BJA FY 2026 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance is offering the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program to support comprehensive responses to overdose deaths, illicit opioids, stimulants, and other substances. The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, funding, and resources in support of law enforcement, violent crime reduction, protection of children, services for crime victims, and other public safety challenges, including the opioid crisis. The program is intended to reduce the impact of opioids, stimulants, and other substances on individuals and communities, reduce overdose fatalities, mitigate impacts on crime victims, increase access to prevention, treatment, and recovery support services, and support law enforcement efforts addressing the unlawful distribution of opioids. Program funds may support locating or investigating illicit activities related to unlawful opioid distribution; pre-booking or post-booking alternatives to incarceration for individuals at high risk for overdose or substance abuse; first responder and law enforcement diversion programs; education and prevention programs connecting law enforcement agencies with K-12 students; prescription drug take-back programs; naloxone and related training; court-based interventions; evidence-based treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder; recovery support services; transitional or recovery housing; and comprehensive regional information collection, analysis, and dissemination. Recovery or transitional housing may use no more than 30 percent of the total budget. Construction, facility purchases, vehicle purchases, prizes, rewards, entertainment, trinkets, monetary incentives, client stipends, gift cards, food, and beverages are prohibited. Federal funds also may not support activities that violate the Controlled Substances Act or activities identified by the notice as outside program scope. For Category 2, no more than 15 percent of the award budget may be retained by the state for administrative purposes, with the remainder subawarded to at least six jurisdictions. Eligible applicants are state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and other units of local government, including towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, and other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state. Category 1 is for local governments and is divided into Subcategory 1a for urban areas or large jurisdictions with populations greater than 500,000, Subcategory 1b for suburban or medium-size jurisdictions with populations between 100,000 and 500,000, and Subcategory 1c for rural jurisdictions as determined through the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer. Category 2 is for state governments, which must apply on behalf of six or more jurisdictions or areas and assume responsibility for project management, oversight, and evaluation. Category 3 is for federally recognized Native American tribal governments. State and local government applicants must submit the certification contained in Appendix 1. No cost sharing or matching contribution is required. The program expects approximately 133,585,276 dollars in total funding and anticipates 79 awards. Category 1a anticipates 24 awards of up to 1,600,000 dollars each; Category 1b anticipates 26 awards of up to 1,300,000 dollars each; Category 1c anticipates 13 awards of up to 1,000,000 dollars each; Category 2 anticipates five awards of up to 7,000,000 dollars each; and Category 3 anticipates 11 awards of up to 1,000,000 dollars each. Awards are grants with an expected 36-month performance period beginning October 1, 2026. Applicants may submit more than one application when each application proposes a different project, but each application may address only one funding category, and a jurisdiction will not receive more than one award for the same project in the same fiscal year. Submission is a two-step process. Applicants must first complete the required SF-424 and submit it through Grants.gov by September 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The full application must then be submitted through JustGrants by October 1, 2026, at 8:59 PM Eastern Time. Required application materials include Standard Applicant Information, a Proposal Narrative, and a Budget, as well as the required chief executive officer or senior official certification for state or local government applicants. Other application elements include a proposal abstract, financial management and internal controls information, agency funding priorities information, applicable budget and financial attachments, a timeline, applicable tribal or research documentation, 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, use margins of at least one inch, contain numbered pages, and not exceed 10 pages. 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. Applicants should demonstrate the identified need with evidence, explain coordination with existing strategies, establish goals and measurable objectives aligned with the funding opportunity, provide a detailed implementation approach, demonstrate organizational and staff capacity, and present reasonable and necessary costs clearly connected to project activities. Recipients must submit regular performance reports. Category 2 recipients must also submit a final report documenting interventions, outcomes, and lessons learned. The notice was released August 17, 2026, and recommends beginning SAM.gov registration or renewal by August 25, 2026, and no later than September 10, 2026. The OJP Response Center is the program contact at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov or 800-851-3420. Grants.gov assistance is available at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726, and JustGrants assistance 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 document the need with evidence, align goals and objectives with the NOFO, explain coordination with existing strategies, demonstrate that the project does not duplicate existing efforts, and include a sustainability plan. Current COSSUP recipients must show that the proposed project funds different activities or serves different geographic or population areas. Keep the Proposal Narrative within 10 pages and follow the required formatting. Ensure requested funding does not exceed the applicable category ceiling and that all costs are reasonable, necessary, allowable, and clearly connected to project activities. State and local applicants must include the required chief executive officer or senior official certification because omission will result in denial. Category 2 applicants should clearly address selection and support of at least six jurisdictions, performance data collection, subgrant monitoring, oversight, and the required final report.