OVC FY 2026 Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime administers the Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking funding opportunity. The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, funding, and other resources supporting law enforcement, efforts to combat violent crime, services for crime victims, protection of children, and responses to public safety challenges including human trafficking. This program is intended to improve outcomes for children and youth who are victims of human trafficking by integrating human trafficking policy and programming at the state or Tribal level and strengthening coordinated, multidisciplinary, jurisdiction-wide approaches to sex and labor trafficking. The program recognizes that minor trafficking victims frequently interact with multiple systems, including child welfare, juvenile justice, criminal justice, and victim services, which can result in victims going unidentified or receiving uncoordinated responses. Funded projects will develop and implement a statewide or Tribal jurisdiction-wide strategic plan addressing challenges in identifying and serving child and youth victims of sex and labor trafficking and in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting traffickers. Projects have two phases. Phase 1 involves development or expansion of the jurisdiction-wide strategic plan. Phase 2 involves implementation or expansion of identified strategies and continued refinement of the strategic plan and related strategies. Activities may include developing policies, practices, and guidelines; conducting resource or needs assessments; identifying and filling victim service gaps; coordinating multidisciplinary teams, task forces, and steering committees; providing training and public awareness outreach; developing and implementing screening and identification tools; and assessing program outcomes. OVC also encourages ongoing engagement with survivors of human trafficking to inform programming. Approximately $6,811,032 is expected to be available for four awards, with anticipated awards of up to $1,600,000 each. The expected award period is 48 months beginning January 1, 2027. Recipients must provide a 25 percent match based on total project costs, meaning federal funds may cover no more than 75 percent of total project costs. Match may consist of cash and/or in-kind contributions. Award funds must be reasonable, allocable, necessary, and allowable. Restrictions include holding unused housing beds through grant charges, cash or non-cash incentives intended to encourage victims to participate in services, investing federal funds in victim savings accounts, direct cash assistance to trafficking victims, vehicle purchases, primary prevention activities, and activities promoting, supporting, or advocating the legalization or practice of prostitution. Limited and controlled gift cards for urgent short-term victim needs and certain transportation, childcare, or meal assistance necessary for receiving services may be allowable. Eligible applicants are state governments and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. The program may support jurisdictions that have never received funding under the Improving Outcomes program as well as previous recipients. An entity with a current OVC Improving Outcomes award whose project period will overlap the proposed project must clearly explain how the new project differs from or expands the existing federally funded project, such as through a new scope, services, cost items, or distinct geographic scope. An applicant may submit only one application under this NOFO. When multiple entities participate, only one may be the applicant and the other project partners must be proposed as subrecipients rather than co-applicants. Recipients must comply with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements, ensure relevant personnel and service providers are appropriately licensed and trained, and participate in required grantee orientations. Application submission uses a two-step federal process. Applicants must first submit the required SF-424 through Grants.gov by October 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. They must then submit the full application through JustGrants by October 21, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applicants are advised to begin the SAM.gov registration or renewal process by September 11, 2026, and no later than September 29, 2026. Required application elements include the SF-424, Standard Applicant Information, Proposal Narrative, Budget, and Logic Model. Other application content includes a proposal abstract, Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire, Agency Funding Priorities Inventory, applicable budget and financial attachments, letters of intent and memoranda of understanding, resumes or curriculum vitae, timeline, applicable Tribal Authorizing Resolution, and required disclosures and assurances. The proposal narrative may not exceed eight pages and must address Description of the Need, Project Goals and Objectives, Project Design and Implementation, and Capabilities and Competencies. 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. Basic responsiveness considerations include whether the applicant is eligible, the requested amount does not exceed the award ceiling, the proposed budget includes the required cash or in-kind match, and the application is responsive to the NOFO scope. OJP may also give priority consideration to projects supporting specified agency priorities, although priority consideration does not guarantee funding. Recipients are expected to establish or expand a network of partners, maintain a collaboration or communication plan, produce and update a written strategic plan, submit semi-annual reports and a final report, and provide required performance information demonstrating progress toward the program goals and objectives. The NOFO was released August 20, 2026. The Grants.gov submission deadline is October 14, 2026, and the final JustGrants deadline is October 21, 2026. The expected 48-month performance period begins January 1, 2027. No recurring annual or other recurring application schedule is stated in the source. Questions about the funding opportunity may be directed to the OJP Response Center at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov or 800-851-3420; TTY assistance is available at 202-353-5556. 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 establish a jurisdiction-wide strategy addressing both sex and labor trafficking, describe Phase 1 strategic planning and Phase 2 implementation, identify the lead state or Tribal agency and project coordinator, demonstrate strong multiagency partnerships, document partner commitments through LOIs or MOUs, incorporate survivor perspectives, and connect activities and deliverables to measurable objectives. Ensure the budget includes the required cash and/or in-kind match, stays within the award ceiling, and contains only reasonable, allocable, necessary, and allowable costs.