BJA FY 23 National Initiatives: Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Solicitation | O BJA 2023 171799

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the name of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "BJA FY 23 National Initiatives: Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Solicitation."

2) Which federal agency is offering this grant?

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is offering the opportunity. BJA is part of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) within the U.S. Department of Justice.

3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number is O-BJA-2023-171799.

4) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 16.738.

5) What is the overall purpose of the solicitation?

The purpose is to support national-level training and technical assistance (TTA) that helps law enforcement and other criminal justice stakeholders strengthen core operations, respond to evolving public safety threats, and improve how justice systems serve communities.

6) What does "national-level" mean in the context of this program?

"National-level" means the work is intended to reach beyond a single locality or state. The solicitation is designed to support broader, scalable training and technical assistance for practitioners across jurisdictions.

7) How many initiatives does this solicitation intend to fund?

The solicitation is intended to fund six initiatives that are national in scope.

8) How many awards does BJA anticipate making?

The solicitation anticipates making six awards, aligned with the goal of supporting six distinct national initiatives.

9) What is the maximum award amount?

The maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed for this opportunity is $2,000,000.

10) What type of award is expected (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?

Awards are expected to be made using a cooperative agreement.

11) What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates the federal awarding agency anticipates substantial involvement in the project. Recipients should be prepared for an active federal partnership that may include coordination on deliverables, alignment with federal priorities, and ongoing engagement to ensure the TTA products and services meet national needs and maintain quality and consistency.

12) What kinds of activities are typically supported under a TTA-focused award like this?

Based on the solicitation description, supported activities typically include developing and delivering practitioner trainings, creating field-ready toolkits and guidance, providing on-demand coaching or peer-to-peer assistance, hosting learning communities or convenings, and helping agencies implement evidence-informed policies and practices.

13) Who is this program intended to help?

The program is designed to help law enforcement and other criminal justice stakeholders by improving operational capacity, strengthening responses to evolving threats, and supporting justice-system improvements that better serve communities.

14) What priorities are reflected in this solicitation?

The initiatives are framed around OJP priorities that emphasize promoting civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, enhancing community safety, protecting the public from crime and emerging threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

15) Does the solicitation emphasize equity, civil rights, and community trust?

Yes. The solicitation explicitly ties national TTA efforts to goals including civil rights, racial equity, access to justice, victim support, community safety, protection from emerging threats, and trust-building between law enforcement and communities.

16) When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on June 22, 2023.

17) What was the original application closing date?

The original application closing date was August 1, 2023.

18) What does the timeline suggest about the application window?

The solicitation information indicates a relatively short application window, which is common for many federal discretionary funding opportunities.

19) Which organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education)
• Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses

20) Are universities and colleges eligible?

Yes. Both public/state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible.

21) Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. Nonprofit organizations are eligible, including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education).

22) Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are eligible, and small businesses are also eligible.

23) Are Native American tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Native American tribal organizations are eligible, specifically those other than federally recognized tribal governments.

24) Why does the solicitation include such a broad range of eligible entities?

The eligibility structure reflects that national training and technical assistance efforts are often carried out by organizations with nationwide delivery infrastructure and subject-matter expertise, such as universities, research and policy centers, professional associations, technical assistance providers, and specialized firms.

25) What is the intended scope and reach of the funded work?

The solicitation is intended to support structured, high-quality, nationally deployable training and technical assistance that can be used across jurisdictions rather than being limited to a single community or state.

26) Is this opportunity focused only on law enforcement?

The solicitation centers on law enforcement training and technical assistance, while also referencing support for other criminal justice stakeholders and broader justice-system goals.

27) What outcomes is the program trying to achieve?

Based on the description provided, the program aims to strengthen the operational capacity and effectiveness of law enforcement and justice partners through national TTA, while advancing goals related to equity, civil rights, victim support, community safety, addressing emerging threats, and building community trust.