OMB No. 1103-0098 

Expires 4/30/2024 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

FY23 Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation Entities -Community Policing

Development Solicitation

Assistance Listing Number # 16.710

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: O-COPS-2023-171552 

Solicitation Release Date: March 15, 2023 3:00 PM ET 

Application Grants.gov Deadline: May 08, 2023 4:59 PM ET 

Application JustGrants Deadline: May 15, 2023 4:59 PM ET 

Overview

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS

Office, https://cops.usdoj.gov) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for

funding for the COPS Office FY 2023 Community Policing Development (CPD) program.

CPD funds are used to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community

policing strategies by providing guidance on promising practices through the

development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective

practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime

and promoting safe communities.

The COPS Office welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry

out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any other entities

carrying out the federal award must be identified as proposed subrecipients. The

applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the

awards, including administering the funding and managing the entire project. The terms

and conditions of the federal award are also applicable to subrecipients.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or

additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Eligible Applicants:

Page 1 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Other

Other

Open to all existing law enforcement accreditation entities

To advance Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, as of October

28, 2020, the Attorney General determined that all state, local, and university or college

law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing

body or have started the certification process to be allocated FY 2023 DOJ discretionary

grant funding, either as a recipient or a subrecipient. For detailed information on this new

certification requirement, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO.

Contact Information

Applications must be submitted through both Grants.gov and the JustGrants system.

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424, please call the Grants.gov customer

service hotline at 800-518-4726, send questions via email to support@Grants.gov, or

consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov Support

Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.

For technical support with the Justice Grants System (JustGrants) application, please

contact JustGrants Support at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175.

JustGrants Support operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and

9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m. ET. Training on JustGrants can also be found at https://

justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources.

For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program, please call the

COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or send questions via email to 

AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday

through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays.

Submission Information 

Registration: To submit an application, all applicants must obtain a Unique Entity

Identifier (UEI) number and register online with the System for Award Management

(SAM) and Grants.gov.

Submission: Completing an application is a two-step process:

Applicants are first required to register via https://www.grants.gov, complete the SF-424

form and if applicable the SF-LLL, and submit it through the Grants.gov website.

Page 2 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Once the SF-424 has been submitted via Grants.gov, the applicants will complete the full

application including providing attachments in JustGrants.

An application is not considered submitted until both of these steps are completed. For

more information about registration and submission, see the “How to Apply” section of

this solicitation.

All guidance for this program is contained in this Solicitation and can also be found

at https://cops.usdoj.gov/accreditation. In addition to this Solicitation, the COPS Office “

How to Apply” web page provides additional resources to help guide applicants through

the process.

The complete application package (this solicitation, including links to additional

documents) is available on Grants.gov and on the COPS Office website https://

cops.usdoj.gov.

Page 3 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Contents

Overview 1

Contact Information 2

Program Description 7

Statutory Authority 7

Program-Specific Information 7

Program Goals 7

Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation Entities 8

Projects Out of Scope 9

Additional Requirements 9

Deliverables 9

Federal Award Information 9

Awards, Amounts and Durations 9

Federal Award Information 10

Length of Award 10

Type of Award 10

Cost sharing or match 10

Eligibility Information 10

Application and Submission Information 10

Content of Application Submission 10

Content and Form of Application 11

Completing the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) and the

Disclosure of Lobbying (SF-LLL) in Grants.gov

12

Intergovernmental Review 12

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 13

Standard Applicant Information 13

Data Requested with Application 14

Budget and Associated Documentation 16

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 18

Non-competitive Justification 35

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 35

Consultant Rate 36

Budget Narrative 36

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Other Supportive

Documents

37

Additional Application Components 38

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes 38

Letters of Support 38

Page 4 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Timeline 39

Disclosure and Assurances 39

Declaration and Certification to DOJ as to Application Submission 39

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 40

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 40

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and

Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace

Requirements; Law Enforcement and Community Policing

41

How to Apply 41

Submission Dates and Time 47

Late Submissions 47

Application Review Information 48

Review Process 48

Basic Minimum Requirements review 48

BMR review criteria 48

Peer review 49

Peer review will evaluate applications that meet the eligibility

basic minimum requirements. The COPS Office may use internal

peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination to

assess applications on technical merit using the solicitation’s

review. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the subject

matter of a given topic area who is not a current federal

employee. An internal peer reviewer is a current federal

employee who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject

matter of the subcategory. Peer feedback is advisory only,

although reviewer views are considered carefully. Peer

reviewers will be asked to review applications based on the

application subcategory and the goal of the solicitation to

develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement

community policing strategies by providing guidance on

promising practices through the development and testing of

innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective

practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative

approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe

communities. Reviewers will also be asked to consider the

subcategory-specific solicited goals, requirements, and

deliverables described in the solicitation language. Upon

completion of their reviews, peer reviewers will recommend

applications that should advance to Senior Leadership Review.

49

Review criteria 49

Page 5 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Senior leadership review 51

Director’s selection 51

Federal Award Administration Information 52

Award decisions 52

The award package 52

Administrative and national policy requirements 53

Terms, conditions and award requirements 53

Other Requirements 55

Administrative actions and legal remedies related to federal awards 55

Remedies for noncompliance 55

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 56

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552 and 5

U.S.C. § 552a)

56

Feedback to the COPS Office 57

COPS Other Information 57

Reporting, Monitoring, and Evaluation Requirements 57

Reporting 57

Monitoring 57

Program evaluation 58

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 59

Audit Requirement 59

Civil rights 59

Equal Treatment of Faith-based Organizations and Safeguarding

Constitutional Protections Related to Religion

60

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 60

Public Reporting Burden-Paper Work Reduction Act Notice 60

Performance Measures 61

Application Checklist 63

Survey Questions 63

Page 6 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Program Description

Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support

the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively

address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as violent

crime, nonviolent crime, and fear of crime.

Community Policing Development (CPD) funds are used to develop the capacity of law

enforcement to implement community policing strategies by providing guidance on

promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies;

building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative

approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities.

The COPS Office is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial

equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by

the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and

evolving threats, and build trust between law enforcement and the community.

Statutory Authority

This program is authorized under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of

1968, as amended, and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994,

Title I, Part Q, Public Law 103-322, 34 U.S.C. § 10381 et seq.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or

additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Program-Specific Information

This program is authorized under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act

of 1968, as amended, and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of

1994, Title I, Part Q, Public Law 103-322, 34 U.S.C. § 10381 et seq.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any

modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

For all identified deliverables, the applicant should adhere to the COPS Office

Editorial and Style Manual. For projects that propose site-specific work, letters of

support from the targeted agencies are strongly encouraged.

With any programmatic questions, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at

800-421-6770 or send questions via email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office

Response Center operates Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on

federal holidays.

Page 7 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Program Goals

Under this solicitation, the COPS Office seeks to support projects that allow for the

identification and expansion of promising practices and produces knowledge products

that follow the principles of good guidance:

Quality-driven, with an emphasis on action statements to drive promising practices

and reduce variations in performance

Evidence-based, with recommendations that are consistent with the weight of the

best available evidence identified through systematic review

Accessible, with clear language and manageable lengths that are appropriate and

relevant for the law enforcement field

Memorable, to encourage immediate actions or aid for the complex situations law

enforcement professionals face

To read an overview of the principles of community policing, please see the COPS Office

publication Community Policing Defined.

Applicants should also consider the COPS Office performance measures when

developing their own specific project goals and activities, which can be found in the

“Performance Measures” section of this application.

Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation Entities

Multiple awards, up to $300,000

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recognizes the importance of law enforcement

agencies’ adhering to the highest standards of police policies and operations. The

community benefits when it is assured its law enforcement personnel are following best

practice policies and procedures to provide efficient, effective, and fair policing.

Accreditation of agencies helps to ensure accountability and transparency that can

enhance confidence and trust in law enforcement among community members and

communities as a whole.

Accreditation involves the process of law enforcement agencies adopting and

maintaining standards focused on their operations. To obtain accreditation, a law

enforcement agency must ensure that it has the appropriate policy standards as defined

by the accreditation entity. The number of standards varies by accreditation entity.

Under this solicitation, the COPS Office will support existing law enforcement

accreditation bodies in their mission to engage law enforcement agencies in the

accreditation process. Applicants should develop a multifaceted approach by focusing on

activities such as providing technical assistance to agencies, defraying or underwriting

accreditation costs, investing in a better infrastructure for accreditation processes,

improving customer service, marketing, expanding access, reducing costs, and

Page 8 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
developing user-friendly policy templates. The applicant should demonstrate how it will

increase the number of accredited small and rural agencies and indicate the number of

agencies that should successfully achieve accreditation as a result of the project.

Projects Out of Scope

Applicants seeking only to continue standard operations without plans to enhance

procedures or increase the number of agencies accredited will not be considered.

Applicants that are not existing law enforcement accreditation bodies will not be

considered.

Applicants seeking to enhance corrections, communications, training academy, or

other non–law enforcement accreditation will not be considered.

Applicants that are law enforcement agencies seeking to obtain accreditation will

not be considered.

Additional Requirements

The project description should also address the following:

Explain the need for financial support for the expansion of the accreditation body.

Provide a project plan that details the enhancement activities that will support law

enforcement agencies, with a special emphasis on small and rural agencies.

Identify an outreach plan to ensure law enforcement agencies, with a special

emphasis on small and rural agencies, seek accreditation.

Describe how the accreditation body will sustain enhancements beyond COPS

Office funding.

Deliverables

Make measurable strategic enhancements to the existing law enforcement

accreditation bodies.

Submit a final report that outlines the activities and status of operations, including

the number of agencies achieving accreditation.

Federal Award Information

Awards, Amounts and Durations

Anticipated Number of Awards

7

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards

$300,000.00

Period of Performance Start Date Period of Performance Duration (Months)

Page 9 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
10/2/23 24

Anticipated Total Amount to be

Awarded Under Solicitation

$2,000,000.00

Federal Award Information

Depending on the quality of applications received and the availability of funding, the

COPS Office may not fund every topic or subcategory or may make additional or larger

awards under one or more topic area or subcategory. In addition, the COPS Office

reserves the right to revise the scope of the project in your application submission and

modify the associated budget proposal accordingly.

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or

additional requirements that may be imposed by law. With limited funding, the COPS

Office expects a competitive solicitation.

Length of Award

The COPS Office expects to make the project period for all grants 24 months.

Type of Award

The COPS Office will make the awards in the form of a grant, which does not provide for

substantial involvement between the federal awarding agency and the nonfederal entity

in carrying out the activity contemplated by the federal award. Grant recipients will be

responsible for day-to-day project management and may reach out to the COPS Office

with assistance in implementing the award. However, grant recipients will need to work

with the COPS Office program manager in situations stated in the terms and conditions,

such as scope changes, extensions, or conference request approvals.

Cost sharing or match

There is no requirement for cost sharing or a local match for these awards.

Eligibility Information

Open to all existing law enforcement accreditation entities.

Application and Submission Information

Page 10 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Content of Application Submission

The complete application package (this solicitation, including links to additional

documents) is available on Grants.gov and on the COPS website https://cops.usdoj.gov/.

Completing an application under this program is a two-step process. Applicants must first

register via www.grants.gov and complete an SF-424, the government wide standard

application form for federal assistance and the SF-LLL Lobbying Disclosure Form. The

remainder of the application will be completed through the JustGrants System at https://

justicegrants.usdoj.gov/.

Applicants are strongly recommended to register immediately on https://www.grants.gov. 

 Any delays in registering with Grants.gov or submitting the SF-424 may result in

insufficient time for processing your application through JustGrants.

No other form of application will be accepted. Applications with errors or missing

information may be disqualified or rated accordingly. Please note that the application

system will not accept incomplete applications or applications with errors.

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424, please call the Grants.gov customer

service hotline at 800-518-4726, send questions via email to support@Grants.gov, or

consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov Support

Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.

For technical support with the Justice Grants System (JustGrants) application, please

contact the JustGrants Support at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175. The

JustGrants Support operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and

9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m. ET. Training on JustGrants can also be found at https://

justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources.

For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program, please call the

COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or send questions via email to 

AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday through

Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays.

Content and Form of Application

This section describes in detail what an application must include. Failure to submit an

application that contains all of the specified elements may negatively affect the review of

its application; and, should a decision be made to make an award, such failure may

result in the inclusion of award conditions that prevent the recipient from accessing or

using award funds until the recipient satisfies the special conditions and the COPS Office

makes the funds available. Applicants must comply with any word and field limit

Page 11 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
requirements described in this solicitation.

Moreover, applicants should anticipate that an application that the COPS Office

determines does not address the scope of the solicitation or does not include the

application elements that the COPS Office has designated to be critical will neither

proceed to peer review nor receive further consideration. For this solicitation, the COPS

Office has designated the following application elements as mandatory:

Proposal Abstract (must be brief high-level project description that summarizes the

proposed project in 500 words or less)

Application Questions (must respond to the application questions under the "Data

Requested with Application" section. Please be advised there is a 250-word count

limit for survey responses. (Note: review panels will not read any information past

the 250-word count limit. Any information provided beyond the word limit will not be

counted in your application.)

