Program Contact
Amy Miller - Amy.l.miller@state.co.us (Send Email)

Financial Contact
Kinsey Garrett - Kinsey.Garrett@state.co.us (Send Email)

Reporting Contact
Kinsey Garrett - Kinsey.Garrett@state.co.us (Send Email)

General Requirements

The Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals, and we are continually making changes to improve accessibility and usability of our services. As part of this commitment, DCJ is prepared to offer reasonable accommodations for those who have difficulty engaging with our content. As an example, documents can be produced in an alternative file format upon request. To request this and other accommodations, or to discuss your needs further, please contact Gillian Trickett at 720-582-4510 or DCJGMS@state.co.us.



Description & Requirements (specific to this program)

Title:  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Grant Program

Overview

The Department of Justice (DOJ) Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community-based partners, and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories.  

The Colorado PSN Board, coordinated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, intends to allocate funds within the four specified Targeted Enforcement Areas (TEAs) that represent the regions where violence is of greatest concern and which also represent discrete law enforcement areas with unique challenges. Funds will be awarded to support focused and strategic enforcement to address violent crime, for violent crime prevention and intervention activities, and for community engagement efforts, which are aligned with the Colorado PSN Program strategy. Based on the current data concerning violent crime in the TEAs, the Colorado USAO and PSN Board have determined that focused and strategic enforcement is currently the most direct manner in which the PSN program can contribute to community safety. Therefore, at this time, most resources of the PSN program will be allocated towards accomplishing this key objective.

Resource: BJA OJP Project Safe Neighborhoods Overview

Project Application DEADLINE: May 22, 2023

Additional Resources

• Application Instructions (link) https://dcj.colorado.gov/psn-application-instructions
• FAQs (link) https://dcj.colorado.gov/psn-faqs
• Technical Resources (link)

https://bja.ojp.gov/program/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn/overview

https://dcj.colorado.gov/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn

https://psntta.org/psn-blueprint-for-success/

https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/performance-measures/bja-program-performance-measures

Apply Now in ZoomGrants: https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/PSN

About the Funding Agency: 

The mission of the Division of Criminal Justice is to improve the public safety of the community, the quality of services to crime victims, and the effectiveness of services to offenders. We accomplish this by analyzing policy, conducting criminal justice research, managing programs, and administering grants.

Program Description

Purpose of the Funds

• Enhance the capability of task forces within Target Enforcement Areas to identify and prosecute individuals perpetrating the most violent acts.
• Enhance prevention resources and community engagement efforts in Target Enforcement Areas.

Award Categories

• Category 1) is for focused and strategic enforcement by law enforcement agencies*, of which 30% must be dedicated to gang/violent crime task forces – specifically on the investigation and prosecution of criminal and/or transnational organizations that are engaged in high levels of violent crime, firearms offenses, human trafficking, and drug trafficking; and
• Category 2) is for violent crime prevention resources and community engagement efforts. (see application instructions for more specific information)

Statutory Authority

34 U.S.C. §§60701-60705

Eligibility

Category 1 and Category 2 (defined above) applications will be accepted from law enforcement agencies* and from other organizations providing relevant services in Colorado within the four Targeted Enforcement Areas (TEAs) outlined as follows:  

• Denver Metro area
• Colorado Springs
• Northern Colorado (including the cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, and Loveland)
• Southern Colorado (including the city of Pueblo)

*A law enforcement agency serving as the fiscal agent for a Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force (MJTF) can apply both as an individual agency and then also as the fiscal agent of a MJTF. 

Eligible Activities

Project applications that fall within one or more of the Category 1 and Category 2 purpose areas (see above) will be accepted from law enforcement agencies* and from other organizations providing relevant services in Colorado within the four TEAs outlined as follows:  1) Denver Metro area; 2) Colorado Springs; 3) Northern Colorado (including the cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, and Loveland); and 4) Southern Colorado (including the city of Pueblo).

Application Deadline

May 22, 2023

Amount available

$323,224

Award Period

October 1, 2023 for up to twenty-four (24) months, or September 30, 2025

Match

A match is not a requirement for this funding.

Exclusions and Limitations
Supplanting of funds is not allowed. 

Evaluation

Reviews will be conducted by the PSN Board, members of which will not be eligible to apply for funding.  

Criteria for scoring to be used by the PSN Board will be based upon Colorado’s PSN Program purpose areas/goals, eligibility requirements, and using the additional criteria listed below.

