OMB No. 1103-0098 

Approval Expires 4/30/2024 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

FY23 Critical Topics -Community Policing Development Solicitation 

Assistance Listing Number # 16.710 

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: O-COPS-2023-171549 

Solicitation Release Date: March 30, 2023 3:00 PM ET 

Application Grants.gov Deadline: May 15, 2023 4:59 PM ET 

Application JustGrants Deadline: May 24, 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) Critical Topics 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. 

Existing COPS Office awardees are eligible to apply but must build upon existing goals and objectives and not duplicate existing 

project activities. 

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be 

imposed by law. 

Eligible Applicants: 

Other 

Other 

This solicitation is open to all for-profit (commercial) organizations, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, 

community groups, and faith-based organizations. 

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. 

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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. 

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/critical-topics. 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. 

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Contents 

Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................

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Contact Information 1 

Program Description 5 

Statutory Authority 5 

Program-Specific Information 5 

Program Goals 5 

Critical Topics Program - Community Policing Development 5 

Emerging Issues Forums ..............................................................................................................................................

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Projects Out of Scope 6 

Requirements 6 

Innovations in Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Diversification 6 

Tolerance, Anti-Bias and Diversity Training 7 

Federal Award Information 8 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 8 

Federal Award Information 9 

Length of Award............................................................................................................................................................

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Type of Award 9 

Cost sharing or match 9 

Eligibility Information 9 

Application and Submission Information 9 

Content of Application Submission 9 

Content and Form of Application 9 

Completing the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) and the Disclosure of Lobbying (SF-LLL) in Grants.gov 

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Intergovernmental Review 10 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 10 

Standard Applicant Information 11 

Proposal Abstract 11 

Data Requested with Application 11 

Proposal Narrative 12 

Budget and Associated Documentation 13 

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

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Non-competitive Justification 25 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 25 

Consultant Rate 25 

Budget Narrative 25 

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Other Supportive Documents 26 

Additional Application Components 26 

Curriculum Vitae or Resumes 26 

Letters of Support 26 

Timeline 27 

Disclosure and Assurances 27 

Declaration and Certification to DOJ as to Application Submission 27 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 27 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 27 

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DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free 

Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and Community Policing.......................................................................

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How to Apply 28 

Submission Dates and Time 30 

Late Submissions 31 

Application Review Information 31 

Review Process 31 

Basic Minimum Requirements review 31 

BMR review criteria..............................................................................................................................................

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Peer review panel 32 

Review criteria 32 

Problem Identification and Project Description (20 percent) 32 

Project Reach and Impact (15 percent) 32 

Management and Implementation (30 percent) 32 

Experience and Capacity (20 percent) 33 

Budget (15 percent) 33 

Administrative compliance review 33 

Senior leadership review.............................................................................................................................................

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Director’s selection 34 

Federal Award Administration Information 34 

Award decisions 34 

The award package 34 

Administrative and national policy requirements 34 

Terms, conditions and award requirements 35 

Other Requirements....................................................................................................................................................

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Administrative actions and legal remedies related to federal awards 36 

Remedies for noncompliance 36 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 36 

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552 and 5 U.S.C. § 552a) 37 

Feedback to the COPS Office 37 

COPS Other Information 37 

Reporting, Monitoring, and Evaluation Requirements 37 

Reporting 37 

Monitoring 37 

Program evaluation 38 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 38 

Audit Requirement ......................................................................................................................................................

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Civil rights 38 

Equal Treatment of Faith-based Organizations and Safeguarding Constitutional Protections Related to Religion 

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Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 39 

Public Reporting Burden-Paper Work Reduction Act Notice 39 

Performance Measures 39 

Application Checklist 39 

Survey Questions 40 

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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. 

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. 

Critical Topics Program - Community Policing Development 

As part of its mission, the COPS Office offers innovative programs that respond directly to the critical needs of state, local, tribal, 

and territorial law enforcement. Through this solicitation the COPS Office will convene stakeholders around the most critical 

issues in public safety facing our nation, develop guides and resources, reports, best practices, and other information products 

for the field that highlight successful community policing strategies in the areas of recruitment, retention, workforce 

diversification, tolerance, ant- bias and diversity. 

