State Ignition Interlock Support and Resources | 693JJ920R000010

Opportunity Information: Apply for 693JJ920R000010

The State Ignition Interlock Support and Resources opportunity is a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) discretionary cooperative agreement aimed at strengthening how states run and oversee ignition interlock programs. The central goal is to create a national-level support program for the people who administer these systems, with a strong emphasis on practical training, hands-on technical assistance, clear guidance, and widely usable best-practice resources. The recipient is expected to design, deliver, and evaluate a structured program that can help state ignition interlock administrators and their staff manage day-to-day operations, improve consistency, and adopt proven approaches that make interlock programs more effective.

The work is focused on three main service areas. First, the recipient must develop, implement, and evaluate training specifically for State Ignition Interlock Program Administrators and personnel. This includes building training curricula and delivering annual training as well as advanced training options that are useful both for new administrators and for experienced staff who need deeper, more specialized content. Second, the recipient must produce best-practice guidance documents that program administrators can use as management and implementation tools, essentially turning effective practices into accessible, repeatable playbooks for states. Third, the recipient must provide technical assistance to states as they implement ignition interlock best practices, which can include direct support, problem-solving, and webinars designed to spread knowledge quickly across jurisdictions.

Alongside those implementation and capacity-building goals, the cooperative agreement includes a research component. NHTSA is looking for the recipient to identify current and emerging challenges facing ignition interlock programs and to develop or highlight innovative solutions that administrators can adopt. The solicitation explicitly encourages creative approaches and techniques, signaling that NHTSA wants more than just basic training materials; it wants forward-looking work that helps programs adapt to new issues, technology changes, and operational hurdles.

NHTSA grounds the need for this effort in the continuing national burden of impaired driving. The background information notes that impaired driving remains one of the most widespread and preventable traffic safety and public health problems in the United States. In 2018, 10,511 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, representing 29 percent of all traffic fatalities that year. Over the last two decades, ignition interlock devices have become an important evidence-based countermeasure because they directly prevent a driver from operating a vehicle when alcohol is detected, helping reduce repeat offenses. Every state and the District of Columbia has an ignition interlock law, and 32 states have all-offender laws that apply interlocks more broadly within monitored, state-regulated programs. Usage has grown significantly, with installed devices increasing from about 101,000 in 2006 to more than 337,000 by August 2016, and the number has continued to rise. This growth increases the need for strong, well-run state programs and consistent administrative capacity, which is what this cooperative agreement is designed to support.

Key administrative details from the notice include that this is a cooperative agreement (not a formula grant), issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, under CFDA 20.614, and authorized under 23 U.S.C. 167 and 403. The funding opportunity number is 693JJ920R000010, with an award ceiling of $650,000 and an expectation of one award. The opportunity was posted May 6, 2020, with an original closing date of June 4, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full notice, indicating NHTSA anticipated a range of possible applicants such as agencies, authorities, associations, institutions, or other qualified entities capable of delivering national training, technical assistance, and research support to state ignition interlock programs.

• The Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "State Ignition Interlock Support and Resources" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.614.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 06, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 04, 2020. (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 $650,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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