Better Tools for Fair Cotton: Traceability Solutions to Protect U.S. Supply Chains from Chinese Forced Labor

Key facts

Copied from the official Grants.gov record. Last verified October 29, 2026.

Program name

Better Tools for Fair Cotton: Traceability Solutions to Protect U.S. Supply Chains from Chinese Forced Labor

Issuing agency

Bureau of International Labor Affairs (Department of Labor)

Opportunity number

FOA-ILAB-26-42

Funding type

Cooperative Agreement

Funding purpose

Other — NOTE: This is a Notice of Intent. An announcement is not related to this notice. We are not accepting applications at this time.

Status

Forecasted

Application deadline

Forecasted · estimated close September 4, 2026 (agency estimate)Agency note: Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

Agency estimates

Estimated posting: August 5, 2026. Estimates can change.

Published award range

Up to $6,000,000

Estimated total program funding

$6,000,000

Expected number of awards

1

Cost sharing or match required

No

Eligible applicants (official categories)

• Others (see Additional Information on Eligibility)

Relevant to

NonprofitsHow we determined this: Listed as 'Others'; the agency's eligibility text mentions nonprofits (flagged for review).

Geographic restrictions

None stated in structured data (federal opportunities are often nationwide). Check the eligibility details and full announcement for any limits.

Assistance Listing (CFDA)

17.401

Official source

View on Grants.gov ↗

Application URL

www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363226 ↗Apply through Grants.gov (Workspace) using the application package on the official listing, unless the full announcement names a different submission system.

Source identifier

Grants.gov opportunity ID 363226 · Funding opportunity number FOA-ILAB-26-42

Posted

July 17, 2026 · Source last updated July 17, 2026

Last verified

October 29, 2026 (against Grants.gov)

Data completeness

100% of key fields published by the source

Record confidence

loweligibility described only in free text (in review); forecast — dates and amounts are agency estimates.

Eligibility details (from the agency)

Eligible applicants include any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit organizations, including any faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, or public international organizations (PIOs). Faith-based organizations are encouraged to apply, as are all organizations. Those that meet the eligibility requirements may receive awards under this funding opportunity. DOL will not, in the selection of recipients and administration of the grant, discriminate on the basis of an organization's religious character, affiliation, exercise, or lack thereof, or on the basis of conduct that would not be considered grounds to favor or disfavor a similarly situated secular organization.

Description (from the official listing)

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $6 million total costs (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for one cooperative agreement to fund a project that will strengthen traceability and responsible sourcing in cotton supply chains in South Asia. These efforts will enhance the reputation of U.S.-produced cotton as a sustainable and labor-compliant alternative, further promoting export opportunities for American producers.The duration of the project will be 36 months from the award date. Applicants may propose a shorter period of performance in line with their proposed strategy. The objective of the project is to incentivize suppliers to adopt responsible labor and sourcing practices, improve verification of cotton origin, and reduce the risk of forced-labor-tainted goods entering the U.S. market.* Project outcomes will be developed by the applicant.Questions regarding this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Forecast may be emailed to OGM_ILAB@dol.gov; however, please note there is limited information that may be shared with the public, as this FOA is currently under development. We encourage prospective applicants and interested parties to use the Grants.gov subscription option to register for future updates provided for this particular FOA.

Agency contact

Sue Levenstein
OGM_ILAB@dol.gov