Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2026 172658
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is offering a discretionary funding opportunity called the BJA FY 2026 Enhancing Security Measures for Houses of Worship Program (Funding Opportunity Number: O-BJA-2026-172658). Structured as a cooperative agreement, the program is designed to help faith-based institutions and houses of worship reduce the risk of bias-motivated crimes by improving on-site security and strengthening coordination with local law enforcement. The core idea is not only to add physical security where needed, but also to build practical, ongoing partnerships and procedures that help prevent incidents, improve preparedness, and support effective reporting and investigation when threats or crimes occur.
The program focuses on two major outcomes. First, it supports projects that enhance security capabilities at religious sites through evidence-based measures, meaning approaches that are informed by proven practices and real-world risk considerations rather than ad hoc purchases. Second, it aims to improve law enforcement collaboration with religious communities so that agencies and congregations can communicate quickly, share threat information appropriately, and respond in a coordinated way during an incident. A related emphasis is building institutional capacity within houses of worship to document and report incidents, preserve relevant information, and assist criminal investigations, which can be especially important in bias-related offenses where timely reporting and accurate details can shape outcomes.
Eligibility is broad and includes several types of governmental and non-governmental applicants. Eligible applicants listed for this opportunity include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), as well as other eligible entities. The notice also highlights two specific applicant categories for this program. Category 1 targets faith-based organizations, including religious organizations, faith-based nonprofits, and organizations that have religious charters, names, or missions. Category 2 targets other units of local government, defined here as towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state. This structure is intended to ensure that both direct faith-based applicants and local governmental partners can seek funding, depending on who is best positioned to implement the proposed security improvements and partnership activities.
The maximum award amount is capped at $200,000 per award (award ceiling: 200000). The opportunity was created on July 22, 2026, and the application deadline is September 2, 2026. The program falls under the Law, Justice and Legal Services funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 16.047. While the posting does not specify the expected number of awards in the provided source data, the ceiling and the cooperative agreement format suggest that BJA anticipates active involvement in guiding or coordinating aspects of funded work to ensure it aligns with federal program goals and effective practices.
In practical terms, competitive applications for this type of program typically center on clear threat or risk context, a realistic plan for implementing security enhancements, and a credible approach to collaboration with law enforcement. Because the NOFO emphasizes prevention and response to bias-motivated crimes, proposals generally need to show how the planned activities will deter threats, reduce vulnerabilities, improve situational awareness, and strengthen reporting and investigative support. Projects that reflect thoughtful coordination between a house of worship and local law enforcement, along with well-justified security measures and procedures, align closely with the intent described in the opportunity summary.Apply for O BJA 2026 172658
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 2026 Enhancing Security Measures for Houses of Worship" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.047.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-07-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-02. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Others.
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FAQs: BJA FY 2026 Enhancing Security Measures for Houses of Worship Program (O-BJA-2026-172658)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is called the BJA FY 2026 Enhancing Security Measures for Houses of Worship Program.
Who is offering this funding?
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is offering this discretionary funding opportunity.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is O-BJA-2026-172658.
What type of funding instrument is this?
This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates BJA expects active involvement in guiding or coordinating aspects of the funded work to support alignment with program goals and effective practices.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is designed to help faith-based institutions and houses of worship reduce the risk of bias-motivated crimes by improving on-site security and strengthening coordination with local law enforcement.
What kinds of outcomes does the program emphasize?
The program focuses on two major outcomes: (1) enhancing security capabilities at religious sites through evidence-based measures, and (2) improving law enforcement collaboration with religious communities so communication, information sharing, and coordinated response are stronger during threats or incidents.
What does "evidence-based measures" mean in this context?
It means security improvements should be informed by proven practices and real-world risk considerations, rather than being ad hoc or based only on unplanned purchases.
Does the program support only physical security upgrades?
No. The core idea includes physical security enhancements where needed, but also emphasizes building practical, ongoing partnerships, procedures, and coordination with local law enforcement to prevent incidents and improve preparedness and response.
How does the program address bias-motivated crimes specifically?
The emphasis is on preventing and responding to bias-motivated crimes by deterring threats, reducing vulnerabilities, improving situational awareness, and strengthening reporting and investigative support through better coordination and procedures.
What role does law enforcement coordination play in the program?
Coordination is a central goal. The program aims to improve collaboration so agencies and congregations can communicate quickly, share threat information appropriately, and respond in a coordinated way during an incident.
Does the program mention reporting and investigation support?
Yes. A related emphasis is building institutional capacity within houses of worship to document and report incidents, preserve relevant information, and assist criminal investigations, which can be particularly important in bias-related offenses.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), as well as other eligible entities listed in the notice.
What are the two highlighted applicant categories?
The notice highlights two categories: Category 1 is faith-based organizations (including religious organizations, faith-based nonprofits, and organizations with religious charters, names, or missions). Category 2 is other units of local government, defined here as towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state.
Why does the program include both faith-based applicants and local government applicants?
The structure is intended to allow either direct faith-based applicants or local governmental partners to seek funding, depending on which entity is best positioned to implement the security improvements and partnership activities.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $200,000 per award.
Is the expected number of awards specified?
No. The provided information does not specify the expected number of awards.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on July 22, 2026.
What is the application deadline?
The application deadline is September 2, 2026.
What funding activity category does this fall under?
This opportunity falls under the Law, Justice and Legal Services funding activity category.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The program is associated with CFDA number 16.047.
What would a competitive application typically include based on this summary?
Based on the opportunity description, competitive applications typically center on a clear threat or risk context, a realistic plan for implementing security enhancements, and a credible approach to collaboration with local law enforcement. Proposals generally need to show how planned activities will deter threats, reduce vulnerabilities, improve situational awareness, and strengthen reporting and investigative support.
How important is a partnership plan with local law enforcement?
It appears highly important. The program explicitly aims to strengthen coordination with law enforcement, including quick communication, appropriate threat information sharing, and coordinated incident response.
Does the summary indicate what BJA will be looking for in project design?
Yes. The summary stresses evidence-based security measures, thoughtful coordination with local law enforcement, well-justified security improvements, and procedures that support prevention, preparedness, reporting, and investigation related to bias-motivated crimes.
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