Under this solicitation, the COPS Office will fund projects in the following subcategories: 

• Emerging Issues Forums 

• Innovations in Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Diversification 

• Tolerance, Anti-bias and Diversity Training 

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Applicants may apply for multiple subcategories, but a separate application is required for each program. 

Emerging Issues Forums 

One award, up to $300,000 

The COPS Office will fund an organization to plan and execute two to four convenings with thought leaders in law enforcement 

on critical topics that are impacting the field. These forums will provide subject matter expertise on emerging issues in law 

enforcement, engaging with leading voices in the field on the critical issues in policing. The applicant will also develop resources 

highlighting promising practices addressing these emerging issues that can be shared with the broader law enforcement 

community. The applicant should be prepared to work collaboratively with the COPS Office to develop topics for the emerging 

issues convenings. 

Projects Out of Scope 

• Applicants that are not institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations, community groups, nonprofit organizations, 

or faith-based organizations will not be considered. 

• Projects that do not focus on the planning and execution of convenings and the development of deliverables (brief reports 

or summaries, publications, etc.) that can be shared with the broader law enforcement field will not be considered. 

Requirements 

The primary goal of this project is to support two to four forums on emerging issues in policing. These forums will assemble 

thought leaders in law enforcement on critical topics impacting the field. Forums can be virtual or in- person and must result in 

the development of publications, toolkits, and other resources that provide promising practices on critical issues. 

The applicant should address the following in their proposal narrative: 

• The subject matter expertise of the project leadership and staff in experience managing meetings or forums (virtual, in 

person, or both) of leaders in the law enforcement field on topics of emerging importance to law enforcement Forum ideas 

that demonstrate knowledge and expertise in identifying and addressing emerging issues in law enforcement as well as 

subject matter experts from across the country 

• Planning activities, such as conducting pre-meeting research, recommending invitees and speakers as appropriate, 

developing meeting materials, and discussion preparation, as well as meeting execution and facilitation Development of 

deliverables such as a guidebook on the emerging issues based on forum discussions, literature review, and pre-meeting 

interviews that can be shared with the broader law enforcement community. 

Deliverables 

The primary deliverable of this award will the planning and execution of forums focused on emerging law enforcement issues 

and the development of resources such as a report of forum discussions, pre-meeting interviews, and research from literature 

and previously reported studies that can be shared with the broader law enforcement field. These deliverables may be published 

by the COPS Office at no expense to the award recipient (which would include development assistance, editing, design, and 

distribution). 

Innovations in Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Diversification 

One award, up to $400,000 

Recruiting and selection of the best law enforcement candidates who represent a diversity of backgrounds, knowledge, and 

experiences is essential to building trust, collaboration, and transparency with the community. However, the ability of law 

enforcement agencies to recruit and select eligible candidates presents a challenge in a climate where policing is not seen by 

some as an appealing career. With retention of officers at an all-time low and retirements on the rise, it is important for agencies 

to understand how to implement best practices most effectively regarding the recruitment and selection of officers. 

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Survey on Police Workforce Trends (2021) indicates reductions in hiring and 

retention within law enforcement agencies nationwide. According to PERF, agencies reported an 18 percent increase in 

resignations and a 5 percent reduction in hiring. In addition, the report notes that a significant number of retirements has also 

impacted law enforcement agencies, reporting a 45 percent increase in the retirement rate. Employing new and innovative 

practices to recruitment and selection will be critical to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that has strong analytical, 

problem-solving, and communication skills, is adaptable, and understands agency policies and procedures—a workforce that is 

essential to maintaining a safe and thriving community. 

The COPS Office will provide funding to an organization to develop recruitment, retention, and workforce diversification 

resources (videos, toolkits, publications, podcasts, etc.) that can be shared with the broader law enforcement field and provide 

technical assistance to help law enforcement improve their capacity to develop creative and engaging opportunities to market 

policing positions and expand the pool of potential applicants to attract, select, and retain a diverse workforce for their agencies. 

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Projects Out of Scope 

• Applicants that are not institutions of higher education, for-profit (commercial) organizations, nonprofit organizations, 

community groups, and faith-based organizations will not be considered. 

