FY 2023 Collaborative Reform Initiative: Invitational Solicitation | O COPS 2023 171655

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2023 171655

The FY 2023 Collaborative Reform Initiative: Invitational Solicitation is a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) funding opportunity that supports community policing through a structured set of technical assistance and reform services for law enforcement agencies. At its core, the opportunity is built around the idea that community policing is not a single program, but an agency-wide philosophy that relies on partnerships and problem-solving to address the conditions behind public safety concerns, including violent crime, nonviolent crime, and fear of crime. Through this solicitation, the COPS Office aims to strengthen trust between police and communities, improve operational effectiveness, support officer safety and wellness, and help the field adopt and spread practices that are evidence-based, promising, and innovative.

This solicitation funds work under the Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Services, which is designed as a tiered set of supports that can match an agency's needs and the seriousness of the issues it is facing. The continuum includes three interconnected service areas that can be used independently or in combination. First is the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC), operating since 2017, which delivers short-term, customizable technical assistance across more than 60 topics using a "by the field, for the field" approach. The model is agency-driven, meaning the requesting or participating agency helps define the problem and selects support that fits its context, rather than receiving a one-size-fits-all intervention.

Second is the Critical Response program, which provides targeted assistance for agencies dealing with high-profile events, major incidents, or other sensitive issues that may create heightened public concern, internal strain, or credibility challenges. This assistance is intentionally flexible and can include rapid executive consultations, after-action reviews, peer-to-peer exchanges, facilitated discussions with subject matter experts, and deeper incident or issue reviews that result in analysis and recommendations. The time frame varies with the scope: a limited consultation can be completed in as little as two weeks, while more substantial reviews typically take six to nine months.

Third is the Organizational Assessment program, the most intensive option in the continuum, intended for systemic issues that can undermine community trust and confidence or expose significant operational weaknesses. This type of engagement involves in-depth assessment and longer-term technical assistance focused on reform and institutional change. After intake is completed, the ideal engagement period is around 12 months, with a maximum of 18 months. A key expectation is that while the assessment and technical assistance can help launch and structure reforms, lasting change must ultimately be sustained locally by the agency and the community, not by federal support alone.

The program also emphasizes the creation and dissemination of "knowledge products" and promising practices that follow principles of good guidance. The COPS Office is looking for outputs that are quality-driven (including clear action statements that reduce variation in performance), evidence-based (aligned with the strongest available research, ideally informed by systematic review), accessible (plain language, practical formats, and manageable length for law enforcement audiences), and memorable (designed to be used quickly in complex real-world situations). Applicants are encouraged to align proposed goals and activities with COPS Office performance measures and to ground work in the broader community policing framework described in COPS Office resources such as Community Policing Defined.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a discretionary cooperative agreement (not a formula grant), under CFDA 16.710, with an expected single award and an award ceiling of $1,750,000. The funding opportunity number is O-COPS-2023-171655. It was posted April 3, 2023, with an original closing date of May 17, 2023. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility section of the solicitation, and the opportunity is labeled an invitational solicitation, which typically signals that participation may be limited or targeted based on COPS Office priorities and outreach.

The solicitation is authorized by federal public safety statutes, including the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (as amended) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title I, Part Q (34 U.S.C. 10381 et seq.). Like other federal awards, all funding is subject to the availability of appropriations and may be subject to additional legal requirements or changes. For deliverables, applicants are expected to follow the COPS Office Editorial and Style Manual, reflecting an emphasis on consistency, clarity, and usability of products distributed to the field. For projects that include site-specific work with particular law enforcement agencies, letters of support from the targeted agencies are strongly encouraged, signaling the importance of buy-in and readiness to engage.

Finally, the solicitation is explicitly framed within broader COPS Office commitments, including advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and communities. Program questions are directed to the COPS Office Response Center (800-421-6770) or AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov during standard weekday business hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays).

• The Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 Collaborative Reform Initiative: Invitational Solicitation" 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 Apr 03, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 17, 2023. (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 $1,750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O COPS 2023 171655

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