OMB No. 1103-0098

Approval Expires 4/30/2024

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

FY24 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects

Assistance Listing #: 16.710

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: O-COPS-2024-171975

Solicitation Release Date: 02/28/2024 1:00 PM

Grants.gov Deadline: 04/24/2024 4:59 PM

Application JustGrants Deadline: 04/30/2024 4:59 PM

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 FY24

Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects. LEMHWA funds

are used to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law

enforcement officers through the implementation of peer support, training, family resources, suicide

prevention, and other promising practices for wellness programs.

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, managing the entire

project and monitoring compliance.

Existing LEMHWA awardees are eligible to apply but new applications should not be considered as

continuation funding for current or past projects. Proposed work must not duplicate existing project

activities but can expand on existing efforts.

The terms and conditions of the federal award are also applicable to subrecipients. Please note the

distinction between a subaward that creates a financial assistance relationship to carry out a portion of

the federal award and a contract that creates a procurement relationship for the purchase of goods and

services needed under the federal award. To assist in making subrecipient and contractor

determinations, please refer to the guidance in 2 C.F.R. § 200.331.

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

requirements that may be imposed by law.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eligibility 

Eligibility for the FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects is limited to state, local, tribal, and territorial 

law enforcement agencies. 

Contact Information 

Agency Contact Description 

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

For technical assistance with submitting the Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424 (SF424), please call the Grants.gov customer service hotline at 800-518-4726, send questions via email to 

support@Grants.gov or consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov 

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

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

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

through Friday between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Saturday, Sunday, 

and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Training on JustGrants can also be found at 

https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources. 

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

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

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

holidays. 

Submission Information 

Registration: To submit an application, all applicants must be registered in SAM.gov with a Unique Entity 

Identifier (UEI) number and be registered in Grants.gov. 

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

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

and if applicable the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, Standard Form - LLL (SF-LLL), and submit it 

through the Grants.gov website. 

2. Once the SF-424 and SF-LLL have been submitted via Grants.gov, the applicant will complete the 

full application including survey questions and provide 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. 

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

https:// cops.usdoj.gov/lemhwa. In addition to this Solicitation, the COPS Office “How to Apply” web 

page, http://cops.usdoj.gov/how-to-apply, 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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Eligibility 2 

Contact Information 2 

Agency Contact Description 2 

Submission Information 2 

Program Description 7 

Statutory Authority 7 

Program-Specific Information 7 

Program Goals 8 

FY24 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects 8 

Background............................................................................................................................................. 

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Requirements 9 

Deliverables 10 

Projects out of scope 10 

Federal Award Information: Awards, Amounts and Durations 10 

Anticipated Number of Awards 10 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 10 

Period of Performance Start Date 10 

Period of Performance Duration (months) 11 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded under Solicitation 11 

Federal Award Information 11 

Length of Award 11 

Type of Award 11 

Cost Sharing or Match 11 

Eligibility Information 11 

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Application and Submission Information ..........................................................................................

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Content and Form of Application 12 

Standard Applicant Information 14 

Proposal Abstract 15 

Data Requested with Application 15 

Budget and Associated Documentation 16 

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

Budget Narrative 36 

Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) and Other Supportive Documents 37 

Additional Application Components ....................................................................................................

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Curricula Vitae or Résumés 37 

Letters of Support 38 

Timeline Form 38 

Disclosures and Assurances 39 

How to Apply 40 

Submission Dates and Time 45 

Late Submissions 45 

Application Review Information 45 

Director’s Selection 49 

Federal Award Notices 50 

The Award Package..........................................................................................................................

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Administrative and National Policy Requirements 51 

Terms, Conditions, and Award Requirements 51 

Administrative Actions and Legal Remedies Related to Federal Awards 52 

Remedies for Noncompliance 52 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 53 

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 552 and 552a) 53 

Feedback to the COPS Office 54 

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COPS Office Other Information.........................................................................................................

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Reporting, monitoring, and evaluation requirements 54 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 56 

Audit Requirement 56 

Civil Rights 56 

Public Reporting Burden: Paperwork Reduction Act Notice 57 

Performance Measures 57 

Application Checklist 58 

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Program Description 

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the U.S. 

Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation’s 

state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources. 

The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including 

grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring 

and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers. COPS Office information resources, covering a wide 

range of community policing topics such as school and campus safety, violent crime, and officer safety 

and wellness, can be downloaded via the COPS Office’s home page, https://cops.usdoj.gov. 

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. To read 

an overview of the principles of community policing, please see the COPS Office publication Community 

Policing Defined. 

The COPS Office FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects provide funding to state, local, tribal, and 

territorial law enforcement agencies. 

The COPS Office is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and equity, increases access 

to justice, supports victims of crime and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens 

community safety, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law 

enforcement and the communities that they serve. 

Statutory Authority 

The COPS 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. 

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• 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. 

FY24 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) 

Implementation Projects 

Background 

Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) program funds are used to improve the 

delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement officers and their 

families through the implementation of peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention, and 

other promising practices for wellness programs. 

Good mental and psychological health is just as essential as good physical health for law enforcement 

officers to be effective in keeping our communities safe from crime and violence. The Law Enforcement 

Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) program supports efforts to protect the mental health and 

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well-being of law enforcement officers and deputies. Unfortunately, the stress of officers’ work and the 

stigma often associated with seeking assistance for emotional and mental health issues have led to 

negative consequences such as divorce, alcoholism, injury, and even an increase in suicides for officers 

across the country. 