Budget Narrative (must be submitted as an attachment in the “Budget/Financial

Attachments” section)

Budget Detail Worksheets (must use the web-based forms in “Budget and

Associated Documentation” section)

Timeline of project deliverables, milestones, activities and who will complete the

activities. (must be submitted as an attachment in the "Additional Application

Component" section)

Résumés/Curricula Vitae of Key Personnel (must be submitted as an attachment in

the “Additional Application Component” section)

Letters of support, if applicable (must be submitted as an attachment in the

“Additional Application Component”- Optional

Completing the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) and the Disclosure of

Lobbying (SF-LLL) in Grants.gov

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of preapplications, applications, and related information under discretionary programs.

Applicants must complete and submit the SF-424 via https://www.grants.gov using

information on that site.

Intergovernmental Review

Note: Intergovernmental Review (SF-424 Question 19): This solicitation is subject to

Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.

Applicants must check the Office of Management and Budget’s website for the names

and addresses of Single Points of Contact (SPOC) under Intergovernmental Review:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf. If the

applicant’s state appears on the SPOC list, the applicant must contact the state SPOC to

Page 12 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
find out about, and comply with, the state’s process under E.O. 12372. In completing the

SF-424, such applicant is to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19

once the applicant has complied with its state E.O. 12372 process. An applicant whose

state does not appear on the SPOC list should answer question 19 by selecting the

following response: “Program is subject to E.O. 12372 but has not been selected by the

state for review.”

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60

minutes per response including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data

sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the

collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other

aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to

the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0348-0043),

Washington, DC 20503.

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO THE OFFICE OF

MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET. SUBMIT IT VIA GRANTS.GOV.

Please see the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA)

Programs on the COPS "How to Apply" webpage for the SF-424 instructions and blank

form for reference.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

All applicants must complete and submit the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

form in Grants.gov. Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should

enter “N/A” in the required highlighted fields. Applicants that expend any funds for

lobbying activities must provide the information requested on the SF-LLL.

Once the SF-424 and SF-LLL has been submitted via Grants.gov, an email will be sent

to the entity’s E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) (also referred to as the

JustGrants Entity Administrator) from DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov. This email will

contain registration instructions to create an account in DOJ’s secure user management

system—the Digital Identity and Access Management Directory (DIAMD) or instructions

on how to complete the second part of the online application through the JustGrants

website.

Standard Applicant Information

Applicants must complete this web-based form in JustGrants, which is prepopulated with

the SF-424 data submitted in Grants.gov. Applicants are required to confirm the two

Authorized Representatives, verify the legal name, address, and enter the ZIP code(s)

for the areas affected by the project. For statewide or nationwide projects, the applicant

should enter “State” or “National” in this field.

Page 13 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
In order for applicant to complete this section, the two Authorized Representatives must

have established accounts in JustGrants after the Grants.gov portion of the application is

submitted. Please note: Users assigned as Authorized Representatives must log in

into the JustGrants system to activate their account. Users will not be visible in

JustGrants until they have successfully logged into JustGrants.

The Authorized Representatives are officials who have ultimate and final responsibility

for all programmatic and financial decisions regarding this COPS Office application as

representatives of your agency, as the legal recipient.

For guidance on who should be assigned as Authorized Representatives, please see

below:

For law enforcement agencies, COPS Office awards require that both the top law

enforcement executive (e.g., chief of police, sheriff, or equivalent) and the top

government executive (e.g., mayor, board chairman, or equivalent) sign the application,

and (if awarded funding) accept the award package. Both the top law enforcement

executive and the top government executive must be assigned the role of Authorized

Representative in Just Grants.

For non–law enforcement agencies, (institutions of higher education, school districts,

private organizations, etc.), COPS Office awards require that both the programmatic

official (e.g., executive director, chief executive officer, or equivalent) and financial official

(e.g., chief financial officer, treasurer, or equivalent) sign the application, and (if awarded

funding) accept the award package. These two officials must have the ultimate signatory

authority to sign contracts on behalf of your organization. Both the programmatic official

and the financial official must be assigned the role of Authorized Representative in Just

Grants.

Please note that nonexecutive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) are not acceptable

Authorized Representatives.

For further assistance with accessing JustGrants, please visit the JustGrants website. 

For further assistance with submitting an application in JustGrants, please visit the 

JustGrants Training web page.

Data Requested with Application

Applicants will be required to respond to a series of survey questions. Please be advised

there is a 250-word count limit for survey responses. (Note: review panels will not read

any information past the 250-word count limit. Any information provided beyond the word

limit will not be counted in your application.) Please refer to the following steps to help

Page 14 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
guide you through initiating, completing, modifying, and obtaining the status of solicitation

surveys in the JustGrants system:

To initiate a survey, please click on the survey title to open.

When you have completed the survey, please click the “Finish” button on the

lower right corner of the screen. The system will direct you to a review screen

displaying your survey responses.

Please be advised: You may notice survey responses are not displayed properly in the

survey response review screen. This is a known system bug, which is being corrected.

Please be assured, your data is captured and saved in the JustGrants system.

To go back to the initial list of surveys, go to the “Actions” menu at the top right

corner of the screen and select “Close” to exit the survey review screen. The

survey you just completed will still display an “Open” status.

To confirm the completed status of your survey, go back to the “Actions” menu

and select “Refresh". The status of your completed survey will change to

“Resolved-Completed.”

If you would like to verify the survey responses of a completed survey, you may

click the survey title to reopen the selected survey and view your saved

responses.

If you would like to change and/or update the survey responses of a completed

survey, you may click the “Re-open” option to update your saved responses.

Remember, to confirm the status of a completed survey, you will need to click the 

“Actions” menu and “Refresh".

PLEASE NOTE: A proposal narrative is not required for this solicitation.

Applicants applying to this solicitation ONLY need to do the following:

Submit a proposal abstract (to be entered into a text box within the Just Grants

application) and respond to the application question

Must respond to the application questions under the” “Data Requested with

Application” section

Submit a budget narrative (must be submitted as an attachment in the “Budget/

Financial Attachments” section)

Submit budget detail worksheets (must use the web-based forms in “Budget and

Associated Documentation” section)

Submit a timeline of project milestones, activities (include who will complete

activities) and deliverables (must be submitted as an attachment in the “Additional

Application Component” section)

Submit résumés/curricula vitae of key personnel (must be submitted as an

attachment in the “Additional Application Component”

Page 15 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Submit letters of support, if applicable (must be submitted as an attachment in the

“Additional Application Component”- Optional

Budget and Associated Documentation

Applicants must complete the web-based budget sheets in JustGrants and attach a

separate budget narrative in the “Budget/Financial Attachments” section. Please note:

CPD applicants do not need to complete the "Match Amount" and "Program

Income" fields within the budget summary section of the web-based budget form.

The organization must create and attach a budget narrative that describes each item

requested or group of similar items requested and links each item or group of items to

the proposed project. All items will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and in context of

the allowable and unallowable costs lists.

Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to

implement their proposed projects. The budget should display a clear link between the

specific project activities and the proposed budget items. It should not contain any items

that are not detailed in the applicant's response to the application survey questions.

The separate budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of

expense listed in the budget detail worksheets contained in this application. The COPS

Office expects proposed budgets to be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g.,

reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities).

An applicant should demonstrate in its separate budget narrative how it will maximize

cost effectiveness of award expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe

cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For

example, a budget narrative should detail why planned in-person meetings are

necessary, or how technology and collaboration with outside organizations could be used

to reduce costs, without compromising quality. Consideration will be given to budget

proposals that maximize the direct funding that supports project activities.

The budget narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond clearly with the

information provided in the budget detail worksheets. The narrative should explain how

the applicant estimated and calculated all costs and how those costs are necessary to

the completion of the proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification

purposes but need not be in a spreadsheet format. The budget should describe costs by

year and should cover the full project period of two years.

In some circumstances, the budget and budget narrative will be reviewed separately from

the applicant's response to the application survey questions. Therefore, it is very

important that the budget narrative be as comprehensive as possible and describe in a

narrative format each line item requested in the budget. The budget narrative should not

Page 16 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
be used to explain deliverables or project activities that are not included in the applicant's

response to the application survey questions. Deliverables and activities that are solely

listed in the budget narrative and not described in the applicant's response to the

application survey questions (and vice versa) will be scored negatively during the peer

review process.

Applicants should submit projects that are scalable where appropriate. Note that the

COPS Office may reduce funding for selected projects based on the number of awards

selected. The COPS Office may revise the proposed scope and modify the associated

budget proposal accordingly.

Each requested budget item must be allowable, necessary, allocable, and reasonable to

the project activities.

Pre-agreement costs are costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the

period of performance of the federal award. Requests for reimbursement of items

purchased or expenses incurred prior to the award start date will not be funded. All such

costs incurred prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole

risk of the applicant. NOTE: For awards made to states or units of local government

(including law enforcement agencies), requests may be made only for items or

positions that are not otherwise budgeted with state, local, or Bureau of Indian

Affairs (BIA) funds and would not be funded in the absence of this COPS Office

award (see award condition IV, “Nonsupplanting requirement”).

For-profit organizations (as well as other recipients) must forgo any profit or management

fee.

Each of the categories that follows includes definitions as well as information on frequent

requests as well as typically allowable and unallowable costs. The unallowable lists are

not exhaustive and are generally considered unallowable for the entire solicitation,

irrespective of where the applicant adds the requested item in the budget. The COPS

Office reserves the right to deny funding for any items that may not be included in

this solicitation.

The COPS Office is providing a template for the budget narrative that can be used as a

voluntary tool to assist your organization in developing this required document. You will

be able to access the template (Microsoft Word document) in the FY23 Reference Guide

for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs located at How to Apply web

page. Note that instructions in the template are provided in italics. If you choose to use

this template, please make sure to delete the instructions before submitting so that they

do not factor in your page count. In addition, the COPS Office is providing an example

budget narrative, which can also be found in the FY23 Reference Guide for Community

Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs.

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

Page 17 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant]. Budget Narrative.”

Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system

may reject applications with other formats.

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form)

Budget requests may be made in the following categories:

Civilian personnel (base salary and fringe benefits)

Travel

Equipment

Supplies

Sub-awards

Procurement contracts

Other costs

Indirect costs

Allowable Costs

All items requested will be considered on a case-by-case basis during the budget review

process. Items under the program must be purchased using the guidelines established

by the appropriations legislation that governs this funding. In addition, each item

requested must programmatically link to the activities described in your application. To

the extent permitted by law and practicable under a federal award, recipients and

subrecipients must provide a preference for the purchase, acquisition, or use of goods,

products, or materials produced in the United States. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.322.

For each request, applicants must complete the web-based budget form. The cost should

be broken down to the lowest form.

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe and justify why the item is

necessary for the success of the project. Provide any additional calculations that make

up the base cost.

Allowable Civilian Personnel:

For Civilian/non-sworn positions:

Salaries of personnel are costs based on the percentage of time spent (full time

equivalent [FTE]) working directly on the project. The total salary percentage should be

comparable and consistent with organizational policy. The total amount paid is

Page 18 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
comparable to industry standards and the type of work being performed.

A recipient may not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation to any employee of

the recipient at a rate that exceeds 110 percent of the maximum annual salary payable to

a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an

organization with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year. The

salary table for SES employees is available at the Office of Personnel Management

website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2023/

executive-senior-level. Note: A recipient may compensate an employee at a greater rate,

provided the amount in excess of this compensation limitation is paid with nonfederal

funds. (Nonfederal funds used for any such additional compensation will not be

considered matching funds.) If only a portion of an employee’s time is charged to a

COPS Office award, the maximum allowable compensation is equal to the percentage of

time worked times the maximum salary limitation.

For each civilian personnel request, applicants must complete the web-based form. If the

individual will be working more than one year on the project, applicants will have the

option to copy a year.

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe the employee’s roles,

responsibilities, and activities related to the work to be completed on the project. If the

salary increases from one budget year to another because of cost of living increases, be

sure to detail these increases in the budget description.

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial

Attachments” section includes the following:

Job description

Organizational pay scales or written annual salary per position

Résumés/vitae

Completing civilian base salary

If you are not requesting any civilian base salary, move to the next section.

Allowable Fringe Benefits:

For Civilian/non-sworn positions:

Fringe benefits are allowances and services provided by the organization to its

employees as compensation in addition to regular salary. Fringe benefits should be

based on actual known costs or an established formula. Typical fringe benefits include

the following:

Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes—includes Social Security and

Page 19 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Medicare and cannot exceed 7.65 percent (6.2 and 1.45 percent respectively)

Health insurance—individual or family

Life insurance

Vacation

Sick leave

Retirement

State unemployment compensation insurance

Federal unemployment tax

Worker’s Compensation insurance

Other fringe benefits may include holidays, military leave, bereavement leave,

sabbatical leave, severance pay, jury duty, state disability insurance, pension plan,

401(k) plan

Applicants will need to provide the appropriate percentage for each fringe benefit that the

individual is allocated per the employee benefits. Note, the system will not allow more

than 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare.

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial

Attachments” section includes the following:

Written organization policies regarding fringe benefits

Organizational fringe rate agreement

Completing fringe benefits 

If you are not requesting any civilian base salary, move to the next section.

