FY26 Community Policing Development (CPD) Microgrants

The Community Policing Development Microgrants program is administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the U.S. Department of Justice. This office is responsible for advancing community policing practices across the United States by supporting law enforcement agencies with funding, technical assistance, and resources. The program is aligned with broader federal priorities to improve public safety, strengthen law enforcement capacity, and promote innovative strategies that enhance trust and effectiveness within communities. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support demonstration or pilot projects that enable law enforcement agencies to implement innovative or evidence based approaches to public safety challenges. The program is designed to increase the capacity of agencies to address emerging and persistent crime issues while improving officer and community safety. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that are creative, data driven, and responsive to specific public safety gaps within their jurisdictions. The initiative emphasizes measurable outcomes and the development of practices that can be shared across the law enforcement field. Funding supports a wide range of topic areas including violent crime, gang activity, human trafficking, child exploitation, cybercrime, drug markets, and officer recruitment and retention. Additional focus areas include the use of unmanned aerial systems, immigration enforcement coordination, and addressing vagrancy and squatting issues. Projects must go beyond simple equipment purchases and instead demonstrate how proposed activities fit into a broader strategy for crime prevention and enforcement. Partnerships with other agencies and stakeholders are encouraged, particularly when they enhance coordination and effectiveness. The program provides grant funding with an anticipated award amount of up to two hundred thousand dollars per project, with an overall program funding pool of approximately six million seven hundred thousand dollars. Awards are expected to support projects over a twenty four month performance period beginning in early October following award decisions. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement associated with this funding opportunity, which lowers the barrier to entry for eligible agencies. Eligibility is limited to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority within their jurisdictions. Agencies that do not possess full policing authority or that operate in limited or specialized capacities are not eligible. The program also requires compliance with federal information sharing regulations related to immigration status. Applicants may submit multiple applications but must submit each project separately. The application process involves a two step submission. Applicants must first complete and submit the SF 424 form through Grants.gov by the initial deadline, followed by submission of the full application package through the JustGrants system. Required components include a proposal abstract, detailed application questions, budget and budget narrative, and a project timeline. Optional components may include resumes, letters of support, and memoranda of understanding. Applications are evaluated based on responsiveness, alignment with program goals, and the strength of proposed strategies. Key deadlines include submission of the initial application in mid August and the full application approximately one week later. Award notifications are anticipated on or after early October. The program does not explicitly state recurring availability, but given its fiscal year designation, it is likely part of an annual funding cycle. Applicants can seek assistance through multiple support channels including the COPS Office Response Center, Grants.gov, and JustGrants help desks, which provide technical and programmatic guidance throughout the application process.

Focus on clearly demonstrating innovative or evidence based strategies that address a defined public safety gap and include measurable outcomes and partnerships