opportunity emphasizes engaging with key economies that sit within global supply chains for sensitive technologies. In practice, this points to work such as building relationships, running capacity-building programs, providing technical assistance, and strengthening policies and procedures among relevant authorities in those economies so they can better detect, control, and disrupt illicit or high-risk technology flows.
A central tool referenced in the opportunity is the use of STCs, along with related measures. While the notice does not define the acronym in the text provided, it clearly frames STCs as mechanisms that authorities can use to prevent or impede the CCP and its affiliates from acquiring sensitive technologies. The program is designed to strengthen the ability of partners to apply these tools effectively across a range of critical technology areas, suggesting a combination of regulatory, compliance, enforcement, and cross-border coordination activities tailored to supply chain realities.
The scope is not limited to government stakeholders. A major component is direct engagement with private sector and other relevant entities that develop or produce some of the most strategically important technologies today. The opportunity explicitly calls out artificial intelligence models, advanced semiconductors, and quantum information science and technology, along with related technologies. The intent is to improve how companies, research organizations, and other technology holders identify risk and mitigate it, particularly the risk of acquisition, transfer, or infiltration by actors affiliated with the CCP. This can reasonably include improving internal screening and due diligence practices, strengthening end-use and end-user risk analysis, tightening partner and customer vetting, raising awareness of common procurement and diversion tactics, and improving coordination between industry and government on threat indicators and compliance expectations.
Funding details indicate a sizable program with an award ceiling of $5,919,000 and an expectation of two total awards, implying potentially large, multi-country or multi-stakeholder efforts rather than small pilot projects. The original closing date is listed as 2025-08-06, and the opportunity was created on 2025-07-24. The assistance listing references CFDA number 19.901, which aligns with international security and nonproliferation-related programming.
Eligibility is broad and includes domestic non-federal entities such as state and local governments, federally recognized tribes, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations. It also allows foreign nonprofit organizations, foreign public entities (including foreign public international organizations), and both domestic and foreign for-profit organizations, with the important condition that for-profits must waive any fee or profit. In effect, this structure encourages applications from universities and research institutions with technical expertise, nonprofits with policy and capacity-building experience, and specialized implementers that can operate internationally and convene both regulators and industry, while still allowing private firms to participate if they do so on a no-profit basis.
Taken together, this opportunity is aimed at building durable, real-world capability among partner authorities and technology developers to prevent sensitive technology leakage to CCP-linked actors, particularly in fields like AI, advanced chips, and quantum where supply chains are complex, commercial incentives are strong, and national security risks can be high. The program’s design signals that the government is looking for implementers who can operate at the intersection of international engagement, export and transfer risk reduction, supply chain protection, and private sector compliance, with measurable improvements in how partners and companies detect and block high-risk acquisition pathways.Apply for DFOP0017371
- The Bureau of International Security-Nonproliferation in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Impeding MCF Through STCs" 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 2025-07-24.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-06. (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 $5,919,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Impeding MCF Through STCs (DFOP0017371)
1) What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Impeding MCF Through STCs".
2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DFOP0017371.
3) Which U.S. government agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of State funding opportunity, administered by the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation.
4) What type of funding instrument will be used?
The opportunity is offered through a cooperative agreement.
5) What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
It means the U.S. government expects to be actively involved in shaping, coordinating, or overseeing project activities, rather than providing funding and stepping back.
6) What is the overall purpose of the program?
The purpose is to help governments and the private sector take more effective, practical steps to prevent advanced technologies from being acquired by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and affiliated actors in ways that could support military modernization and broader technological and economic dominance objectives.
7) What kinds of technology risks is the program trying to reduce?
The program focuses on stopping the transfer or diversion of "weaponizable" and dual-use technologies, especially technologies critical to modern defense and strategic competition.
8) Who is the program intended to support: governments, companies, or both?
Both. The opportunity is designed to support government authorities as well as direct engagement with the private sector and other relevant technology-holding entities.
9) Which technology areas are specifically highlighted?
The notice explicitly calls out:
- Artificial intelligence (AI) models
- Advanced semiconductors
- Quantum information science and technology
- Related technologies connected to these areas
10) What kinds of activities does the opportunity emphasize?