Allowable Travel:

Travel costs include the costs of transportation, lodging, meals, temporary dependent

care, and incidental expenses incurred by personnel while on official business, such as

attendance at an award-related meeting or conference when travel is further than 50

miles from program location. Travel and subsistence estimates are based on the

contemplated number of trips, places to be visited, length of stay, transportation costs,

subsistence allowances, and the recipient’s own travel policies. For additional guidance,

please see the Uniform Guidance 2 C.F.R. § 200.475.

When charging travel costs to federal awards, award recipients must indicate the source

of travel policies applied (applicant or federal travel regulations). If a recipient does not

have a written travel policy, it must adhere to the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). For

information on the FTR and U.S. Government General Service Administration (GSA) per

diem rates by geographic area, please visit https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/perdiem-rates. For all applicants (with or without a written travel policy), airfare travel costs

must be one of the following: the lowest discount commercial airfare, standard coach

airfare, or the Federal Government contract airfare (if authorized and available).

Page 20 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Temporary dependent care costs above and beyond regular dependent care that directly

results from conference travels are allowable as long as the costs incurred (1) are a

direct result of the individual’s travel for the federal award; (2) are consistent with the

recipient’s documented travel policy for all entity travel; and (3) are only temporary during

the travel period.

The only individuals traveling who should be charged in this section are those listed in

“Civilian personnel.” All other individuals traveling for the project, including participant

and consultant travel, should be listed under “Sub-awards” or “Procurement Contracts.”

This section should also include any training costs for the primary applicant, all other

training costs should be listed under “Sub-Awards,” “Procurement Contracts,” or “Other

Costs” as appropriate.

For each travel request, applicants must complete the web-based form. Each trip should

be entered as an individual entry rather than a group of trips.

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe the purpose of the trip,

proposed destination, trip duration by day/night, and list of individuals traveling as well as

a detailed cost breakdown for each travel category (lodging, per diem, etc.). The cost

breakdown should include

mode of transportation and proposed fare per trip (airfare, train, etc.) broken down

by day;

mileage allowances if private vehicle will be used;

per diem rates for the destination per day (including full per diem and travel day per

diem);

lodging costs per night;

transportation fees per day;

parking fees per day.

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial

Attachments” section includes the following:

Organizational travel policy

Completing Travel 

If you are not requesting any travel, training, or conferences, move to the next section.

Allowable Equipment:

Necessary equipment must be specifically purchased to implement or enhance the

proposed project. Equipment is tangible personal property (including information

technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition

cost that equals or exceeds $5,000. Applicants should analyze the cost benefits of

Page 21 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
purchasing versus leasing equipment, especially high-cost items and those subject to

rapid technical advances. Rented or leased equipment costs should be listed in

“Procurement Contracts.”

All equipment items must be clearly linked to the enhancement or implementation of the

project. Examples of such items may include the following:

File cabinets

Office furniture (Detailed justification required for office furniture)

Servers

For each equipment request, applicants must complete the web-based form.

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe the type of equipment with

a description and justification explaining why the equipment is necessary for the success

of the project. The description should provide any additional calculations that make up

the base cost and the justification should explain that this equipment is not available or

accessible to project personnel without specifically purchasing through this award.

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial

Attachments” section includes the following:

Narrative of the procurement method

Sole Source Justification (see the Sole Source Justification fact sheet for further

guidance)

Completing Equipment

If you are not requesting any equipment move to the next section.

Allowable Supplies:

Supplies means all tangible personal property other than those items described under

“Equipment.” Supplies costs consist of those incurred for purchased goods and

fabricated parts directly related to an award proposal. Supplies differ from equipment in

that they are consumable, expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost, defined as less

than $5,000 per unit. Such costs may include paper, printer ink, pens, pencils, laptops,

etc. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than $5,000, regardless

of the length of its useful life.

For broad category requests (such as “office supplies”), explanation for project amounts

should be provided with calculations. Broad grouping of items under supplies will be

limited to $50 per month; otherwise items must be individually captured and justified in

the budget request.

Page 22 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
For any training awards, the COPS Office allows the purchase of flash drives or USB

devices to distribute training materials with approval prior to purchasing.

All supply items must be clearly linked to the enhancement or implementation of the

project. Examples of such items may include the following:

Desktop and laptop computers

Flash drives

General office supplies (printer toner, paper, pens, binders, notepads, etc.)

Marketing materials

Printer

Shipping

Training manuals/materials

USB devices to distribute training materials

For each supply request, applicants must complete the web-based form. The cost should

be broken down to the lowest form; therefore, if you are requesting $30 per month for

office supplies, the calculation should be 12 x $30 and not 1 x $360.

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe and justify why the supplies

are necessary for the success of the project. Provide any additional calculations that

make up the base cost.

Completing Supplies

If you are not requesting any supplies, move to the next section.

Allowable Sub-awards:

The applicant should distinguish clearly between sub-awards and procurement contracts

in allocating any funds to other entities. Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, a sub-award is for

the purpose of carrying out a portion of the federal award, and a contract is for the

purpose of purchasing goods and services needed to carry our the program or project

under the federal award. The substance of the relationship is more important than the

form of the agreement in determining whether the recipient of the pass-through funds is a

subrecipient or a contractor. The same allowable and unallowable costs that apply to the

federal award apply to sub-awards. 

Any recipient of an award will be responsible for monitoring sub-awards and contracts in

accordance with all applicable statutes, regulations, and guidelines. Primary recipients

will be responsible for oversight of subrecipient spending and monitoring specific

performance measures and outcomes attributable to the use of COPS Office funds. The

recipient will ensure that the award terms and conditions flow down to its subrecipients

including all applicable uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit

requirements. The recipient will also ensure that subrecipients maintain effective control

Page 23 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
and accountability over all funds, property, and other assets covered by subawards and

that each subrecipient establishes and uses internal fiscal and program management

procedures sufficient to prevent fraud, waste, or abuse.

Completing Sub-awards

If you are not requesting any sub-award costs, move to the next section.

Allowable Procurement Contracts:

All procurement contracts must be clearly linked to the enhancement or implementation

of the project. Examples of procurement contracts may include the following:

Contract with training instructors

Contact with writers

The applicant should distinguish clearly between sub-awards and procurement contracts

in allocating any funds to other entities. Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, a sub-award is for

the purpose of carrying out a portion of the federal award, and a contract is for the

purpose of purchasing goods and services needed to carry out the program or project

under the federal award. Contracts must directly contribute to the implementation or

enhancement of the project. The substance of the relationship is more important than the

form of the agreement in determining whether the recipient of the pass-through funds is a

subrecipient or a contractor. The same allowable and unallowable costs that apply to the

federal award apply to sub-awards. Keep in mind that the awarding and monitoring of

contracts must follow documented procurement procedures, including full and open

competition, pursuant to the procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317– 200.327,

and the issuance of sub-awards must meet the requirements of 2 C.F.R. § 200.331.

Consultant expenses include the procurement of goods or services that directly

contribute to the implementation or enhancement of the project. The use of a consultant

should be more economical than direct employment. Compensation for individual

consultant services procured under a COPS Office award must be reasonable and

allocable in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles,

and consistent with that paid for similar services in the marketplace. The services should

be commensurate with the rate or salary paid by the primary employer.

Unless otherwise approved by the COPS Office, independent consultant rates will be

approved based on the salary a consultant receives from his or her primary employer, as

applicable, up to $650 per day (or $81.25 per hour). Please note that this does not mean

that the rate can or should be as high as $650 for all consultants. If individuals receive

fringe benefits from their primary employer, such fringe benefit costs should not be

included in the calculation of consultant rates. A consultant rate justification will need to

be submitted for review and approval to the COPS Office for any consultants paid more

than $650 per day prior to incurring any costs. Determinations of approval will be made

Page 24 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
on a case-by-case basis.

Consultant travel costs follow the same guidelines as “Travel” but should be costs

associated with consultant travel. These costs should not be reflected in the “Civilian

personnel” or “Travel” categories.

All sole source procurements of goods and services (those not awarded competitively) in

excess of the simplified acquisition threshold amount (currently $250,000) require prior

approval from the COPS Office.

All other consultant-related expenses should be included in this section such as supply

and equipment requests. The same guidelines as previously stated in the above sections

will apply.

For each procurement contract request, applicants must complete the web-based form.

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe and justify the product or

services to be procured by sub-award including the nature and scope of goods

purchased, price proposals, and length of contract. Procurement contract travel requests

should follow the same guidance as the “travel” section. Provide any additional

calculations that make up the base cost.

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial

Attachments” section includes the following:

Consultant Rate Justification (see the Consultant Rate Justification fact sheet for

further guidance)

Consultant résumés/vitae

Organizational travel policy

Sole Source Justification (see the Sole Source Justification fact sheet for further

guidance)

Completing Procurement Contracts

If you are not requesting any procurement contract costs, move to the next section.

Allowable Other Costs:

Items not included in the previous categories but that have a direct correlation to the

overall success of a recipient’s project objectives and are necessary for the project to

reach full implementation will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the COPS

Office. Requests that may fall under the “other” category include:

Associate conferences to market program

Civilian personnel overtime

Page 25 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Sworn officer overtime

Sworn officer overtime fringe benefits for FICA, worker’s compensation, and

unemployment compensation

Rent (see next paragraph for more details)

Software purchases (such as Accreditation software, Webinar platform software.

Software purchases will only be funded for the project period)

Rental costs are generally allowable under this solicitation when the costs are not

included in indirect costs. Applicants should list square footage cost in the budget. The

amount must be based on the space that will be allocated to implement the COPS Office

project, not the costs of the entire rental space.

If an applicant proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to

individuals, the costs of taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to those

services or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable.

Reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to services or benefits may include

interpretation or translation services, where appropriate. For additional information, see

the “Civil Rights".

For applicants that anticipate using COPS Office funds to cover only a portion of a

particular service they provide, the budget should prorate operational costs like rent and

phone service accordingly.

Completing Other Costs

If you are not requesting any other costs, move to the next section.

Indirect Costs

Overview of indirect costs

Indirect costs means those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefiting more

than one cost objective and not readily assignable to a particular project but necessary to

the operation of the organization and the performance of the project. Examples of costs

usually treated as indirect include those incurred for facility operation and maintenance,

depreciation, and administrative salaries.

If a cognizant federal agency has approved your negotiated indirect cost rate, the

negotiated rate must be accepted by all federal awarding agencies, unless otherwise

capped by federal statute or regulation.

Indirect cost rates may vary depending on your cognizant federal agency determinations.

In some cases, project budgets may include more than one rate, particularly when offsite

activity is conducted at a location other than the organizations premises. Note: Ensure

the indirect calculation is in accordance with your organization’s indirect cost rate

Page 26 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
agreement.

Expired indirect cost rate agreement

If your indirect cost rate agreement has expired, you should either renegotiate the rate or

request a one-time extension from your cognizant agency. The negotiated cost rate may

be extended for up to four years. Once the cognizant federal agency has approved your

extension, you must abide by the rate for the agreed-upon time period. No further

negotiations regarding indirect cost rates may occur until the extension has expired. At

the end of the extension period, you must then negotiate a new indirect cost rate.

De minimis indirect cost rate

If you do not have a current negotiated or provisional indirect cost rate, except for those

nonfederal entities described in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix VII to Part 200, paragraph

D.1.b., you may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct

costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. When using this method, cost must be

consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or

inconsistently charged as both. Also, if this method is chosen, then it must be used

consistently for all federal awards until such time as you choose to negotiate an indirect

cost rate (which may be done at any time). No documentation is required to justify the 10

percent de minimis indirect cost rate. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f).

If you elect to negotiate an indirect cost rate with your cognizant federal agency, a

special condition will be added to the award prohibiting the obligation, expenditure, or

drawdown of funds reimbursement for indirect costs until an indirect cost rate has been

approved by your cognizant federal agency, and the appropriate notification has been

made retiring the special condition.

For assistance with identifying the appropriate cognizant federal agency for indirect

costs, please contact the OCFO Customer Service Center at 800-458-0786 or at 

ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov. If DOJ is the cognizant federal agency, applicants may obtain

information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal at https://www.ojp.gov/

funding/Apply/Resources/IndirectCosts.pdf.

Exception: If you are a unit of local government in which the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) has not assigned a cognizant federal agency, then you are not required to

submit your indirect cost proposal, unless the awarding agency requires a copy of the

proposal. Please see the appropriate appendix section in 2 C.F.R. Part 200 as listed

above.

Approval of indirect cost rates for subrecipients

As the direct recipient, you are responsible for approving indirect cost rates for your

subrecipients if funded. Such rates must be consistent with the requirements of 2 C.F.R.

Page 27 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Part 200. The COPS Office will not approve indirect cost rates beyond the direct recipient

level; however, subrecipients who are also direct recipients of federal awards may

already have a federally approved indirect cost rate. If your subrecipient has negotiated

an indirect cost rate with the Federal Government, then that rate applies.

The subrecipient rates should not be included in this section, but rather under the “Subawards” or “Procurement Contracts" sections.

