How to Apply for Funding

• Visit the Open Funding section of this website for a listing of current opportunities.
• OJJDP's JUVJUST listserv provides email messages on juvenile justice and other youth service-related publications, funding opportunities, and events. Stay up to date by subscribing to JUVJUST or by following OJJDP on social media.

Applicants should refer to the "How to Apply" section of the solicitation for the appropriate steps. Generally, organizations must register in Grants.gov and the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ's) JustGrants system.

Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process. We encourage applicants to register several weeks before the Grants.gov application submission deadline. For first-time registrants, it can take several weeks to receive confirmation of registration and a user password. Read more about how to apply in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.

JustGrants is the grants management system developed by the DOJ. JustGrants replaces the Grants Management System used by OJP. To learn more about JustGrants, see the About page on the JustGrants Resources website. 

Every entity has a designated Entity Administrator. The Entity Administrator needs to invite additional users in the Digital Identity and Access Management Directory (DIAMD), which will automatically send an email to the new user with instructions to create an account and login for JustGrants.

Entity Administrators are encouraged to view the Training: Entity Management page to learn how to manage entity users.

SAM replaced the Central Contractor Registration database as the repository for certain standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients.

Under "Step 2" of "Registration and Submission Steps (Grants.gov)" under "How to Apply" within the Office of Justice Programs Grant Application Resource Guide, you can find more details about registering with SAM, including:

• processing time;
• submitting an original signed notarized letter to SAM appointing the authorized Entity Administrator;
• and maintaining your registration and keeping it active. Applicants must update or renew their SAM registration annual to maintain an active status. 

For questions about registering for a SAM account, contact SAM.

Before you can register as an organization applicant with Grants.gov, you will need to create a username and password on Grants.gov and complete registration in SAM.

Complete an Authorized Organization Representative profile and create a username and password on Grants.gov. Note: an applicant entity's "Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)" must be used to complete this step. On April 4, 2022, the UEI used across the federal government changed from the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number to the Unique Entity ID (generated by SAM.gov). UEIs are used to identify entities registered in SAM. For more details on UEIs, read What is a UEI? on the JustGrants Resources website.

The process of registering in Grants.gov can take up to 4 weeks. Once the SAM registration/renewal is complete, the information transfer from SAM to Grants.gov can take as long as 48 hours. OJP recommends that the applicant register or renew registration with SAM as early as possible. See the Register page on Grants.gov for details and instructions.

Information about the registration process for organizations and other entities can be found at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

Refer to the "Eligibility" section of the solicitation.

Complete the AOR profile and create a username and password on Grants.gov. Note: An applicant entity's UEI must be used to complete this step. On April 4, 2022, the federal government stopped using the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and start using UEIs. UEIs are used to identify entities registered in SAM.

• Individual applicants registering with Grants.gov can learn about the registration process by going to the Grants.gov Applicant Registration webpage.
• Organizations and other entities can learn about the registration process by going to the Grants.gov Organization Registration webpage.

Note that organizations can have more than one AOR. For more information, access the How To Apply section of the OJP Applicant Resource Guide.

Additional Resources:

• JustGrants Resources website: Resources for Using the System for Award Management (SAM.gov)
• SAM.gov entity registration page

The E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) at the applicant organization must log into Grants.gov to confirm the applicant organization's AOR. The E-Biz POC will need the Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN) password obtained when registering with SAM to complete this step. This step must be completed prior to submitting the application.

DOJ has made a collection of self-guided training resources to help JustGrants users.

Training materials include self-guided eLearning videos, which are supplemented by job aid reference guides and infographics that provide further clarification, definitions, and visual representations of unique system processes and information. Access the Training Overview page on the JustGrants Resources website for all training-related resources.

For additional training-specific questions, contact [email protected]. If you have trouble accessing the trainings or need technical assistance with your JustGrants account, contact JustGrants User Support.

Each OJJDP solicitation includes an Application Checklist to help you prepare your application for funding.

The checklist, found at the end of every solicitation, provides information about steps to complete before and during the process, summarizes opportunity scope and eligibility, and highlights critical application elements that are required to pass the Basic Minimum Requirements review.

