Community Policing Development (CPD) Accreditation Solicitation | O COPS 2021 75010

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2021 75010

The Community Policing Development (CPD) Accreditation Solicitation is a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) funding opportunity run through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) that focuses on strengthening law enforcement agencies ability to carry out community policing through accreditation-related projects. At its core, the solicitation treats community policing as an agency-wide approach built on partnerships and problem solving, aimed at addressing the conditions that drive public safety concerns like violent crime, nonviolent crime, and fear of crime. Rather than funding routine operations, CPD funds are meant to build capacity by developing, testing, and spreading innovative strategies, and by producing practical guidance that law enforcement can apply in the field to prevent crime and support safer communities.

A major emphasis of this solicitation is the creation and sharing of "knowledge products" and other deliverables that reflect what the COPS Office calls principles of good guidance. In practice, that means projects should be quality-driven and action-oriented (clear steps agencies can actually take), evidence-based (recommendations aligned with the best available research identified through systematic review), accessible (plain language and manageable length so the material is usable by practitioners), and memorable (designed so officers and leaders can readily recall and apply guidance under real-world pressure). The solicitation also sits within DOJ priorities that include advancing civil rights, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and communities. Applicants are expected to connect their proposed work to those broader priorities where relevant and to show how the project advances community policing in a practical, on-the-ground way.

For FY 2021, the CPD Accreditation program is organized around four project subcategories. These include: addressing gaps in state accreditation (helping states close coverage or capability gaps in accreditation support), enhancing existing law enforcement accreditation entities (improving or expanding the capacity of organizations that already provide accreditation services or infrastructure), supporting tribal agency accreditation (helping tribal law enforcement agencies pursue or build pathways to accreditation), and supporting law enforcement agencies in seeking accreditation (direct assistance and supports that help agencies move through the accreditation process). The solicitation is an open competition, but applicants must choose the most appropriate subcategory when they apply. If an applicant wants to propose more than one distinct project, they can submit multiple applications, but each project requires its own separate application. The application also needs to clearly identify the solicitation and the correct subcategory on the cover page of the project narrative; selecting the wrong subcategory or failing to clearly label the application can cause it to fail basic screening.

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning the COPS Office typically expects substantial involvement or collaboration during the project period, not just a hands-off grant award. The listed award ceiling is $150,000, with an expectation of 46 awards. The funding opportunity number is O-COPS-2021-75010, and it is associated with CFDA 16.710. The solicitation was created June 3, 2021, with an original closing date of July 21, 2021. While the eligible applicant category is listed broadly as "Others" (with additional eligibility details referenced elsewhere in the full announcement), the design of the subcategories signals that applicants may include accreditation bodies, organizations supporting accreditation, and other entities positioned to deliver training, technical assistance, and implementation support tied to accreditation outcomes.

The solicitation also spells out practical compliance expectations for recipients. Awardees are expected to start work immediately once selected and notified. If the project includes training or curriculum deliverables, those materials must follow the COPS Office Curriculum Standards and Review Process Guides (available on the COPS Office training site). If conferences or convenings are part of the deliverables, recipients must follow the COPS Office conference request approval process. Written products are expected to align with the COPS Office Editorial and Style Manual, reinforcing the program goal of producing clear, consistent, practitioner-friendly guidance. For site-specific projects where work is aimed at particular agencies, letters of support from the targeted agencies are strongly encouraged, which helps show readiness, buy-in, and feasibility. The program is authorized under federal law, including the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (as amended) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and all awards depend on available appropriations and any legal requirements that may apply.

For applicant support, the solicitation directs programmatic questions to the COPS Office Response Center (800-421-6770) or AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov, available weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays. Overall, the CPD Accreditation Solicitation is best understood as a targeted investment in accreditation as a tool to professionalize and standardize community policing practices, expand the reach and effectiveness of accreditation systems (including in tribal contexts), and produce field-ready guidance that helps agencies deliver safer, fairer, and more trusted policing services.

• The Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community Policing Development (CPD) Accreditation 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 Jun 03, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 46 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O COPS 2021 75010

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