Calculating direct cost base

The following direct cost bases may be used as a distribution base:

Modified total direct cost (MTDC)—This base includes all direct salaries and

wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and

subawards up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of

performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment,

capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission,

scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, and the portion of each

subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary

to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval

of the cognizant agency.

Direct salaries and wages—This base includes only the costs of direct salaries

and wages incurred by the organization.

Direct salaries and wages plus fringe benefits—This base includes the costs of

direct salary, wages and fringe benefits incurred by the organization.

Exclusions in direct cost bases

Applicants should pay particular attention to the two areas listed below to ensure that

their indirect cost rate application is in compliance with the existing requirements of the

government-wide award rules set out in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

circular and regulations:

$25,000 Subcontract/Subaward limitation. For institutions of higher education

and nonprofit organizations, indirect cost rates negotiated on the basis of modified

total direct costs may only be applied against the first $25,000 of any subcontract or

subaward under the agreement. This limitation must be applied to all conference

related subcontracts and subawards, including those with hotels and travel agents.

(Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for

Federal Awards, 2 C.F.R. § 200.400 et seq.)

Participant support costs. For nonprofit organizations, in accordance with 2

C.F.R. part 200, Appendix IV to 2 Part 200, paragraph B.2.c.—Indirect (F&A) Costs

Identification and Assignment and Rate Determination for Nonprofit Organizations:

“The distribution base may be total direct costs (excluding capital expenditures and

Page 28 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
other distorting items, such as [contracts or] subawards for $25,000 or more), direct

salaries and wages, or other base which results in an equitable distribution. The

distribution base must exclude participant support costs as defined in § 200.1.

Participant support costs.”

Please note that only employees of the nonprofit organization are excluded from the

definition of participant support costs. Costs related to contractors of the nonprofit

organization who are acting in the capacity of a conference trainer/instructor/presenter/

facilitator are considered participant support costs. For more information on allowable

costs for conferences and training, please visit https://ojp.gov/financialguide/doj/pdfs/

DOJ_FinancialGuide.pdf.

If you need additional information on an indirect cost rate negotiated agreement, go to

the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at https://ojp.gov/financialguide/doj/index.htm.

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe the breakdown of the

calculation as well as provide any additional calculations that make up the base cost.

Include the expiration date and the cognizant agency name.

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial

Attachments” section includes the following:

Current, signed, federally approved indirect cost rate negotiated agreement

If your organization does not have a provisional or current indirect cost rate

negotiated agreement or it is expired and under review, the applicant must

submit supporting documents to show the applicant’s cognizant federal

agency is reviewing the request. The COPS Office may disallow or freeze

access to indirect funds until a provisional or current indirect cost rate

negotiated agreement is provided.

Ensure that each type of indirect cost rate (provisional, final, predetermined, fixed, etc.) is

identified. For institutions of higher education and other institutions where multiple

indirect rates are applied, please enter each indirect rate as a separate line item with

calculation breakdown and description for which each rate applies.

Unallowable Costs: Requests will not be funded

There are no allowable costs in this section. For allowable costs, please see the

“Allowable Costs" section above. The items listed in this section are generally considered

unallowable and are rarely approved by the COPS Office. Before including any of these

items in your budget and application, please contact the COPS Office at 800-421-6770.

This is not an exhaustive unallowable costs list, and items not listed below will be

reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The COPS Office reserves the right to deny funding

for items not included on this unallowable cost list. Requests for reimbursement of items

purchased, expenses incurred, or individuals hired prior to the award start date will not

Page 29 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
be funded.

Unallowable Civilian personnel (base salary and fringe benefits)

Base salary

Typically, unallowable civilian personnel costs include, but are not limited to, the following

(Note: these are typically unallowable no matter which category they are placed under):

If your organization charges an indirect cost, those costs normally include the

following positions and therefore these positions should not be charged as

personnel costs to avoid possible duplication:

Administration (e.g., director or program head)

Clerical (e.g., secretary or administrative assistant)

Accounting (e.g., controller or bookkeeper)

Procurement (e.g., purchasing director or stockroom clerk)

Housekeeping and maintenance (e.g., custodial and janitorial, repairman, or

grounds keeper)

NOTE: These positions can be charged directly if the individual is working a significant

amount of time on the project. This will be approved on a case-by-case basis and your

narrative should significantly articulate the need to charge these directly if applicable.

For awards made to states or units of local government (including law enforcement

agencies), salaries and benefits for positions (including exempt employees) that are

already budgeted with state, local, or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) funds and

would be funded in the absence of this COPS Office award are also not allowed.

Salaries and benefits of personnel that do not work directly on the project.

Salaries and benefits for contract or consultant personnel (these should be placed

under ”Sub-awards” or "Procurement Contracts", as applicable).

Unallowable Fringe benefits

Typically, unallowable fringe benefit costs include, but are not limited to, the following

(Note: these are typically unallowable no matter which category they are placed under):

Bonuses or commissions

If your indirect cost rate agreement includes fringe benefits, you may not charge

these costs directly to the project

Unallowable Travel

Typically, unallowable travel costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note:

these are typically unallowable no matter which category they are placed under):

Page 30 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Bar charges/alcoholic beverages

Commuting costs to include to and from program location

Costs exceeding Federal Travel Regulations if no other organizational written policy

is supplied that supersedes these established rates

Credit card fees

Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any

associated costs (i.e. tickets to shows or sports events, meals, lodging, rentals,

transportation, and gratuities)

Food and beverages at conferences, meetings, or trainings your organization is

hosting

Foreign travel

GPS and Easy Pass rentals (when renting a car)

Laundry services while on travel

Local travel costs (lodging, meals, per diem, or transportation costs) within a 50-

mile radius of the project location

Mileage reimbursement, rental cars, parking fees, and/or taxi fare for local travel

within a 50-mile radius of the project location

Paying for meals other than your own

Tips/gratuity

Unallowable Equipment

Typically, unallowable equipment/technology costs include, but are not limited to, the

following (Note: these are typically unallowable no matter which category they are placed

under):

3D printers and associated equipment

Ammunition (live and training)

Bayonets

Bikes and associated equipment

Biometric technology

Body armor

Body-worn cameras

Bomb detection technology

Bulletproof vests and accessories

Buses/shuttles/transit vans (purchasing or leasing)

Camouflage uniforms

Closed-circuit televisions (CCTV)

Communication boxes

Computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems/records management systems (RMS)

Copiers

Criminal intelligence systems

Electronic control weapons (ECW)/Tasers

Explosives

Page 31 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Firearm investigation equipment

Firearms (including training firearms)

Fitness equipment (including yoga equipment)

General law enforcement vehicles (including patrol cars and leased vehicles)

Golf carts/motorized personal vehicles 

GPS devices

Grenade launchers

Gunshot detection equipment and technology

Handcuffs, weapons, and ammunition (including training ammunition)

Laser spectroscopy devices

License plate readers (LPR) and associated software

Manned aircraft

Metal detectors

Mobile data terminals (MDT)

Militarized Equipment

Non-motorized vehicles

Radios

Recreation equipment (including tents and coolers)

Robotic cameras

Shared items between projects—if equipment is to be used for concurrent projects,

this should be captured in your indirect costs. If your organization does not have an

indirect cost rate agreement, this may be proportionally charged as direct with prior

approval.

Simulators/augmented reality programs

Surveillance equipment

Tactical gear

Thermal imaging devices

Tracked (armored) vehicles

Traffic equipment (such as cones, message boards)

Trailers

Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones)

Video surveillance (including security systems)

Weaponized aircraft, vessels, and vehicles of any kind

Unallowable Supplies

Typically, unallowable supply costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note:

these are typically unallowable no matter which category they are placed under):

Body metric equipment such as blood pressure monitors and FitBits

Conference exhibit displays such as backdrops and retractable banners

Conference or event swag, including t-shirts, bags, or mugs

COVID-19 test kits

Displays, demonstrations, or exhibits

Page 32 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any

associated costs (i.e. tickets to shows or sports events, meals, lodging, rentals,

transportation, and gratuities)

Extracurricular expenses for youth programs, including t-shirts, meal plans,

giveaways, swag bags, and games

Fitness and yoga supplies

Floor and wall mats/pads

Narcan

Promotional items and memorabilia, including challenge coins, pins, models, gifts,

and souvenirs

Recreational supplies (such as Frisbees)

Shared items between projects—if supplies are to be used for concurrent projects,

then this should be captured in your indirect charges or you should only charge the

percentage allocated to this project (for example, if a laptop is being purchased for

a research assistant who works 40 percent of their time on this project, then only

charge 40 percent of the laptop cost to this project)

Trophies, medals, certificates, and other awards

Unallowable Sub-awards

The same unallowable costs identified across the different budget categories are also

unallowable under sub-awards.

Unallowable Procurement Contracts

Typically, unallowable costs under procurement contracts include, but are not limited to,

the following (Note: these are typically unallowable no matter which category they are

placed under):

Compensation of federal employees—this category of unallowable costs includes

salary payments, consulting fees, or other compensation to full-time federal

employees.

Conference exhibit displays such as backdrops and retractable banners

Conference or event swag, including t-shirts, bags, or mugs

Construction costs

Criminal intelligence systems

Dietician/nutritionist

Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any

associated costs (e.g., tickets to shows or sports events, meals, lodging, rentals,

transportation, and gratuities)

Food and beverages at conferences, meetings, or trainings your organization is

hosting

Martial Arts Training

Maintenance and/or service contracts that extend the life of the award period

Page 33 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
(multiyear contracts and extended warranties are allowable but must be paid in full

within the initial award period and must not exceed the award period)

Promotional items and memorabilia, including challenge coins, pins, models, gifts,

and souvenirs

Shared items between projects—if supplies are to be used for concurrent projects,

then this should be captured in your indirect charges or you should only charge the

percentage allocated to this project (for example, if a laptop is being purchased for

a research assistant who works 40 percent of their time on this project, then only

charge 40 percent of the laptop cost to this project)

Unallowable Other costs

Typically, unallowable other costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note:

these are typically unallowable no matter which category they are placed under):

Advertising and public relations designed solely to promote the recipient

Body metric equipment such as blood pressure monitors and FitBits

Conference or event swag, including t-shirts, bags, or mugs

Construction costs

Corporate formation (startup costs)

Costs for audits not required or performed in accordance with the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133 or 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart F –

Audit Requirement are unallowable. If the applicant organization did not meet the

applicable expenditure threshold during the organization’s fiscal year, the cost of

any audit performed may not be charged to the award.

Costs incurred for intramural activities, student publications, student clubs, and

other student activities

Criminal intelligence systems

Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any

associated costs (e.g., tickets to shows or sports events, meals, lodging, rentals,

transportation, and gratuities)

Extracurricular expenses for youth programs, including t-shirts, meal plans,

giveaways, swag bags, and games

Fuel for general patrol vehicles

Gym memberships and subscriptions

Health screenings

Land acquisition including renting, leasing, or construction of buildings or other

physical facilities

Live animals (including dogs and horses) including associated supplies, food,

transportation, and veterinary expenses

Militarized equipment

Maintenance of vehicles and enhancements (such as mounts)

Massages

Membership fees to organizations whose primary activity is lobbying

Page 34 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Office rental/lease space, except for costs proportionate to work conducted under

this solicitation (if included within an indirect cost rate negotiated agreement)

Personal protective equipment or gear

Promotional items and memorabilia, including challenge coins, pins, models, gifts,

and souvenirs

Psychological screenings

Publishing services—the COPS Office provides editing, graphic design, and

printing services for deliverables and other project materials; therefore, these costs

cannot be directly charged unless approved on a case-by-case basis.

Rental costs are not allowable for property owned by the applicant or if the

applicant has a financial interest in the property. In this case only the costs of

ownership, including maintenance costs, insurance, depreciation, utilities, etc., are

allowable costs. The applicant must indicate in the budget narrative whether or not

they own the space that will be rented.

Scholarships, fellowships, and other programs for student aid (exceptions are for

institutions for higher education)

Sworn officer salaries and fringe benefits (except sworn overtime and related

overtime FICA, worker’s compensation, and unemployment compensation fringe

benefits – see allowable other costs section above)

Trophies, medals, certificates, and other awards

Uniforms (including helmets, boots)

Consolidated Category Summary

You will be able to review the category totals and the total project costs under this

section. To make any changes to a particular category, please use the navigation on the

right of the screen.

Non-competitive Justification

As applicable, applicants will attach the noncompetitive justification (or sole source

justification). Additional guidance can be found in the Sole Source Justification fact sheet

.

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant].Sole Source.” Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and

Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant

submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only

the most recent system-validated version submitted.

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

Page 35 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
As applicable, applicants will attach the indirect cost rate agreement. Additional guidance

can be found in the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement fact sheet.

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant].Sole Source.”

Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system

may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant submits multiple versions

of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most recent systemvalidated version submitted.

Consultant Rate

As applicable, applicants will attach the consultant rate justification. Additional guidance

can be found in the Consultant Rate Justification fact sheet.

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant].Sole Source.” Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and

Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant

submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only

the most recent system-validated version submitted.

