Promoting Responsible Investment and Rights-Respecting Production Models
Limited submission
The Department of State's grant funds research and interventions to promote responsible investment and labor rights-respecting production models in key industries.
Funder: Department of State
Due Dates: August 31, 2026: Full application submission deadline (Applications are due by August 31, 11:59 PM EDT)
Funding Amounts: $2,959,500 total; one award; up to 36 months duration
Summary: Supports research and targeted interventions to promote responsible investment, workforce upskilling, and rights-respecting production models in critical industries.
Key Information: Only one proposal per organization; cost sharing not required; substantial involvement from the Department of State is expected.
Description
This program, administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, seeks to counter unfair competition arising from forced labor, worker exploitation, and other violations of internationally recognized labor rights. The initiative adopts a phased, evidence-based approach, beginning with research and stakeholder engagement to identify workforce-related barriers to investment and expansion, assess promising workforce development practices, and develop recommendations for targeted interventions. Informed by these findings, the program will fund activities such as building partnerships between foreign companies and U.S. workforce stakeholders, piloting employer-led workforce development approaches, implementing worker upskilling initiatives in critical industries, facilitating technical exchanges, and strengthening worker voice and engagement. The overarching aim is to reduce barriers to responsible foreign investment, support American workers, and promote supply chains and production models rooted in innovation, productivity, and respect for labor rights.
