OJP FY 2026 Special Attorneys Program Round 7

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance administers the Special Attorneys Program under Assistance Listing 16.076 and Public Law 119-21, Section 100055, codified at 34 U.S.C. 61101. This Round 7 notice supports state, local, Tribal, and territorial prosecuting agencies that assign or hire qualified prosecutors to serve full-time, or part-time when approved on a case-by-case basis, as Special Attorneys under the direction of the National Fraud Enforcement Division or Criminal Division, or as Special Assistant United States Attorneys within a United States Attorney's Office. These cross-designated prosecutors remain employees of their home agencies while investigating and prosecuting assigned fraud and other crimes committed by aliens within the United States. They may also be assigned cases involving drug or human trafficking committed within the United States. The program seeks to strengthen investigative and prosecutorial capacity, expand intergovernmental coordination, and increase the availability of cross-designated prosecutors working with federal authorities. Funding may pay 100 percent of salary and fringe benefits for assigned Special Attorneys and Special Assistant United States Attorneys. Applicants may request up to an additional 20 percent beyond salary and benefits for specified justice system staffing and capacity needs or equipment and technology. These additional funds may support hiring, retention, training, equipment, advanced technology, implementation, subscriptions, maintenance, coordination with federal partners, and related capabilities described in the NOFO. Applicants requesting this additional funding must explain in their narrative how they plan to use it. Certain activities violating applicable federal civil rights or nondiscrimination law are outside program scope. Certain legal services for removable aliens or aliens otherwise unlawfully present in the United States are also unallowable, subject to the exceptions stated in the NOFO. No cost sharing or matching is required. Eligible applicants are government entities with the legal, operational, and managerial capacity to employ prosecutors in the cross-designated roles supported by the program. Eligible types include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. For this NOFO, state includes the states, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Other units of local government include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, and other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state. Every applicant must be willing to enter into and be bound by an appropriate memorandum of understanding provided by the National Fraud Enforcement Division, Criminal Division, or relevant U.S. Attorney's Office. Applications use a two-step submission process. Applicants must first submit the required SF-424 through Grants.gov by August 25, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The full application must then be submitted through JustGrants by August 27, 2026 at 8:59 p.m. ET. Required components include Standard Applicant Information, a Proposal Narrative, Budget, and a statutory or other authority supporting document. The application also addresses a proposal abstract, Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire, applicable budget and financial attachments, a letter of support, resumes, proof of active bar admission, certificates of good standing, an applicable Tribal Authorizing Resolution, a project timeline, and required disclosures and assurances. The proposal abstract is limited to 2,000 characters. The Proposal Narrative must be no more than 15 pages, double-spaced, use a standard 12-point font, have margins of at least one inch, and contain numbered pages. The Proposal Narrative is evaluated on Project Goals and Objectives at 20 percent, Project Design and Implementation at 35 percent, and Capabilities and Competencies at 30 percent. The Budget accounts for the remaining 15 percent. Applicants should clearly explain proposed prosecutor assignments or hiring, operational implementation, coordination with DOJ and federal partners, case referral and review, information sharing, supervision, personnel, implementation timelines, expected outputs, and organizational capacity. Part-time positions require detailed justification. The budget must identify and explain necessary costs, show computations, and include only reasonable, allocable, necessary, and allowable expenses. Recipients must submit performance measure data and performance reports in JustGrants semi-annually. Awards are cooperative agreements, allowing substantial OJP involvement. Expected total program funding is $300,000,000. Individual award amounts will be based on approved costs requested by applicants, and the number of awards will depend on the quantity and viability of applications received, so no numerical award floor, ceiling, or award count is established. The expected award period is 36 months starting June 1, 2026. The NOFO is released in multiple rounds, applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are no longer available, and additional rounds may be added. Round 7 was released August 12, 2026. Awards will be made on a rolling basis. Program questions may be directed to the OJP Response Center at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov or 800-851-3420. The program also provides separate Grants.gov and JustGrants help desk contacts for technical submission assistance.v

Prioritize Project Design and Implementation and Capabilities and Competencies because they account for 35 percent and 30 percent of the score. Clearly connect activities, personnel, federal coordination, case processes, implementation, and expected outputs to program goals. Provide detailed justification for any requested part-time prosecutor position and explain any planned use of the additional funding of up to 20 percent. Follow the Proposal Narrative formatting requirements because noncompliance may reduce the score or ranking. Ensure the budget clearly identifies each cost, its purpose, computation, and connection to project activities.