Budget Narrative

Applicants must attach a separate budget narrative. The organization must create and

attach a budget narrative that describes each item requested or group of similar items

requested and links each item or group of items to the proposed project. All items will be

reviewed on a case-by-case basis and in context of the allowable and unallowable costs

lists. 

Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to

implement their proposed projects. The budget should display a clear link between the

specific project activities and the proposed budget items. It should not contain any items

that are not detailed in the applicant's response to the application survey questions. 

The separate budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of

expense listed in the budget detail worksheets contained in this application. The COPS

Page 36 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Office expects proposed budgets to be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g.,

reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities).

An applicant should demonstrate in its separate budget narrative how it will maximize

cost effectiveness of award expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe

cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For

example, a budget narrative should detail why planned in-person meetings are

necessary, or how technology and collaboration with outside organizations could be used

to reduce costs, without compromising quality. Consideration will be given to budget

proposals that maximize the direct funding that supports project activities.

The budget narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond clearly with the

information provided in the budget detail worksheets. The narrative should explain how

the applicant estimated and calculated all costs and how those costs are necessary to

the completion of the proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification

purposes but need not be in a spreadsheet format. The budget should describe costs by

year and should cover the full project period of two years.

In some circumstances, the budget and budget narrative will be reviewed separately from

the applicant’s response to the application survey questions. Therefore, it is very

important that the budget narrative be as comprehensive as possible and describe in a

narrative format each line item requested in the budget. The budget narrative should not

be used to explain deliverables or project activities that are not included in the applicant’s

response to the application survey questions. Deliverables and activities that are solely

listed in the budget narrative and not described in the applicant’s response to the

application survey questions (and vice versa) will be scored negatively during the peer

review process. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant]. Sole Source.” Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and

Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant

submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only

the most recent system-validated version submitted.

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Other Supportive Documents

As applicable, applicants will attach the any memoranda of understanding or partner

agreements in this section.

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

Page 37 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant].MOU.” Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft

Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant submits

multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most

recent system-validated version submitted.

Additional Application Components

As applicable, applicants will attach the following additional application attachments in

this section:

Curriculum Vitae or résumés (up to three key project staff detailing work and

educational history and highlighting any experience that is relevant to their ability to

successfully carry out the proposed project)

Timeline of project deliverables, milestones, activities and who will complete the

activities 

Letters of Support

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant].Resume.” Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft

Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant submits

multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most

recent system-validated version submitted.

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes

As applicable, applicants will attach the Curriculum Vitae or résumés for up to three key

project staff detailing work and educational history and highlighting any experience that is

relevant to their ability to successfully carry out the proposed project).

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant].Resume.” Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft

Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant submits

multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most

recent system-validated version submitted.

Page 38 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Letters of Support

As applicable, applicants will attach letters of support.

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant].Resume.” Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft

Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant submits

multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most

recent system-validated version submitted.

Timeline

Applicants must attach a separate timeline of project deliverables, which are mapped to

the goals and objectives of the proposed initiative, and include milestones, activities and

who will complete the activities. The timeline attachment should be uploaded in the

"Additional Application Components" section of this application. If awarded funding, the

information provided in the timeline attachment will be used in performance reporting

and recipients will have to provide a status on the goals, objectives, deliverables,

timeline. The COPS Office encourages applicants to review and link their goals and

objectives to the solicitation goals and requirements.

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate

the applicant organization name and the file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily

locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and

résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[

Applicant]. Resume.” Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft

Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant submits

multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most

recent system-validated version submitted.

Disclosure and Assurances

Declaration and Certification to DOJ as to Application Submission

Applicants must read and acknowledge the statements in the Declaration and

Certification.

Federal Civil Rights and Award Review

Please be advised that an application may not be funded and, if awarded, a hold may be

Page 39 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
placed on the award if it is deemed that the applicant is not in compliance with federal

civil rights laws, and/or is not cooperating with an ongoing federal civil rights

investigation, and/or is not cooperating with a U.S. Department of Justice award review

or audit.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Important – all applicants must complete the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities in

Grants.gov prior to beginning the application process in JustGrants. NOTE: Applicants

that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in the required

highlighted fields.

This disclosure form shall be completed by the reporting entity, whether subawardee or

prime federal recipient, at the initiation or receipt of a covered federal action, or a

material change to a previous filing, pursuant to title 31 U.S.C. § 1352. The filing of a

form is required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying entity

for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member

of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of

Congress in connection with a covered federal action. Complete all items that apply for

both the initial filing and material change report. Refer to the implementing guidance

published by the Office of Management and Budget for additional information.

If this applies to your organization, you are required to complete the disclosure from

via Grants.gov . If you need to submit additional forms, please submit them as

attachments to your application online in the "Additional Application Components"

section.

Please see the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA)

programs under the COPS Office "How to Apply" webpage for a blank SF-LLL,

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form.

The filing of a SF-LLL form is required for each payment or agreement to make payment

to any lobbying entity for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of

any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee

of a Member of Congress in connection with a covered federal action.

Please see FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA)

Programs under the COPS Office “How to Apply” webpage for a copy of the SF-LLL with

instructions for completing this form.

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances

Applicants to COPS Office programs are required to sign and acknowledge the standard

Page 40 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Assurances form in JustGrants. Signing this document assures the COPS Office that you

have read and understood and that you accept the award terms and conditions as

outlined in the Assurances.

Please read this document carefully, as signatures on this document is treated as

material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the U.S.

Department of Justice determines to award the covered award. See “Terms and

Conditions,” and full assurances and certifications, which can all be found in the FY23

Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) programs under the

COPS Office "How to Apply" webpage. 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other

Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement

and Community Policing

Applicants to COPS Office programs are required to sign and acknowledge the standard

Certifications form in JustGrants. Signing this document assures the COPS Office that

you have read and understood and that you accept the award terms and conditions as

outlined in the Certifications.

Please read this document carefully, as signatures on this document is treated as

material representation of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the U.S.

Department of Justice determines to award the covered award. See “Terms and

Conditions,” and full assurances and certifications, which can all be found in the 

FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) programs under the

COPS Office "How to Apply" webpage. 

An explanation when the applicant is unable to certify to certain statements in the

“Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and Community

Policing” form (if applicable)—When the applicant is unable to certify to specific

statements identified in this Certifications form, the applicant must attach an explanation.

The applicant is still required to sign the Certifications form to certify to all the other

applicable statements. Please see the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing

Advancement (CPA) programs under the COPS Office "How to Apply" web page for a

copy of this Certifications form.

a. the applicant understands that as a general rule COPS Office funding may not

be used for the same item or service funded through another funding source, and

b. the applicant and any required or identified official partner(s) listed in this

application mutually agreed to this partnership prior to submission.

Page 41 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
How to Apply

Federal regulations require that an applicant for federal funding: (1) be registered in SAM

before submitting its application; (2) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its

application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current

information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or

plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. The COPS Office may not make

an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity

identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with these

requirements by the time the COPS Office is ready to make an award, then the COPS

office may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. See 2 C.F.R.

§§ 25.200, 25.205 and the Award Terms and Conditions for further information.

Please follow the steps listed below to ensure your application is submitted by

the deadline for this solicitation. Applicants should register online with SAM and with

Grants.gov well in advance of the JustGrants deadline.

Step 1: Register with SAM database/Confirm Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

Number 

The Unique Entity ID issued by SAM is a 12-character alphanumeric value

and once issued will not change. Entities that are currently registered in

SAM.gov already have a Unique Entity ID (SAM) which can be viewed in

SAM.gov. The transition to UEI (SAM) will not impact an entity’s registration

expiration date or when renewal is necessary.

System of Award Management (SAM) registration and renewal can take as

long as 10 business days to complete .

If you do not have an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the process can

take up to 5 weeks to obtain an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service. There

is no fee associated with these processes. These processes cannot be

expedited.

SAM registration procedures can be accessed at www.sam.gov.

The person registering with SAM will be the designated SAM E-Business

Point of Contact, who can assign the people who submit applications for the

organization (your Authorized Organization Representatives). In addition, you

must review your SAM registration once a year.

Step 2: Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a

Grants.gov username and password.

Page 42 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Complete the AOR profile on Grants.gov and create a username and

password. An applicant entity’s “unique entity identifier” must be used to

complete this step. For more information about the registration process for

organizations and other entities, visit the Grants.gov registration page.

Individuals registering with Grants.gov may visit the Applicant Registration

page.

Step 2: Register with SAM database/Confirm SAM number

System of Award Management (SAM) registration and renewal can take as

long as 10 business days to complete.

If you do not have an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the process can

take up to 5 weeks.

SAM registration procedures can be accessed at www.sam.gov. The person

registering with SAM will be the designated SAM E-Business Point of

Contact, who can assign the people who submit applications for the

organization (your Authorized Organization Representatives). You must have

a DUNS number to submit a SAM registration. In addition, you must review

your SAM registration once a year.

Step 3: Acquire confirmation for the AOR from the E-Business Point of

Contact (E-Biz POC).

The SAM E-Biz POC at the applicant organization must log into Grants.gov to

confirm the applicant organization’s AOR. The E-Biz POC will need the

Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN) password obtained when

registering with SAM to complete this step. Note that an organization can

have more than one AOR.

Step 4: Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov.

Search using the Assistance Listing title and the funding opportunity number

from the solicitation.

Step 5: Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package from

Grants.gov.

Select “Apply for Grants” under the “Applicants” column. Enter your email

address to be notified of any changes to the opportunity package before the

closing date. Click the Workspace icon to use Grants.gov Workspace.

Step 6: Complete and Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL via Grants.gov.

Page 43 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Within 48 hours after submitting the SF-424 and SF-LLL, the applicant should

receive two notifications from Grants.gov. The first will confirm the receipt of

the SF-424 and SF-LLL. The second will state whether the SF-424 and SFLLL has been validated and successfully submitted, or whether it has been

rejected due to errors, with an explanation. It is possible to first receive a

message indicating that the application is received, and then receive a

rejection notice a few minutes or hours later. Submitting the SF-424 and the

SF-LLL well ahead of the Grants.gov deadline provides time to correct the

problem(s) that caused the rejection.

Important: DOJ urges each applicant to submit the SF-424 and the SF-LLL at

least 72 hours prior to the Grants.gov due date, to allow time to receive

validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct

in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection

notification. Verify the application deadline (date and time) in the solicitation.

Step 7: Register the Entity Administrator (E-Biz POC) and the Application

Submitter with DOJ’s Justice Grants System (JustGrants).

New Entity without a JustGrants Account

Within 24 hours of JustGrants receiving an application from Grants.gov, the

user submitting the application in Grants.gov and SAM E-Biz POC will receive

an email to register for a JustGrants account. The email is from DOJ’s secure

user management system (DIAMD) and will include instructions on how to

create an account.

To ensure that you receive these emails and that they are not flagged as

spam, we recommend adding “DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov” to the trusted

sender list in your email settings.

The E-Biz POC at the applicant organization serves as the Entity

Administrator and must log-in to JustGrants to confirm the entity’s profile, add

users, and assign the two required Authorized Representatives (Law

Enforcement Executive/Program Official and Government Executive/

Financial Official). The Authorized Representatives are officials who have

ultimate and final responsibility for all programmatic and financial decisions

for your agency, as the legal recipient. For guidance on who should be

assigned as Authorized Representatives, please see below:

For law enforcement agencies, COPS Office awards require that both the

top law enforcement executive (e.g., chief of police, sheriff, or equivalent) and

the top government executive (e.g., mayor, board chairman, or equivalent)

sign the application, and (if awarded funding) accept the award package. Both

the top law enforcement executive and the top government executive must be

Page 44 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
assigned the role of Authorized Representative in Just Grants.

For non–law enforcement agencies (institutions of higher education, school

districts, private organizations, etc.), COPS Office awards require that both

the programmatic official (e.g., executive director, chief executive officer, or

equivalent) and financial official (e.g., chief financial officer, treasurer, or

equivalent) sign the application, and (if awarded funding) accept the

award package. These two officials must have the ultimate signatory authority

to sign contracts on behalf of your organization. Both the programmatic

official and the financial official must be assigned the role of Authorized

Representative in Just Grants.

Please note that nonexecutive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) are not

acceptable Authorized Representatives.

The user who submitted the application in Grants.gov serves as the

Application Submitter. Within minutes of completing your JustGrants account

registration, the Application Submitter and the E-Biz POC (Entity

Administrator) users will receive an email from JustGrants with a link to the

application started in Grants.gov.

Application Submitters and E-Biz POC Users with a JustGrants Account

Step 8: Review and Invite the Two Required Authorized Representatives in

JustGrants

The Entity Administrator will need to log-in to JustGrants to review and assign

the required two Authorized Representatives (Law Enforcement Executive/

Program Official and Government Executive/Financial Official).The

Authorized Representatives are officials who have ultimate and final

responsibility for all programmatic and financial decisions for your agency, as

the legal recipient. For guidance on who should be assigned as Authorized

Representatives, please see guidance above:

If an Authorized Representative needs to be invited, the Entity Administrator

will need to invite the individual to receive a JustGrants account. These

actions are required before an application can be submitted.

Within minutes of being invited to be an Authorized Representative, the

individual will receive an email from DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov with

instructions on how to create an account in DOJ’s secure user management

system.