• Projects that do not focus on development of recruitment, retention, and workforce diversification resources (videos, 

toolkits, publications, podcasts, etc.) that can be shared with the broader law enforcement field and/or provide technical 

assistance to agencies on the topic areas will not be considered. 

Requirements 

The primary goal of this project is to help agencies improve their officer recruitment, retention and workforce diversification 

efforts. The successful applicant will compile a catalog of innovative practices around recruitment, retention and workforce 

diversification and develop tools and resources on overcoming common challenges to their implementation in agencies of 

varying size and recruitment, retention and needs for workforce diversification. Applicants should consider how agencies should 

select and tailor their current policies to the proposed best practices to meet their local needs, in addition to overcoming 

challenges to their implementation. The selected applicant will also be expected to serve as a technical assistance resource to 

recent CHP awardees. 

This assistance could include responding to direct information requests, providing tailored resource products, hosting webinars 

and other informational sessions for awardees, or facilitating a community of practice with the active awardees. 

The project description should also address the following criteria: 

• The subject matter expertise of the project leadership 

• The ability to serve as a centralized unit for collecting, reforming, monitoring, and tracking law enforcement recruitment, 

retention and workforce diversification 

• The proposed program activities that will support the development of recruitment, retention and workforce diversification 

resources that can be shared with the broader law enforcement community, including the following proposed activities: 

 Choosing sample policing agencies from CHP awardees to participate in the project 

 Revitalizing job descriptions, recruitment criteria, and application management systems 

 Revitalizing agencies retention and workforce diversification efforts 

 A plan for the provision of technical assistance resources to recent CHP awardees 

 How providers will gauge impact of proposed resources being offered 

Deliverables 

The primary deliverable of this award will be resources that will support the ability of law enforcement agencies across the 

country, including recent CHP awardees, to select the most effective recruitment, retention and workforce diversification 

practices that best suit their needs and to provide guidance on their implementation. In addition, the award will serve as a 

technical assistance resource to CHP awardees. The project deliverable (s) should be clearly identified in the proposal narrative 

and may include lessons learned through the technical assistance provided to the CHP awardees. Deliverables can include such 

things as articles, conference presentations, webinars, brief reports and summaries, publications, and other tools (videos, 

toolkits, podcasts, etc.) that benefit law enforcement agencies. These deliverables may be published by the COPS Office at no 

expense to the award recipient (which would include development assistance, editing, design, and distribution). 

Tolerance, Anti-Bias and Diversity Training 

Four awards, up to $700,000 each 

A vital piece of the success of policing is the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local law enforcement 

and the communities they protect and serve. In the context of community policing, these relationships serve the two interrelated 

goals of increasing trust and enhancing collaborative problem-solving efforts. Community members who do not trust law 

enforcement are less likely than those who do to report crime and to participate in developing solutions to problems. Law 

enforcement can rarely solve significant crime and disorder problems alone, and stakeholder engagement is critical to success. 

A key mechanism to ensuring improved trust and effective engagement is providing high quality, interactive training for law 

enforcement on police- community interactions. 

The COPS Office seeks an applicant to deliver an in-person tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias training program that 

encompasses cultural sensitivity components such as respect, acceptance, and appreciation of different groups’ identities (e.g., 

ethnic, racial, sexual orientation and gender); cultural diversity; and law enforcement interaction with people with disabilities, 

people with mental illnesses, and English language learners. The applicant should also plan to develop an online version of their 

in-person course for deployment in the COPS Training Portal. The applicant should be an organization with an existing state or 

nationally certified curriculum in this area and well-established experience in training law enforcement personnel and criminal 

justice professionals. 

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Projects Out of Scope 

• Applicants that cannot provide national-level training to a minimum of 5,000 law enforcement personnel will not be 

considered. At least 25% of those trained should be through in-person courses available to law enforcement from across 

the country; the remainder may be reached through the deployment of the online training. 

• Training programs that are not focused on tolerance and diversity will not be considered. 

