Strengthening Community Policing to Prevent Radicalization and Violent Extremism | INL22CA0034 AME KENYA COMPOLICING 040122

Opportunity Information: Apply for INL22CA0034 AME KENYA COMPOLICING 040122

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity called Strengthening Community Policing to Prevent Radicalization and Violent Extremism (Funding Opportunity Number INL22CA0034). The program is centered on East Nairobi, specifically marginalized urban areas where strained police-community relations have been repeatedly identified as a major factor contributing to violent extremism and insecurity. INL is seeking a single implementing organization to run a project that strengthens community policing in a practical, trust-building way, with the broader goal of reducing radicalization, terrorist recruitment, and election-related violence.

The opportunity is grounded in the reality that distrust of law enforcement can create space for extremist groups to operate. In Kenya, al-Shabaab has leveraged long-standing ethnic and political grievances over the past decade to support recruitment efforts. At the same time, more recent developments have further harmed police legitimacy in the eyes of many communities, including allegations tied to harsh enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions, enforced disappearances, and corruption. When residents view police as abusive or unaccountable, they are less likely to cooperate, less likely to report suspicious activity, and more likely to see non-state actors as the only available sources of protection, justice, or belonging. This breakdown in trust is one of the core problems the project is designed to address.

A second driver behind the grant is the heightened risk environment around political events, especially elections. The description notes that excessive force during elections and political demonstrations has escalated tensions, and that the August 2022 elections (with politicians mobilizing supporters) increased the urgency of prevention-oriented interventions. The project therefore targets not only violent extremism dynamics, but also the types of community tensions and confrontations that can flare during political competition and public demonstrations. In practice, the project is meant to help reduce the likelihood that local grievances, rumors, or clashes spiral into wider violence, while also improving the flow of credible information between communities and police.

The activities envisioned by INL are concrete and community-facing. Applicants are expected to design and deliver structured community-police dialogues and relationship-building activities that bring residents and local police representatives into regular, problem-solving contact. The intent is to move beyond one-off meetings and toward consistent engagement where concerns can be aired, misunderstandings can be corrected, and local safety priorities can be jointly identified. The opportunity also calls for community psychosocial services, reflecting an understanding that trauma, stress, and social strain can influence community vulnerability and conflict dynamics. In addition, the project includes training for local police on alternative dispute techniques, essentially equipping officers with de-escalation and nonviolent conflict resolution tools that can reduce reliance on force and improve how everyday disputes are handled in high-tension neighborhoods.

The desired outcomes are improvements in collaboration, trust, and reporting mechanisms between citizens and local police in at-risk areas of East Nairobi. That includes helping communities feel safer and more confident engaging with police, and helping police develop more responsive and less adversarial approaches to community concerns. By improving how information is shared and how conflicts are managed, INL expects the project to make it harder for extremist recruiters to exploit grievances, and to reduce the chances that political mobilization or public demonstrations trigger cycles of retaliation or repression.

From an administrative standpoint, the award is issued as a grant under CFDA 19.703, with an award ceiling of $325,000 and an expectation of one award. The opportunity was created on April 1, 2022, with an original closing date of May 4, 2022. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), and other eligible entities as clarified in the opportunity's additional eligibility information. Overall, the grant is positioned as a targeted, prevention-focused community policing initiative intended to address the trust deficit between police and marginalized communities in East Nairobi as a way to reduce violent extremism risk and stabilize communities during politically sensitive periods.

• 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 "Strengthening Community Policing to Prevent Radicalization and Violent Extremism" 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 01, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 04, 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 $325,000.00 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 that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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