BJA FY 20 Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) National Law Enforcement Survivor Support and National Firefighter and First Responder Survivor Support | BJA 2020 17374

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.

• 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).

Apply for BJA 2020 17374

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