The LEMHWA Implementation Projects topic area aims to support state, local, tribal, or territorial law 

enforcement agencies seeking to implement new or enhance existing programs that offer training and 

services on officer emotional and mental health, peer mentoring, suicide prevention, stress reduction, 

and support services for officers and their families. The COPS Office encourages small, rural, tribal, and 

regional coalitions of agencies to apply for LEMHWA funding to improve their wellness efforts—for 

example, initiatives such as establishing a joint or regional Peer Support program or conducting regional 

training. Proposed projects may serve one agency, a consortium of agencies, or personnel from agencies 

located within a county or state. 

Requirements 

The primary goal is to support new or enhanced programs that will that offer training and services on 

officer emotional and mental health, peer mentoring, suicide prevention, stress reduction, and police 

officer family services in state, local tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies. Applicants are 

strongly encouraged to refer to both the LEMHWA Report to Congress and the accompanying Eleven 

Case Studies for ideas in what will assist them in designing new or enhanced programs in support of 

wellness and resiliency in their agency. Programs must focus on providing training, programming, and 

support services in law enforcement emotional and mental health, including such things as suicide 

prevention, peer mentoring, clinical support, and family support services. Programs may also serve 

agency civilian staff, such as crime scene technicians, dispatchers, and others who may regularly 

experience some of the same trauma exposure. 

The application answers should address the following objectives: 

• How the proposed program activities will support wellness in the agency(ies) served 

• The intended service area and size of the program (e.g., one agency, more than one agency) 

• The privacy protections that will be put in place for anyone using the support services 

• Reported outcomes of the program activities 

• Development of deliverable that can be distributed by the COPS Office to the law enforcement 

field to share knowledge and experience (e.g., a COPS Office publication, a Dispatch article, an 

episode of The Beat podcast, model policies, or tools and templates) Please note: This is a new 

requirement for awardees that were funded in either of the past two grant funding cycles (2022 

or 2023) 

• Travel to a regional or national conference related to law enforcement mental health and 

wellness 

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Deliverables 

The primary deliverable of these awards will be the provision of training, programming, and support 

services focused on officer emotional and mental health, including suicide prevention efforts, peer 

support, clinical and family support services for the applicant agencies. Agencies funded in either of the 

past two grant funding cycles (2022 or 2023) seeking FY24 LEMHWA funding will be required to develop 

deliverables that document the applicants’ efforts, lessons learned, and promising practices and can be 

shared with the broader law enforcement field. These deliverables can be Community Policing Dispatch 

articles, conference presentations, webinars, brief reports, podcasts, templates, sample policies and 

other tools that benefits other law enforcement agencies. 

Applicants will also have the opportunity to participate in a community of practice with other award 

recipients to promote the exchange of promising practices and help the COPS Office share ideas and 

lessons learned with the broader field. 

Projects out of scope 

• Applicants that are not state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies will not be 

considered. 

• Projects that do not develop or enhance training, programming, and support services focused 

on officer emotional and mental health, suicide prevention, and peer and officer family support 

services will not be considered. 

• Projects that exclusively seek to purchase technology, software/mobile applications, or 

equipment without offering broader training, programming, or services to support those tools 

will not be considered. 

• Projects that focus solely on health screenings or fitness programs will not be considered. 

Federal Award Information: Awards, Amounts and 

Durations 

Anticipated Number of Awards 

47 awards 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 

$200,000.00 per award 

Period of Performance Start Date 

01 October 2024 

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Period of Performance Duration (months) 

24 months 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded under Solicitation 

$9,800,000.00 

Federal Award Information 

Depending on the quality of applications received and the availability of funding, the COPS Office may 

not fund every topic or subcategory or may make additional or larger awards under one or more topic 

area or subcategory. In addition, the COPS Office reserves the right to revise the scope of the project in 

an application submission and modify the associated budget proposal accordingly. 

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

requirements that may be imposed by law. With limited funding, the COPS Office expects a competitive 

solicitation. 

Length of Award 

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

Type of Award 

The COPS Office will make all awards from the LEMHWA solicitation in the form of grants, which does 

not provide for substantial involvement between the federal awarding agency and the nonfederal entity 

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

day-to-day project management and may reach out to the COPS Office with assistance in implementing 

the award. However, grant recipients will need to work with the COPS Office program manager in 

situations stated in the terms and conditions, such as scope changes, extensions, or conference request 

approvals. 

Cost Sharing or Match 

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

Eligibility Information 

Eligibility is limited to state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies. 

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Application and Submission Information 

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/. 

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

https://www.grants.gov and complete an Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424 (SF424), the government-wide standard application form for federal assistance and the of Lobbying 

Activities, Standard Form - LLL (SF-LLL). 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 JustGrants 

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

through Friday between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Saturday, Sunday, 

and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Training on JustGrants can also be found at 

https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources. 

For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program, please contact the COPS Office 

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

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

Content and Form of Application 

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

contains all of the specified elements may negatively affect the review of its application; and should a 

decision be made to make an award, such failure may result in the inclusion of award conditions that 

prevent the recipient from accessing or using award funds until the recipient satisfies the special 

conditions and the COPS Office makes the funds available. Applicants must comply with any word and 

field limit 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; limit abstract to 5–6 sentences) 

• 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 Components" section) 

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

“Additional Application Components” section) 

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

Application Components” section - 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 the information provided on that site. 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 

required data as well as 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, D.C. 20503. 

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET. 

SUBMIT IT ONLINE VIA GRANTS.GOV. 

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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/2023/06/SPOClist-as-of-2023.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 SF424, 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.” 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 

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

Grants.gov. Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in the 

required highlighted fields. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying activities must provide the 

information requested on the SF-LLL. 

