Grant Details
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program.
The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program will provide funding to assist eligible states, local units of government, and tribes in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus.
Approved projects and purchases include (but limited to) overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical personal protective equipment), hiring, supplies (like gloves, masks, & sanitizer), training, travel expenses, and addressing the medical needs of inmates in state, local, and tribal prisons, jails, and detention centers.
The Application Deadline is May 29,2020 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.
Who is eligible for the grant?
States, U.S. Territories, the District of Columbia, units of local government, and federally recognized tribal governments that were identified as eligible for funding under the FY19 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program are eligible to apply.
- A unit of local government may be any law enforcement district or judicial enforcement district established under applicable state law with authority to independently establish a budget and impose taxes; for example, in Louisiana, a unit of local government means a district attorney or parish sheriff.
- Only the State Administering Agency (SAA) that applied for FY 2019 JAG funding for a state/territory may apply for the state allocation of CESF funding. A list of the SAAs are published here.
- Eligible State allocations are published here with allocation amounts included. Eligible Local allocations are published here.
- Local jurisdictions not eligible for a direct award should contact their SAA about the process by which the State will pass-through funds awarded to the State.
Permissable Use of Funds
Funds awarded under the CESF Program must be utilized to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus.
Allowable projects and purchases include, but are not limited to, overtime, equipment (including law enforcement and medical personal protective equipment), hiring, supplies (like gloves, masks, & sanitizer), training, travel expenses (particularly related to the distribution of resources to the most impacted areas), and addressing the medical needs of inmates in state, local, and tribal prisons, jails, and detention centers.
Expenditures which require prior approval: There are no specific prohibitions under the CESF Program other thanthe unallowable costs that are identified in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide; however, the following items should be identified during application and appropriately justified as noted:
- Individual items costing $500,000 or more should be identified and thoroughly justified by the grantee and receive written prior approval from BJA post-award through the submission and approval of a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN). Costs must be reasonable to receive approval.
- Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Unmanned Aircraft (UA), and/or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) require approval from the Federal Aviation Administration as outlined here. Documentation related to these purchases should be included with the application or the applicant must receive written prior approval from BJA post-award through the submission and approval of a GAN.
Draw-down: Consistent with the CESF Program’s purposes, OJP has determined that eligible states or units of local government may draw down funds either in advance or on a reimbursable basis. No match is required for this grant. To draw down in advance, funds must be placed in an interest-bearing account, unless one of the exceptions in 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b)(8) apply. Please see 2 C.F.R. § 200.305 for additional details.
Prohibition of Supplanting: Funds may not be used to supplant state or local funds but must be used to increase the amounts of such funds that would, in the absence of federal funds, be made available.
Limitation on Direct Administrative Costs: Funds may not be used for direct administrative costs that exceed 10% of the total award amount.
Performance Period: 2 years, with an opportunity for a one-time extension up to a 12-months. The extension must be requested via the Grant Management System (GMS) no fewer than 30 days prior to the end of the performance period. The start date for the grant will be retroactive to January 1, 2020, subject to the supplanting prohibition.
Public Safety Drone Technology to Aid in Response Efforts
While ensuring your township, municipality, or agency has the proper funding to purchase necessary items during the pandemic, your public safety officials can also equip themselves with proper training and equipment needed to combat COVID-19 through Suntuity AirWorks:
- Aerial Sanitization: Outfitting enterprise-level drones (meant to spray fertilizers and herbicides on crops) with precision spray capabilities to safely sanitize contaminated surfaces without human exposure. As a OJI-drone dealer, we are more than qualified to provide these trainings and materials.
- Crowd Management: Emergency personnel (like EMS teams, police, and firefighters) are on the frontlines, but we can lower the risk to their safety with drone-driven crowd management that can help monitor crowds from a distance.
- Medical Delivery: Medtech companies are using drones to telecommunicate medical testing, delivery supplies, and hold appointments with patients exposed to the virus in order to help keep hospitals from reaching capacity while providing frontline care to those at high risk.
What is Needed to Apply for the Grant
- The CESF Solicitation, which is published online here.
- The step-by-step OJP Grant Application Resource Guide is published online here.
- Application must include:
- Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form (SF)-424), a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications, applications, and related information. See the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for additional information on completing the SF-424.
- A Program Narrative: Must describe the specific coronavirus prevention, preparation, and/or response efforts that will be addressed and include a summary of the types of projects or items that will be funded over the 2-year period.
- A Budget Narrative: Must include a full description of all costs, including administrative costs or indirect costs (if applicable).
- A Budget Detail Worksheet: See the Budget Preparation and Submission Information section of the OJPGrant Application Resource Guide for details on this worksheet and associated documentation.
- Intergovernmental Review (page 6 of the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.)
- Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (when applicable, page 7 of OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.)
- Financial Management and System of Internal Controls Questionnaire (Accessible from the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.)
- Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL), (Accessible from the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide.)
- Refer to the “How to Apply (GMS)” section in the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide for more guidance.
- Visit the IACP COVID-19 Information Page to view a webinar on the CESF Program.