BJA FY 23 Invited to Apply - Courts, Communities and Strategic Partnerships | O BJA 2023 171787

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2023 171787

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), within the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP), released this discretionary funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 23 Invited to Apply - Courts, Communities and Strategic Partnerships" (Opportunity Number: O-BJA-2023-171787) to support targeted justice-related initiatives that align with OJP priorities. The program is framed around advancing civil rights and racial equity, expanding access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, addressing evolving public safety threats, and improving trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The emphasis on courts, communities, and strategic partnerships signals a focus on collaborative approaches that connect justice system stakeholders with community-based partners to improve outcomes and legitimacy.

This solicitation is not open to the general public. It is an "invited to apply" announcement, meaning only organizations and entities that received an official letter from BJA are eligible to submit an application. In practical terms, the invitation letter functions as the gatekeeper for eligibility and also controls the project scope, because applicants are expected to continue or build upon specific BJA initiatives tied to prior activities. The solicitation makes clear that the rules, requirements, and funding guidelines remain the same as those that applied to the originally funded project, so applicants are generally expected to follow the same program design, performance expectations, and administrative conditions that governed the earlier award.

Funding is offered through a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates that BJA anticipates substantial federal involvement during the project period, such as ongoing collaboration, technical assistance, or federal participation in key project decisions and deliverables. The opportunity falls under the Law, Justice and Legal Services activity category and references multiple CFDA (Assistance Listing) numbers: 16.031, 16.040, 16.045, 16.596, 16.738, 16.746, 16.820, and 16.838. The presence of several assistance listings suggests that awards under this umbrella may support a range of BJA initiatives or components that map to different authorizing programs or funding streams.

The solicitation was created on June 13, 2023, with an original application closing date of June 26, 2023, indicating a short turnaround consistent with an invitation-only process where applicants are already known to the agency and are likely extending or continuing established work. BJA anticipated making up to 12 awards, with an award ceiling of $1,100,000. While the ceiling represents the maximum amount for a single award, actual award amounts can vary depending on the invited project scope and the specific parameters described in each invitation letter.

Statutory authority is not listed directly in the public synopsis and instead must be taken from the applicant's invitation letter. Applicants are instructed to reference the specific authority identified in that letter, which implies that the legal authority and program basis may differ by invited applicant or by the initiative being supported. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a continuation or expansion mechanism for pre-identified partners to sustain or deepen ongoing justice system and community partnership work under BJA oversight, rather than a competitive open solicitation.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 23 Invited to Apply - Courts, Communities and Strategic Partnerships" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.031, 16.040, 16.045, 16.596, 16.738, 16.746, 16.820, 16.838.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 13, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 26, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O BJA 2023 171787

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