Once the SF-424 and SF-LLL have been submitted via Grants.gov, an email will be sent to the entity’s EBusiness Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) (also referred to as the JustGrants Entity Administrator) from 

DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov. This email will contain registration instructions to create an account in 

DOJ’s secure user management system, the Digital Identity and Access Management Directory (DIAMD), 

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

website. 

Standard Applicant Information 

Applicants must complete the web-based form in JustGrants, which is pre-populated 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 applicants 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. 

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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 5–6 sentences. 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 

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. 

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

screen and select “Close” to exit the survey review screen. The survey you just completed will

still display an “Open” status.

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

“Refresh.” The status of your completed survey will change to “Resolved-Completed.”

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

title to reopen the selected survey and view your saved responses.

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

click the “Re-open” option to update your saved responses.

• Remember, to confirm the status of a completed survey, you will need to click the “Actions”

menu and “Refresh.”

A copy of the survey questions required for this solicitation can be found at 

https:// cops.usdoj.gov/lemhwa. 

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. The organization must create and attach a

budget narrative that describes each item requested or group of similar items requested and links each

item or group of items to the proposed project. All items will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and in

context of the allowable and unallowable costs lists.

Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to implement their

proposed projects. The budget should display a clear link between the specific project activities and the 

proposed budget items. It should not contain any items that are not detailed in the applicant's 

application questions. 

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

in the budget detail worksheets contained in this application. The COPS Office expects proposed budgets 

to be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project 

activities). 

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

effectiveness of award expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe cost effectiveness in 

relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For example, a budget narrative should 

detail why planned in-person meetings are necessary, or how technology and collaboration with outside 

organizations could be used to reduce costs, without compromising quality. Consideration will be given 

to budget proposals that maximize the direct funding that supports project activities. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 16 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 s application questions. Therefore, it is very important that the budget narrative be as 

comprehensive as possible and describe in a narrative format each line item requested in the budget. 

The budget narrative should not be used to explain deliverables or project activities that are not 

included in the applicant's application questions. 

Deliverables and activities that are solely listed in the budget narrative and not described in the 

applicant's application questions (and vice versa) will be scored negatively during the peer review 

process. 

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

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

revise the proposed scope and modify the associated budget proposal accordingly. 

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

activities. 

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

performance of the federal award. Requests for reimbursement of items purchased or expenses 

incurred prior to the award start date will not be funded. All such costs incurred prior to award and prior 

to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant. NOTE: For awards made to states 

or units of local government (including law enforcement agencies), requests may be made only for 

items or positions that are not otherwise budgeted with state, local, or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 

funds and would not be funded in the absence of this COPS Office award (see award condition IV, 

“Nonsupplanting requirement”). 

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

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

well as typically allowable and unallowable costs. The unallowable lists are not exhaustive and are 

generally considered unallowable for the entire solicitation, irrespective of where the applicant adds the 

requested item in the budget. The COPS Office reserves the right to deny funding for any items that 

may not be included in this solicitation. 

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

assist your organization in developing this required document. You will be able to access the template 

(Microsoft Word document) in the FY24 Resource Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) 

Programs located at How to Apply web page. Note that instructions in the template are provided in 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 17 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

italics. If you choose to use this template, please make sure to delete the instructions before submitting. 

In addition, the COPS Office is providing an example budget narrative, which can also be found in the 

FY24 Resource 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. 

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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 18 of 58 
 

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/salaries-wages/. Note: A 

recipient may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this 

compensation limitation is paid with nonfederal funds. (Nonfederal funds used for any such additional 

compensation will not be considered matching funds.) If only a portion of an employee’s time is charged 

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

worked times the maximum salary limitation. 

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

be working more than one year on the project, applicants will have the option to copy a year. 

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

activities related to the work to be completed on the project. If the salary increases from one budget 

year to another because of cost of living increases, be sure to detail these increases in the budget 

description. 

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

includes the following: 

• Job description 

• Organizational pay scales or written annual salary per position 

• Résumés/vitae 

Completing civilian base salary 

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

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 19 of 58 
 

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. 

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 awardrelated meeting or conference when travel is further than 50 miles from program location. Travel and 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 20 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 21 of 58 
 

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. 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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 22 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 

• Computers/laptops 

• General office supplies 

• Peer support team identification (name badges, pins, lanyards, etc.) 

• Training manuals/ materials 

• Wellness on-the-go bags 

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 $50 per month for office supplies, the 

calculation should be 12 x $50 and not 1 x $600. 

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 out the program or project under the federal award. The substance of the relationship is more 

important than the form of the agreement in determining whether the recipient of the pass- through 

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

federal award apply to sub-awards. 

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

with all applicable statutes, regulations, and guidelines. Primary recipients will be responsible for 

oversight of subrecipient spending and monitoring specific performance measures and outcomes 

attributable to the use of COPS Office funds. The recipient will ensure that the award terms and 

conditions flow down to its subrecipients including all applicable uniform administrative requirements, 

cost principles, and audit requirements. The recipient will also ensure that subrecipients maintain 

effective control 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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 23 of 58 
 

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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 24 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Examples may include the following: 

• Dietician/nutrition services 

• Non-clinical therapeutic programming (services must be provided by a mental health 

professional) 

• Yoga/mindfulness instruction 

• Counseling / clinical services (for officers, non-sworn staff, families, and retirees; no sports 

psychologists or life coaches) 

• Peer support services/training 

• Suicide prevention services/training 

• Stress reduction services/training 

• Financial literacy services/training 

• Retirement readiness services 

• Guest speakers (mental health and wellness topic areas) 

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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 25 of 58 
 

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) 

Rental costs are generally allowable under this solicitation when the costs are not included in indirect 

costs. Applicants should list square footage cost in the budget. The amount must be based on the space 

that will be allocated to implement the COPS Office project, not the costs of the entire rental space. 