Additional Criteria

• The applicant clearly identifies and justifies the problem and the need to address it through use of current and local data/information related to the PSN Board’s goals.
• The applicant clearly described their proposed PSN violence reduction strategy, their specific plan to implement the strategy, and linked their proposed PSN violence reduction strategy to the specified problem description.
• Goals and Objectives are logical, sensible, clearly written, and directly tied to the project. Goals are written as broad statements that convey a project's overall intent to change, reduce, or eliminate the problem described. Objectives as written are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Objectives and Outcomes are realistic and able to be accomplished in the timeframes described.
• Applicant describes how the data as described in the Goals & Objectives section will be collected and used to monitor the project and to adjust to maximize success. Applicant describes how the data will be collected for the BJA performance measures.
• Budget items and budget narratives are detailed, reasonable, allowable, specifically defined, justified, and the applicant demonstrates how those costs were determined. No concerns of supplanting have been identified.

If a project application is denied funding, a letter describing the reasons for the denial of funding and information on how to request reconsideration (if eligible for reconsideration) of the PSN Board decision will be sent to the applicant. Disqualification for failing to meet the minimum requirements is not subject to reconsideration. Applications that are denied funding may submit an appeal within five (5) business days of notification. The reconsideration process will be outlined in the notification letters sent to applicants via the grants management system informing them of the initial funding decision.

For more information: BJA OJP Project Safe Neighborhoods Overview

Additional Information

Grant Agreements

If awarded, grantees will be required to agree to Project Safe Neighborhoods Federal Requirements, DCJ Requirements and a grant agreement similar to:

Not for Profit Grant Agreement or

Governmental Entity Grant Agreement

Post Award Reporting Requirements

The grantee will be required to submit quarterly financial and programmatic reports describing how the grant funds were utilized, including data and other relevant information on performance metrics in DCJ’s online grants management system.

In addition to DCJ reports, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has established mandatory performance measures which must be submitted by the 15th day following each calendar quarter using BJA’s on-line Performance Management Tool or PMT. BJA’s performance measures for the PSN Program can be found here: https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/performance-measures/bja-program-performance-measures

DCJ maintains the right to withhold payments if reporting requirements are not met in a timely manner. See the DCJ Administrative Guide for Federal Grant Programs for more information.

Program Schedule

Announcement date: April 17, 2023

Application deadline: May 22, 2023

Funding decision announced: June 26, 2023

Reconsideration/appeals deadline: Approximately 5 business days following Denial Notification

Grant Agreement Issuance: August, 2023

Award Period: October 1, 2023 for up to twenty-four (24) months, or September 30, 2025

How To Apply

The Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program Announcement, Application, and Application Instructions can be obtained through Colorado’s online application system, ZoomGrants.

Apply Now in ZoomGrants: https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/PSN 

Project applications must be submitted on or before Monday, May 22, 2023.  DCJ support ends at 5:00PM MST.  

PROJECT APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE.  

Failure to submit a complete project application may result in denial of funding.

We highly recommend applicants read all of the Application Instructions and review the FAQs. Link to application instructions: 

The grant announcement, application, and instructions can be obtained in the library on ZoomGrants.

Questions

The Division of Criminal Justice is committed to a fair and impartial competitive application process. As such, any grant programmatic application questions and answers will be posted on the FAQs website. Please check back to this website frequently so you are getting the most up-to-date information.

Questions about grant program & requirements

Amy Miller

Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, OAJJA

700 Kipling Street

Denver, CO 80215

Direct: 720-582-2091

E-mail: amy.l.miller@state.co.us

Questions about ZoomGrants & Technical Support

If you experience problems or have questions about how to use ZoomGrants, please contact dcjgms@state.co.us.

Accessibility and Accommodations

The State of Colorado is committed to providing equitable access to our services to all Coloradoans. The Division of Criminal Justice is committed to making its physical campus and digital resources accessible to everyone. The Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) strives to ensure equal access to the services we provide to everyone with and without disabilities. To best meet reasonable accommodation needs for effective communication or a reasonable modification to programs, services, or activities, please contact us a week prior to the activity or event.

DCJ will make every effort to provide requested reasonable accommodations, however, failure to notify DCJ of requested accommodations at least 3 business days prior to the date of the activity or event date may result in delay or denial of the accommodation.

Technical Assistance and Resources

General technical assistance regarding the grant application process will be offered to all applicants through webinars, office hours, and other means made available on the website. The website also includes a project conceptual document, FAQs, and other applicant resources. In addition, Please see the website for the process to request more information and appropriate contacts. 

[website link: https://dcj.colorado.gov/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn]