FY 2022 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Invitational Solicitation II | O COPS 2022 171396

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2022 171396

The FY 2022 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Invitational Solicitation II is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The COPS Office is the federal agency focused on strengthening community policing nationwide, supporting state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement through both funding and practical resources. Over time, the office has invested more than $14 billion in community policing efforts, including support that has helped agencies hire or redeploy more than 135,000 officers, and it also maintains a large library of downloadable guidance and tools on topics like school safety, violent crime, and officer wellness.

This specific solicitation is aimed at funding law enforcement technologies, interoperable communications, and related public safety equipment that help agencies prevent crime and respond more effectively when incidents occur. The central purpose is to expand the community policing capacity of law enforcement by improving operational effectiveness and strengthening the flow of information among police, other local government service providers, and the communities they serve. In practice, that means projects that modernize how agencies communicate, share data, and deploy tools that support timely and coordinated crime prevention and response.

The program is authorized under several federal laws, including the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (as amended) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, along with the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103). Funding is tied directly to the Congressional spending direction included in the Joint Explanatory Statement connected to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. In that explanatory language, Congress set aside funding for a law enforcement technologies and interoperable communications program and specified that the funds must be used for the designated projects and amounts listed under the heading "Community Oriented Policing Services, Technology and Equipment Community Projects / COPS Law Enforcement Technology and Equipment." Because of that structure, this solicitation is invitational and tightly scoped: awards are only intended for the specific congressionally designated projects, and the COPS Office states it cannot approve changes to the project scope beyond what is identified in that congressional explanatory statement.

Eligibility is therefore limited. Only applicants explicitly named in the Congressional Joint Explanatory Statement for these designated projects can apply. There is also a technical but critical eligibility requirement tied to federal registration: the legal name (or DBA name) connected to the applicant's Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in the System for Award Management (SAM) must match the agency name as it appears in the Joint Explanatory Statement. The funding activity category is Law, Justice, and Legal Services, and the assistance listing associated with the program is CFDA 16.710 (as provided in the opportunity data).

On allowable spending, the solicitation emphasizes that funded equipment should meet any applicable requirements from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Law Enforcement Standards, which is meant to encourage reliable, performance-based purchases. The COPS Office also frames the program within broader DOJ priorities such as advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting victims and impacted individuals, strengthening community safety, addressing evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the community. While the solicitation text does not list individual project types in the excerpt provided, the overall theme is clear: technology, communications, and equipment investments that improve policing outcomes in ways consistent with community policing principles.

Timing and financial administration are also clearly defined. The period of performance for awards begins March 15, 2022, which matches the enactment date of the DOJ Appropriations Act, 2022. The solicitation notes that costs incurred on or after March 15, 2022, but before the award is officially issued and the project budget is approved, may be eligible for reimbursement, but only at the applicant's risk and only to the extent those costs end up being approved by the COPS Office. The original application closing date listed for this solicitation was August 4, 2022. The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number O-COPS-2022-171396, with an award ceiling listed at $8,245,000 (as provided in the source data), and it is administered directly by the Community Oriented Policing Services office.

Finally, the solicitation incorporates the FY22 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Reference Guide by reference, meaning applicants are expected to rely on that guide for the detailed award terms, conditions, and compliance requirements. The most important practical takeaway is that this is not an open, competitive program for general equipment needs; it is a targeted, congressionally directed funding stream where only specifically named entities and specifically described projects are eligible, with little to no flexibility to revise scope after the fact.

• The Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2022 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Invitational Solicitation II" 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 2022-07-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-08-04. (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 $8,245,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for O COPS 2022 171396

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