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

costs of taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to those services or benefits for 

individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. Reasonable steps to provide meaningful 

access to services or benefits may include interpretation or translation services, where appropriate. For 

additional information, see the “Civil Rights". 

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

provide, the budget should prorate operational costs like rent and phone service accordingly. 

Completing Other Costs 

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

Indirect Costs 

Overview of indirect costs 

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

objective and not readily assignable to a particular project but necessary to the operation of the 

organization and the performance of the project. 

Examples of costs usually treated as indirect include those incurred for facility operation and 

maintenance, depreciation, and administrative salaries. 

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

be accepted by all federal awarding agencies, unless otherwise capped by federal statute or regulation. 

Indirect cost rates may vary depending on your cognizant federal agency determinations. In some cases, 

project budgets may include more than one rate, particularly when offsite activity is conducted at a 

location other than the organizations premises. Note: Ensure the indirect calculation is in accordance 

with your organization’s indirect cost rate agreement. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 26 of 58 
 

Expired indirect cost rate agreement 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

one-time extension from your cognizant agency. The negotiated cost rate may be extended for up to 

four years. Once the cognizant federal agency has approved your extension, you must abide by the rate 

for the agreed-upon time period. No further negotiations regarding indirect cost rates may occur until 

the extension has expired. At the end of the extension period, you must then negotiate a new indirect 

cost rate. 

De minimis indirect cost rate 

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

entities described in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix VII to Part 200, paragraph D.1.b., you may elect to 

charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used 

indefinitely. When using this method, cost must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs 

but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. Also, if this method is chosen, then it 

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

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

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

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

be added to the award prohibiting the obligation, expenditure, or drawdown of funds reimbursement 

for indirect costs until an indirect cost rate has been approved by your cognizant federal agency, and the 

appropriate notification has been made retiring the special condition. 

For assistance with identifying the appropriate cognizant federal agency for indirect costs, please 

contact the OCFO Customer Service Center at 800-458-0786 or at ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov. If DOJ is the 

cognizant federal agency, applicants may obtain information needed to submit an indirect cost rate 

proposal at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/IndirectCosts.pdf. 

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

has not assigned a cognizant federal agency, then you are not required to submit your indirect cost 

proposal, unless the awarding agency requires a copy of the proposal. Please see the appropriate 

appendix section in 2 C.F.R. Part 200 as listed above. 

Approval of indirect cost rates for subrecipients 

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

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

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 27 of 58 
 

Calculating direct cost base 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

• Modified total direct cost (MTDC)—This base includes all direct salaries and wages, applicable 

fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and subawards up to the first $25,000 of 

each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). 

MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition 

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

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

serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant 

agency. 

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

incurred by the organization. 

• Direct salaries and wages plus fringe benefits—This base includes the costs of direct salary, 

wages and fringe benefits incurred by the organization. 

Exclusions in direct cost bases 

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

rate application is in compliance with the existing requirements of the government-wide award rules set 

out in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circular and regulations: 

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

organizations, indirect cost rates negotiated on the basis of modified total direct costs may only 

be applied against the first $25,000 of any subcontract or subaward under the agreement. This 

limitation must be applied to all conference related subcontracts and subawards, including 

those with hotels and travel agents. (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and 

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

• Participant support costs. For nonprofit organizations, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. part 200, 

Appendix IV to 2 Part 200, paragraph B.2.c.—Indirect (F&A) Costs Identification and Assignment 

and Rate Determination for Nonprofit Organizations: “The distribution base may be total direct 

costs (excluding capital expenditures and 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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 28 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

as provide any additional calculations that make up the base cost. Include the expiration date and the 

cognizant agency name. 

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

includes the following: 

• Current, signed, federally approved indirect cost rate negotiated agreement 

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

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

documents to show the applicant’s cognizant federal agency is reviewing the request. The 

COPS Office may disallow or freeze access to indirect funds until a provisional or current 

indirect cost rate negotiated agreement is provided. 

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

institutions of higher education and other institutions where multiple indirect rates are applied, please 

enter each indirect rate as a separate line item with calculation breakdown and description for which 

each rate applies. 

Unallowable Costs: Requests will not be funded 

There are no allowable costs in this section. For allowable costs, please see the “Allowable Costs" 

section above. The items listed in this section are generally considered unallowable and are rarely 

approved by the COPS Office. Before including any of these items in your budget and application, please 

contact the COPS Office at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. 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) 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 29 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 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 ”Subawards” 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 

Other Unallowable Items 

• 3D printers and associated equipment 

• Activities run by organizations whose primary focus is Performance Training / Peak Performance 

Training / Athletic Performance 

• Advertising and public relations designed solely to promote the recipient 

• Ammunition (live and training) 

• Audit requirements 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) 

• Bar charges/alcoholic beverages 

• Bayonets 

• Bikes and associated equipment 

• Biometric technology 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 30 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

• Body armor 

• Body metric equipment such as blood pressure monitors and FitBits 

• Body-worn cameras 

• Bomb detection technology 

• Bulletproof vests and accessories 

• Buses/shuttles/transit vans (purchasing or leasing) 

• Camouflage uniforms 

• Certification to become a Personal Trainer 

• Closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) 