Once the Authorized Representatives receives the email and completes the

steps to create an account, the Authorized Representative will be available in

Page 45 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
JustGrants.

Review the “JustGrants User Roles Guide“ to become familiar with the

various JustGrants Entity User roles.

Step 9: Complete and Submit the JustGrants Application

The Application Submitter will complete the application by entering data into

web-based forms, uploading attachments, and accepting assurances and

certifications. Before you submit your application, each section much be

completed and free of validation errors. If not, please return to each identified

page using the table of contents on the right side of the page. If any required

fields are unanswered, they will be flagged with warning messages. In this

case, answer these required fields. You will not be able to submit your

application until all validation issues are corrected and the application is

certified.

The Application Submitter will also need to confirm the required two

Authorized Representatives (Law Enforcement Executive/Program Official

and Government Executive/Financial Official).

The Application Submitter will need to select two authorized representatives

via dropdown field in the “Confirm Authorized Representative” section of the

application. The dropdown will display all authorized representatives that

have been assigned for your entity ( the Application Submission Job Aid

Reference Guide for this step).

If you do not see authorized representatives for your entity in the dropdown

field within the “Confirm Authorized Representative” section of the application,

you will need to add and assign the role for each authorized representative for

your entity. Please note: the COPS Office requires two authorized

representatives (Law Enforcement Executive and Government Executive) for

its grant applications. Users will not be visible in JustGrants until they have

successfully logged into JustGrants. If you need assistance adding users and

assigning roles for your entity, please refer to the Entity Management Job Aid

Reference Guide.

Once all sections are completed, the application submitter will submit the

application. Upon successful submission of an application, the Application

Submitter, Entity Administrator, and the two Authorized Representatives will

receive an email from JustGrants confirming submission of the application.

The COPS Office will not accept applications submitted via mail or email.

Step 10: Confirm Receipt of JustGrants Application

Page 46 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
The Application Submitter should closely monitor their email and JustGrants

accounts for any notifications from Grants.gov or JustGrants about a possible

failed submission. The user who is authorized to submit applications on

behalf of the organization is the one who will receive these notifications. The

COPS Office does not send out these notifications, nor does the COPS Office

receive a copy of these notifications. It is the applicant’s responsibility to notify

the COPS Office of any problems with the application submission process.

Submitting the application components at least 48 hours prior to the

solicitation deadline will enable the applicant to receive notice of a failed

submission and provide an opportunity to correct the error before the

applicable deadline.

Submission Dates and Time

All completed applications must be submitted by the deadline.

Late Submissions

The COPS Office will review on a case-by-case basis requests for late submission due to

unforeseen technical issues or extraordinary events such as extreme weather

emergencies or mass casualty events.

Requests for an extension of the Grants.gov deadline must be received prior to the close

of the solicitation in Grants.gov. Requests for an extension of the JustGrants deadline

must be made prior to the close of the solicitation in JustGrants. No late submission

requests will be considered once the solicitation closes. Extension of deadlines is rare

and is not guaranteed. 

To be considered for an extension, applicants must contact the COPS Office Response

Center via email at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov detailing the technical/extraordinary issues

that impact application submission. This must be submitted prior to the deadline for

which the applicant is requesting an extension. The applicant’s email must include the

following information: UEI number, Organization name, Point of contact name and

information, Application ID, and the nature of the issue/disaster and how it affected the

applicant’s ability to submit an application on time. The email subject line should read

“FY23 CPD Accreditation Program Extraordinary Circumstances: UEI number, Agency

Name, Application ID”; with your UEI number and organization name included in the

subject line. 

The COPS Office will respond to each applicant as soon as possible with an approval

and instructions for submission, or a rejection. If the technical issues you reported cannot

be validated, the application will be rejected.

Page 47 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
The following conditions are not valid reasons to request an extension: (1) failure to

begin the registration process in sufficient time; (2) failure to follow instructions on

Grants.gov or JustGrants; (3) failure of the two assigned authorized representatives, with

the proper authority, to activate accounts in JustGrants prior to application submission;

(4) failure to follow all of the instructions in the solicitation; (5) failure to register or update

information on the SAM website; and (6) failure to register or complete the SF-424 and

SF-LLL in grants.gov. 

Application Review Information

The COPS Office is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for making awards.

The COPS Office will review the application to make sure that the information presented

is reasonable, understandable, measurable, achievable, and consistent with the

solicitation.

To maintain the integrity of the competitive solicitation process, the COPS Office can

provide publicly available technical assistance regarding the mechanics of the application

but cannot evaluate the merits of an application during the open solicitation period.

Review Process

Applications will undergo a standard review and selection process, which includes a

review of basic minimum requirements, peer review panel ratings, administrative

compliance review, a senior leadership review and recommendation panel, and director’s

selection. A description of each phase is provided in the following sections. Applicants

are encouraged to review their own applications prior to submission, with particular

attention given to the Basic Minimum Requirements and each of the Review Criteria

specified in the descriptions that follow. 

Basic Minimum Requirements review

Once the solicitation closes, COPS Office staff screen and evaluate applications for

compliance with basic minimum requirements (BMR). Applications should be written with

clarity, organization, and soundness in the proposed work, with all mandatory

attachments. 

BMR review criteria

Applications that are missing any of the following basic minimum requirements will be

disqualified, without exception, and therefore not peer reviewed. 

1. Applicant must respond to 80 percent or more of the application questions .

Applicant must provide a separate budget narrative that is 60 percent or more

allowable.

2.

Page 48 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
1.

2.

3. Applicant must be an existing law enforcement accreditation entities.

4. The proposed project must be within scope of the solicitation.

Peer review 

Peer review will evaluate applications that meet the eligibility basic minimum requirements.

The COPS Office may use internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination to

assess applications on technical merit using the solicitation’s review. An external peer

reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given topic area who is not a current federal

employee. An internal peer reviewer is a current federal employee who is well-versed or has

expertise in the subject matter of the subcategory. Peer feedback is advisory only, although

reviewer views are considered carefully. 

Peer reviewers will be asked to review applications based on the application subcategory and

the goal of the solicitation to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement

community policing strategies by providing guidance on promising practices through the

development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective

practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and

promoting safe communities. Reviewers will also be asked to consider the subcategoryspecific solicited goals, requirements, and deliverables described in the solicitation language.

Upon completion of their reviews, peer reviewers will recommend applications that should

advance to Senior Leadership Review.

Review criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following merit criteria, which the applicant

addresses in their application, budget narrative, budget worksheets, and other

attachments. Applications that are not responsive to the solicitation or duplicative of past

or ongoing federally funded work will be evaluated accordingly. Although not an

exhaustive list, at a minimum, reviewers will be asked to evaluate applications according

to the following criteria: 

Problem Identification and Project Description (20 percent)

Clearly identifies how the project fulfils a specific public safety need.

Identifies how the proposed project will assist their organization in implementing or

institutionalizing community policing.

Describes the major activities the organization will undertake if funded.

Describes the final deliverables of the project and how they contribute to the

solicitation goals and requirements.

Page 49 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Project Reach and Impact (30 percent)

Identifies any current governmental, community or agency initiatives that

complement or will be coordinated with the proposed activities.

Identifies specific outcomes the organization expects to accomplish with the

funding and how will the project team track or measure them

Lists the number of agencies that are expected to achieve accreditation as a result

of the funded project

Clear description of an outreach plan to ensure law enforcement agencies are

aware of the accreditation process

Explains how the organization will assist agencies in their jurisdiction with obtaining

accreditation

Describes how these efforts could be sustained once the award ends.

Management and Implementation (40 percent)

Describes the overall management and implementation plan for the project

including identification of any key community or other stakeholder partnerships

(community groups, private and/or public agencies) that will play a role in the

implementation of this project.

Identifies key project staff and their experience as well as the agency capacity to

carry out the project.

Budget (10 percent)

Provides a detailed budget narrative with costs that are allowable, appropriate, and

reasonable relative to the level of effort and critical to the completion of the project

Provides a budget narrative that adequately justifies the budget and matches the

feasibility and intent of the proposed project

Provides a detailed budget that matches the tasks and deliverable(s) outlined in

their application

Provides detailed breakdowns of each budget category and justification for total

costs, such as per unit over time or reasonable estimate at time of application

submission

Provides appropriate budget justification documentation which may include a

current indirect cost rate agreement, sole source justification, and consultant rate

justification • Identifies how strategy makes use of time and cost saving methods for

conducting project work to achieving goals and objectives while not sacrificing

quality outcomes

Administrative compliance review

All advancing applications will undergo an administrative compliance review. Past

financial and programmatic performance with DOJ award funding will be considered in

this review process. Past performance may affect the overall rating and ranking of an

Page 50 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
application. Factors that may be included in the past performance review are: 

the extent to which the applicant has adhered to all special conditions in the prior

awards,

the extent to which the applicant has complied with programmatic and financial

reporting requirements,

the extent to which the applicant has completed closeout of prior awards in a timely

manner,

whether the applicant has received financial clearances in a timely manner,

whether the applicant has resolved any issues identified in an audit or on-site

monitoring visit in a timely manner,

whether the applicant has adhered to single audit requirements, and

the extent to which the applicant has completed work and spent prior award funds

in a timely manner. 

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (“Uniform Guidance”), before award decisions are made,

the COPS Office also reviews information related to the degree of risk posed by

applicants. Among other things to help assess whether an applicant with one or more

prior federal awards has a satisfactory record with respect to performance, integrity, and

business ethics, the COPS Office checks whether the applicant is listed in SAM as

excluded from receiving a federal award. The COPS Office also must review and

consider any information about the applicant that appears in the nonpublic segment of

the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently, the Federal

Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, “FAPIIS”). Applicants may

review and comment on any information about them in SAM that a federal awarding

agency previously entered in the designated integrity and performance system, and such

applicant comments will also be reviewed and considered.

The COPS Office may contact applicants regarding budget and financial questions as

part of the review process. This outreach is not an indication of funds or awarding

decisions. 

Senior leadership review 

The Senior Leadership Review is conducted by senior-ranking federal employees. During

this process all advancing applications from peer review are evaluated based on peer

review feedback, administrative compliance review, past performance, project scope,

and budget.

 Senior Leadership will submit formal recommendations for funding to the COPS Office

Director.

Director’s selection

Page 51 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, all

final award decisions will be made by the Director of the COPS Office, who may also give

consideration to factors including prior funding history, current award balances,

underserved populations, population served, geographic diversity, strategic priorities,

past performance, significant concerns regarding ability of the applicant to administer

federal funds, and available funding when making awards. 

Federal Award Administration Information

Award decisions

It is anticipated that awards will be announced on or after October 1, 2023. Award

notification will be sent electronically. Any public announcements will be posted on the 

COPS Office website.

All award decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

To officially accept and begin your award, your organization must access your award

package at https://justgrants.usdoj.gov/. Once you access your account, you will review

and electronically sign the award document (including award terms and conditions) and,

if applicable, the special award conditions or high risk conditions within 45 days of the

date shown on the award congratulatory letter, unless an extension is requested and

granted. The two assigned Authorized Representatives described above (Law

Enforcement Executive/Program Official and Government Executive/Financial Official)

are required to sign the award package. If the Authorized Representative(s) changes

between the time of application submission and award receipt, the Entity Administrator

will need to update the Authorized Representative(s) in JustGrants. Your organization will

not be able to draw down award funds until the COPS Office receives your signed award

document. For more information on accepting your award, please visit the JustGrants

Training page for step-by-step instructions.

For technical support with JustGrants, please call JustGrants Support at 

JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov, or 833-872-5175. For programmatic assistance,

please contact the COPS Office Response Center at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or

800-421-6770. 

The award package

The award package is the document indicating your official award funding amount, the

award number, the award terms and conditions, and award start and end dates.

The award start date indicated on the award package means that your organization may

be reimbursed for any allowable costs incurred on or after this date. The duration of

Page 52 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
awards is 24 months.

Your FY 2023 award number is in the following format: 15JCOPS-23-XX-XXXXX-XXXX.

The COPS Office tracks award information based upon this number. Therefore, it is

important to have your organization’s award number (or your organization’s UEI number)

readily available when corresponding with the COPS Office. 

The award terms and conditions are listed in the award package. In limited

circumstances, your award package may include additional special conditions or highrisk conditions that prevent your organization from drawing down or accessing award

funds until the special conditions or high-risk conditions are satisfied as determined by

the COPS Office.

By accepting the award, you are acknowledging that you are obtaining federal funds from

the COPS Office. As part of that agreement, if awarded funds, your organization will

acknowledge that it will comply with all applicable award terms and conditions including

any special or high-risk conditions.

Administrative and national policy requirements

If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the

approved project proposal and budget, the recipient must comply with award terms and

conditions, and other legal requirements including, but not limited to, OMB, DOJ, or other

federal regulations that will be included in the award or incorporated into the award by

reference or are otherwise applicable to the award.

 

Please see general terms and conditions in the FY23 Reference Guide for Community

Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs, which is located on the COPS Office "How to

Apply" web page.

