FY 2023 COPS Technology and Equipment Program II Invitational Solicitation | O COPS 2023 171766

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2023 171766

The FY 2023 COPS Technology and Equipment Program II Invitational Solicitation is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The COPS Office is the DOJ component focused on strengthening community policing nationwide by providing funding and practical resources to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. Over time, the COPS Office has distributed more than $20 billion to support community policing efforts, including funding that has helped agencies hire or redeploy tens of thousands of officers. This particular solicitation, however, is not a broad open competition; it is an invitational program tied to specific community project designations made by Congress.

Legally, the program is grounded in long-standing federal public safety authorities, including the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (as amended) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The immediate funding direction comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328). In that law and its accompanying explanatory statement (incorporated by reference), Congress set aside funds for law enforcement technologies, interoperable communications, and related public safety equipment, and it also specified which projects and dollar amounts are eligible under the heading for Community Oriented Policing Services technology and equipment community projects. Because of that structure, the COPS Office is constrained to fund only those designated projects and cannot approve changes to the project scope as described in the appropriations explanatory statement.

Programmatically, the money is intended to help agencies and other eligible entities develop, purchase, and implement effective law enforcement equipment and technologies, with a strong emphasis on interoperable communications and tools that support both responding to crime and preventing it. The overall goal is to increase law enforcement agencies community policing capacity and strengthen crime prevention efforts. A core objective is improving police effectiveness and improving the flow of information not just within and between law enforcement agencies, but also among local government service providers and the communities those agencies serve. In other words, the program is framed around practical upgrades that make coordination easier, situational awareness better, and community safety strategies more effective.

A notable compliance point is that equipment purchased through this program is expected to meet applicable requirements from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Law Enforcement Standards when relevant. The solicitation also states that it incorporates the FY23 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Reference Guide by reference, which means applicants are expected to follow that guide for award terms and conditions, budget rules, and other program requirements even if they are not fully restated in the solicitation text.

Eligibility is limited because this is invitational. The solicitation indicates that eligible applicants include state, local, tribal, territorial, and other entities, but the actual list of who may apply is restricted to those specifically identified in the COPS Office "Other Information" section referenced by the notice. Practically speaking, applicants should assume eligibility is not self-determined; it depends on whether the entity and project appear in the congressional designation list tied to the appropriations act.

On timing and funding mechanics, the COPS Office planned awards with a period of performance beginning December 29, 2022, which is the enactment date of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. The solicitation also allows that costs incurred on or after that date may be reimbursed, even if they occurred before the award was officially issued, but only if those costs end up being approved in the project budget by the COPS Office. Any spending done in that pre-award window is explicitly at the applicant's own risk, and reimbursement is not guaranteed unless the expenses are determined allowable and included in the approved budget.

In terms of scale and administrative details, the opportunity is listed under CFDA 16.710, categorized under law, justice, and legal services. The funding instrument is a grant, with an announced award ceiling of $9,000,000 and an expectation of 196 awards. The opportunity number is O-COPS-2023-171766. It was posted May 23, 2023, with an original closing date of July 18, 2023. Finally, the solicitation places the program within broader DOJ and COPS Office priorities, explicitly referencing commitments to civil rights and racial equity, access to justice, support for victims and impacted individuals, strengthening community safety against evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

• The Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 COPS Technology and Equipment Program II Invitational Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.710.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 23, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 18, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $9,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 196 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O COPS 2023 171766

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