FY23 Community Policing Development (CPD) Invitational Solicitation | O COPS 2023 171556

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2023 171556

The FY23 Community Policing Development (CPD) Invitational Solicitation is a U.S. Department of Justice, COPS Office funding opportunity designed to strengthen law enforcement agencies ability to carry out community policing in practical, measurable ways. The solicitation frames community policing as an agency-wide approach that relies on partnerships and collaborative problem-solving to address the underlying conditions that contribute to public safety concerns, including violent crime, nonviolent crime, and fear of crime. Rather than focusing on staffing increases, CPD is oriented toward building capacity: helping the field learn what works, test new approaches, and spread effective strategies so agencies can prevent crime, improve safety, and build legitimacy with the communities they serve.

This program supports the creation and expansion of promising practices and the development of knowledge products that are meant to be useful in day-to-day policing environments. The COPS Office emphasizes that funded work should be quality-driven (clear, actionable guidance that reduces uneven performance across agencies), evidence-based (recommendations aligned with the strongest available research and ideally informed by systematic review), accessible (plain language and reasonable length so materials can actually be used), and memorable (designed to stick and translate into concrete action, especially in complex, high-pressure situations). In addition to crime prevention and safer communities, the solicitation highlights broader federal priorities such as advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and justice-involved individuals, strengthening community safety in the face of evolving threats, and improving trust between law enforcement and the public.

Projects proposed under this solicitation are expected to show, in the proposal narrative, how they will contribute to several outcome-oriented goal areas, recognizing that not every project will fit every category. Applicants are asked to explain how they will develop knowledge by generating new findings or effectively leveraging existing research about community policing strategies that show promise. They also need to describe how the project will increase awareness so more agencies and practitioners learn about effective approaches, increase skills and abilities through training, tools, technical assistance, or other supports that help stakeholders apply proven practices, and increase practice by driving actual adoption and use of those practices in the field. A key long-term expectation is to institutionalize practice, meaning the work should help agencies integrate community policing methods into routine operations and sustain them beyond the grant period, rather than treating them as temporary initiatives.

The solicitation is issued as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates a more hands-on partnership with the federal awarding office during execution compared to a standard grant. The statutory authority cited for the program is the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (as amended) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title I, Part Q (34 U.S.C. 10381 et seq.), with awards contingent on the availability of appropriated funds and any additional legal requirements that may apply. The opportunity is associated with CFDA 16.710 and was published by the Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The opportunity information provided indicates an award ceiling of $1,000,000, an expectation of three awards, a posting/creation date of March 30, 2023, and an original closing date of May 15, 2023.

From an application quality standpoint, the COPS Office signals a few practical expectations: deliverables should follow the COPS Office Editorial and Style Manual to ensure consistency and usability, and projects that involve site-specific work are strongly encouraged to include letters of support from the agencies involved, which helps demonstrate buy-in and feasibility. Applicants are also directed to align project goals and activities with COPS Office performance measures referenced in the application, signaling that funded work should be trackable and evaluated using established metrics. For support, the solicitation points applicants to the COPS Office Response Center (800-421-6770) and AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov during business hours on weekdays, excluding federal holidays.

• The Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY23 Community Policing Development (CPD) 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 Mar 30, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 15, 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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O COPS 2023 171556

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