FY24 CPD Implementation of De-escalation Training Act Program | O COPS 2024 171893

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2024 171893

The FY24 CPD Implementation of De-escalation Training Act Program is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), offered through a cooperative agreement. The purpose of the program is to select a single organization to work closely with DOJ to build and put into practice the final requirements for a national de-escalation training approval program that aligns with the Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act of 2022. In practical terms, this grant is less about delivering de-escalation trainings directly and more about creating the standards, infrastructure, and oversight process DOJ can use to determine which de-escalation trainings (including classroom and online formats) meet federally defined expectations and can be formally approved.

The central goal is the development and support of a standards-based training approval process. The funded organization is expected to help shape what the de-escalation training standards should be (grounded in the act), then translate those standards into a workable approval pathway where training providers can submit curricula for review and decisions can be made consistently. The program emphasizes that this approval process should not just exist on paper. It must be piloted in the field to prove that it works in real-world conditions, and the recipient must actively promote the value and benefits of using the approval program to the broader law enforcement community.

Key required activities are laid out clearly. The applicant must (1) contribute to the development of de-escalation training standards that meet the goals of the De-escalation Training Act, (2) create the end-to-end process for submitting and processing training curricula for approval using those standards, (3) design a long-term quality control and continuous assessment plan to ensure that trainings remain compliant over time after approval, and (4) pilot the approval process with real users and real training submissions. Beyond those core tasks, the COPS Office expects the recipient to build practical guidance and tools that make the submission process usable for training providers, and to set up mechanisms that keep the program transparent and functional over the long term.

The opportunity also calls for strong stakeholder engagement and an evidence-informed approach. The selected organization must conduct ongoing consultations with key stakeholders and incorporate promising practices, while also supporting or conducting research on the effectiveness of law enforcement de-escalation training. Another important operational requirement is maintaining an active, public listing or catalog of approved trainings so agencies and the public can see what has been approved. The recipient will also assist the COPS Office in designing a system to track information about training deliveries, meaning the program is expected to go beyond approvals and include the ability to monitor how approved trainings are actually being delivered in the field and to report on that activity in a structured way.

Deliverables implied by the solicitation include standards for DOJ training approvals, documented approval workflows and review procedures, tools and templates for applicants seeking approval, pilot testing results and refinements, an updatable public catalog of approved programs, a tracking and reporting framework for training deliveries, and a plan for ongoing stakeholder engagement. Because this is a cooperative agreement, the relationship with DOJ is expected to be more collaborative than a typical grant, with significant DOJ involvement in shaping and finalizing requirements and ensuring the approval program aligns with statutory intent.

Eligibility is broad on paper, including for-profit organizations, nonprofits, institutions of higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations, under CFDA 16.710. However, the solicitation draws firm lines around who will be considered competitive. Proposals are explicitly out of scope if the applicant cannot demonstrate experience developing national-level law enforcement training policies and processes (including continuous assessments and tracking requirements), lacks familiarity with de-escalation training programs, lacks experience administering national law enforcement resources, or fails to directly address the specific requirements and deliverables described in the solicitation. In other words, while many entity types can apply, only applicants with proven national-scale training standards and approval process experience in the law enforcement training space are likely to be viable.

The funding details show an award ceiling of $750,000, with one expected award. The funding opportunity number is O-COPS-2024-171893, the original application closing date listed is March 27, 2024, and the program is administered by the DOJ COPS Office. Overall, this opportunity is aimed at building the backbone of a DOJ-aligned approval system for de-escalation training nationwide: defining what “approved” means, creating a consistent way to evaluate trainings against that definition, ensuring quality over time, piloting the system, and making the results visible and trackable for the field.

• The Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 CPD Implementation of De-escalation Training Act Program" 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 2024-01-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-27. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for O COPS 2024 171893

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