Nature Crime Addendum under Justice, Rights, and Security (JRS) Annual Program Statement (APS) | 7200AA23APS00005

Opportunity Information: Apply for 7200AA23APS00005

The Nature Crime Addendum is a USAID funding opportunity released under the Justice, Rights, and Security (JRS) Annual Program Statement (APS) that focuses on stopping and reducing environmental and wildlife-related illegal activity. Its central aim is to prevent and address nature crime that harms wild species and ecosystems, undermines rural livelihoods, and weakens security at local, national, and international levels. USAID frames this work not only as conservation, but also as a rule-of-law and human rights issue, expecting proposed activities to strengthen justice systems and protections while delivering outsized, catalytic benefits for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

Programmatically, the addendum targets the systems and incentives that allow illegal wildlife and natural resource exploitation to continue. USAID highlights three major pathways for impact: reducing international trade in protected wild species, blocking illegally harvested fish, timber, and wildlife from entering legal supply chains and legitimate business operations, and reducing illegal deforestation tied to key commodities. The opportunity is designed around five mutually reinforcing objectives identified by USAID's Biodiversity Division through consultations and problem analysis; while the text provided does not list the five objectives, it signals that USAID wants integrated approaches that address multiple leverage points at once rather than isolated, one-off interventions.

From an application standpoint, this is not a standard Request for Applications. Instead, USAID is soliciting concept notes under APS No. 7200AA22APS00007, and submissions must follow both the addendum instructions and the broader JRS APS requirements to be considered responsive. USAID will review concept notes and then decide whether to invite selected applicants to submit a full application. Organizations are specifically instructed not to submit a full application unless USAID requests it, meaning the concept note functions as a gatekeeping step and needs to be strong, compliant, and clearly aligned with the addendum's intent.

The assistance mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement by USAID during implementation (for example, coordination on strategy, learning, or technical direction). Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full opportunity text. The opportunity was created on April 21, 2023, with an original closing date of May 22, 2023.

On funding scale and award expectations, the notice states USAID intends to make up to three awards under this addendum, but it also emphasizes that publication does not guarantee an award and does not obligate the U.S. Government to cover proposal preparation costs. Final award numbers depend on funding availability and the quality and viability of the concept notes and any subsequently requested full applications. The source data also lists an award ceiling of $25,000,000. (The source fields also include an "ExpectedAwards: 30" value, which appears inconsistent with the narrative statement of up to three awards, so applicants would typically rely on the addendum narrative and seek clarification if needed.) Overall, the opportunity is positioned for applicants that can connect anti-trafficking and anti-illegal deforestation outcomes with governance, justice, and rights-based approaches, and demonstrate how their work will reduce illicit trade and strengthen the integrity of supply chains.

• The Agency for International Development in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Nature Crime Addendum under Justice, Rights, and Security (JRS) Annual Program Statement (APS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 21, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 22, 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 $25,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 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.

Apply for 7200AA23APS00005

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: