BJA FY26 Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Assaults in Confinement Facilities Program

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance administers the Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Assaults in Confinement Facilities Program. The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, funding, and other resources supporting law enforcement, violent crime reduction, services for crime victims, protection of children, and other public safety priorities. This funding opportunity is intended to support state, local, and tribal efforts to strengthen their capacity to investigate and prosecute incidents of sexual assault occurring in confinement facilities. The program seeks to increase the number of incidents investigated and referred for potential prosecution, increase successful prosecutions, and improve collaboration among state agencies, correctional institutions, law enforcement agencies, and prosecutorial agencies. Approximately $7,000,000 is expected to be available through the program, with four anticipated grant awards of up to $2,000,000 each. The expected award period is 48 months beginning October 1, 2026. Permissible uses include establishing or enhancing sexual assault prosecution units; supporting evidence collection, evidence retention, and victim and witness interviewing; educating and training law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, and their partners; establishing or supporting coordinated interagency responses such as multidisciplinary sexual assault response teams in confinement facilities; acquiring resources or equipment such as security cameras to support effective investigations; and providing prosecutor training for sexual assault cases involving confinement facilities. Costs must be reasonable, allocable, necessary, allowable under the governing funding statute, and connected to proposed project goals, objectives, and activities. The program does not require cost sharing or matching. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, federally recognized Native American Tribal governments, Native American Tribal governments other than federally recognized Tribes, state and local prosecuting agencies, other units of local government, and publicly funded law enforcement agencies. State and local prosecuting agencies include state, county, and municipal government offices authorized to prosecute criminal offenses on behalf of the government. Other units of local government include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, and other general purpose political subdivisions of a state. Publicly funded law enforcement agencies are those funded by states, federally recognized Tribes, or units of local government. An applicant may submit only one application, although an entity may participate as a subrecipient in more than one application. When two or more entities will carry out a project, one entity must apply and the other project partners must be proposed as subrecipients rather than co-applicants. Certain activities and costs are outside program scope. The notice excludes programs or activities that directly or indirectly violate, promote, or facilitate violations of federal immigration law or impede or hinder its enforcement. Activities violating applicable federal civil rights or nondiscrimination laws are also outside program scope. Certain legal services for removable aliens or aliens otherwise unlawfully present in the United States are unallowable, subject to the exceptions stated in the notice for protection orders for crime victims and immigration-related legal services expressly authorized or required by applicable law or judicial ruling. Applicants seeking priority consideration may address specified Office of Justice Programs priorities. Additional priority consideration is available for qualifying state or local law enforcement efforts coordinated with federal law enforcement through established participation or a commitment to participate in a 287(g) partnership and/or a Homeland Security Task Force, with the required supporting documentation. Priority consideration does not guarantee an award. Submission occurs in two steps. First, applicants must complete the required SF-424 and submit it through Grants.gov by September 23, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Second, applicants must submit the full application through JustGrants by September 30, 2026, at 8:59 PM Eastern Time. Required application components include Standard Applicant Information, a Proposal Narrative, and a Budget. The application also addresses a proposal abstract, the Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire, the Agency Funding Priorities Inventory, applicable budget and financial attachments, partner documentation, a timeline, and required disclosures and assurances. The proposal abstract is limited to 2,000 characters. The Proposal Narrative must be double-spaced in a standard 12-point font, have margins of at least one inch, have numbered pages, and not exceed 10 pages. Partner documentation may include a signed Memorandum of Understanding, a letter of intent, or narrative confirmation of participation as described in the notice. 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. Applications must also satisfy basic minimum responsiveness requirements, including submission by an eligible applicant, a requested amount that does not exceed the award ceiling, and responsiveness to the scope of the funding opportunity. Recipients must submit regular performance reports communicating progress toward program goals and objectives. The Bureau of Justice Assistance will measure success through performance reports, performance data, and evidence that implementation is progressing toward the stated goals and objectives. The funding opportunity was released August 13, 2026. Applicants are instructed to begin SAM.gov registration or renewal by August 24, 2026, and no later than September 9, 2026. The Grants.gov submission deadline is September 23, 2026, and the JustGrants full application deadline is September 30, 2026. Award notification is anticipated by September 30, 2026, and the expected 48-month award period begins October 1, 2026. No 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 support is available at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175.

Prioritize Project Design and Implementation and Capabilities and Competencies because they represent 35 percent and 30 percent of the application score. Clearly connect strategies and activities to improved investigation and successful prosecution of sexual assaults in confinement facilities. Explain coordination with federal, state, local, and tribal partners and prosecutor involvement. Demonstrate organizational capacity and relevant experience of key staff. Keep the Proposal Narrative within 10 pages, double-spaced, in a standard 12-point font with at least 1-inch margins and numbered pages because noncompliance may reduce the score or ranking. Ensure the requested amount does not exceed $2,000,000 and that the application remains responsive to the NOFO scope. Applicants seeking priority consideration should identify the applicable priorities and provide required supporting evidence.