Request for Statements of Interest and Capacity (SOIC) Countering State-Sponsored Propaganda and Disinformation | SFOP0004211

Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0004211

The U.S. Department of State's Global Engagement Center (GEC) released a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Request for Statements of Interest and Capacity (SOIC) Countering State-Sponsored Propaganda and Disinformation" (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0004211). Rather than asking for a full proposal upfront, the GEC invited organizations to submit a Statement of Interest and Capacity (SOIC) describing their ability to design and run programs that counter foreign, state-sponsored propaganda and disinformation campaigns that threaten or undermine U.S. national security interests. The SOIC submission deadline listed for this opportunity was April 23, 2018, and the opportunity was posted on March 9, 2018.

The overall purpose of the opportunity is to strengthen efforts that push back against adversarial information operations aimed at the United States as well as U.S. allies and partner nations, with a strong emphasis on reaching audiences outside the United States. The GEC framed the work as both reactive and proactive: exposing and refuting false narratives while also promoting fact-based narratives, analysis, and policy explanations that can compete effectively in contested information environments. The program is structured to support practical, implementable activities, and it signals an interest in organizations that can operate with partners abroad, leverage credible messengers, and produce measurable effects in the information space.

The program objectives outline five main lines of effort. First, the GEC sought to build local and regional capacity so that partners can develop and disseminate fact-based narratives and analytical content to foreign audiences. This points to activities like training, content production support, network-building among communicators and analysts, and strengthening the institutions or outlets that can credibly deliver accurate information. Second, the opportunity emphasizes understanding the threat landscape by identifying, cataloguing, and when possible quantifying trends in foreign propaganda and disinformation. That objective suggests support for monitoring, analysis, and structured reporting that helps stakeholders recognize emerging tactics and themes and adjust responses quickly.

Third, the GEC highlighted technology and technique development and diffusion. The goal here is not only to create tools, but to facilitate their use through knowledge-sharing among foreign partners, drawing on external expertise, and documenting and applying proven practices. This could include technical approaches to detection, verification, attribution, audience analysis, campaign measurement, or secure collaboration, as well as operational playbooks for rapid response and narrative competition. Fourth, the GEC wanted systematic research and curation of relevant information, data, and analytics drawn from partner nations and from organizations such as think tanks, universities, civil society groups, and other nongovernmental entities. This objective reflects an interest in consolidating and organizing existing research and insights so practitioners can access and apply them, rather than reinventing work in isolation.

Fifth, beyond the defined categories above, the opportunity explicitly leaves room for additional innovative projects developed and executed in cooperation with the GEC. This signals flexibility for creative, context-specific interventions, pilot programs, or new partnership models that can counter the effects of adversarial propaganda and disinformation in ways that standard approaches might miss, as long as they align with the GEC mission and can be carried out collaboratively.

In terms of award structure and scale, the funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies more substantial federal involvement than a standard grant, including coordination with the agency during implementation. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $950,000 and anticipates up to 15 awards. The funding activity category is "Information and Statistics," and the CFDA number is 19.040. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity unless additional eligibility details elsewhere in the full notice add conditions or clarifications.

Taken together, this opportunity was essentially a call for capable organizations to show readiness, credibility, and operational capacity to partner with the GEC on counter-disinformation programming. The GEC made clear it was looking for efforts that combine on-the-ground or regional partner engagement, rigorous tracking and analysis of disinformation trends, practical technology and knowledge transfer, and curated research support, with room for innovative projects that can adapt to fast-changing propaganda tactics and contested media environments.

• The Department of State, Public Affairs in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Statements of Interest and Capacity (SOIC) Countering State-Sponsored Propaganda and Disinformation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 09, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 23, 2018. (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 $950,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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