In addition to the opportunity-specific checklist found in each solicitation, a DOJ Application Submission Checklist, developed by the JustGrants team, can help you work through your application.

Real-time virtual Q&A sessions for DOJ award recipients will be available on an ongoing basis. View the JustGrants Training: Virtual Q&A Sessions webpage on the JustGrants Resources website for information about upcoming sessions. 

You can also view previously held virtual Q&A sessions. To view training by topic, go to the JustGrants Training Overview page.

Contact the OJP Response Center with questions:

800–851–3420 (toll-free)
301–240–6310 (TTY for hearing impaired)
[email protected]

The Response Center hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time on solicitation due dates.

ASAP is the shared services payment system used by the Department of the Treasury that replaces the Grants Payment Request System for grant payments. Through this platform, recipients of DOJ grant awards and other forms of federal assistance are able to request and receive payments for grants managed through JustGrants.

To learn more about ASAP, see the About page on the JustGrants Resources website.

JustGrants uses SAM as the primary source of agency information in applying for and managing DOJ grant funding.

• Organization information in SAM accounts is automatically updated in JustGrants.
• In JustGrants, an award recipient organization is called an entity.
• Information in an entity's SAM account is automatically updated in JustGrants.
• Applications must have a SAM account and keep it updated.
• Ensure your entity information is current in SAM.
• An active SAM account is required to receive funding.

For more information about SAM, go to the Resources page on the JustGrants Resources website. Refer to the JustGrants User Role Matrix for information about specific user roles and responsibilities.

Please visit the "Application and Submission Information" section of the solicitation to review the "Program Narrative" section, as the page length and other requirements may vary by solicitation. However, generally, the program narrative should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins on pages that are 8 ½ by 11 inches, while using a standard 12-point font (preferably Times New Roman). Pages should also be numbered (example: "1 of 30," etc.). Items such as tables, charts, pictures (including all captions, legends, keys, subtext, etc.), may be single-spaced, and will count in the page limit.

Please note, documents required under the "Project Abstract," "Budget and Budget Narrative," and "Other Attachments" sections will not count toward the program narrative page count. If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, OJJDP may consider the application to be non-compliant in peer review and final award decisions.

Watch a training video on the Justice Resources website about completing a Budget Detail Form.

Applicants should review the sample most appropriate to the nature of the solicitation under which they are applying, i.e., program, research, or evaluation. Timelines submitted by applicants should be specific to their individual proposals, and the samples should serve simply as guides to the format, etc.

Questions may be addressed to the solicitation contact.

Sample Timelines:

• Sample Program Timeline Word and PDF
• Sample Research Timeline Word and PDF
• Sample Evaluation Timeline Word and PDF

No. The application should describe the applicant's plan for collecting all of the performance measures data listed in the table below under "Data Recipient Provides," should it receive funding.

Applicants should visit OJP's performance measurement page for an overview of performance measurement activities.

OJJDP offers training webinars for applicants for specific solicitations. For webinar information, check the OJJDP Events calendar, sign up for JUVJUST emails and follow OJJDP on social media for news about upcoming solicitation webinars. OJJDP solicitation webinars are available afterward on the Multimedia page.

The JustGrants Resources website includes a Glossary of Terms that provides information about and definitions of different terms that are associated with the JustGrants system. Browse an alphabetical listing of the glossary or filter by a specific word.

For more information on allowable and unallowable costs, review the solicitation and the DOJ Grants Financial Guide.

Interpretations or clarification on the DOJ Grants Financial Guide can be addressed to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer's Customer Service Center at 800–458–0786 or [email protected].

Watch a training video on the JustGrants Resources website about completing a Budget Detail Form.

Applicants should provide a budget that—

• is complete, allowable, and cost-effective in relation to the proposed activities;
• shows the cost calculations demonstrating how they arrived at the total amount requested; and 
• provides a brief supporting narrative to link costs with project activities. The budget should cover the entire award period.

Your Budget Detail Form should clearly present a breakdown of costs associated with each of nine budget categories. Itemize where necessary. For more detail on what is required, reference the specific solicitation. OJJDP expects applicants to provide a thorough narrative for each section of the Budget Detail Form. The Budget Detail Form should break out costs by year.