• Communication boxes 

• Commuting costs including to and from program location 

• Compensation of federal employees (this category of unallowable costs includes salary 

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

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

• Conference exhibit displays such as backdrops and retractable banners 

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

• Construction costs 

• Copiers 

• Corporate formation (startup costs) 

• Costs exceeding Federal Travel Regulations if no other organizational written policy is supplied 

that supersedes these established rates 

• 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 

• COVID-19 test kits 

• Credit card fees 

• Criminal intelligence systems 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 31 of 58 
 

 

• Displays, demonstrations, or exhibits 

• Electronic control weapons (ECW)/Tasers 

• Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any associated costs (e.g., 

tickets to shows or sports events, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities) 

• Equipment with a physical wellness focus (saunas, cold plunges) 

• Explosives 

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

bags, and games 

• Firearm investigation equipment 

• Firearms (including training firearms) 

• Fitness equipment (including yoga equipment) 

• Floor and wall mats/pads 

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

• Foreign travel 

• Fuel for general patrol vehicles 

• General law enforcement vehicles, including patrol cars and leased vehicles (for purposes of the 

CPD CIT program, purchase and leasing of non-patrol vehicles is allowable) 

• Golf carts/motorized personal vehicles 

• GPS and Easy Pass rentals (when renting a car) 

• GPS devices 

• Grenade launchers 

• Gunshot detection equipment and technology 

• Gym memberships and subscriptions 

• Handcuffs, weapons, and ammunition (including training ammunition) 

• Health screenings 

• Land acquisition including renting, leasing, or construction of buildings or other physical facilities 

• Laser spectroscopy devices 

• Laundry services while on travel 

• License plate readers (LPR) and associated software 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 32 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

veterinary expenses 

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

the project location 

• Maintenance and enhancements (such as mounts) of patrol vehicles (for purposes of the CPD 

PACT program, maintenance of non-patrol vehicle purchased or leased under PACT funding is 

allowable) 

• 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) 

• Manned aircraft 

• Martial arts training 

• Massages (i.e. therapeutic or otherwise) 

• Massage chairs and associated equipment 

• Membership fees to organizations whose primary activity is lobbying 

• Metal detectors 

• Mileage reimbursement, rental cars, parking fees, and/or taxi fare for local travel within a 50-

mile radius of the project location 

• Militarized equipment 

• Mobile data terminals (MDT) 

• Narcan 

• Non-motorized vehicles 

• Office rental/lease space, except for costs proportionate to work conducted under this 

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

• Paying for meals other than your own 

• Personal protective equipment or gear 

• Promotional items and memorabilia, including challenge coins, models, gifts, and souvenirs 

• 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) 

• Radios for law enforcement (for purposes of the CIT program, radios to be used by 

behavioral/mental health providers are allowable) 

• Recreation equipment (including tents and coolers) 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 33 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Recreational supplies (such as Frisbees) 

• 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. 

• Robotic cameras 

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

higher education) 

• Servers 

• Shared items between projects—if supplies or 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 

• Sleep pods 

• Surveillance equipment 

• 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) 

• Tactical gear 

• Thermal imaging devices 

• Tips/gratuities 

• Tracked (armored) vehicles 

• Traffic equipment (such as cones, message boards) 

• Trailers 

• Trophies, medals, certificates, and other awards 

• Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) 

• Video surveillance (including security systems) 

• Uniforms (including helmets, boots) 

• Weaponized aircraft, vessels, and vehicles of any kind 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 34 of 58 
 

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. 

Noncompetitive 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].Noncompetitive.” 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].Indirect Costs.” 

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].Consultant Rate.” 

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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 35 of 58 
 

Budget Narrative

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

narrative that describes each item requested or group of similar items requested and links each item or 

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

of the allowable and unallowable costs lists.

Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to implement their

proposed projects. The budget should display a clear link between the specific project activities and the 

proposed budget items. It should not contain any items that are not detailed in the applicant's 

application questions. 

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

in the budget detail worksheets contained in this application. The COPS Office expects proposed budgets

to be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project

activities).

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

of award expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe cost effectiveness in relation to

potential alternatives and the goals of the project. For example, a budget narrative should detail why

planned in-person meetings are necessary, or how technology and collaboration with outside

organizations could be used to reduce costs, without compromising quality. Consideration will be given

to budget proposals that maximize the direct funding that supports project activities.

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

provided in the budget detail worksheets. The narrative should explain how the applicant estimated and

calculated all costs and how those costs are necessary to the completion of the proposed project. The 

narrative may include tables for clarification purposes but need not be in a spreadsheet format. The

budget should describe costs by year and should cover the full project period of two years.

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

applicant’s application questions. Therefore, it is very important that the budget narrative be as

comprehensive as possible and describe in a narrative format each line item requested in the budget.

The budget narrative should not be used to explain deliverables or project activities that are not included 

in the applicant’s application questions. 

Deliverables and activities that are solely listed in the budget narrative and not described in the

applicant’s application questions (and vice versa) will be scored negatively during the peer review

process. 

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

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

documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and résumés—should use descriptive file

names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant]. Sole Source.” Recommended file formats

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 36 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 (MOU) 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 system-validated version submitted. 

Curricula Vitae or Résumés 

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). 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 37 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

Letters of Support 

As applicable, applicants will attach letters of support. 