Requirements 

Applicants should propose (1) the delivery of an existing in-person training curriculum that improves the knowledge and 

behaviors of law enforcement in the areas of diversity, inclusion, cultural competency, and the nature of collaborative 

partnerships and (2) the development of a new online version of the same training for deployment through the COPS Training 

Portal. The training should also improve officers’ practical skills in partnership development and related trust-building activities 

and initiatives. Law enforcement should emerge from the training with an increased awareness of the value of diversity and 

inclusion and with improved knowledge and skills to most effectively engage in their communities. The COPS Office anticipates 

the provider will train a minimum of 5,000 law enforcement personnel. At least 25% of those trained should be through in-person 

courses available to law enforcement officers from across the country; the remainder may be reached through the deployment of 

the online version. 

The proposal narrative should also address the following: 

• Present a plan to build a greater understanding of tolerance and diversity in the law enforcement field nationwide. 

• Assist law enforcement in developing the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that allow local law enforcement to 

advance public safety. 

• Implement a national training program that will reach a minimum of 5,000 law enforcement personnel through both 

classroom training and online training delivered through the COPS Training Portal. 

• Describe the vision for the online course and how it will complement the existing in- person curriculum. 

• Describe the existing in-person curriculum that will be used, its learning objectives, its trainer qualifications, its current state 

or national certifications, and how it is evaluated by students. 

• Demonstrate prior success in delivering in-person training that effects behavior change and discuss how the online training 

program will track and measure both knowledge gain and behavior change. 

Deliverables 

The project should focus on (1) the delivery of classroom training on tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias; (2) the development of 

an online tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias training program compatible with the COPS Training Portal; (3) preparing virtual 

training program files for the COPS Training Portal and working with the Portal team for development, beta testing, and release; 

and (4) certification of the online training(s). Project deliverable(s) should be clearly identified and described in the application 

proposal narrative. 

Federal Award Information 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 

Anticipated Number of Awards

6 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 

700,000 

Period ofPerformance Start Date

10/1/23 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation 

$3,500,000.00 

Additional Information 

Multiple awards with varying award amounts 

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Period of Performance Duration (Months) 

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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 cooperative agreements under this solicitation for 24 months. 

Type of Award 

The COPS Office will make all awards from the CPD solicitation in the form of cooperative agreements, which is the funding 

instrument used if the COPS Office anticipates ongoing substantial involvement in award activities. Cooperative agreement 

recipients will be responsible for day-to-day project management but should expect direct oversight and collaboration by the 

COPS Office in implementing the award. Examples of substantial federal involvement may include participating in the selection 

of key recipient personnel, providing feedback on deliverables before publication, approving all conference-related costs prior to 

obligation, and redirecting the work as appropriate. 

Cost sharing or match 

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

Eligibility Information 

Open to all for-profit (commercial) organizations, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, community groups, and 

faith-based organizations. 

Application and Submission Information 

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 andForm 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 requirements described in this solicitation. 

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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) 

• Proposal Narrative (must be submitted as an attachment in the “Proposal Narrative” section. 

• 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 pre- applications, 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 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 ofLobbying 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. 

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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. 

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. 

Proposal Abstract 

Applicants are required to write and submit a proposal abstract, which should be a brief high-level project description that 

summarizes the proposed project in 500 words or less. Project abstracts should explain to the reader about the projects’ 

purpose, scope, activities, and key partners, if applicable. An abstract should be coherent, concise, and able to stand alone as a 

summary of the project. You should write your project abstract for a general public audience without any personally identifiable 

or law enforcement sensitive information as this abstract, along with other federal award information, may be published on 

publicly available governmentwide websites. 

The abstract, which is to be entered into a text box in JustGrants, will not be scored but is used throughout the review process. 

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 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.” 

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• 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". 

Proposal Narrative 

Applicants are required to submit a proposal narrative. The proposal narrative must respond to the solicitation and include the 

section headings listed in this section as well as describe how the project will advance community policing as it pertains to the 

chosen subcategory. Submit this narrative as an attachment under this section. 

The narrative will be a significant factor in the application review and approval process. Failure to provide this information will 

eliminate your application from consideration. 

The final application should include the following formatting requirements for application review: 

• A cover page identifying the solicitation for which the applicant is applying and the title of the application 

• The proposal narrative should be no more than 20 pages long. (Note: review panels will not read any print past the 20-page 

mark. Any information provided in that space will not be counted in your application.) 

Items counting toward the 20-page limit: Executive summaries, abstracts, timelines, graphs, and charts (regardless of 

pagination in front matter) will count toward overall page limit. 

