OVC FY 2026 Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking

The Office for Victims of Crime, within the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, is offering the Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking funding opportunity to enhance the availability, quality, and delivery of services for minor victims of human trafficking. The program addresses the safety, security, and healing needs of minor victims of sex and labor trafficking. Funded organizations are expected to adapt programs to the developmental stages of children and youth. Service eligibility is limited to victims who were trafficked and began receiving services while under age 18, although services may continue beyond age 18 as needed. Services may also extend to eligible family members, including a minor victim's children and supportive, nonoffending parents and caregivers, when those services affect the minor's safety, security, and healing. Applicants are encouraged to engage human trafficking survivors on an ongoing basis to inform programming. The program seeks to improve the quality and accessibility of services delivered by national, state, and local victim service organizations. Its objectives are to increase the availability, type, and quality of programs serving minor victims of sex and labor trafficking, train individuals to respond to these victims, and develop protocols and procedures that enhance services. Generally allowable services include information and referral, personal advocacy and accompaniment, crisis intervention, mental health services, case management, emergency and transitional housing, relocation and rental assistance, criminal and civil justice system assistance, education, vocational training, job readiness, transportation, interpreter services, family reunification, and other specified victim services. Recipients must maintain required privacy and confidentiality policies, ensure staff and service providers working with trafficking victims are appropriately licensed and trained, and participate in required grantee orientations. Certain activities and costs are outside the program scope or expressly restricted. Grant funds may not support activities that violate applicable federal immigration, civil rights, or nondiscrimination law. Restrictions also apply to certain legal services for removable aliens or aliens otherwise unlawfully present in the United States, subject to stated exceptions. Grant funds cannot be used to hold empty housing beds when other victims need them, provide cash or noncash incentives merely to encourage participation in services, establish victim savings accounts, provide direct cash assistance, purchase vehicles, conduct primary prevention activities, or promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution. Limited and controlled gift cards for urgent and short-term victim needs and certain noncash assistance necessary for receiving services are allowable. Costs must be reasonable, allocable, necessary, and allowable under applicable requirements. Approximately 9500000 in total funding is expected to support 10 grants, with anticipated awards of up to 950000 each. The expected award period is 36 months beginning January 1, 2027. A 25 percent cost share based on total project costs is required. Federal funds may cover no more than 75 percent of total project costs, while recipients must cover at least 25 percent through cash and or in-kind contributions. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, federally recognized and other Native American Tribal governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, public housing authorities, Indian housing authorities, qualifying nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, and other units of local government such as towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, and other general purpose political subdivisions of a state. Nonprofits holding money in offshore accounts to avoid the tax described in the solicitation are ineligible. More than one application may be submitted when each proposes a different project in a different geographic area. Submission occurs through a two-step process. Applicants must submit the required SF-424 through Grants.gov by September 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by the full application through JustGrants by October 5, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Required components include Standard Applicant Information, a Proposal Narrative, and the Budget, along with the SF-424 submitted during the first step. The proposal abstract is limited to 2000 characters. The Proposal Narrative must be double-spaced, use a standard 12-point font, have margins of at least one inch and numbered pages, and may not exceed eight pages. It must address Description of the Need, Project Goals and Objectives, Project Design and Implementation, and Capabilities and Competencies. Other application materials include financial management information, the Agency Funding Priorities Inventory when priority consideration is sought, applicable financial attachments, partner letters or memoranda, resumes or descriptions of key personnel qualifications, a project timeline, applicable disclosures, and assurances. Peer review scoring assigns 5 percent to Description of the Need, 15 percent to Project Goals and Objectives, 35 percent to Project Design and Implementation, 30 percent to Capabilities and Competencies, and 15 percent to the Budget. Basic responsiveness considerations include submission by an eligible applicant, a requested amount that does not exceed the award ceiling, inclusion of the required cash or in-kind match, and responsiveness to the scope of the funding opportunity. OJP may also give priority consideration to projects advancing specified agency priorities, although priority consideration does not guarantee funding. Recipients must submit regular performance reports documenting progress toward the program goals and objectives. No separate program deliverables are required beyond the standard post-award items identified by OJP. The funding opportunity was released August 19, 2026. Applicants are advised to begin SAM.gov registration or renewal as soon as possible and no later than September 14, 2026, although registration is not treated as a pre-application gating step. The Grants.gov deadline is September 28, 2026, and the final JustGrants deadline is October 5, 2026. The expected 36-month performance period begins January 1, 2027. No recurring annual or other recurring application cycle is stated. Program questions may be directed to the OJP Response Center at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov or 800-851-3420. Grants.gov technical support is available at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726, and JustGrants technical support is available at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175.

Prioritize Project Design and Implementation and Capabilities and Competencies because they account for 35 percent and 30 percent of the score. Clearly address both sex and labor trafficking and connect project goals and objectives to the funding opportunity. Support the statement of need with data or evidence. Keep the Proposal Narrative within eight pages and follow the required formatting. Ensure the budget is reasonable, allocable, necessary, and tied to project activities. Include the required cash or in-kind match and do not exceed the 950000 award ceiling. Provide an MOU or LOI for applicable partner work and clearly explain subrecipient roles. Address agency funding priorities explicitly if seeking priority consideration.