FY26-27 Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program (LEAP)
Program owner: Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
Summary: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement provides reimbursement funding to Florida Sheriff's Offices for allowable costs of sponsoring deputy sheriff trainees registered with the Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program. Sheriff's Offices in fiscally constrained counties receive first priority.
FDLE will reimburse eligible Florida Sheriff's Offices for allowable costs associated with deputy sheriff trainees registered as apprentices with the Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program.
Allowable expenses include trainee salaries and fringe benefits, justified training-related overtime, and tuition and fees paid to a CJSTC-certified training school. Sheriff's Offices in fiscally constrained counties may also request standard-issue duty equipment and supplies purchased specifically for LEAP trainees.
The project period runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Awards will be made on a first-come, first-served basis, with first priority for Sheriff's Offices in fiscally constrained counties, until available funding is allocated.
Who is eligible?
Applicant types: Florida Sheriff's Offices
Sheriff's Offices located in Florida. Each applicant must sign a Participating Employer Agreement with the Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association Law Enforcement Apprenticeship Program and agree to follow apprenticeship rules and regulations established by FDSA and the Florida Department of Education. Sheriff's Offices in fiscally constrained counties receive first priority.
What can the funding be used for?
Salaries and associated fringe benefits for regular hours worked by eligible deputy sheriff trainees; overtime and associated fringe benefits when additionally justified as necessary and related to training; tuition and fees paid on behalf of trainees to a CJSTC-certified training school, prorated to dates within the project period; and, for Sheriff's Offices in fiscally constrained counties only, standard-issue duty equipment and supplies purchased specifically for LEAP trainees, including uniforms, duty belts and accessories, body armor, duty weapons, laptops, and mobile radios. Costs must be incurred from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
Restrictions
Correctional Officer and Correctional Probation Officer apprentices are not eligible. Office supplies, furniture, software licenses or subscriptions, stipends, specialized weapons or body armor for special operations, K9, bomb squad, or similar functions, travel costs, vehicles, and drones are not eligible for reimbursement.
How to apply
Use the FY26-27 LEAP Grant Application linked from the official opportunity page and upload the required materials in Euna Grants. Only Sheriff's Offices in fiscally constrained counties may submit through September 15, 2026. The solicitation opens to Sheriff's Offices statewide on September 16, 2026; agencies in non-fiscally constrained counties may prepare applications earlier but should not submit before that date. Applications are considered first-come, first-served by submission date and time, with first priority for fiscally constrained counties. Applications reopened by FDLE for corrections must be revised and resubmitted. Awards will continue until all available funding is allocated.
Required materials
A separate FY26-27 LEAP Funding Request Form for each trainee; a LEAP Apprenticeship Agreement for each trainee; the agency's LEAP Participating Employer Agreement; the agency's personnel policy; and, for fiscally constrained counties only, the agency's procurement policy.
Program contact
Official sources
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement checked September 15, 2026
Grant details can change. Confirm all requirements on the official source before applying.