OVC FY 2026 Services for Victims of Human Trafficking

The U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Justice Programs and its Office for Victims of Crime, is offering the Services for Victims of Human Trafficking funding opportunity to develop, expand, and strengthen victim service programs for victims of human trafficking as defined by federal law. The program recognizes that trafficking victims may experience mental and physical health issues, substance use concerns, unemployment, justice system involvement, and other consequences requiring a broad range of services. Funding is intended to increase the quality and availability of services for victims of both sex trafficking and labor trafficking in the United States and its territories. The program has two categories. Category 1, Developing Capacity to Serve Human Trafficking Victims, supports victim service organizations with limited or no prior experience serving trafficking victims or limited or no prior experience receiving direct federal funding for trafficking victim services. Category 2, Services for Human Trafficking Victims, supports organizations with a demonstrated history of providing comprehensive or specialized services to trafficking victims. Category 1 recipients will spend the first 12 months of the 36-month project period working with the Office for Victims of Crime to build organizational capacity to serve trafficking survivors and manage federal awards, including hiring experienced staff or training existing staff. Services will be implemented during the final 24 months. Category 2 recipients are expected to use funding to provide services directly or through funded subrecipients and to maintain or develop community partnerships that facilitate access to other needed services. Applicants in all categories should be prepared to serve survivors of all forms of human trafficking. The program is intended for programs serving adults or a combination of adults and minors or youth. Projects primarily or solely serving minors and projects primarily focused on shelter and housing are directed to separate Office for Victims of Crime funding opportunities. Applicants with current overlapping Office for Victims of Crime anti-trafficking awards must explain how the proposed project differs from or expands their existing funded work. Generally allowable services include information and referral, victim advocacy and accompaniment, transportation, interpreter services, family reunification, crisis intervention, mental health services, dental and medical services, support groups, substance use disorder services, safety planning, case management, emergency and transitional housing, relocation and rental assistance, rapid rehousing, civil and criminal justice system assistance, education, vocational training, job readiness, and life skills. Costs must be reasonable, allocable, necessary, allowable under the funding statute, and connected to project goals and activities. Restrictions include holding unused housing beds as contingency costs, cash or non-cash incentives merely to encourage service participation, victim savings accounts, direct cash assistance, vehicle purchases, primary prevention activities, and prohibited promotion or support of the legalization or practice of prostitution. Certain legal services for removable aliens or aliens otherwise unlawfully present in the United States are also unallowable except where specifically permitted by applicable law or judicial ruling. Recipients must maintain required privacy and confidentiality practices and ensure staff and service providers working with trafficking victims are appropriately licensed and trained. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, federally recognized and other Native American Tribal governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, public housing authorities, Indian housing authorities, qualifying nonprofit organizations with Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, and other units of local government such as towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, and other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state. Nonprofit organizations holding money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding the tax described in federal law are ineligible. Cost sharing is mandatory. Federal funds may cover no more than 75 percent of total project costs, and recipients must provide at least 25 percent of total project costs through cash and/or in-kind contributions. The program expects approximately 27 awards overall, consisting of 6 Category 1 awards of up to $400,000 and 21 Category 2 awards of up to $950,000. Expected total program funding is $22,315,250, and awards are expected to have 36-month periods beginning January 1, 2027. Applications use a two-step federal submission process. Applicants must submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov by September 29, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and then submit the full application in JustGrants by October 6, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applicants are advised to begin SAM.gov registration or renewal as soon as possible and no later than September 15, 2026. Required application elements include the SF-424, Standard Applicant Information, Proposal Narrative, and Budget. Other application materials include a proposal abstract, financial management and internal controls information, the Agency Funding Priorities Inventory where applicable, relevant budget and financial attachments, letters of intent or memoranda of understanding, resumes or curriculum vitae, a timeline, and applicable disclosures and assurances. The Proposal Narrative is limited to eight pages and must address Description of the Need, Project Goals and Objectives, Project Design and Implementation, and Capabilities and Competencies. The proposal abstract is limited to 2,000 characters. 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 sustained service rates, caseloads, and expenses that justify the requested funding level, explain how the project avoids duplication, address labor as well as sex trafficking, protect victim safety and confidentiality, support victim-informed decisions and autonomy, and demonstrate coordination with community partners and other funded anti-trafficking programs. The Office of Justice Programs may also give priority consideration to projects supporting specified Department of Justice priorities, although priority consideration does not guarantee funding. Recipients must submit regular performance reports documenting progress toward program goals and objectives; no additional program-specific deliverables are required beyond standard post-award items. The funding opportunity was released August 20, 2026, and applications are currently being accepted. The Grants.gov first-step deadline is September 29, 2026, and the final JustGrants deadline is October 6, 2026. The expected 36-month performance period begins January 1, 2027. The notice does not state that this funding opportunity recurs annually or on another regular schedule, and it does not provide an award notification date. Program questions may be directed to the OJP Response Center at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov or 800-851-3420. Grants.gov technical assistance is available at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726, and JustGrants technical assistance is available at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175.

Demonstrate the need with supporting data and cite its sources; document prior victim service levels and types of trafficking victims served; show sustained service rates, caseloads, and expenses that justify the requested funding; explain how the project avoids duplication of existing services; address both labor and sex trafficking; align project goals and objectives with the funding opportunity; explain victim safety and confidentiality protections; support victim-informed decisions and autonomy; coordinate with community partners and other anti-trafficking programs; ensure the budget includes the required match and does not exceed the applicable award ceiling; closely align reasonable, allocable, and necessary costs with project goals and activities.