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

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

documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support and résumés—should use descriptive file 

names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[Applicant].Support.” 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 Form 

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].Timeline.” 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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 38 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclosures and Assurances 

Disclosure ofLobbying 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 sub-awardee 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 form 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. 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 

Applicants to COPS Office programs are required to sign and acknowledge the standard DOJ Assurances 

form in JustGrants. Signing this document assures the COPS Office that you have read, understood, and 

accepted the award terms and conditions as outlined in the Assurances. Please read this document 

carefully, as signatures on this document are treated as material representation of fact upon which 

reliance will be placed when the U.S. Department of Justice determines to fund the covered award. Full 

text of the Certified Standard Assurances and Terms and Conditions is available in the FY24 Resource 

Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs at 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2024ProgramDocs/CPA_Resource_Guide.pdf. 

 

 

 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other 

Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law 

Enforcement and Community Policing 

Applicants to COPS Office programs are required to sign and acknowledge the standard DOJ 

Certifications form in JustGrants. Signing this document assures the COPS Office that you have read, 

understood, and accepted the award terms and conditions as outlined in the Certifications. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 39 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please read this document carefully, as signatures on this document are 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 appendices for the full assurances and certifications, which 

can all be found in the FY24 Resource Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs. 

An explanation is required 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 FY24 Resource Guide for Community Policing Advancement 

(CPA) Programs for a copy of this Certifications form. 

The certifications are as follows: 

1. 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 

2. The applicant and any required or identified official partner(s) listed in this application mutually 

agreed to this partnership prior to submission. 

Declaration and Certification to DOJ as to Application Submission 

Applicants must read and acknowledge the statements in the Declaration and Certification. 

Federal Civil Rights and Award Review 

Please be advised that an application may not be funded and, if awarded, a hold may be placed on the 

award 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. 

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 (UEI) 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, the COPS Office may 

determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. See 2 C.F.R. §§ 25.200 and 25.205 and 

the Award Terms and Conditions for further information. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 40 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please follow the steps listed here 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 Identifier (UEI) 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 five 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 https://www.sam.gov. 

The person registering with SAM will be the designated SAM E-Business (E-Biz) Point of Contact (POC), 

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 (UEI)” must be used to complete this step. For more information about the 

registration process for organizations and other entities, visit the Grants.gov registration page. 

Individuals registering with Grants.gov may visit the Applicant Registration page. 

Step 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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 41 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 system-generated 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. These system-generated rejection notices are due to 

inaccurate data or incomplete applications. 

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). 

(Application Submitters and E-Biz POC Users with an existing JustGrants Account may skip to step 8.) 

Within 24 hours of JustGrants receiving an application from Grants.gov, the user submitting the 

application in Grants.gov and SAM E-Biz POC will receive an email to register for a JustGrants account. 

The email is from DOJ’s secure user management system (DIAMD) and will include instructions on how 

to create an account. 

To ensure that you receive these emails and that they are not flagged as spam, we recommend adding 

DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov to the trusted sender list in your email settings. 

The E-Biz POC at the applicant organization serves as the Entity Administrator and must log in to 

JustGrants to confirm the entity’s profile, add users, and assign the two required Authorized 

Representatives (Law Enforcement Executive/Program Official and Government Executive/Financial 

Official). The Authorized Representatives are officials who have ultimate and final responsibility for all 

programmatic and financial decisions for your agency, as the legal recipient. For guidance on who should 

be assigned as Authorized Representatives, please see below: 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 42 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

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 into JustGrants to review and assign the required two 

Authorized Representatives (Law Enforcement Executive/Program Official and Government 

Executive/Financial Official). The Authorized Representatives are officials who have ultimate and final 

responsibility for all programmatic and financial decisions for your agency, as the legal recipient. For 

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

If an Authorized Representative needs to be invited, the Entity Administrator will need to invite the 

individual to receive a JustGrants account. These actions are required before an application can be 

submitted. 

Within minutes of being invited to be an Authorized Representative, the individual will receive an email 

from DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov with instructions on how to create an account in DOJ’s secure user 

management system. 

Once the Authorized Representatives receives the email and completes the steps to create an account, 

the Authorized Representative will be available in JustGrants. 

Review the “JustGrants User Roles Guide“ to become familiar with the various JustGrants Entity User 

roles. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 43 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 9: Complete and Submit the JustGrants Application 

Important: In addition to the Application Submitter, the Entity Administrator and the two Authorized 

Representatives should be available to assist with the JustGrants application submission. 

The Application Submitter will complete the application by entering data into web-based forms, 

uploading attachments, and accepting assurances and certifications. Before you submit your application, 

each section much be completed and free of validation errors. If not, please return to each identified 

page using the table of contents on the right side of the page. If any required fields are unanswered, 

they will be flagged with warning messages. In this case, answer these required fields. You will not be 

able to submit your application until all validation issues are corrected and the application is certified. 

The Application Submitter will also need to confirm the required two Authorized Representatives (Law 

Enforcement Executive/Program Official and Government Executive/Financial Official). 

The Application Submitter will need to select two authorized representatives via dropdown field in the 

“Confirm Authorized Representative” section of the application. The dropdown will display all 

authorized representatives that have been assigned for your entity (the Application Submission Job Aid 

Reference Guide for this step). 

If you do not see authorized representatives for your entity in the dropdown field within the “Confirm 

Authorized Representative” section of the application, you will need to add and assign the role for each 

authorized representative for your entity. Please note: the COPS Office requires two authorized 

representatives (Law Enforcement Executive and Government Executive) for its grant applications. Users 

will not be visible in JustGrants until they have successfully logged into JustGrants. If you need assistance 

adding users and assigning roles for your entity, please refer to the Entity Management Job Aid 

Reference Guide. 

