Opportunity Information: Apply for INL19GR0060 EAMOLDOVA CHILDEXP 071519
The grant opportunity titled "Strengthening Moldova's Capacity to Address Child Online Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (COSESA)" is a U.S. Department of State initiative, managed through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), intended to improve Moldova's ability to prevent, investigate, and prosecute online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The funding is offered as a discretionary grant under the law, justice, and legal services activity category (CFDA 19.705). The total amount available is up to USD 200,000, with the expectation of making one award. The opportunity was posted on July 15, 2019, with an original application deadline of September 16, 2019.
The project is framed as a response to several converging developments inside Moldova that have exposed gaps in the country’s current capacity to address COSESA effectively. A key driver is the increasing number of trafficking in persons (TIP) cases being reported and identified alongside online sexual exploitation and abuse of children, suggesting both a growing problem and improved detection that is outpacing the system’s ability to respond. The opportunity notes that Moldova’s national response to COSESA has been insufficient so far, indicating that existing tools, coordination mechanisms, specialized expertise, or operational practices are not yet adequate to deal with the scale and complexity of online-facilitated abuse.
Another major challenge highlighted is the lack of accessible, relevant, and practical information on COSESA available to Moldovan legal professionals. This includes the kinds of guidance prosecutors, investigators, judges, and other justice actors need in order to handle digital evidence, understand online offender behavior, recognize victimization patterns, and apply appropriate investigative and procedural steps in a way that holds up in court. Without shared reference materials and training tailored to COSESA, cases can fail due to weak evidence handling, misapplied legal standards, or uncertainty around investigative authorities and child-sensitive procedures.
The grant also responds to recent institutional reforms within the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), where responsibility for COSESA has been assigned to the PGO’s Anti-TIP Unit. This is important because it signals a shift toward formalizing accountability for COSESA within a specific institutional home, but it also creates immediate capacity needs: the unit must be equipped with the technical understanding, investigative coordination skills, and procedural know-how to manage online child exploitation matters that often involve cross-border platforms, encrypted communications, and sophisticated digital concealment tactics.
At the same time, Moldova has been pursuing legal initiatives aimed at combating sexual violence against women and girls and aligning national legislation with international standards, specifically those reflected in Council of Europe conventions. While these reforms are not exclusively about child online exploitation, they create an opportunity to harmonize approaches to sexual violence more broadly, strengthen rights-based and victim-centered procedures, and integrate international good practices that can also benefit child protection and criminal justice responses to COSESA. The opportunity situates COSESA capacity building within this broader reform trajectory, implying that the legal and policy environment is evolving and may be receptive to targeted improvements.
The description also points to a strong existing partnership among law enforcement, the judiciary, and civil society that has been developed to advance efforts against sexual violence against women and girls. That collaboration is presented as a foundation Moldova can build on for COSESA, since effective responses typically require multi-agency cooperation and trusted referral pathways, including victim identification and support services often provided by non-governmental organizations. In practice, leveraging these partnerships can improve reporting, strengthen child safeguarding, reduce retraumatization during investigations and court processes, and increase the likelihood that cases move successfully from detection to prosecution.
Finally, the opportunity emphasizes the need to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to investigate online child trafficking and to conduct special investigations in child pornography cases. This signals an intended focus on operational capacity, such as investigative techniques suitable for online environments, proactive and reactive investigative methods, use of specialized tools, intelligence and case coordination, and lawful handling of digital evidence. It also implies support for developing skills and procedures for complex investigations that may require undercover operations, controlled communications, cooperation with internet service providers or online platforms, and coordination with international counterparts when offenders, victims, or data are outside Moldova.
Overall, the COSESA grant is designed to provide a relatively focused, single-award investment to help Moldova close concrete capability gaps at a moment of rising case numbers and institutional change. Its core intent is to strengthen the justice sector’s practical readiness to address online child sexual exploitation and abuse, improve the knowledge base available to legal professionals, and reinforce investigative and prosecutorial effectiveness through better coordination, specialized skills, and alignment with relevant international standards.Apply for INL19GR0060 EAMOLDOVA CHILDEXP 071519
- 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 Moldova’s Capacity to Address Child Online Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (COSESA)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.705.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 15, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 16, 2019. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: Strengthening Moldova's Capacity to Address Child Online Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (COSESA)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Strengthening Moldova's Capacity to Address Child Online Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (COSESA)."
Which U.S. government entity is offering and managing the grant?
This is a U.S. Department of State initiative managed through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
What is the main purpose of the grant?
The grant is intended to improve Moldova's ability to prevent, investigate, and prosecute online child sexual exploitation and abuse (COSESA). It is designed to strengthen practical readiness across the justice sector, including investigative and prosecutorial effectiveness.
