School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) Funding Opportunity

School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) | COPS OFFICE

The Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (STOP School Violence Act of 2018) gave the COPS Office authority to provide awards directly to States, units of local government, or Indian tribes to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the jurisdiction of the grantee through evidence-based school safety programs and technology.

Due date:

Step 1 – Submit SF-424 in Grants.gov – Tuesday, August 4, 2026, by 4:59 pm EST

Step 2 – Submit full application in JustGrants – Tuesday, August 11, 2026, by 4:59 pm EST

Eligible applicants:

• States, units of local government, Indian tribes, and their public agencies, including:
  • School districts, including public charter schools and school districts with a single school;
  • School boards;
  • Law enforcement agencies.
• NOTE: Individual schools not operating as school districts and independent schools and private schools, including private charter schools, are NOT eligible to apply as primary applicants

Funding:

• Maximum $500,000 federal award
• Requires a 25% cash match (above the federal award)
• 36 month award

Purpose/Allowable costs:

SVPP funding is available for following the following statutory purpose areas (see 34 U.S.C. § 10551(b)(5)–(9)) at K-12 (primary and secondary) schools and on school grounds:

• “Coordination with law enforcement”
• “Training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence against others and self”
• “Placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures”
• “Acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency”
• “Any other measure that, in the determination of the COPS Office Director, may provide a significant improvement in security”

Requirements:

Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. §§ 10552(a)(1)–(2), each application shall be accompanied by an assurance that the application was prepared after consultation with individuals not limited to law enforcement officers (including licensed mental health professionals, social workers, students, parents, school violence researchers/academics (if practical), teachers, principals, and other school personnel) to ensure that the improvements to be funded under the grant are

• consistent with a comprehensive approach to preventing school violence including being protective of student privacy and ensuring that students are not discriminated against on the basis of race, national origin, disability, religion, or sex, and

• individualized to the needs of each school at which those improvements are to be made.

State and local governmental entities must comply with 8 U.S.C. § 1373, which provides that State and local government entities may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, receiving from, maintaining, or exchanging information regarding citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual with components of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or any other federal, state or local government entity. This includes any prohibitions or restrictions imposed or established by a State or local government entity or official.

Informational webinar:

The COPS Office will be hosting a webinar for potential SVPP applicants on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET.

Please click here to register for the webinar.