Items not counting toward the 20-page limit: Cover page, table of contents, and references (should be formatted as 

endnotes) will not count toward the overall page limit. 

Appendices are strongly discouraged. Résumés, curricula vitae, letters of support from partners (if applicable), and 

certifications should be separate attachments and do not count towards the narrative page requirements. 

• Double-spaced 

• 8.5 x 11-inch pages 

• One-inch margins 

• Page numbers 

• Type no smaller or larger than 12 point, Times New Roman font 

• Headings and subheadings that correspond to the sections identified in this section of the solicitation Microsoft Word 

documents in .doc or .docx formats or PDF files (.pdf) 

Résumés, curricula vitae, letters of support from partners (if applicable), and certifications should be separate attachments and 

do not count toward the overall page count. If the project narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, the 

COPS Office may consider such noncompliance in peer review and final award decisions. The COPS Office recommends 

numbering the pages as follows: “1 of 20,” “2 of 20,” etc. 

Please format your narrative using the following section headings: 

Cover page. Each application must have a cover page that includes the title of the application and identify the solicitation for 

which the applicant is applying. 

Problem identification and project description. Applicants must clearly identify the issue to be addressed, the gap in existing 

knowledge, and why this project is necessary to fulfill a specific public safety need. Applicants must clearly describe how this 

project is responsive to the solicitation. Explain how the initiative will help agencies reorient their mission toward community 

oriented policing or enhance its involvement or commitment to community policing. Applicants must provide a comprehensive, 

logical, and clear description of how each task will be implemented and completed. A clear description of deliverables, how 

deliverables respond to the solicitation, and how they will be feasibly developed, including content, process steps, and outcomes 

within the project parameters. Applicant describes a level of innovation or originality of the proposed project. 

Project reach and impact. Applicants must identify the approximate number of law enforcement agencies and communities that 

will directly benefit from the deliverables (for example, number of agencies receiving technical assistance, number of agencies 

and/or individuals receiving training, or number of agencies who may replicate programs). 

Applicants must explain why this project is necessary to address a gap in knowledge or practice. Applicants must identify any 

applicable governmental or community initiatives which complement or will be coordinated with the proposed initiative. Projects 

must not result in unnecessary duplication of other efforts by the COPS Office or other DOJ components. Applicants must 

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identify relevant performance measures and clearly describe the approach for collecting, analyzing, and reporting performance 

measures. Include a description of a marketing plan for the deliverable(s) to ensure broad dissemination of the product (s) to the 

target audience(s), where applicable. 

Management and implementation. Applicant must identify how strategy advances the goals and requirements of the 

solicitation. Applicant must include a project management plan that is aligned to solicitation goals and requirements. The project 

management plan clearly identifies project-specific risks and proposes methods for addressing risk and details quality control 

measures to ensure successful completion of the project and that are clearly linked to key processes and deliverables 

associated with the project. Project management plan should address any applicable consultation with community groups and 

appropriate private and public agencies in the implementation of the proposed initiative. Applicant should provide a detailed 

breakdown linking of key personnel to clearly defined roles, tasks, and deliverables that are supported by feasible timelines and 

align with the proposed budget, as well as limit unnecessary redundancies and makes efficient use of resources. Applicant must 

provide a detailed timeline with a list of key deliverables, activities, and milestones to take place within the award performance 

period (24 months for all awards under this solicitation), grouped by month or quarter. 

Experience and capacity. Please detail the capacity of the agency or organization to carry out the proposed plan in the 

proposed time frame of the project and explain the agency’s or organization’s experience with other similar efforts. This must 

include a discussion of key staff, what roles they will play, their education and experience in similar projects, and their 

understanding of community policing and related subject matter expertise. Applicant should include résumés or vitae for key staff 

(up to three). Identify any key partnerships or stakeholders (community groups and/or private and public agencies), who will play 

a role in the implementation of this project and their responsibilities. 

Applicants should not expect that application reviewers will infer such expertise from résumés or curricula vitae submitted as 

attachments. In addition, for all proposed in- person training, the applicant should identify the instructor(s), provide examples of 

the subject matter expertise and training experience of the instructor(s), and do so expressly within the project narrative. In 

addition, applicants should attach résumés or curricula vitae for all instructors. 

