BJA Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP)

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is pleased to announce that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Program application period opens today, Wednesday April 24, 2024. All applications must be submitted online at Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership: Login (usdoj.gov) by 6:00 pm Eastern Time on Monday, June 10, 2024.  

The purpose of the BVP Program is to reimburse states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes, i.e., jurisdictions, for up to 50 percent of the cost of body armor vests purchased for law enforcement officers. Please see the new BVP Fact Sheet for detailed information on the BVP Program. In addition, updated BVP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found at https://www.ojp.gov/program/bulletproof-vest-partnership/faqs, and detailed guides and training materials for the BVP application process and the payment request process can be found at BVP Program Resources. 

FY 2024 BVP Program and Application Requirement Highlights    

Detailed information can be found in the BVP FAQs. 

• Eligibility: States, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes, i.e., jurisdictions, that employ eligible law enforcement officers are eligible to apply for BVP funds. Multiple law enforcement agencies (LEAs) within the same jurisdiction must submit their own application information and vest needs to the jurisdiction. The jurisdiction will then submit the LEA applications in one submission to BJA. This includes colleges and universities. All public colleges and universities are considered LEAs under their respective jurisdiction.
• System for Award Management (SAM) Registration Requirement: An active registration in SAM is required to receive funds. Jurisdictions not registered with SAM are strongly encouraged to access the SAM website at SAM.gov as soon as possible in order to obtain information on and complete the online SAM registration process. Applicants should ensure that current bank routing and bank account information is included in the SAM.gov profile, as the banking information in the SAM at the time of application will be used to transfer reimbursement funds to your jurisdiction. For more information about renewing and updating your existing SAM registration, or registering in SAM as a new entity, please access the SAM support materials here SAM Help. The SAM Helpdesk can be reached at (866) 606-8220.
• Body Armor Vest Requirements: Body armor vests purchased with BVP funds must have been tested through the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Compliance Testing Program (CTP) and found to comply with the most current NIJ body armor standards, appear on the NIJ Compliant Products List as of the date the body armor was ordered, be uniquely fitted, and be made in the United States. NIJ has started adding vests to the compliant products list for the new 0101.07 Standard. FY 2024 BVP funds may be used towards the purchase of eligible vests listed on the 101.06 Standard and the 0101.06 Standard. In addition, applicants must have a written mandatory wear policy for uniformed patrol officers in place at the time of application. Detailed information on the mandatory wear requirement can be found in the Mandatory Wear FAQs.
• DIAMD Registration Requirement: The first step to obtain access to the BVP system is onboarding to OJP’s Digital Identity and Access Management Directory (DIAMD), which replaced the former BVP access control system in January 2023. DIAMD is a modern single-sign-on gateway service with multi-factor authentication. If you are an OJP grant program applicant or recipient, you may already have an account registration with DIAMD, and your BVP user account will be added to the OJP systems you access through DIAMD. Please see the BVP login page for details: https://vests.bja.ojp.gov/bvp/login/externalAccess.jsp. Detailed instructions can be found in the User Account Activation Guide and in the BVP FAQs.
• Items to Review: To ensure that program participants are submitting applications that accurately reflect their vest needs for the next two years, please review the program guidance below. Prior to submitting an application for FY 2024 BVP funds:
  
  • Verify that the number of vests indicated on the application does not exceed actual agency needs. Review all currently deployed vests for those that will need to be replaced during the next two years, according to the replacement cycle indicated on your BVP system profile. Applications for funds should reflect the number of vests your agency needs to replace within the next two years, and vests for officers your agency anticipates hiring in the next two years. (New hires can be anticipated based on the average number of officers hired over the most recent three years.)
  • Ensure that the application accurately reflects the current market cost for the vests identified on the application.
  • Review previous year(s) BVP funding to identify any unspent funds that might currently be available for BVP needs.  
    

Your careful attention to actual vest needs will help ensure that all eligible jurisdictions submitting requests will receive the maximum award allowable based on the appropriation and distribution guidelines.  

For questions regarding this email or for assistance with the online application process, please do not hesitate to call the BVP Help Desk at 1-877-758-3787, or email vests@usdoj.gov.  

In addition, please visit BJA’s Officer Robert Wilson III Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR) Initiative website to obtain other information regarding officer safety: VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Initiative | Overview | Bureau of Justice Assistance (ojp.gov). The VALOR Initiative is a comprehensive set of programs that deliver no-cost officer safety, wellness, resilience training, resources, and technical assistance to law enforcement throughout the country. VALOR brings together the latest research and practices to address current and emerging officer safety and wellness issues/threats. Please see the BJA VALOR Initiative booklet for a detailed synopsis of this important initiative.