BJA FY 2026 Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA

Open Posted

Opportunity number
O-BJA-2026-172708
Agency
Applications due
Award size
Up to $750,000

Opportunity facts

Funding instrument
Grant
Category
  • Law, Justice and Legal Services
Eligible applicants
  • City/Township Governments
  • Special District Governments
  • Other
  • Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
  • Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
  • State Governments
  • County Governments
Points of contact
Full announcement

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

Written by GovTribe AI ·

The Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks applicants for the FY 2026 Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA program, with applications due October 29, 2026. The program supports prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting violent cold case crimes where a DNA profile from a suspect is already developed.

Eligible applicants are state and local prosecuting agencies or law enforcement agencies with an engaged prosecutorial entity. "Other units of local government" include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state. Eligible applicant types also include city and county governments, special district governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and non-federally recognized tribal organizations. A prosecuting entity must be fully engaged in the project either as the lead applicant or through a Memorandum of Understanding.

The program will distribute up to $6 million across approximately eight awards of up to $750,000 each for a 36-month grant period beginning January 1, 2027. Applicants must submit a two-step application: Step 1 requires completion of the SF-424 form and submission through Grants.gov by October 29, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET; Step 2 requires submission of the full application in JustGrants by November 5, 2026 at 8:59 PM ET. The proposal narrative is limited to ten pages and is scored as follows: Description of the Need (5%), Project Goals and Objectives (15%), Project Design and Implementation (35%), Capabilities and Competencies (30%), and budget (15%).

Recipients must submit an inventory of eligible cold cases on a BJA-provided template, with 75 percent of funds withheld until approval. State and local government applicants must submit a Chief Executive Officer certification regarding compliance with 8 U.S.C. 1373 immigration-related requirements. The program prioritizes law enforcement coordination with federal efforts, victim engagement, and deployment of modern investigative and forensic strategies. This opportunity is assigned under CFDA 16.036, Comprehensive Forensic DNA Analysis Grant Program.

Synopsis

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program. This opportunity supports prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of violent cold case crimes where a DNA profile from a suspect is already developed. This initiative aims to enhance public safety, hold violent offenders accountable, and further case resolution for victims and their families. Law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies may utilize this funding for investigative and prosecutorial activities, as well as crime and forensic analysis that could increase the rate of successful prosecutions and/or other appropriate resolution of cases.

Eligibility

For the purposes of this NOFO, eligible applicants are state and local prosecuting agencies or law enforcement agencies with an engaged prosecutorial entity. For the purposes of this NOFO, "other units of local government" include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state.

Files

File Type Posted
PKG00294176.pdf PDF

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