BJA FY 23 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Training and Technical Assistance | O BJA 2023 171798

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2023 171798

The BJA FY 23 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Training and Technical Assistance opportunity is a discretionary, cooperative agreement run by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). It is built around OJP priorities that emphasize civil rights and racial equity, improved access to justice, stronger support for victims and people impacted by the justice system, safer communities, and increased trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The core idea behind BCJI is that crime is often concentrated in specific neighborhoods and even smaller "hotspot" micro-locations, and that lasting reductions in violence and crime require more than enforcement alone. Many of these areas have experienced long-term disinvestment and related social and economic challenges, so BCJI promotes a coordinated, problem-solving approach that targets root causes while also addressing immediate public safety needs.

Through this solicitation, BJA is looking to fund a single organization to serve as the national training and technical assistance (TTA) provider for BCJI sites. The provider would support community leaders from BCJI-funded neighborhoods along with their law enforcement partners, with a strong focus on building trust, strengthening partnerships, and improving coordination between community-based prevention strategies and enforcement strategies. The intent is to help sites implement data-driven, cross-sector plans that reduce crime and violence in a way that communities can sustain over time. In practice, that means helping local teams use data to identify the most affected places and problems, develop and refine place-based strategies, align agencies and community organizations around shared goals, and track results so they can adjust tactics based on what is or is not working.

A major part of the work is also learning and knowledge-sharing. The TTA provider is expected not only to support current BCJI grantees, but also to work with current and former leaders and researchers from BCJI sites to capture and document lessons learned and research findings from roughly the last decade of the initiative. Those products and insights are meant to be shared broadly so other communities, including those that are not current BCJI grantees, can strengthen their own crime reduction efforts by applying tested approaches, practical tools, and evidence-informed strategies that have emerged from BCJI implementation across different locations.

Key administrative details from the opportunity include the funding opportunity number (O-BJA-2023-171798) and CFDA number 16.738. The award instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally means BJA anticipates substantial involvement in the project through collaboration, guidance, and shared responsibilities as the work is carried out. The award ceiling listed is $750,000. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments). The solicitation was created on June 20, 2023, and the original closing date was July 31, 2023. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at strengthening the capacity of high-crime, distressed communities and their partners to use coordinated, evidence-informed, community-centered approaches to reduce violence and improve long-term neighborhood safety.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 23 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Training and Technical Assistance" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.738.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-06-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-07-31. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for O BJA 2023 171798

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