BJA FY25 Invited to Apply - Small, Rural, and Tribal Body-Worn Camera Program

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, administers funding and technical assistance programs to support state, local, and tribal justice systems. This funding opportunity represents a continuation cooperative agreement under the Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation program. It is specifically structured as an invited application, meaning that participation is limited to a pre-selected organization with prior involvement or demonstrated capacity in administering related initiatives. The funding is intended to further federal priorities in strengthening law enforcement transparency, accountability, and operational effectiveness through technology adoption. The purpose of this opportunity is to support the administration of a subaward program targeted at small, rural, and tribal law enforcement agencies. The selected recipient will be responsible for managing a competitive subaward process that distributes funding to eligible agencies seeking to establish or expand body-worn camera programs. In addition to financial distribution, the recipient must provide comprehensive training and technical assistance to subrecipients, ensuring proper implementation, policy development, and adherence to best practices in body-worn camera usage. Funding under this opportunity may be used to support a range of programmatic activities, including subaward management, training delivery, technical assistance provision, and oversight of implementation efforts. The cooperative agreement structure indicates that BJA will maintain substantial involvement throughout the project period, collaborating with the awardee on program design, monitoring, and evaluation. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which reduces financial barriers for the selected applicant and allows full federal funding utilization within approved budget parameters. Eligibility for this funding opportunity is highly restricted. Only organizations that have received an official invitation letter from BJA are permitted to apply. Specifically, this notice identifies Justice & Security Strategies as the sole eligible applicant. This limitation reflects the continuation nature of the award and suggests that the selected organization has an established role or prior performance in administering similar programs. Applications submitted by any other entities will not be considered. The application process follows standard federal grant submission procedures through Grants.gov, though only the invited entity may complete submission requirements. Applicants must prepare and submit all required forms and documentation by the stated deadline. While specific application components are not detailed in the summary, typical federal cooperative agreement applications include project narratives, budgets, timelines, and organizational capacity descriptions. BJA evaluates submissions based on alignment with program goals, technical merit, and the applicant’s ability to effectively manage subawards and deliver training and technical assistance. The application timeline is clearly defined, with the opportunity posted on April 28, 2026, and a closing date of May 6, 2026. This short submission window is consistent with invited or continuation funding opportunities. No pre-application requirements such as letters of intent are indicated. Contact for technical issues or questions is provided through the Office of Justice Programs Response Center via email. The period of performance and award notification timeline are not explicitly stated in the available summary, but such details are typically included in full solicitation documents or communicated directly to the invited applicant.