Based on the description provided, emphasized activities include work such as:
- Building relationships with key economies and stakeholders in sensitive technology supply chains
- Running capacity-building programs
- Providing technical assistance
- Strengthening policies and procedures among relevant authorities
- Improving detection, control, and disruption of illicit or high-risk technology flows
- Enhancing regulatory, compliance, enforcement, and cross-border coordination approaches tailored to supply chain realities
11) What does "STCs" mean in this opportunity?
The acronym STCs is not defined in the information provided. The notice frames STCs as mechanisms authorities can use to prevent or impede the CCP and its affiliates from acquiring sensitive technologies, alongside related measures.
12) How are STCs expected to be used under this program?
STCs are described as tools that partner authorities can apply to help prevent or impede acquisition of sensitive technologies by CCP-linked actors. The program is designed to strengthen partners' ability to apply these tools effectively across multiple critical technology areas, suggesting a mix of policy, compliance, enforcement, and coordination activities.
13) Why does the opportunity emphasize "key economies" in global supply chains?
The program emphasizes engagement with key economies because they sit within global supply chains for sensitive technologies. Strengthening the capabilities of relevant authorities in those locations can improve real-world ability to detect, control, and disrupt high-risk transfer and diversion pathways.
14) What role does the private sector play in this opportunity?
A major component is direct engagement with private sector entities that develop or produce strategically important technologies. The intent is to improve how companies and other technology holders identify and mitigate risks of acquisition, transfer, or infiltration by CCP-affiliated actors.
15) What kinds of private sector risk-reduction improvements are contemplated?
The description suggests improvements such as:
- Stronger internal screening and due diligence practices
- Improved end-use and end-user risk analysis
- Tighter partner and customer vetting
- Awareness-building on procurement and diversion tactics
- Better coordination between industry and government on threat indicators and compliance expectations
16) What is the total funding available (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $5,919,000.
17) How many awards are expected?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of two total awards.
18) What does the expected number of awards suggest about project scale?
With a relatively large ceiling and an expectation of two awards, the opportunity implies potentially large, multi-country or multi-stakeholder efforts rather than small pilot projects.
19) What is the application closing date listed?
The original closing date is listed as 2025-08-06.
20) When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on 2025-07-24.
21) What is the assistance listing / CFDA number referenced?
The assistance listing references CFDA 19.901, which aligns with international security and nonproliferation-related programming.
22) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes:
- Domestic non-federal entities (including state and local governments)
- Federally recognized tribes
- Institutions of higher education
- Nonprofit organizations
- Foreign nonprofit organizations
- Foreign public entities (including foreign public international organizations)
- Domestic and foreign for-profit organizations (with a key condition)
23) Are for-profit organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. Both domestic and foreign for-profit organizations are eligible, but for-profits must waive any fee or profit.
24) What does "for-profits must waive any fee or profit" mean in practice?
Based on the information provided, it means a for-profit can participate as an applicant or implementer only if it does so on a no-profit basis (i.e., not charging a fee or earning profit under the award).
25) What kinds of organizations appear especially well-suited for this opportunity?
The description suggests the opportunity is structured to attract:
- Universities and research institutions with relevant technical expertise
- Nonprofits with policy and capacity-building experience
- Specialized implementers that can operate internationally and convene regulators and industry
- Private firms that can participate on a no-profit basis
26) What kinds of outcomes is the program seeking?
The opportunity points toward measurable improvements in how partner authorities and companies detect and block high-risk acquisition pathways, with durable, real-world capability to prevent sensitive technology leakage to CCP-linked actors.
27) Is this opportunity limited to government-to-government programming?
No. The scope is explicitly not limited to government stakeholders; it includes significant engagement with the private sector and other technology holders.
28) What is meant by "dual-use" technologies in this context?
The opportunity uses "dual-use" to describe technologies that can have both civilian and military applications, with a focus on preventing diversion or transfer in ways that could support military modernization.
29) Does the opportunity focus on supply chain realities?
Yes. The program repeatedly emphasizes working in and through global supply chains for sensitive technologies, tailoring approaches to how these technologies are actually developed, produced, transferred, and procured.
30) What is the core theme tying together the program's approach?
The program is designed to operate at the intersection of international engagement, export/transfer risk reduction, supply chain protection, and private sector compliance, with active U.S. government involvement typical of a cooperative agreement.
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