Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2020 17374
The BJA FY 20 Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) National Law Enforcement Survivor Support and National Firefighter and First Responder Survivor Support opportunity is a discretionary federal grant from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), designed to strengthen survivor assistance nationwide for families and colleagues of fallen public safety personnel. The core purpose is to expand and improve peer support, counseling, and related survivor-focused services while also increasing understanding and successful use of PSOB benefits, including helping survivors navigate the PSOB claims process and assemble the documentation needed for timely, accurate submissions.
This solicitation is rooted in the workload and impact of the PSOB program. In fiscal year 2018 alone, the PSOB Office finalized 423 death claims, 131 disability claims, and 642 education claims. Those numbers reflect both the scale of need and the complexity survivors often face when seeking benefits after a line-of-duty death or catastrophic injury. The grant recognizes that survivors frequently require more than financial assistance: they also need trusted guidance, trauma-informed counseling resources, and peer networks that understand the unique challenges of losing a law enforcement officer, volunteer firefighter, or other first responder. By funding experienced national organizations, the PSOB Office aims to ensure survivors can access consistent, high-quality support and clearer pathways to PSOB benefits.
A central theme of the opportunity is leveraging demonstrated national leaders in peer support and counseling services. Rather than building new capacity from scratch, BJA is looking to partner with organizations that already have established credibility, reach, and operational infrastructure to deliver survivor services at a national level. This includes helping survivors and agencies increase awareness of PSOB benefits, improve outreach and education about eligibility and available support, and reduce barriers that can slow down or complicate the submission of PSOB applications and claim materials. In practical terms, funded work would typically include direct survivor support services, structured peer mentoring programs, referral pathways to counseling and wellness resources, and hands-on technical assistance that helps families and survivors compile and submit required documentation correctly.
The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BJA 2020 17374) is offered as a grant under CFDA 16.571 and is categorized across several activity areas, including law, justice and legal services, employment/labor and training, information and statistics, humanities/cultural affairs, and research and development. This range signals that the work is not limited to immediate crisis response. It can also include training and capacity building, public information and education efforts, and data-informed improvements that strengthen survivor support systems over time.
In terms of scale and structure, BJA anticipated making two awards, with an award ceiling of $5,500,000. The solicitation was created on January 28, 2020, with an original closing date of March 17, 2020. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. That framing generally suggests the program expects applications from established national organizations positioned to provide survivor support at scale, rather than limiting eligibility to only state or local government agencies.
Overall, this grant opportunity is meant to ensure that survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters (including volunteers), and other first responders are not left to navigate grief, trauma, and complex benefits processes alone. By investing in national-level peer support and counseling leaders, BJA aims to improve the survivor experience, increase awareness and utilization of PSOB benefits, and strengthen the quality and completeness of PSOB applications and claim documentation, ultimately helping eligible survivors access the support they are entitled to in a more informed and supported way.Apply for BJA 2020 17374
- The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the employment, labor and training, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics, law, justice and legal services, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 20 Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) National Law Enforcement Survivor Support and National Firefighter and First Responder Survivor Support" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.571.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 28, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 17, 2020. (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 $5,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BJA FY 20 PSOB National Law Enforcement Survivor Support and National Firefighter and First Responder Survivor Support opportunity?
It is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The focus is to strengthen survivor assistance nationwide for families and colleagues of fallen public safety personnel by expanding and improving survivor-focused services and by increasing understanding and successful use of Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB).
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The core purpose is to improve survivor support nationwide, especially through peer support, counseling, and related services, while also helping survivors better understand and navigate PSOB benefits and the PSOB claims process. A major emphasis is helping survivors assemble the documentation needed for timely and accurate submissions.
Who is the funding agency and program office behind this opportunity?
The funding agency is the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The solicitation is closely tied to the PSOB program and the PSOB Office workload and objectives, with an emphasis on improving the survivor experience and helping eligible survivors successfully access PSOB benefits.
What types of survivors and affected communities is this opportunity intended to support?
This opportunity is intended to support survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters (including volunteer firefighters), and other first responders. It also recognizes that colleagues and peer communities may need survivor-focused support after a line-of-duty death or catastrophic injury.
Why does the solicitation emphasize PSOB claims support and documentation help?
The solicitation highlights that survivors often face complexity when seeking PSOB benefits after a line-of-duty death or catastrophic injury. Funded organizations are expected to help survivors navigate the PSOB claims process and compile the documentation needed for complete, accurate, and timely claim submissions.
What does the PSOB workload data suggest about need for survivor support?
The solicitation cites that in fiscal year 2018 the PSOB Office finalized 423 death claims, 131 disability claims, and 642 education claims. Those figures point to significant demand and illustrate how survivors may encounter a complicated process that can benefit from informed guidance and structured support.
What kinds of activities or services would a funded project typically provide?
Based on the description, typical funded work would include direct survivor support services, structured peer mentoring programs, referral pathways to counseling and wellness resources, and hands-on technical assistance to help families and survivors compile and submit required PSOB documentation correctly.
Does the opportunity focus only on immediate crisis support?
No. The solicitation notes multiple activity areas (including training, information/statistics, and research and development), signaling that projects can extend beyond immediate crisis response to include capacity building, public information and education efforts, and data-informed improvements that strengthen survivor support systems over time.
What is meant by “peer support” in the context of this opportunity?
The opportunity emphasizes peer support as survivor-focused, trust-based support delivered through networks and programs that understand the specific challenges experienced after losing a law enforcement officer, firefighter (including a volunteer), or other first responder. The aim is to expand and improve these peer-based services at a national level.
Is counseling included as an expected area of support?
Yes. The solicitation explicitly prioritizes counseling and related survivor-focused services, including trauma-informed resources and referral pathways to counseling and wellness supports.
What is the grant’s approach to building capacity: creating new programs or leveraging existing organizations?
The solicitation emphasizes partnering with demonstrated national leaders rather than building new capacity from scratch. BJA is looking for organizations with established credibility, national reach, and operational infrastructure to deliver survivor services at scale.
What role does outreach and education play in this grant?
Outreach and education are central themes. The opportunity highlights improving awareness of PSOB benefits, educating survivors and agencies about eligibility and available support, and reducing barriers that slow or complicate PSOB application and claim submissions.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BJA 2020 17374.
What is the CFDA number associated with this grant?
This opportunity is listed under CFDA 16.571.
How many awards did BJA anticipate making and what was the maximum award amount?
BJA anticipated making two awards. The award ceiling listed in the solicitation is $5,500,000.
When was the solicitation created and what was the original closing date?
The solicitation was created on January 28, 2020, and the original closing date was March 17, 2020.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligibility is listed as “Others,” with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. Based on the description, this broadly suggests applications are expected from established national organizations positioned to deliver survivor support at scale, rather than being limited only to state or local government agencies.
What activity areas does the opportunity span?
The solicitation is categorized across several activity areas, including law, justice and legal services; employment/labor and training; information and statistics; humanities/cultural affairs; and research and development.
How does this grant aim to improve outcomes for survivors seeking PSOB benefits?
The solicitation’s strategy is to pair survivor-focused emotional and practical supports (like peer support and counseling referrals) with technical assistance that improves the quality and completeness of PSOB applications and claim documentation. The intended result is clearer pathways to PSOB benefits and better-supported survivors during a difficult time.
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