Applicants will complete a web-based budget form on JustGrants. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information on preparing a budget.

The budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of expense listed in the Budget Detail Form. OJP expects proposed budgets to be complete, cost effective, and allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities).

Applicants should demonstrate in their budget narrative how they will maximize cost effectiveness of award expenditures. Budget narratives should generally describe cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. As with the Budget Detail Form, the budget narrative should describe costs by year.

To learn about what a budget narrative should include, go to the Narrative Justification for Every Cost section of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. 

If you are a non-federal entity that expended $750,000 or more in federal funds (from all sources including pass-through sub-awards) in your organization's fiscal year (12-month turnaround reporting period), then you are required to arrange for a single organization-wide audit conducted in accordance with the provisions of Title 2 C.F.R. Subpart F (§ 200.500 et seq.). Refer to DOJ Grants Financial Guide, 3.19 Audit Requirements.

Some DOJ solicitations include a cost sharing or matching requirement. This matching/cost sharing amount refers to the portion of project costs that are not paid by federal funds.

Solicitations with such a requirement will specify the percentage and type of match required, which is generally cash, in-kind, or both. For information on the sources of cash and in-kind matches, see the Types of Match section of the DOJ Financial Guide.

As you are completing your application's budget summary in the JustGrants system, you'll see an area where the match details can be captured.

The following online resources provide additional information about match requirements and how to document match amounts in the web-based Budget Detail Form:

• JustGrants Job Aid Reference Guide: Entering Match Amount in a Budget
• OJP Grant Application Resource Guide: Cost Sharing or Matching Requirements
• DOJ Grants Financial Guide: Matching or Cost Sharing Requirements

Indirect costs may be charged to an award only if:

(a) The recipient has a current (i.e., unexpired), federally approved indirect cost rate; or

(b) The recipient is eligible to use, and elects to use, the de minimis indirect cost rate described in the Part 200 Uniform Requirements, as set out at 2 C.F.R. 200.414(f).

An applicant with a current (that is, unexpired) federally approved indirect cost rate must attach a copy of the indirect cost rate agreement to the application. An applicant that does not have a current federally approved rate may request one through its cognizant federal agency, which will review all documentation and approve a rate for the applicant entity, or, if the applicant's accounting system permits, applicants may propose to allocate costs in the direct cost categories.

For assistance with identifying the appropriate cognizant federal agency for indirect costs, contact the Customer Service Center at 800–458–0786 or at [email protected]. If the DOJ is the cognizant federal agency, an applicant may obtain information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal at http://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/IndirectCosts.pdf.

Certain OJP recipients have the option of electing to use the de minimis indirect cost rate. An applicant eligible to use the de minimis rate and that wishes to use the de minimis rate should attach written documentation to the application that advises OJP of both (1) the applicant's eligibility to use the de minimis rate and (2) the applicant's election to do so. If an eligible applicant elects the de minimis rate, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. The de minimis rate may no longer be used once an approved federally negotiated indirect cost rate is in place. (No entity that ever has had a federally approved negotiated indirect cost rate is eligible to use the de minimis rate.)

For technical assistance with submitting an application in Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800–518–4726 or 606–545–5035 or email them at [email protected]. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.

For technical assistance with submitting the full application in DOJ's JustGrants, contact the JustGrants Service Desk at [email protected]. The JustGrants Service Desk operates 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays.

An applicant that experiences unforeseen Grants.gov or JustGrants technical issues beyond its control that prevent it from submitting its application by the deadline must email the National Criminal Justice Reference Service Response Center (Response Center) at [email protected] within 24 hours after the application deadline to request approval to submit its application after the deadline.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the Response Center by telephone at 800–851–3420 or TTY: 301–240–6310 (hearing impaired only) or by email at [email protected]. Response Center hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on the solicitation close date.

General information on applying for OJJDP awards can be found at https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding. For information on past awards, go to the Past Funding page. 

To learn how to submit an application for DOJ funding, visit the Training: Application Submission page and the JustGrants Application Submission FAQs on the JustGrants Resources website. 

Access the JustGrants User Support page on the JustGrants Resources website. Current award recipients with specific questions about their awards should reach out to their grant managers for support.

