OVC FY 2026 Invited to Apply - Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program
Opportunity number: O-OVC-2026-172642
Program owner: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime
Summary: Invitation-only federal funding for congressionally designated, OVC-administered Byrne projects intended to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, or assist victims of crime other than through compensation. Only recipients identified in the applicable congressional explanatory statement and invited by OVC may apply.
This noncompetitive opportunity supports specific Byrne community projects designated by Congress and administered by the Office for Victims of Crime. Projects must improve criminal-justice system functioning, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, or assist crime victims other than through compensation.
Eligibility is limited to invited recipients identified in the Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement. Award amounts may not exceed the amounts designated for the corresponding projects. Applicants submit the SF-424 through Grants.gov and then the complete application through JustGrants.
Who is eligible?
Applicant types: Other — invitation-only recipients identified in the Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement
Only recipients identified for designated projects in the Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2026, and invited by OVC. The applicant's SAM-registered legal name or doing-business-as name must coincide with the listed recipient.
What can the funding be used for?
Reasonable, allocable, and necessary costs that clearly support the applicant's specifically designated congressional project. Projects must improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, or assist victims of crime other than through compensation.
Restrictions
Funding may not be used for a purpose other than the specifically designated project. Funds may not directly or indirectly provide security enhancements or equipment to a nongovernmental entity that is not engaged in criminal justice or public safety. Recipients and subrecipients must forgo profit and management fees. Out-of-scope activities include those that violate or impede enforcement of federal immigration law, violate applicable federal civil-rights or nondiscrimination law, or fund certain legal services for removable or unlawfully present aliens, subject to the stated exceptions.
How to apply
Invitation-only applicants should verify that their SAM-registered name coincides with the congressionally listed recipient. Submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov by October 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, and submit the complete application in JustGrants by October 9, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The SF-424 project title and proposal narrative must align with the project title in the Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement.
Required materials
Step 1 requires the SF-424 through Grants.gov. Step 2 requires Standard Applicant Information, a proposal abstract, the Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire, a proposal narrative, and a budget. As applicable, applicants must provide an indirect-cost-rate agreement, consultant-rate documentation, an employee-compensation waiver, and a Research and Evaluation Independence and Integrity Statement. Required disclosures, assurances, and certifications must also be completed in JustGrants.
Program contact
OJP Response Center
[email protected]
800-851-3420; 202-353-5556 (TTY)
Official sources
- Office of Justice Programs checked September 13, 2026
Grant details can change. Confirm all requirements on the official source before applying.