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]. Project Narrative.” 

Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other 

formats. 

The COPS Office is providing a template for the project 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) via the How to Apply 

page on the COPS Office website. Note that instructions in the templates are provided in italics. If you choose to use these 

templates, please make sure to delete the instructions before submitting so that they do not factor in your page count. If an 

applicant submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most recent system-validated 

version submitted. 

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. Budget narratives do not count toward the page limit of the proposal narrative. 

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 proposal narrative. 

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. 

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In some circumstances, the budget and budget narrative will be reviewed separately from the applicant's proposal narrative. 

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 proposal narrative. 

Deliverables and activities that are solely listed in the budget narrative and not described in the applicant's proposal narrative 

(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 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. 

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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 

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/salarieswages/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 basesalary 

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 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. 

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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/per-diem-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). 

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 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 folllowing: 

• Computer/laptops (over $5,000) 

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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. 

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: 

• Books 

• Computer/laptops 

• General office supplies 

• Training manuals/ materials 

• Marketing 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 passthrough 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 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. 

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Completing Sub-awards 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Allowable Procurement Contracts: 

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 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. 

All procurement contracts must be clearly linked to the enhancement or implementation of the project. Examples of procurement 

contracts may include the following: 

• Trainers/Training 

• Research/Evaluators 

• Moderators 

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. 

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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: 

• Rent (see next paragraph for more details) 

• Software purchases 

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 OtherCosts 

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

Indirect Costs 

Overview ofindirect 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 agreement. 

Expired indirect cost rateagreement 

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. 

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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. 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 “Sub- awards” 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 indirect 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 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. 

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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 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): 

• 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 

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• 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 

• 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 

• Servers 

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• 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 

• Simunitions 

• 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 

• 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 

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• 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 (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 

• Servers 

• 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 

• 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) 

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• Servers 

• Simunitions 

• 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) 

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 

system- validated 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. Budget narratives do not 

count toward the page limit of the proposal narrative. 

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 proposal narrative. 

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). 

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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 proposal narrative. 

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 proposal narrative. 

Deliverables and activities that are solely listed in the budget narrative and not described in the applicant’s response proposal 

narrative (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 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 systemvalidated 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 systemvalidated version submitted. 

Letters of Support 

As applicable, applicants will attach letters of support. 

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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 systemvalidated version submitted. 

Disclosure and Assurances 

Declaration and Certification toDOJ astoApplication 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 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 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. 

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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. 

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. 

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. 

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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. 

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 SF- LLL 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 “DIAMDNoReply@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 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. 

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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 DIAMDNoReply@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 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/Program 

Official and Government Executive/Financial Official) 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 

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. 

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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 Critical Topics 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. 

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 SF424 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 score 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, and therefore not peer 

reviewed. 

1. Applicant must provide a proposal narrative. 

2. Applicant must provide a separate budget narrative that is 60 percent or more allowable. 

3. Applicant must be a for-profit organization, nonprofit organization, institution of higher education, community group, or 

faith-based organization. 

4. The proposed project must be within scope of the solicitation. 

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Peer review panel 

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. 

Review criteria 

Applications will be evaluated based on the following merit criteria, which the applicant addresses in their application, proposal 

narrative, 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 andProject Description (20percent) 

• Clearly identifies the issue applicant proposes to address and the ways in which the project fulfills a specific public safety 

need and responds to the goals and requirements of the solicitation 

• Describes how the initiative will help agencies reorient their mission toward community-oriented policing or enhance their 

involvement in or commitment to community policing 

• Provides a comprehensive, logical, and clear description of how each task will be implemented and completed 

• Includes a clear description of deliverable(s), how they respond to the solicitation, and how they will be feasibly developed, 

including content, process steps, and outcomes within the project parameters 

• Describes a level of innovation or originality of the proposed project 

Project Reach and Impact (15 percent) 

• Estimates number of law enforcement agencies and communities that will directly benefit from the deliverable(s) (for 

example, number of agencies receiving technical assistance, number of agencies or individuals receiving training, or 

number of agencies who may replicate programs) 

• Explains why this project is necessary to address a gap in knowledge or practice 

• Explains how project will advance knowledge or otherwise increase the capacity of the field through an innovative topic or 

approach 

• Identifies any applicable governmental and community initiatives which complement or will be coordinated with the 

proposed initiative. 

