BJA FY24 Field Initiated: Encouraging Innovation | O BJA 2024 172182

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): BJA FY24 Field Initiated: Encouraging Innovation

1) What is the BJA FY24 Field Initiated: Encouraging Innovation grant?

It is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) intended to fund new, practical, and creative approaches to public safety and criminal justice challenges. The program is designed to support projects that respond to real-world problems jurisdictions and organizations are facing, including newly emerging issues or long-standing challenges that have been difficult to solve.

2) What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The central purpose is to prevent and reduce crime, improve overall community safety, and strengthen outcomes across the criminal justice system. The solicitation emphasizes solutions that are targeted and measurable, and that can improve prevention, response, and system performance.

3) What does "Field Initiated" mean in this solicitation?

"Field initiated" indicates BJA is explicitly inviting proposals that originate from practitioners and organizations working in the field, rather than restricting applicants to a narrow set of preselected program models. Applicants are encouraged to propose approaches grounded in current, on-the-ground needs.

4) What kinds of projects is BJA looking to fund?

Based on the solicitation description, BJA is seeking proposals that:

• Try genuinely new approaches to public safety and criminal justice challenges
• Close gaps where current responses are not working or do not exist
• Strengthen how research and evidence are used in day-to-day practice
• Build or translate research knowledge into operational strategies
• Build capacity that improves long-term ability to deliver effective public safety and justice outcomes
• Are collaborative, thoughtful, targeted, and measurable

5) Is collaboration required or encouraged?

Collaboration is a key theme in this opportunity. BJA is looking to promote partnerships that help communities and justice organizations identify and clearly define problems, then design and implement responses that are targeted and measurable.

6) What outcomes does BJA want to see from funded projects?

The solicitation emphasizes measurable improvements tied to preventing and reducing crime, improving community safety, and strengthening outcomes across the criminal justice system. It also highlights generating usable lessons for the field and supporting approaches that could potentially be replicated or scaled if successful.

7) What funding category is this opportunity associated with?

The opportunity is listed under the Law, Justice and Legal Services funding activity category.

8) What is the CFDA number for this grant?

The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 16.738.

9) What type of funding instrument is used?

The funding instrument is a grant.

10) What does it mean that this is a "discretionary" grant opportunity?

"Discretionary" generally means awards are competitive and based on the quality of the application and how well it aligns with the goals of the solicitation, rather than being allocated by formula.

11) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad. Eligible applicants include:

• County governments
• City or township governments
• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
• Public housing authorities
• Indian housing authorities
• Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (not institutions of higher education)
• Nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (not institutions of higher education)
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses

12) Can nonprofits apply if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The solicitation states that nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status are eligible, as long as they are not institutions of higher education.

13) Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. The eligibility list includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and also includes small businesses.

14) Are housing authorities eligible to apply?

Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included in the eligible applicant types.

15) Are tribal governments eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible applicants.

16) How many awards did BJA anticipate making?

BJA anticipated making about 11 awards under this program.

17) What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is up to $1,000,000 per award.

18) What does the $1,000,000 award ceiling suggest about the project scope?

The described funding level suggests BJA is looking for proposals that go beyond small pilot concepts. Applicants are likely expected to present well-developed plans that can demonstrate meaningful impact, generate usable lessons for the field, and potentially be replicated or scaled if successful.

19) What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is O-BJA-2024-172182.

20) When was the solicitation created?

The solicitation was created on June 17, 2024.

21) What was the original application closing date?

The original closing date for applications was August 9, 2024.

22) Does the solicitation restrict applicants to specific preapproved program models?

No. A stated feature of this opportunity is that BJA is not limiting applicants to a narrow set of preselected program models. The solicitation invites proposals that come from the field and respond to real-world problems.

23) Can projects focus on research or evidence-based practice?

Yes. The solicitation encourages work that strengthens how research and evidence are used in day-to-day practice, including efforts to build or translate research knowledge into operational strategies.

24) What does "building capacity" mean in the context of this grant?

In this solicitation, capacity building refers to improvements to an organization or system that make it better able to deliver effective public safety and justice outcomes over time, not just during the period of a single project.

25) What kinds of challenges can an application address?

Proposals can address newly emerging challenges or long-standing and difficult-to-solve problems affecting public safety and the criminal justice system, as long as the proposed response is innovative, practical, and oriented toward measurable results.