Open for applications

BJA FY 2026 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement- Competitive Grants Program

Bureau of Justice Assistance · Opportunity number O-BJA-2026-172711

13 days left (deadline Oct 29, 2026)

Details summarized from the official notice as of Oct 16, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.

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Key facts

Opportunity number	O-BJA-2026-172711
Agency	Bureau of Justice Assistance Department of Justice
Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA)	16.742
Posted	Sep 21, 2026
Deadline	Oct 29, 2026
Award ceiling	$500,000
Cost sharing or matching required	No
Funding type	Grant
Category	Law justice and legal services
Last updated here	Oct 16, 2026

Summary from the notice

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY26 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement—Competitive Grants Program. This opportunity funds improvements to forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services, including services provided by laboratories operated by states and units of local government.

Who can apply

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:

Special district governments
City or township governments
Other Native American tribal organizations
County governments
State governments
Federally recognized tribal governments

Who should take a closer look

State governments
Local governments
Tribal governments and organizations

Not listed as eligible

Small businesses
Nonprofits
Colleges and universities
Larger for-profit companies
Individuals

Unless the eligibility text in the notice names you, this opportunity is probably not for you.

Registrations you will likely need

Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.

SAM.gov registration for your organization, which also gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free.
A Login.gov account, which Grants.gov uses for sign-in.
A Grants.gov applicant registration linked to your organization's UEI.

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Before you apply

Read the full official notice, including the evaluation criteria.
Confirm your organization type and location are eligible.
Check your SAM.gov registration is active.
Note the exact deadline time and time zone in the notice.

BJA FY 2026 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement- Competitive Grants Program

Key facts

Summary from the notice

Who can apply

Who should take a closer look

Not listed as eligible

Registrations you will likely need

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