What problem is the grant responding to inside Moldova?
The project responds to converging developments that have exposed gaps in Moldova's ability to address COSESA effectively. These include rising numbers of trafficking in persons (TIP) cases being identified alongside online sexual exploitation and abuse of children, and an overall national response described as insufficient for the scale and complexity of online-facilitated abuse.
How is trafficking in persons (TIP) connected to this opportunity?
The opportunity notes an increasing number of TIP cases being reported and identified alongside online child sexual exploitation and abuse. This suggests both a growing problem and improved detection that is outpacing Moldova's current capacity to respond.
What kind of capacity gaps does the opportunity highlight?
It highlights gaps in tools, coordination mechanisms, specialized expertise, and operational practices needed to deal with COSESA, particularly where cases involve digital evidence and online offending behaviors.
Why is information for legal professionals a focus of this grant?
The opportunity states there is a lack of accessible, relevant, and practical COSESA information for Moldovan legal professionals. Prosecutors, investigators, judges, and other justice actors need tailored guidance to handle digital evidence, understand online offender behavior, recognize victimization patterns, and apply appropriate investigative and procedural steps that hold up in court.
What risks arise when COSESA guidance and training are not available?
Without shared reference materials and training tailored to COSESA, cases can fail due to weak evidence handling, misapplied legal standards, or uncertainty around investigative authorities and child-sensitive procedures.
What institutional change in Moldova does this grant take into account?
The opportunity references reforms within the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO), where responsibility for COSESA has been assigned to the PGO's Anti-TIP Unit.
Why does assigning COSESA responsibility to the PGO Anti-TIP Unit matter?
It signals a move toward formalizing accountability for COSESA within a specific institutional home. At the same time, it creates immediate capacity needs for that unit to be equipped with technical understanding, investigative coordination skills, and procedural know-how for online child exploitation matters.
What investigative complexities does the opportunity associate with COSESA cases?
It notes that COSESA cases often involve cross-border platforms, encrypted communications, and sophisticated digital concealment tactics, which increases the need for specialized skills and coordinated approaches.
How does this opportunity relate to broader legal reforms in Moldova?
Moldova has been pursuing legal initiatives to combat sexual violence against women and girls and to align national legislation with international standards reflected in Council of Europe conventions. While not exclusively about COSESA, the opportunity frames COSESA capacity building as aligned with this broader reform trajectory, including harmonizing approaches and integrating international good practices.
Does the opportunity emphasize victim-centered or rights-based approaches?
Yes. It describes an opportunity to strengthen rights-based and victim-centered procedures, integrate international good practices, and improve how cases are handled in ways that can benefit child protection and the criminal justice response to COSESA.
What role does partnership and coordination play in the project concept?
The opportunity points to an existing partnership among law enforcement, the judiciary, and civil society developed around sexual violence against women and girls. That collaboration is presented as a foundation to build on for COSESA, since effective responses require multi-agency cooperation and trusted referral pathways.
Why are civil society organizations relevant to COSESA efforts in this grant description?
The description notes that victim identification and support services are often provided by non-governmental organizations. Leveraging established partnerships can improve reporting, strengthen child safeguarding, reduce retraumatization during investigations and court processes, and increase the likelihood that cases move from detection to prosecution.
What law enforcement capabilities does the opportunity specifically seek to strengthen?
It emphasizes strengthening law enforcement's ability to investigate online child trafficking and to conduct special investigations in child pornography cases, indicating a focus on operational capacity for online investigations.
What kinds of operational or investigative elements are implied by the opportunity?
The opportunity implies the need for techniques suitable for online environments, proactive and reactive investigative methods, use of specialized tools, intelligence and case coordination, lawful handling of digital evidence, and coordination with internet service providers, online platforms, and international counterparts when cases cross borders.
What is the activity category and CFDA number listed for this grant?
The funding is offered as a discretionary grant under the law, justice, and legal services activity category, listed as CFDA 19.705.
How much funding is available under this opportunity?
The total amount available is up to USD 200,000.
How many awards does the funding agency expect to make?
The opportunity indicates an expectation of making one award.
When was the opportunity posted and what was the original application deadline?
The opportunity was posted on July 15, 2019, with an original application deadline of September 16, 2019.
Is this described as a large, multi-award program or a focused investment?
It is described as a relatively focused, single-award investment intended to close concrete capability gaps at a time of rising case numbers and institutional change.
What outcomes is the grant ultimately trying to support?
Based on the description, the core intent is to strengthen the justice sector's practical readiness to address online child sexual exploitation and abuse by improving the knowledge base for legal professionals, reinforcing investigative and prosecutorial effectiveness, enhancing coordination, building specialized skills, and supporting alignment with relevant international standards.
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