No. Applicants must submit their application electronically. OJJDP will not accept paper submissions.

Start the application process at Grants.gov. Applications are then completed and submitted in JustGrants. Learn more by going to the Training: Application Submission page and the JustGrants Application Submission FAQs on the JustGrants Resources website.

If an award is issued to an incorrect entity or UEI, the entity should contact JustGrants User Support for assistance.

Once an application is completed and submitted within JustGrants, the entity administrator and all users assigned to the application will receive a submission notification.

From this point on, all entity users can view their application and monitor the status. However, only users who are assigned to specific applications can take action within those applications, if necessary. Refer to the JustGrants User Role Matrix for information about specific user roles and responsibilities.

OJP is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for making awards. OJJDP reviews the application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, understandable, measurable, and achievable, as well as consistent with the solicitation.

Peer reviewers will review the applications submitted under this solicitation that meet basic minimum requirements. For purposes of assessing whether an application meets basic minimum requirements and should proceed to further consideration, OJP screens applications for compliance with those requirements. Although specific requirements may vary, a list of common requirements applicable to all solicitations for funding under OJP programs may be viewed in Section E. Application Review Information of the solicitation.

All final award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General who may take into account not only peer review ratings, but also other factors as indicated in Section E. Application Review Information of the solicitation.

If an award is issued to an incorrect entity or UEI, the entity should contact JustGrants User Support for assistance.

Applications can be tracked in JustGrants. To learn more about JustGrants, see the About page on the JustGrants Resources website.

To prevent compromising the integrity of the competitive review process, OJJDP will not discuss details regarding the status of your applications until all awards have been made to grant recipients. It is anticipated that awards for this fiscal year will be made no later than September 30.

Both the point of contact and the authorizing official listed on the grant application will receive an e-mail notifying them the award was made, and provide further information on procedures for receiving funds. Applicants receiving an award this fiscal year will normally be notified by September 30.

To learn about reporting requirements, refer to the solicitation, Section F. Federal Award Administration Information, General Information About Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements.

The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducts audits of DOJ grant awards to ensure award recipients are complying with applicable statutes and are accomplishing the goals of the awards. View the OIG's 5-part series Webinar for Grantees: The Audit Process to learn more.

To find information on funding OJJDP has awarded in previous years, visit the List of Funded Projects webpage.

Your entity must successfully set up their JustGrants account and enroll in ASAP in order to accept and manage their award. If you have enrolled into ASAP and JustGrants, you can proceed with accepting an award in JustGrants. All award recipients can accept their award through JustGrants. The entire process of reviewing and accepting an award can now be completed in its entirety by an Authorized Representative in JustGrants. Go to the Training: Award Acceptance webpage of the JustGrants Resources website for training and reference materials that will support an Authorized Representative with accepting an award. Also see the Award Acceptance FAQs and the Award Acceptance Job Aid Reference Guide on the JustGrants Resources website. 

For information on entity management in JustGrants, view the Setting Up Your Entity FAQs and the User Roles FAQs on the JustGrants Resources website. Refer to the JustGrants User Role Matrix for information about specific user roles and responsibilities.  

To determine whether your organization is already enrolled with JustGrants, contact the grant manager listed on the award, or the funding office below:

OJP Support
[email protected]
833–872–5175

If your entity is not already registered in JustGrants, visit the Training: Entity Management page and the Entity User Experience Job Aid Reference Guide on the JustGrants Resources website to find out how applicants and entities will register and onboard their users.

Applicants that receive funding from OJJDP are required to provide regular performance data measuring the results of the work done under the solicitation.

Routine performance reporting is essential for not only measuring the progress of grant programs, but also for compliance with federal laws on the use of the funding.

OJJDP solicitations require applicants to provide a detailed description of how their performance data will be collected. Specific program performance measures can be found through a link provided in the solicitation.

Visit the OJP Grant Performance Measurement and Progress Reporting Information Portal to learn more about performance measurement activities.

See the Training: Performance Reporting section of the JustGrants Resources website to access an eLearning video and reference materials on performance reporting.

For additional information, access OJJDP's Performance Measures section.