Terms, conditions and award requirements

Table 1 lists the terms, conditions, and award requirements that applicants should be

aware of before applying to this COPS Office program Please review carefully the

FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs, found

under the COPS Office “How to Apply” web page, for a full description of each of the

listed terms, conditions, and other requirements for this COPS Office program. By

submitting your application, your organization assures the COPS Office that you agree to

the below terms, conditions, and requirements. If awarded funds, by accepting your

COPS Office award, your organization agrees to comply with all of the terms, conditions,

and other requirements in your award package and any additional special or high risk

conditions that may be imposed on your award.

Page 53 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Table 1. Terms, conditions, and award requirements

Section number Award term, condition, or requirement

I & II

Assurances and Certifications (also refer to “U.S. Department of Justice

Certified Standard Assurances and U.S. Department of Justice Certifications

Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility

Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and

Community Policing” of this Guide and Standard Application forms.)

III Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

IV Supplementing, Not Supplanting

V Procurement and Sole Source Justification

VI System for Award Management (SAM) and Universal Identifier Requirements

VII Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA)—Reporting

Subaward and Executive Compensation

VIII Contract Provisions

IX Prior Approval Planning and Reporting of Conference/Meeting/Training

Costs

X Restriction on Internal Confidentiality Agreements

XI Mandatory Disclosure

XII Debarment and Suspension

XIII Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters

XIV False Statements

XV Duplicative Funding

XVI Additional High-Risk Recipient Requirements

XVII Modifications

XVIII Evaluations

XIX Allowable Costs

XX Equal Employment Opportunity Plan

XXI Employment Eligibility

XXII Enhancement of Contractor Protection from Reprisal for Disclosure of

Certain Information

XXIII Federal Civil Rights

XXIV Conflict of Interest

XXV Reports/Performance Goals

XXVI Extensions

XXVII Computer Network Requirement

XXVII Award Monitoring Activities

XXIX Public Release Information

XXX Paperwork Reduction Act

XXXI Copyright

XXXII Human Subjects Research

XXXIII Domestic Preferences in Procurement

XXXIV Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services

or Equipment

XXXV Termination

XXXVI Award Owner’s Manual

XXXVII Travel Costs

XXXVIII Authorized Representative Responsibility

XXXIX Determination of Suitability for Youth-Centered Awards

XL Information Data Breach

Page 54 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Other Requirements

Please review carefully the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement

(CPA) Programs, located on the COPS "How to Apply" webpage, which provides a full

description of each of the listed requirements below for this COPS Office program.

Curriculum development

Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging While Driving

Increasing Seat Belt Use in the United States

Administrative actions and legal remedies related to federal awards

Please be advised that an application may not be funded or, if awarded, a hold may be

placed on this application if it is deemed that the applicant is not in compliance with

federal civil rights laws, is not cooperating with an ongoing federal civil rights

investigation, or is not cooperating with a U.S. Department of Justice award review or

audit.

Misuse of COPS Office funds or failure to comply with all COPS Office award

requirements may result in legal sanctions including suspension and termination of

award funds, the repayment of expended funds, ineligibility to receive additional COPS

Office funding, and other remedies available by law.

Under the False Claims Act, any credible evidence that a person has submitted a false

claim or has committed a criminal or civil violation of laws pertaining to fraud, conflict of

interest, bribery, gratuity, or similar misconduct involving COPS Office funds may be

referred to the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG may be contacted at 

oig.hotline@usdoj.gov, https://oig.justice.gov/hotline/index.htm, or 800-869-4499.

Remedies for noncompliance

Under 2 C.F.R. § 200.339, if the recipient fails to comply with award terms and

conditions, the Federal awarding agency may impose additional conditions or take one or

more of the following actions as appropriate in the circumstances:

Temporarily withhold cash payments pending correction of the deficiency by the

non-Federal entity or more severe enforcement action by the Federal awarding

agency or pass-through entity.

Disallow (that is, deny both use of funds and any applicable matching credit for) all

or part of the cost of the activity or action not in compliance.

Wholly or partly suspend or terminate the Federal award.

Initiate suspension or debarment proceedings as authorized under 2 CFR part 180

and Federal awarding agency regulations (or in the case of a pass-through entity,

recommend such a proceeding be initiated by a Federal awarding agency).

Page 55 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Withhold further Federal awards for the project or program.

Take other remedies that may be legally available.

Prior to imposing sanctions, the COPS Office will provide reasonable notice to the

recipient of its intent to impose sanctions and will attempt to resolve the problem

informally. Appeal procedures will follow those in the U.S. Department of Justice

regulations in 28 C.F.R. Part 18.

Awards terminated due to noncompliance with the federal statutes, regulations, or award

terms and conditions will be reported to the integrity and performance system accessible

through SAM (currently FAPIIS).

False statements or claims made in connection with COPS Office awards may result in

fines, imprisonment, debarment from participating in federal awards or contracts, and any

other remedy available by law.

Please be advised that recipients may not use COPS Office funding for the same item or

service also funded by another U.S. Department of Justice award.

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424, please call the Grants.gov customer

service hotline at 800-518-4726, send questions via email to support@Grants.gov, or

consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov Support

Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.

For technical support with the Justice Grants System (JustGrants) application, please

contact the JustGrants Support at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov, or 833-872-5175.

The JustGrants Support operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:00 a.m.

and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays from 9:00

a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Training on JustGrants can also be found at https://

justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources.

For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program, please call the

COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or send questions via email to 

AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday

through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays.

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552 and 5 U.S.C. § 552a)

All applications submitted to the COPS Office (including all attachments to applications)

are subject to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and to the Privacy Act. By

law, DOJ may withhold information that is responsive to a request if DOJ determines that

the responsive information is protected from disclosure under the Privacy Act or falls

Page 56 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
within the scope of one or more of the nine statutory exemptions under FOIA. DOJ

cannot agree in advance of a request pursuant to the FOIA not to release some or all

portions of an application/award file. 

In its review of records that are responsive to a FOIA request, the COPS Office will

withhold information in those records that plainly falls within the scope of the Privacy Act

or one of the statutory exemptions under FOIA. (Some examples include certain types of

information in budgets and names and contact information for project staff other than

certain key personnel.) In appropriate circumstances, the COPS Office will request the

views of the applicant/recipient that submitted a responsive document. 

Feedback to the COPS Office

To assist the COPS Office in improving its application and award processes, we

encourage applicants to provide feedback on this solicitation, the application submission

process, and/or the application review/peer review process. Provide feedback via email

to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov with the following subject line “FY23 CPD Accreditation

Program Feedback.”

IMPORTANT: This email is for feedback and suggestions only. Replies are not sent from

this mailbox. If you have specific questions on any program or technical aspect of the

solicitation, you must contact the COPS Office Response Center at 

AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or 800-421-6770.

COPS Other Information

Reporting, Monitoring, and Evaluation Requirements

Reporting

If awarded, your organization will be required to submit quarterly Federal Financial

Reports as well as semiannual Programmatic Performance Reports. Recipient should be

prepared to track and report program award funding separately from other funding

sources (including other COPS Office federal awards) to ensure accurate financial and

programmatic reporting on a timely basis. Recipients should ensure that they have

financial internal controls in place to monitor the use of program funding and ensure that

its use is consistent with the award terms and conditions. Good stewardship in this area

includes written accounting practices, and use of an accounting system that tracks all

award drawdowns and expenditures, and the ability to track when award-funded

positions are filled or approved purchases are made. Failure to submit complete reports

or submit them in a timely manner may result in the suspension and possible termination

of a recipient’s COPS Office award funding or other remedial actions.

Page 57 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Monitoring

Federal law requires that agencies receiving federal funding from the COPS Office be

monitored to ensure compliance with their award conditions and other applicable

statutory regulations. The COPS Office is also interested in tracking the progress of our

programs and the advancement of community policing. Both aspects of award

implementation—compliance and programmatic benefits—are part of the monitoring

process coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Awarded organizations will be responsible for submitting Programmatic Performance

Reports on a semiannual basis and Federal Financial Reports on a quarterly basis. In

addition, awarded organizations will be responsible for the timely submission of a final

Closeout Report and any other required final reports. All COPS Office recipients will be

required to participate in such award monitoring activities of the U.S. Department of

Justice, including but not limited to the COPS Office, the Office of the Inspector General,

or any entity designated by the COPS Office.

Please note that the COPS Office may take a number of monitoring approaches, such as

site visits, enhanced office-based award reviews, alleged noncompliance reviews, and

periodic surveys to gather information and to ensure compliance. The COPS Office may

seek information including, but not limited to, your organization’s compliance with

nonsupplanting and both programmatic and financial requirements of the award, and

your organization’s progress toward achieving your community policing strategy.

Program and monitoring specialists as well as auditors are particularly interested in

confirming that the purchase of items and/or services is consistent with the applicant’s

approved award budget as reflected on the Financial Clearance Memorandum and Final

Funding Memorandum.

If awarded funds, you agree to cooperate with and respond to any requests for

information pertaining to your award in preparation for any of the above-referenced

award monitoring activities.

Please feel free to contact your COPS Office Program Manager to discuss any questions

or concerns you may have regarding the monitoring, reporting, and evaluation

requirements.

Program evaluation

Though a formal assessment is not a requirement, awarded organizations are strongly

encouraged to conduct an independent assessment of their respective award-funded

projects. Project evaluations have proven to be valuable tools in helping organizations

identify areas in need of improvement, providing data of successful processes, and

reducing vulnerabilities.

Selected award recipients shall be evaluated on the local level or as part of a national

Page 58 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
evaluation, pursuant to guidelines established by the Attorney General. Such evaluations

may include assessments of individual program implementations. In selected jurisdictions

that are able to support outcome evaluations, the effectiveness of funded programs,

projects, and activities may be required. Outcome measures may include crime and

victimization indicators, quality of life measures, community perceptions, and police

perceptions of their own work.

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Award recipients and subrecipients must, as set out in the Uniform Guidance at 2 C.F.R.

§ 200.303, do the following:

Establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that

provides reasonable assurance that [the recipient (and any subrecipient)] is

managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and

the terms and conditions of the federal award. These internal controls should be in

compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal

Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and the

“Internal Control Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring

Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

Comply with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the

federal awards.

Evaluate and monitor [the recipient’s (and any subrecipient’s)] compliance with

statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of federal awards.

Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including

noncompliance identified in audit findings.

Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable

information and other information the federal awarding agency designates as

sensitive or [the recipient (and any subrecipient)] considers sensitive consistent

with applicable federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding privacy and

obligations of confidentiality.

Audit Requirement

The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for

Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart F – Audit Requirements, available at 

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text_idx?tpl=/ecfr.brose/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl,

establish the requirements for organizational audits that apply to COPS Office award

recipients. Recipients must arrange for the required organization-wide (not award-byaward) audit in accordance with the requirements of Subpart F.

Civil rights

All recipients are required to comply with nondiscrimination requirements contained in

Page 59 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
various federal laws. A memorandum addressing federal civil rights statutes and

regulations from the Office for Civil Rights, Office of Justice Programs will be included in

the award package for award recipients. All applicants should consult the Assurances

form to understand the applicable legal and administrative requirements.

Please be advised that a hold may be placed on this application if it is deemed that the

applicant organization is not in compliance with federal civil rights law or is not

cooperating with an ongoing federal civil rights investigation.

Equal Treatment of Faith-based Organizations and Safeguarding Constitutional Protections

Related to Religion

For guidance on the protections provided in law for faith-based or religious organizations,

please see the Office for Civil Rights website at https://www.ojp.gov/program/civil-rights/

partnerships-faith-based-and-other-neighborhood-organizations.

In addition, all recipients and subrecipients (at any tier) must comply with the applicable

requirements of the DOJ regulation entitled “Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other

Neighborhood Organizations” at 28 C.F.R. Part 38, which, among other things, prohibits

using DOJ financial assistance to fund explicitly religious activities and also prohibits

discrimination in the provision of DOJ-funded services on the basis of a beneficiary’s

religion, religious belief, a refusal to hold a religious belief, or a refusal to attend or

participate in a religious practice. For more detailed information about the regulation,

please see the Office of Civil Right website at https://www.ojp.gov/program/civil-rights/

partnerships-faith-based-and-other-neighborhood-organizations.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

If you are an applicant using assistive technology and you encounter difficulty when

applying, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov 

or 800-421-6770.

The department is committed to ensuring equal access to all applicants and will assist

any applicant who may experience difficulties with assistive technology when applying for

awards using the JustGrants System.

Public Reporting Burden-Paper Work Reduction Act Notice

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to be up to 11.3

hours per response, depending upon the COPS Office program being applied for, which

includes time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate

or any other aspects of the collection of this information, including suggestions for

reducing this burden, to the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S.

Department of Justice, 145 N Street NE, Washington, DC 20530; and to the Public Use

Page 60 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Reports Project, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, Washington, DC 20503. For any questions or comments, please contact David

Neely, COPS Office Paperwork Reduction Act Program Manager, at 202-514-8553.

You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a valid

OMB control number. The OMB control number for this application is 1103-0098, and the

expiration date is 04/30/2024.

