BJA FY 21 Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative Training and Technical Assistance Provider | O BJA 2021 20002

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the BJA FY 21 Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative Training and Technical Assistance Provider opportunity?

It is a U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) discretionary cooperative agreement to fund a national training and technical assistance (TTA) provider. The purpose is to strengthen how rural communities prevent and respond to violent crime by helping small, rural law enforcement agencies make practical improvements in policing, prevention, and victim support connected to a related microgrant program.

What is the main goal of this opportunity?

The main goal is to support rural violent crime reduction by creating a national TTA effort that helps rural agencies implement evidence-informed strategies, improve capacity, and strengthen partnerships. The effort aligns with DOJ priorities such as protecting the public, supporting crime victims, advancing civil rights, improving access to justice, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Who is BJA planning to fund under this solicitation?

BJA planned to fund one organization to serve as the national TTA provider for the Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative.

What does the TTA provider do in this initiative?

The provider delivers hands-on training and technical assistance to the initiative's site-based awardees (the rural agencies receiving microgrants through a companion solicitation). This includes practical implementation support rather than generic training.

Who receives the microgrants mentioned in the opportunity?

The microgrants are awarded to rural law enforcement agencies (the site-based awardees) through a companion solicitation. The TTA provider supports these sites with implementation guidance and capacity-building.

What types of support is the TTA provider expected to deliver to rural agencies?

Based on the description, support typically includes helping sites identify needs, select and implement evidence-informed strategies, adopt or upgrade technology appropriately, improve data and analysis capacity, and build sustainable partnerships.

Does the opportunity focus only on enforcement activities?

No. The intent is to make rural crime reduction more comprehensive by combining operational support for law enforcement with community-based prevention approaches and coordination with victim services, rather than focusing narrowly on enforcement alone.

What specific improvement areas does the initiative emphasize?

The solicitation emphasizes improvements such as better training and technology for small rural law enforcement agencies, expansion of community-based crime prevention programs, and stronger partnerships with victim service providers.

How does the initiative address the unique challenges rural communities face?

The opportunity is designed with rural realities in mind, including limited staffing, long response times, fewer local services, and reduced access to specialized expertise. The national TTA provider is meant to help rural agencies overcome these constraints through tailored implementation support.

Is coordination with victim service providers part of the expectations?

Yes. The TTA provider is expected to help strengthen relationships with community stakeholders, including victim service providers, so that responses to violent crime are coordinated and victim-centered.

Does the TTA provider have a role in improving collaboration across different law enforcement partners?

Yes. The provider is expected to help participating sites improve communication and collaboration across state, local, and tribal law enforcement, while also strengthening local community relationships.

What is the funding instrument type for this award?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, not a standard grant.

What does it mean that this award is a cooperative agreement?

It indicates substantial federal involvement. Recipients should expect BJA to remain engaged in planning, deliverable review, performance monitoring, and strategic direction throughout the project period.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this solicitation?

O-BJA-2021-20002.

What is the CFDA number associated with this program?

CFDA 16.039.

How much funding was available, and what was the award ceiling?

The estimated award ceiling was $1,000,000.

How many awards did BJA expect to make?

BJA expected to make one total award.

Was this a competitive funding opportunity?

Yes. It was a competitive federal funding opportunity.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on May 17, 2021, and originally closed on July 6, 2021.

Who was eligible to apply for this opportunity?

Eligible applicants included 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), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and other eligible entities as further clarified in the solicitation.

Is this opportunity intended to fund rural law enforcement agencies directly as the main awardee?

The solicitation described here is for a single national TTA provider. Rural law enforcement agencies are referenced as the site-based awardees receiving microgrants through a companion solicitation, with the TTA provider supporting those sites.

How should this opportunity be understood in plain terms?

It funds one lead organization to act as a backbone support system for rural agencies receiving microgrants, ensuring those rural sites have training, tools, implementation guidance, and collaborative support to reduce violent crime in ways that are effective, community-oriented, and responsive to victims.