OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Firearms Technical Assistance Project Pilot Sites Initiative Solicitation | O OVW 2021 05002

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OVW 2021 05002

The OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) Pilot Sites Initiative is a Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) funding opportunity built around a straightforward public-safety problem: when a domestic violence abuser has access to a firearm, the likelihood that abuse turns lethal rises dramatically. The solicitation points to research showing firearm access is the single strongest risk factor for intimate partner homicide, with the risk increasing five-fold, and it highlights national homicide data indicating firearms are consistently the most common weapon used in intimate partner killings. Beyond fatalities, the opportunity emphasizes that guns are frequently used as tools of intimidation, coercion, and control, affecting not only victims but also children, family members, and friends who may be threatened as part of the abuse.

This initiative is authorized under 34 U.S.C. 10461 and sits within OVW's broader Improving Criminal Justice Responses (ICJR) framework. Since FY 2012, ICJR appropriations have included a set-aside (4,000,000) for Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Interventions (DVHPI). OVW has used DVHPI funding in prior years (notably FY 2016 and FY 2018) to support the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) in running the Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Firearms Technical Assistance Project. FTAP is designed to help jurisdictions take a hard look at why firearms restrictions and relinquishment laws are not always implemented consistently or effectively in domestic violence cases, and then build practical, locally tailored solutions across civil and criminal justice systems. The overall thrust is not simply passing laws, but making sure existing legal tools actually work in day-to-day practice, especially around firearms removal and compliance.

A core feature of FTAP is intensive training and hands-on technical assistance aimed at improving how communities apply domestic violence-related firearms laws. The project specifically aligns with ICJR purpose area 22, which focuses on domestic violence homicide reduction. In practical terms, this means helping communities strengthen the policies and workflows that support firearms relinquishment and enforcement, such as how protection orders and criminal case dispositions trigger firearm prohibitions, how information is communicated between courts and law enforcement, how surrender or removal is documented, and how compliance is monitored. The solicitation also makes clear that lessons learned from these pilot sites are expected to inform OVW and the ICJR Program about best practices and promising approaches that other jurisdictions can replicate.

By FY 2019, six sites had already been selected for intensive FTAP support, and DVHPI funds continued to provide training and technical assistance to these non-funded sites: Birmingham, Alabama; Columbus, Ohio; Muskogee Creek Nation, Oklahoma; Brooklyn, New York; the State of Vermont; and Spokane, Washington. The FY 2021 opportunity is intended to deepen and expand this work in two ways. First, OVW planned to provide non-competitive funding directly to the original six FTAP sites. Second, OVW opened a competitive process to add up to six additional jurisdictions to participate in the FTAP Initiative, expanding the number of places receiving structured technical assistance and allowing OVW to test and refine implementation strategies across a broader range of legal systems and community contexts.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity issued as a cooperative agreement, which typically means OVW expects substantial involvement and collaboration during the project period rather than a hands-off grant. The opportunity number is O-OVW-2021-05002, and it falls under the law, justice, and legal services funding activity category, with CFDA number 16.526. Eligible applicants are broad and include state, county, and city or township governments; federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The solicitation also notes that additional eligibility details may apply and are explained in the full announcement.

In terms of scale, the solicitation lists an award ceiling of 500,000 and anticipates up to 12 awards. The timeline provided shows the opportunity was created on August 12, 2021, with an original closing date of September 20, 2021. Finally, the announcement ties the work to OVW performance measurement expectations, referencing OVW program performance measures under the VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative, and points applicants to OVW program webpages and OVW's biennial reporting on VAWA-funded program effectiveness.

• The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Firearms Technical Assistance Project Pilot Sites Initiative Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.526.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 12, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 20, 2021. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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