BJA FY 17 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program (BCJI) | BJA 2017 11263

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2017 11263

The BJA FY 17 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program (BCJI) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) designed to help communities reduce violent and serious crime in specific neighborhood hot spots while supporting broader neighborhood revitalization goals. The program is built around the idea that sustainable public safety gains come from coordinated, place-based work that pairs targeted crime reduction strategies with community-driven efforts to improve neighborhood conditions. Rather than focusing only on enforcement, BCJI emphasizes comprehensive problem-solving that connects public safety work to the wider set of factors that shape community safety and quality of life.

BCJI projects are expected to concentrate resources on clearly defined geographic areas where data shows persistent concentrations of violence or serious crime. A central feature of the program is the requirement to use data-driven approaches to identify these hot spots, understand underlying drivers of crime, and track progress over time. The program also stresses cross-sector collaboration, meaning successful applicants typically bring together a broad partnership team that can include local law enforcement, prosecution, probation and community corrections, local government, community-based organizations, victim service providers, housing and public health partners, workforce and youth-serving organizations, faith-based groups, and institutions of higher education. Resident involvement is explicitly highlighted as part of the partnership model, reflecting the program's focus on legitimacy, trust, and solutions that fit local needs.

The funding opportunity is listed under CFDA number 16.817 and falls within the Law, Justice and Legal Services funding activity category. The award type is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary, meaning funding decisions are competitive and based on proposal quality and alignment with program goals rather than a formula allocation. For FY 2017, the maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $700,000, and BJA anticipated making approximately 14 awards, indicating a competitive pool with limited awards relative to likely demand.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments, as well as federally recognized Native American tribal governments. It also includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, along with nonprofit organizations both with and without IRS 501(c)(3) status (so long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit category listing). This range of eligible applicants supports the program's partnership emphasis, since BCJI sites often involve a lead applicant coordinating multiple organizations and stakeholder groups in a single neighborhood-focused strategy.

Key administrative details include the funding opportunity number BJA-2017-11263, with the opportunity originally posted/created on December 7, 2016, and an original application closing date of February 2, 2017. Overall, BCJI is best understood as a place-based public safety and community improvement initiative: it targets small geographic areas with high crime, requires collaborative planning with residents and local partners, and relies on measurable, data-informed strategies intended to reduce violence while contributing to longer-term neighborhood stabilization and revitalization.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 17 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program (BCJI)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.817.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-12-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-02-02. (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 $700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for BJA 2017 11263

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: