Building Forensic Accounting Capacity in Serbia | INL21GR0012 EASERBIA FORENSIC 010521

Opportunity Information: Apply for INL21GR0012 EASERBIA FORENSIC 010521

The grant opportunity titled "Building Forensic Accounting Capacity in Serbia" (Funding Opportunity Number INL21GR0012) is a discretionary U.S. government grant issued by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) under CFDA 19.703, focused on the law, justice, and legal services sector. Its core purpose is to create a sustainable, locally deliverable forensic accounting specialization and certification program in Serbia that takes already-qualified, practicing accountants and builds their skills into a recognized forensic accounting credential. While the program is meant for practicing accountants broadly, it places particular emphasis on accountants working in government institutions and law enforcement, reflecting the program's role in strengthening public-sector investigative and prosecutorial capacity.

A central requirement is that the certification process and training content align with existing international standards and best practices while also fitting within relevant Serbian and European Union statutes and applicable international standards. In practical terms, this means the program is not just academic or theoretical; it needs to be compatible with the legal and institutional realities in which Serbian investigators, prosecutors, courts, and related agencies operate. The training is expected to build on the participants' existing accounting competence and then layer in forensic methods that are directly usable in real investigations and proceedings.

The opportunity strongly emphasizes practical, hands-on learning. The intent is for participants to gain applied skills they can immediately use in fraud examinations, corruption inquiries, financial investigations tied to organized crime, and case support for the justice system. By developing a cadre of certified forensic accountants, the project aims to improve Serbia's ability to detect and document fraud and corrupt business practices, address both domestic and transnational organized crime, and provide stronger technical support to prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys. The broader public-interest rationale is also explicit: improving investigative quality and financial evidence handling is positioned as a way to counter endemic corruption and, over time, increase public confidence in the justice system.

Sustainability is treated as a non-negotiable design feature rather than an add-on. The project is expected to use a train-the-trainer model so that Serbian instructors can continue delivering the program after the grant period ends, allowing the certification pipeline to persist and scale in future years. To enable that replication, the recipient is required to develop full curricula and associated training and program materials (such as instructor guides, participant materials, training aids, and related documentation). A notable condition is that all of these outputs will become the property of INL, explicitly so they can be reused and replicated in subsequent years.

Eligible applicants are limited to Serbia-based entities, specifically non-profit/non-governmental organizations and private or state educational institutions located in Serbia. The award ceiling listed is $800,000, with the opportunity originally posted on January 5, 2021, and an original closing date of March 2, 2021. Overall, the grant is structured to leave behind more than a single training cycle; it is designed to establish a durable certification framework, institutionalize practical forensic accounting training, and create the local instructional capacity needed to keep producing qualified forensic accountants in Serbia over the long term.

• The Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Building Forensic Accounting Capacity in Serbia" 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 2021-01-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-02. (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 $800,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for INL21GR0012 EASERBIA FORENSIC 010521

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