• Shows how project will not result in unnecessary duplication of other efforts by the COPS Office or other DOJ components 

• Identifies relevant performance measures and clearly describes approach for collecting, analyzing, and reporting the 

measures 

• Includes a description of a marketing plan for the deliverable(s) to ensure broad dissemination of the product(s) to the target 

audience(s), where applicable 

Management and Implementation (30 percent) 

• Includes a detailed project/work plan that is aligned to solicitation goals and requirements 

• Provides detailed breakdown linking key personnel to clearly defined roles, tasks, and deliverables that are supported by 

feasible timelines and align with the proposed budget 

• Includes project management plan addressing any applicable consultation with community groups and appropriate private 

and public agencies in the implementation of the proposed initiative. 

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• Clearly identifies project-specific risks and proposes methods for addressing risk 

• Details quality control measures to ensure successful completion of project 

• Provides a detailed timeline (should include a list of key deliverables, activities, and milestones to take place within the 

award performance period, which is 24 months for all applications), grouped by month or quarter that reflects the proposed 

project and work plan 

Experience and Capacity (20 percent) 

• Demonstrates experience and capacity to carry out the proposed activities (e.g., the ability to conduct a substantive 

programmatic meeting, produce practitioner friendly reports, facilitate meetings or forums of varying sizes with law 

enforcement professionals, produce curriculum and/or deliver effective training on a specified topic as relevant to the 

subcategory-specific goals and proposed deliverables) 

• Includes of résumés or vitae for key staff (up to three) 

• Involves project staff, contractors, or consultants with relevant subject matter expertise, knowledge, skills, and appropriate 

licensure (when necessary) to achieve project goals and produce proposed deliverable(s) 

• Identifies any key partnerships or stakeholders (community groups or private or public agencies), including their role in the 

implementation of this project, responsibilities, and level of commitment 

• Demonstrates history of success in achieving similar outcomes in past work performance or directly addresses how 

innovative or future work can be accomplished without demonstrated prior history 

Budget (15 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 the project narrative 

• 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 achieve 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 

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. 

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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 

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 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 high- risk 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. 

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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. 

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/Meting/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 

XXII 

Employment Eligibility 

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 

XXVIII 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 

Determination of Suitability for Youth-Centered Awards 

Information Data Breach 

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XL 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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). 

• 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. 

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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 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 Critical Topics 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. 

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. 

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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 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/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F, 

establish the requirements for organizational audits that apply to COPS Office award recipients. Recipients must arrange for the 

required organization-wide (not award-by- award) audit in accordance with the requirements of Subpart F. 

Civil rights

All recipients are required to comply with nondiscrimination requirements contained in 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 

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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-neighborhoodorganizations. 

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 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. 

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. 

Application Checklist 

Please refer to the JustGrants DOJ Application Submission Checklist. 

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Survey Questions 

FY23 CPD Crit Topics Elig 

Applicant Eligibility 

Instructions: Applicant eligibility for the FY23 Critical Topics - CPD solicitation is limited to for profit (commercial) organizations, 

nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations. 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. 

Is the applicant a for profit (commercial) organization, nonprofit organization, institution of higher education, community group, or 

faith-based organization? 

Program Selection 

Instructions: Applicants for the FY23 Critical Topics -CPD solicitation must select one subcategory from the below list. Please 

select the subcategory that you are applying under: 

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 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. 

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Instructions forLawEnforcement 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. 

Instructions forNon-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 forLawEnforcement 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 forNon-Law Enforcement Agencies andNon-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: 

Last name: 

Phone: 

Email address: 

Instructions forApplication Submitter Contact: 

Enter the application point of contact's name and contact information. 

Title: 

First name: 

Last name: 

Phone: 

Email address: 

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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 ofNeed 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 

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. 

FY23 CPA Information 

Type ofAgency 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 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. 

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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. 

Please check one of the following, as applicable to your agency’s intended use of COPS Office funds. 

CERTIFICATION OFREVIEW AND REPRESENTATION OFCOMPLIANCE 

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. 

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