Once all sections are completed, the application submitter will submit the application. Upon successful 

submission of an application, the Application Submitter, Entity Administrator, and the two Authorized 

Representatives will receive an email from JustGrants confirming submission of the application. The 

COPS Office will not accept applications submitted via mail or email. 

Step 10: Confirm Receipt of JustGrants Application 

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. 

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Submission Dates and Time 

All completed applications must be submitted by the deadline. 

Late Submissions 

The COPS Office will review on a case-by-case basis requests for late submission due to unforeseen 

technical issues or extraordinary events such as extreme weather emergencies or mass casualty events. 

Requests for an extension of the Grants.gov deadline must be received prior to the close of the 

solicitation in Grants.gov. Requests for an extension of the JustGrants deadline must be made prior to 

the close of the solicitation in JustGrants. No late submission requests will be considered once the 

solicitation closes. Extension of deadlines is rare and is not guaranteed. 

To be considered for an extension, applicants must contact the COPS Office Response Center via email 

at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov detailing the technical/extraordinary issues that impact application 

submission. This email 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 “FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Extraordinary Circumstances: [UEI number, Agency 

Name, Application ID]”, with your UEI number and organization name and details filled in. 

The COPS Office will respond to each applicant as soon as possible with either 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 SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov. 

Application Review Information 

The COPS Office is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for making awards. The COPS Office 

will review the application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, understandable, 

measurable, achievable, and consistent with the solicitation. 

To maintain the integrity of the competitive solicitation process, the COPS Office can provide publicly 

available technical assistance regarding the mechanics of the application but cannot evaluate the merits 

of an application during the open solicitation period. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 45 of 58 
 

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 evaluated applications for compliance with 

basic minimum requirements (BMR). Applications should be written with clarity, organization, and 

soundness in the proposed work, with all mandatory attachments. 

BMR Review Criteria 

Applications that are missing any of the following basic minimum requirements will be disqualified, 

without exception, and therefore not scored by review panels. 

1. Did the applicant respond to all of the application questions? 

2. Did the applicant provide a separate budget narrative that is 60% or more allowable? 

3. Is the applicant eligible to submit an application under this solicitation: State, local, tribal, or 

territorial law enforcement agency? 

4. Is the proposed project within scope of the solicitation? 

Peer Review 

Peer review will evaluate applications that meet the eligibility basic minimum requirements. The COPS 

Office may use internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination to assess applications 

on technical merit using the solicitation’s review. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the subject 

matter of a given topic area who is not a current federal employee. An internal peer reviewer is a 

current federal employee who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject matter of the subcategory. 

Peer feedback is advisory only, although reviewer views are considered carefully. 

Peer reviewers will be asked to review applications based on the application subcategory and the goal of 

the solicitation to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community policing strategies 

by providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative 

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

approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities. Reviewers will also be asked to 

consider the subcategory-specific solicited goals, requirements, and deliverables described in the 

solicitation language. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 46 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

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, application questions, 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 scored accordingly. Although not an exhaustive list, at a minimum, reviewers will be asked 

to evaluate applications according to the following criteria: 

Organizational readiness 

• Includes a detailed description of the services that are already provided (if any) 

• Includes a detailed description of proposed activities 

Project impact and deliverables 

• Estimates number of law enforcement personnel, family members, and other individuals that 

will directly benefit from the services (for example, number of individuals receiving services, 

number of individuals receiving training) 

• Incorporates multiple agencies or includes regional partnerships to increase services and 

coordination to provide services to other agencies in the field 

• Identifies specific project outcomes and a plan to track or measure the success of the program 

• Identifies and describes deliverables (such as trainings, clinical hours, reports, articles, products 

for the field, or other). 

Management and implementation 

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

• Includes a timeline of project milestones, deliverables, activities, and who will complete the 

activities in their application 

• Identifies key team members and stakeholder partners (community groups, private or public 

agencies) who will support the proposed initiative and clearly defines the roles, tasks, and 

services they will provide under the award (if needed) 

• Incorporates an evaluation component to measure the success of the program 

• Takes the appropriate steps to ensure confidentiality of participants and service recipients 

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• Describes a marketing plan for the proposed services to increase program awareness and 

promote participation in the program 

• Identifies at least one mental health and wellness–related regional or national conference the 

applicant plans to attend 

Budget 

• 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 application 

• Provides detailed breakdowns of each budget category and justification for total costs, such as 

per unit over time or reasonable estimate at time of application submission 

• Provides appropriate budget justification documentation, which may include a current indirect 

cost rate agreement, sole source justification, and consultant rate justification 

• Includes funding for attendance at a regional or national conference or explains that funding will 

come from elsewhere 

In addition, any applicable priority consideration(s) is only one of many factors in making COPS Office 

funding decisions and does not guarantee an award. 

Federal Policing Priorities 

In addition to the criteria listed earlier, the COPS Office will provide priority points for agencies that 

respond affirmatively to the list of questions related to the activities outlined in the Federal Priorities for 

Policing Inventory. The inventory questions will help the U.S. Department of Justice evaluate the 

possibility for priority consideration, where appropriate, and identify potential gaps in training and 

technical assistance. 

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 include the following: 

• 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 

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• 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 

• The extent to which the applicant has completed work and spent prior award funds in a timely 

manner 

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (“Uniform Guidance”), before award decisions are made, the COPS Office 

also reviews information related to the degree of risk posed by applicants. Among other things to help 

assess whether an applicant with one or more prior federal awards has a satisfactory record with 

respect to performance, integrity, and business ethics, the COPS Office checks whether the applicant is 

listed in SAM as excluded from receiving a federal award. The COPS Office also must review and 

consider any information about the applicant that appears in the nonpublic segment of the integrity and 

performance system accessible through SAM (currently, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity 

Information System, “FAPIIS”). 

