BJA FY 2026 National Center for Veterans Justice | O BJA 2026 172760

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the BJA FY 2026 National Center for Veterans Justice funding opportunity?

This funding opportunity (NOFO) is a discretionary Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) initiative to establish a single national center focused on strengthening how the justice system identifies, engages, and supports veterans. The center is intended to improve outcomes for veterans who come into contact with law enforcement, courts, jails and prisons, probation and parole, and related service systems, while also advancing overall public safety.

What is the main purpose of the National Center for Veterans Justice?

The core purpose is to operate as a national "one stop shop" that criminal justice professionals and partner service providers can use for specialized knowledge and implementation support related to veterans. The center is positioned as a practical, centralized resource to help agencies close persistent gaps in veteran identification, cross-system coordination, and consistent use of evidence-based interventions that address veteran-specific needs.

What kinds of support will the center provide?

The center will provide tools, training, and technical assistance (TTA) designed to build competency around military culture and veteran-specific needs. The goal is to make high-quality assistance easier to access and more consistent across jurisdictions, including areas with limited local capacity or limited exposure to veteran-specific practices.

Who is the center designed to help?

The center is designed to support criminal justice professionals and partner service providers working with veterans involved (or at risk of involvement) in the justice system. The intent is to improve responses across the justice continuum, including law enforcement, courts, jails and prisons, and community supervision (probation and parole), as well as related service systems.

What veteran-related issues does the opportunity highlight as important for justice-system responses?

The opportunity specifically notes that the center should help build understanding of military culture and realities that can shape justice involvement for some veterans, including combat trauma, military sexual trauma (MST), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other considerations that may affect behavior, decision-making, treatment engagement, and supervision success.

Why is coordination across systems emphasized in this NOFO?

The NOFO emphasizes that veterans may need help from multiple systems at the same time, such as criminal justice agencies, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), community behavioral health providers, and social service networks. Because these systems operate under different legal rules, confidentiality requirements, funding structures, and institutional priorities, coordination can be delayed or fragmented. The center is intended to help jurisdictions build workable bridges through structured guidance, implementation strategies, and practical resources that support collaboration and continuity of care.

Which systems and partners are expected to benefit from the center's resources?

The center is intended to support collaboration among justice agencies (law enforcement, courts, corrections, probation and parole), the VA, community behavioral health providers, and broader social service networks that may address needs such as housing, substance use disorders, behavioral health, and employment barriers.

What outcomes is BJA aiming to improve through this national center?

The NOFO indicates that BJA aims to improve outcomes for justice-involved veterans and advance overall public safety. It also describes goals such as improving veteran identification practices, promoting evidence-based and trauma-informed interventions, and strengthening coordination among justice agencies, the VA, and community service systems to support more consistent and informed responses across jurisdictions.

Is this award a grant or a cooperative agreement?

This award is offered as a cooperative agreement. That generally means BJA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period, including collaboration on strategy, deliverables, performance expectations, and national-level alignment.

What is the maximum award amount for this opportunity?

The maximum award amount listed in the opportunity description is $4,000,000.

What is the funding opportunity number for this NOFO?

The Funding Opportunity Number is O-BJA-2026-172760.

What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?

The opportunity lists Assistance Listing (CFDA) 16.043.

What category does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity is categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services.

When was this funding opportunity created, and what is the closing date?

The creation date provided is September 21, 2026, and the closing date provided is October 30, 2026.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses.

Does this NOFO limit eligibility to nonprofits or government agencies only?

No. Based on the eligibility list provided, the opportunity is open to a broad range of entity types, including nonprofits, higher education institutions, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses.

What type of entity is BJA looking to fund with this NOFO?

The NOFO is designed to fund a national-level entity capable of serving as a centralized hub for tools, training, and technical assistance related to justice-involved veterans. The description suggests BJA is open to a variety of national operators, such as universities with research and training infrastructure, nonprofits with national technical assistance experience, and private-sector entities that can deliver scalable training and support services.

What does "one stop shop" mean in the context of this center?

In this context, "one stop shop" means the national center will serve as a centralized place where criminal justice professionals and partner service providers can access specialized knowledge, tools, training, and implementation support focused on veterans, rather than having to piece together resources across multiple sources.

How does the NOFO describe the problem the center is meant to address?

The NOFO describes persistent gaps in veteran identification, cross-system coordination, and consistent use of evidence-based interventions tailored to veteran-specific needs. It also notes that differing rules and requirements across the justice system, the VA, behavioral health, and social service systems can lead to fragmented responses and delays.

What is the intended public benefit of funding this center?

The intended public benefit is a more consistent and informed response to veteran needs across the justice continuum, resulting in better individual outcomes for veterans and stronger community safety.