Performance Measures

To assist in fulfilling the U.S. Department of Justice's responsibilities under the

Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act (GPRA Modernization Act)

of 2010, P.L. 111–352), recipients who receive funding from the Federal Government

must measure the results of work that funding supports. This act specifically requires the

COPS Office and other federal agencies to set program goals, measure performance

against those goals, and publicly report progress in the form of funding spent, resources

used, activities performed, services delivered, and results achieved.

Performance measures are as shown in table 2.

Table 2. Performance measures

Objective Performance measures Data recipient provides

Increase the capacity of law

enforcement agencies to

implement community policing

strategies that strengthen

partnerships for safer

communities and enhance law

enforcement’s capacity to

prevent, solve, and control crime

through funding for personnel,

technology, equipment, and

training.

Extent to which COPS Office

award funding (e.g., officers,

equipment, training, technical

assistance) has increased your

agency’s community policing

capacity?

Extent to which COPS Office

knowledge resources (e.g.,

publications, podcasts, training)

have increased your agency’s

community policing capacity?

Recipients will rate the

effectiveness of the COPS Office

funding in increasing community

policing capacity. Data will be

collected on a periodic basis

through performance reports.

COPS Office awards target increasing recipient capacity to implement community

policing strategies within the three primary elements of community policing: (1) problem

solving; (2) partnerships; and (3) organizational transformation. The COPS Office

requires all applicants to describe how the personnel, technology, equipment, supplies,

travel, or training requested will assist the applicant in implementing community policing

strategies. 

To read an overview of the principles of community policing, please see the COPS Office

publication Community Policing Defined.

Page 61 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
As part of the programmatic performance reports, all recipients will be required to report

on their progress toward implementing community policing strategies. Based on the data

collected from recipients, the COPS Office may make improvements to the program to

better meet the program’s objective and law enforcement agency needs.

Page 62 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Application Checklist

Please refer to the JustGrants DOJ Application Submission Checklist.

Survey Questions

CPD_Accrd_Enhnc_Elig

Applicant Eligibility

Instructions: Applicant eligibility for the Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement

Accreditation Entities solicitation is limited to any existing state law enforcement

accreditation entities. The following question will be used to determine eligibility. NOTE: If

you select “no,” you will be considered ineligible for this solicitation and will not receive

consideration for funding.

As of this application submission, are you currently an existing law enforcement

accreditation entity?

FY23 CPA Solicitation Ques

Research and Development

Instructions: For the purposes of this solicitation, R&D as defined by 2 C.F.R. §200.87

means all research activities, both basic and applied, and all development activities that

are performed by nonfederal entities. The term “research” also includes activities

involving the training of individuals in research techniques where such activities use the

same facilities as other research and development activities and where such activities

are not included in the instruction function. “Research” is defined as a systematic study

directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied.

“Development” is the systematic use of knowledge and understanding gained from

research directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or

methods, including design and development of prototypes and processes.

Please select “yes” if any part of your project could be considered R&D or “no” if no

portion of your project would support R&D.

Could any portion of your project be considered research and development (R&D) as

defined by 2 C.F.R. §200.87?

Youth-Centered Project

Instructions: For the purposes of this solicitation, please select “yes” if a purpose of some

Page 63 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
or all of the activities to be carried out under (whether by the recipient, or a subrecipient

at any tier) is to benefit a set of individuals under 18 years of age. NOTE: An award

condition will apply to all youth?centered awards. This condition will require recipients

and subrecipients to make determinations of suitability before certain covered individuals

interact with participating minors under the age of 18 years old in the course of activities

funded under the award.

Could any activities under your project benefit a set of individuals under 18 years of age?

Training

Instructions: The COPS Office defines training as the teaching and learning activities

carried out for the primary purpose of helping members of an organization other than

your own acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes needed by a

particular job or organization. Training is driven by specific goals and objectives? it is not

a single event but rather an ongoing process that requires continuous self-reflection and

evaluation. Guides, webinars, articles, conference presentations, toolkits, podcasts,

videos, blogs, and news feeds (to provide a few examples) can serve as support material

in trainings or as standalone materials to increase knowledge, but on their own they are

not defined as training by the COPS Office. Please select “yes” if any part of your project

fits within the definition of training or “no” if no portion of your project fits within the

definition of training.

Could any portion of your project be considered training?

U.S. Attorney's District Office

Please select your U.S. Attorney’s District Office from the below drop-down options.

Executive/Contact Information

Please provide the name and contact information for the highest ranking Law

Enforcement or Program Official and Government Executive or Financial Official for

your agency or organization, please see instructions below.

LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVE/PROGRAM OFFICIAL

This position will ultimately be responsible for the programmatic management of

the award.

Instructions for Law Enforcement Agencies:

For law enforcement agencies, the Law Enforcement Executive is the highest ranking

official in the jurisdiction (Chief of Police, Sheriff, or equivalent). Before this application

can be submitted, the Entity Administrator in JustGrants must invite this individual to

apply for a JustGrants account with the role of Authorized Representative, and this

individual must log in to JustGrants to review the application.

Page 64 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Instructions for Non-Law Enforcement Agencies:

For non-law enforcement agencies (e.g., institutions of higher education, school

districts, private organizations, etc.), the Program Official is the highest-ranking official

in the jurisdiction (e.g., executive director, chief executive officer, or equivalent). Please

note that information for non-executive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) is not

acceptable. Before this application can be submitted, the Entity Administrator in

JustGrants must invite this individual to apply for a JustGrants account with the role of

Authorized Representative, and this individual must log in to JustGrants to review the

application.

Title:

First name:

Last name:

Phone:

Email address:

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE/FINANCIAL OFFICIAL

This position will ultimately be responsible for the financial management of the

award. Please note that information for non-executive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) is

not acceptable.

Instructions for Law Enforcement Agencies:

For law enforcement agencies, this is the highest ranking government official within

your jurisdiction (e.g., Superintendent, Mayor, City Administrator, or equivalent). Before

this application can be submitted, the Entity Administrator in JustGrants must invite this

individual to apply for a JustGrants account with the role of Authorized Representative,

and this individual must log in to JustGrants to review the application.

Instructions for Non-Law Enforcement Agencies and Non-Government Agencies:

For non-law enforcement agencies and non-government agencies, this is the financial

official who has the authority to apply for this award on behalf of the applicant agency

(e.g., Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, or equivalent). Please note that information for

non-executive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) is not acceptable. Before this application

can be submitted, the Entity Administrator in JustGrants must invite this individual to

apply for a JustGrants account with the role of Authorized Representative, and this

individual must log in to JustGrants to review the application.

Title:

First name:

Page 65 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Last name:

Phone:

Email address:

Instructions for Application Submitter Contact:

Enter the application point of contact's name and contact information.

Title:

First name:

Last name:

Phone:

Email address:

Law Enforcement and Community Policing Strategy

Instructions: The following is the COPS Office definition of community policing that

emphasizes the primary components of community partnerships, organizational

transformation, and problem solving: Community policing is a philosophy that promotes

organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem

solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to

public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime. Please refer to the

COPS Office website (https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P157)

for further information regarding this definition and its sub-elements.

Please answer the following questions regarding your community support and impact on

the jurisdiction.

To what extent is there community support in your jurisdiction for implementing the

proposed award activities?

If awarded, to what extent will the award activities impact the other components of the

criminal justice system in your jurisdiction?

Explanation of Need for Financial Assistance

All applicants are required to explain their inability to address the need for this award

without federal assistance. Please do so in the space below.

[Please limit your response to a maximum of 250 word count.]

Continuation of Support After Federal Funding Ends

Page 66 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Instructions: The questions in this section will be used for programs without a retention

requirement to report any plans to continue the program or activity after the conclusion of

federal funding.

Does your agency or organization plan to obtain necessary support and continue the

program, project, or activity following the conclusion of federal support?

Please identify the source(s) of funding that your agency plans to utilize to continue the

program, project, or activity following the conclusion of federal support:

General funds

Issue bonds or raise taxes

Private sources and donations

Non-federal asset forfeiture funds (subject to approval from the state or local oversight

agency)

State, local, or other non-federal grant funding

Fundraising efforts

Other

If “other” is selected in the above question, please provide a brief description of the

source(s) of funding.

CPD_Accred_Enhc_AppQues

Problem Identification and Project Description

Please describe how the Accreditation project fulfills a specific public safety need. (max

250 words)

How will the proposed activities assist your organization in implementing or

institutionalizing community policing? (max 250 words)

What are the major activities that your organization will undertake if funded? (max 250

words)

What are the final deliverables for the project? How do they contribute to the solicitation

goals and requirements? (max 250 words)

Project Reach and Impact

Identify any current governmental, community or organizational initiatives that

complement or will be coordinated with the proposed activities. (max 250 words)

Page 67 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Indicate the number of agencies that you expect to achieve accreditation as a result of

the project.

What specific outcomes does your agency expect to accomplish with this funding and

how will the project team track or measure them? (e.g. What data will you gather in order

to assist with evaluating the effectiveness of the program? Why did you choose that

data?) (max 250 words)

Describe your organization’s outreach plan to ensure law enforcement agencies are

aware of the accreditation process. (max 250 words)

How will your organization assist agencies in your jurisdiction with obtaining

accreditation? (max 250 words)

Please describe how these efforts could be sustained once the award ends (max 250

words)

Management and Implementation

Describe the overall management and implementation plan for the project including

identification of any key community or other stakeholder partnerships (community

groups, private and/or public agencies) that will play a role in the implementation of this

project. Note: A timeline of project deliverables, activities, and milestones will need to be

uploaded in the “Additional Application Components” section. (max 250 words)

Please identify key project staff and their experience as well as the organization capacity

to carry out the project. (max 250 words)

FY23 CPA Information

Type of Agency Organization

Type of Agency (select one)

From the list below, please select the type of agency which best describes the applicant.

From the list below, please select the type of agency which best describes the applicant.

Duplication of Funding

Instructions:

Applicants are required to disclose whether they have pending applications for federally

funded assistance or active federal awards that support the same or similar activities or

services for which funding is being requested under this application.

Be advised that as a general rule, COPS Office funding may not be used for the same

Page 68 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
item or service funded through another funding source. However, leveraging multiple

funding sources in a complementary manner to implement comprehensive programs or

projects is encouraged and is not seen as inappropriate. To aid the COPS Office in the

prevention of awarding potentially duplicative funding, please indicate whether your

agency has a pending application or an active award with any other federal funding

source (e.g., direct federal funding or indirect federal funding through state sub-awarded

federal funds) which supports the same or similar activities or services as being

proposed in this COPS Office application.

Do you have any current, active non-COPS Office award with any other federal funding

source (e.g., direct federal funding or indirect federal funding through state subawarded

federal funds) that supports the same or similar activities or services as being proposed

in this COPS Office application?

If Yes, for each potentially duplicative non-COPS Office award, provide the following

detailed information: name of federal awarding agency, or state agency for subawarded

federal funding; award number; program name; award start and end dates; award

amount; and description of how this project differs from the application for COPS office

funding.

Do you have any pending non-COPS Office grant applications with any other federal

funding source (e.g., direct federal funding or indirect federal funding through state

subawarded federal funds)that support the same or similar activities or services as being

proposed in this COPS Office application?

If Yes, for each potentially duplicative non-COPS Office grant application, provide the

following detailed information: application number (if known); program name; project

length; total requested amount; items requested; and describe how this project differs

from the application for COPS Office funding.

Certification of Review of 28 CFR Part 23/Criminal Intelligence

REVIEWS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Certification of Review of 28 C.F.R. Part 23/Criminal Intelligence Systems:

If your agency is requesting COPS Office funding for equipment or technology that will

be used to operate an interjurisdictional criminal intelligence system that receives,

stores, analyzes, exchanges, or disseminates data regarding ongoing criminal activities,

you must agree to comply with the operating principles at 28 C.F.R Part 23.

If you are requesting COPS Office funds to operate a single agency database (or other

unrelated forms of technology) and will not share criminal intelligence data with other

jurisdictions, 28 C.F.R. Part 23 does not apply.

Please review the FY23 CPA Programs Reference Guide for additional information.

Page 69 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552
Please check one of the following, as applicable to your agency’s intended use of

COPS Office funds.

CERTIFICATION OF REVIEW AND REPRESENTATION OF COMPLIANCE

By checking the box, the applicant indicates he or she understands that the signatures

of the Law Enforcement Executive /Program Official, Government Executive / Financial

Official, and the Person Submitting this Application on the Reviews and Certifications

represent to the COPS Office that: 1. the applicant will comply with all legal,

administrative, and programmatic requirements that govern the applicant for acceptance

and use of federal funds as outlined in the applicable COPS Office Solicitation and

Reference Guides, the COPS Office award owner's manual, the DOJ Grants Financial

Guide, Assurances, Certifications and all other applicable program regulations, laws,

orders, and circulars; 2. the applicant understands that as a general rule COPS Office

funding may not be used for the same item or service funded through another funding

source? and 3. the applicant and any required or identified official partner(s) listed in

this application mutually agreed to this partnership prior to submission.

Acknowledgement of Electronic Signatures

By checking the box, the applicant indicates that he or she understands that “clicking to

agree” in this application and the required forms, including the Assurances, Certifications, and

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form are just as legally enforceable as physical signatures.

I understand. 

Page 70 of 70

O-COPS-2023-171552