Applicants may review and comment on any information about them in SAM that a federal awarding 

agency previously entered in the designated integrity and performance system, and such applicant 

comments will also be reviewed and considered. 

The COPS Office may contact applicants regarding budget and financial questions as part of the review 

process. This outreach is not an indication of funds or awarding decisions. 

Senior Leadership Review 

The Senior Leadership Review is conducted by senior-ranking federal employees. During this process all 

advancing applications from peer review are evaluated based on peer review feedback, administrative 

compliance review, past performance, project scope, and budget. 

Senior Leadership will submit formal recommendations for funding to the COPS Office Director. 

Director’s Selection 

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. 

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Federal Award Notices 

Award notification will be sent electronically from JustGrants. This award notification will include 

instruction on enrolling in Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) and accepting the 

award. Recipients will be required to log into JustGrants to review, sign, and accept the award. The 

notice of award will contain details about the award including start and end dates, funding amounts, 

and the award conditions. The Authorized Representatives must acknowledge having read and 

understood all sections of the award instrument and submit the required declaration and certification to 

accept the award; these steps will be completed electronically in JustGrants before you will be able to 

draw down funds or begin implementing the program. By accepting the award and the COPS Office 

funding, your agency acknowledges that it will comply with these conditions and, if applicable, 

additional special conditions specific to your agency. 

It is anticipated that awards will be announced on or after October 1, 2024. 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 (Law Enforcement 

Executive/Program Official and Government Executive/Financial Official) as described in the How to 

Apply section 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 . 

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 in 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. 

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Your FY24 award number is in the following format: 15JCOPS-24-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. 

The COPS Office strongly encourages applicants to review applicable requirements and terms and 

conditions prior to submitting an application. Terms and conditions for COPS Office awards are available 

on the COPS Office website in the Application Resource Guide. Terms and conditions are subject to 

change before the award is issued. The FY24 Resource Guide for Community Policing Advancement 

(CPA) Programs also contains additional requirements which apply to this application and award, 

including audit requirements, suspension, and termination requirements. 

Terms, Conditions, and Award Requirements 

Please review carefully the FY24 Resource Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs 

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 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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 51 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 C.F.R. 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. 

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Awards terminated due to noncompliance with the federal statutes, regulations, or award terms and 

conditions will be reported to the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently 

FAPIIS). 

False statements or claims made in connection with COPS Office awards may result in fines, 

imprisonment, debarment from participating in federal awards or contracts, and any other remedy 

available by law. 

Please be advised that recipients may not use COPS Office funding for the same item or service also 

funded by another U.S. Department of Justice award. 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

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

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

Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a 

week, except on federal holidays. 

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

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

Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Saturday, 

Sunday, and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Training on JustGrants can also be found at 

https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources. 

For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program, please contact the COPS Office 

Response Center at 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 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 not to release some or all portions of an 

application/award file in advance of a request pursuant to the FOIA. 

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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 53 of 58 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 the application review 

peer review process. Provide feedback via email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov with the following subject 

line: “FY24 LEMHWA Implementation 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. 

COPS Office Other Information 

Reporting, monitoring, and evaluation requirements 

Reporting 

If awarded, your organization will be required to submit quarterly Standard Form 425, Federal Financial 

Reports (FFR) as well as semiannual Programmatic Performance Reports. Recipients 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, 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 reports in a timely 

manner will 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 SF-425 - 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. 

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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. Grant Operations staff are particularly interested in confirming that the purchase of items 

and/or services is consistent with the applicant’s approved award budget as reflected on the Financial 

Clearance Memorandum and Final Funding Memorandum. 

If awarded funds, you agree to cooperate with and respond to any requests for information pertaining 

to your award in preparation for any of the above-referenced award monitoring activities. 

Please feel free to contact your COPS Office Program Manager to discuss any questions or concerns you 

may have regarding the monitoring, reporting, and evaluation requirements. 

Program Evaluation 

Though a formal assessment is not a requirement, awarded organizations are strongly encouraged to 

conduct an independent assessment of their respective award-funded projects. Project evaluations have 

proven to be valuable tools in helping organizations identify areas in need of improvement, providing 

data of successful processes, and reducing vulnerabilities. 

Selected award recipients shall be evaluated on the local level or as part of a national evaluation, 

pursuant to guidelines established by the Attorney General. Such evaluations may include assessments 

of individual program implementations. In select 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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 55 of 58 
 

Financial Management andSystem 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/title2/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. 

FY24 LEMHWA Implementation Projects Solicitation 56 of 58 
 

Funding to Faith-Based Organizations 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith-based or religious organizations are eligible, on the same basis as any other organization, to 

participate in any DOJ program for which they are otherwise eligible. A faith-based or religious 

organization that participates in DOJ-funded programs or services will retain its independence from 

government, and may continue to carry out its mission, including the practice and expression of its 

religious beliefs, as long as it does not use direct financial assistance from DOJ to support any explicitly 

religious activities, including activities that involve overt religious content such as worship, religious 

instruction, or proselytization. Further guidance on federal financial assistance for faith-based 

organizations can be found at https://www.ojp.gov/program/civil-rights-office/partnerships-faithbased-and-other-neighborhood-organizations and https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justiceannounces-joint-final-rule-regarding-equal-treatment-faith-based. 

Section 508ofthe 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. 

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: Paperwork 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 

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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 for this program will include the following: 

• 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 

The objective of these performance measures is to 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. 

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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