U.S. Department of Justice Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation Fiscal year 2021 Competitive Grant Announcement | O BJA 2021 60008

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2021 60008

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) for Fiscal Year 2021 is a competitive discretionary grant opportunity designed to make it easier for federally recognized tribes to seek DOJ funding for public safety, justice-system needs, and victim services. Instead of requiring tribes to track and apply to multiple separate tribal-specific solicitations, CTAS bundles several DOJ tribal government-focused funding streams into one coordinated solicitation. The core idea is practical: one application per tribe or tribal consortium can cover multiple project proposals, allowing a tribe to present a more holistic, community-based strategy for addressing crime, victimization, and justice challenges without duplicative paperwork across programs.

CTAS is not a single standalone program; it is a single application process that routes requests to multiple DOJ grant programs managed by four different DOJ grant-making components. For FY 2021, those components are the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and three offices within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP): the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Through CTAS, tribes can apply across seven purpose areas (each aligned to specific DOJ program authorities and funding streams). A key operational feature is that a tribe can request funding under one purpose area or several at once within the same CTAS submission, and DOJ may make multiple awards based on that single application if the proposed projects are approved under different purpose areas.

For FY 2021, DOJ noted several changes based on tribal feedback. Purpose Area #5 is not included in CTAS this year, reducing the set of purpose areas available within this consolidated application. Also, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is still funding its Tribal Governments Program in FY 2021, but it is being offered through a separate solicitation rather than being included under CTAS. DOJ also streamlined the required planning and narrative materials, including the Tribal Community and Justice Profile and the Purpose Area Narrative templates, with the stated goal of improving clarity, reducing repeated questions, and cutting down on duplicative writing across sections. Another major procedural update is that CTAS applications for FY 2021 must be completed and submitted through DOJ's JustGrants system (a newer Justice Grants platform), rather than relying solely on older submission processes; the solicitation points applicants to specific instructions in the "How to Apply" section.

Eligibility is centered on federally recognized Indian tribes, consistent with the definition referenced at 25 U.S.C. 5304. Tribal consortia made up of two or more federally recognized tribes may also apply. Tribal designees are more limited: they are eligible only for certain activities connected to OVC programs, tied specifically to CTAS Purpose Area #6, and applicants are instructed to review each purpose area for any additional eligibility limits. The solicitation also flags an important nuance for Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs): due to pending litigation at the time (Chehalis v. Mnuchin, 976 F.3d 15 (D.C. Cir. 2020)) regarding the statutory definition of "Indian tribe," ANC eligibility could be affected, and an ANC interested in seeking funds might consider applying as part of a consortium (or as a designee where that is allowed).

From an administrative standpoint, the solicitation imposes a strict submission rule: each tribe or tribal consortium may submit only one CTAS application. That single application can contain multiple project proposals across purpose areas, which is how CTAS aims to support comprehensive planning and coordinated responses to community needs. At the same time, DOJ clarifies that tribes are not limited to CTAS alone; eligible applicants are encouraged to pursue other DOJ grant opportunities outside CTAS when eligible, using Grants.gov and agency program pages to identify additional funding sources.

The opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant administered through BJA, with the funding opportunity number O-BJA-2021-60008. The original closing date was March 16, 2021, and the listed award ceiling is $620,000. The CFDA numbers associated with the solicitation include 16.583, 16.585, 16.596, 16.608, 16.710, and 16.731, reflecting the fact that CTAS spans multiple program authorities and DOJ offices rather than a single funding line. Overall, the FY 2021 CTAS announcement is best understood as a streamlined doorway into multiple DOJ tribal-specific funding options, structured to reduce administrative burden while letting tribes propose coordinated, multi-part solutions across policing, justice systems, victim services, and youth/juvenile justice priorities.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the affordable care act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Department of Justice Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation Fiscal year 2021 Competitive Grant Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.583, 16.585, 16.596, 16.608, 16.710, 16.731.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-01-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-16. (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 $620,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others.

Apply for O BJA 2021 60008

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