Trinidad and Tobago Youth Development and Diversion Grant | OFOP0001187

Opportunity Information: Apply for OFOP0001187

The Trinidad and Tobago Youth Development and Diversion Grant is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) funding opportunity aimed at reducing gang recruitment by supporting practical, community-based interventions in selected communities across Trinidad and Tobago. The central idea is to prevent young people from being drawn into gangs by strengthening local prevention and diversion options, improving community safety, and addressing the root conditions that make gang involvement more likely. The grant sits under a broader INL public safety and rule-of-law priority focused on "Enhanced Citizen Security and Rule of Law," with an emphasis on institutions and communities working together to tackle the drivers of crime, gang participation, and violent extremism.

The opportunity is framed around the reality that criminal gangs are a major contributor to violent crime and homicides in Trinidad and Tobago, with wider spillover effects that touch everyday life. INL highlights that violence and gang activity undermine public safety, disrupt livelihoods, reduce consumer confidence, deter foreign investment, and erode the ability of residents to live in stable, peaceful communities. A key pressure point identified in the notice is economic vulnerability: limited sustainable employment and income opportunities can make gangs more attractive, particularly for young males, and can reduce the long-term productive potential of people in the 18 to 35 age group.

The program description also spells out why prevention efforts must start early. Youth between 10 and 18 are described as especially susceptible to both "push" factors (negative conditions that drive them toward gangs) and "pull" factors (the perceived benefits or social draws within gang structures). The grant notice calls attention to family-level risks that are often strongly linked to later delinquency and gang involvement, including parental substance abuse, violence in the home, and parental criminality or existing gang ties. It also points to community-level drivers such as social disorganization, access to firearms, availability of drugs, and cultural norms that normalize or support gang behavior. In some cases, the notice suggests youth may gravitate toward gang culture as a way to cope with or resist the structural violence and hardship they experience in their neighborhoods. The existence of established gangs in a community is also noted as a factor that can reinforce and expand recruitment over time.

From a practical standpoint, this is a discretionary grant with a relatively small award size, designed to fund targeted projects rather than large multi-year national programs. The funding instrument is a grant, the activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services (CFDA 19.703), and it is administered by the Department of State through the U.S. Mission to Trinidad and Tobago. The listed award ceiling is USD 50,000, and the opportunity anticipated making about two awards, indicating a competitive process focused on selecting a small number of implementers. The eligible applicant type listed is small businesses. The opportunity was created on July 19, 2023, and the original application closing date was September 30, 2023.

Overall, the grant is essentially seeking implementable, local solutions that can show how youth development and diversion programming can reduce gang recruitment pressures in specific communities. While the notice does not list a detailed menu of required activities in the excerpt provided, it clearly signals the kinds of outcomes INL is aiming for: expanded youth development and diversion options that discourage gang involvement, stronger juvenile justice-related approaches that keep at-risk youth from entering deeper cycles of violence and crime, and improved relationships between law enforcement and at-risk communities so prevention and safety efforts are more credible and effective on the ground.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Trinidad and Tobago in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Trinidad and Tobago Youth Development and Diversion Grant" 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 Jul 19, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2023. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

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