Now Available: BJA FY 24 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program – Local Solicitation

Eligibility: Eligible applicants are limited to units of local government appearing on the FY 24 Local JAG Allocations list*. By law, for purposes of the JAG Program, the term “units of local government” includes a town, township, village, parish, city, county, borough, or other general-purpose political subdivision of a state; or it may be a federally recognized American Indian tribal government that performs law enforcement functions (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior). A unit of local government also may be any law enforcement district or judicial enforcement district established under applicable state law with authority to independently establish a budget and impose taxes; for example, in Louisiana, a unit of local government means a district attorney or parish sheriff. More information, including JAG Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found on the BJA JAG web page.   

*Units of local government that do not appear on the FY 24 Local JAG Allocations list can contact their State Administering Agency to determine if pass-through funding is available from State JAG funding.   

Deadlines: The Grants.gov deadline to apply for funding is 8:59 p.m. ET on October 16, 2024, and the JustGrants deadline to apply is 8:59 p.m. ET on October 22, 2024. Note: Applications must be submitted by the stated deadline, regardless of whether the Certifications and Assurances by Chief Executive (CE) of Applicant Government has been completed and attached. BJA will add to the grant award package a withholding of funds award condition to address any missing or incomplete CE certification post-award.    

Solicitation Webinar: Register to participate in a solicitation webinar on September 24, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET: https://ojpmeetings.webex.com/weblink/register/rb371b20265d4b9b9e67c624314b115c0. The webinar will be limited to 1000 participants; however, the webinar will be recorded and posted on the BJA website and JAG web page. To learn more about the application submission process, visit JustGrants Training: Application Submission.    

Application Submission Information: Before applying, all applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM). You must renew and validate your registration every 12 months. If you do not renew your SAM registration, it will expire. An expired registration can delay or prevent application submission in Grants.gov and JustGrants. Registration and renewal can take up to 10 business days to complete. Note: To be eligible to receive funding, applications must be submitted by an entity with a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and active SAM registration associated with the unit of local government that is eligible to apply to receive an award.  

Submission: Applications must be submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) electronically through a two-step process that begins in Grants.gov and is completed in JustGrants.  

Step 1: After registering with SAM.gov, the applicant must submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/register by the Grants.gov deadline. To leave time to address any technical issues that may arise, an applicant should submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL as early as possible and recommended not later than 48 hours before the Grants.gov deadline.  

Note: There are two distinct categories under the FY 24 Local JAG Program: Category 1 - Applicants with eligible allocation amounts of less than $25,000 (Competition ID # C-BJA-2024-00091-PROD) and Category 2 – Applicants with eligible allocation amounts of $25,000 or more (Competition ID # C-BJA-2024-00092-PROD). If your unit of local government is eligible for an award amount of less than $25,000, please ensure an application is submitted under Category 1 (less than $25,000). If your unit of local government is eligible for an award of $25,000 or more, please ensure an application is submitted under Category 2 ($25,000 and above).  

Step 2:  The applicant must then submit the full application, including attachments, in JustGrants at JustGrants.usdoj.gov by the JustGrants deadline. 

OJP recommends that applicants submit the complete application package in JustGrants at least 48 hours prior to the JustGrants deadline. Some of the required sections of the application will be entered directly into JustGrants, and other sections will require documents to be uploaded and attached. Therefore, applicants should allow enough time before the JustGrants deadline to prepare all the requirements of the application. Applicants may save their progress in the system and add to or change the application as needed prior to hitting the “Submit” button at the end of the application in JustGrants.  

An applicant will receive emails when successfully submitting in Grants.gov and JustGrants and should maintain all emails and other confirmations received from SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and JustGrants systems. 

For additional information, see the “How To Apply” section in the Application Resource Guide and the DOJ Application Submission Checklist. 

Critical Elements: 

• Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (attachment): The applicant will complete the budget worksheet attachment and submit it by uploading it as an attachment in JustGrants. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information. The budget narrative and budget worksheet (attachment) are critical elements, and applicants will be unable to successfully submit an application in JustGrants unless an attachment is uploaded in this section. If an applicant does not have a budget to submit at the time of application, an attachment must be uploaded noting as such, and BJA will add the appropriate special condition withholding funds for budget documentation. Please note that the budget narrative should include a full description of all costs, including administrative costs (if applicable).
  
  For additional information about how to prepare a budget for federal funding, see the “Application Resource Guide” section on Budget Preparation and Submission Information and the technical steps to complete the budget form in JustGrants in the Complete the Application in JustGrants: Budget training.  

• Proposal Abstract Requirement: A Proposal Abstract (no more than 400 words) summarizing the proposed project—including its purpose, primary activities, expected outcomes, the service area, intended beneficiaries, and subrecipients (if known)—must be completed in the JustGrants web-based form. This abstract should be in paragraph form without bullets or tables, written in the third person, and exclude personally identifiable information. Abstracts will be made publicly available on the OJP and USASpending.gov websites if the project is awarded. Examples of brief Proposal Abstracts are included below.  

JAG Abstract Examples: 

• The city of [insert] will use JAG funds for overtime for increased patrols to bolster the security of at-risk nonprofit organizations such as synagogues, churches, mosques, and other places of worship. 

• The county of [insert] will use JAG funds to hire credible messengers as part of a community-based violence intervention initiative. 

• The disparate jurisdictions of [insert] and [insert] will use JAG funds for technology improvements and equipment. Specifically, the county of [insert] will use JAG funds to replace its records management system to transition to NIBRS, and the city of [insert] will use JAG funds to purchase body worn cameras to promote public trust, accountability, and transparency. 

 FY24 Areas of Emphasis:  

• Prevention and Prosecution of Hate Crimes 

• Election Security 

• Enhancing Justice System Reform Strategies 

• Advancing Equity and Support for Underserved Communities  

• Violent Crime Reduction     

Prohibited and Controlled Equipment Requirements: Consistent with Executive Order 14074 (Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices To Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety, May 25, 2022), award condition “Compliance with restrictions on the use of federal funds: Prohibited and Controlled Equipment under OJP awards” provides lists of items that are prohibited under all OJP awards, and items that are “controlled” under all OJP awards. Separately, the JAG statute, at 34 U.S.C. § 10152,  prohibits the use of JAG funds for certain items, and prohibits the use of JAG funds for other items unless BJA grants a waiver. The JAG Prohibited and Controlled Equipment Guidance for Awards Made During or After (federal) Fiscal Year 2023 provides lists, details, definitions, and procedures for prohibited and controlled expenditures and equipment under the BJA JAG Program for awards made during or after FY 2023, consistent with both Executive Order 14074 and 34 U.S.C. § 10152. Note: the use of BJA grant funds for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAV), and all accompanying accessories to support UAS or UAV remains unallowable.   

Contact Information: 

• Grants.gov: For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800–518–4726, 606–545–5035 or email at support@grants.gov.  

• JustGrants: For technical assistance with submitting the full application in DOJ’s Justice Grants System (JustGrants), contact the JustGrants Service Desk at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833–872–5175.  

• OJP Response Center: For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the OJP Response Center by telephone at 800–851–3420 or TTY: 301–240–6310 (hearing impaired only) or by email at grants@ncjrs.gov.  

***This is an unmonitored email account, please do not respond directly. This email is being sent to a large group of potential Local JAG applicants and DOES NOT necessarily confirm your jurisdiction’s eligibility under the FY 2024 Local JAG Program.***