Indian Law Enforcement
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.030
- Agency
-
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 76 $267,786,585 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Law Enforcement
- Assistance types
-
- Block Grant
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-2100-0-1-452
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education funds Indian tribal governments to operate police departments and detention facilities under CFDA 15.030, with the most recent grant award disbursed on January 1, 2025. The program has awarded 76 grants totaling $267.8 million in federal dollars obligated since 1991, and awards have accelerated in recent years—four awards in 2024 alone compared to one or two annually from 2021 through 2023. The program funds law enforcement operations, adult and juvenile detention and corrections services, and related facilities maintenance for federally recognized Indian tribes that exercise criminal law enforcement authority under the Major Crimes Act and other federal statutes.
Block Grants dominate the assistance-type mix, representing 67 percent of awards, with Project Grants (17 percent), Cooperative Agreements (13 percent), and Formula Grants (3 percent) comprising the remainder. Funding is highly concentrated within the Bureau of Indian Affairs regional structure: the Eastern Region has issued 19 awards worth $148.8 million in federal dollars, while the main Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education office has issued 45 awards worth $92.8 million. The Central Office, Western Region, and Albuquerque Acquisition Office account for the remaining 12 awards and $26.2 million.
Award magnitudes vary substantially. Recent representative awards include the Mashpee Wampanoag Police Department Block Grant for $3,033,918 (awarded January 2024), the Catawba Indian Nation Law Enforcement Block Grant for $3,228,954 (awarded January 2024), and the Penobscot Law Enforcement Block Grant for $110,000 (awarded October 2024). Historical awards include a 1996 Mobil Bay Choctaw Indian Law Enforcement Block Grant for $23,978,085 and a 2004 detention center funding award for $36,640,673.91, indicating that individual awards can reach the tens of millions when bundling multiple years of tribal operations funding. Award dollar value is determined by each tribe's prioritization through the Bureau of Indian Affairs budget formulation process and identified program needs. No recent grant opportunities are currently posted in the source.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide funds to Indian Tribal Governments to operate police departments and detention facilities.
- Description
This program provides funds that can be used by an eligible Indian Tribe to administer law enforcement and/or detention and corrections services directly to their community.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments exercising Federal criminal law enforcement authority over crimes under the Major Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. 1153) and other Federal statutes on their reservations and operating a Law Enforcement Services program.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments.
- Uses of assistance
Funds may be used for salaries and related expenses of criminal investigators, uniformed officers, detention officers, radio dispatchers, and administrative support.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Awards are made on an annual basis and the funds remain available until expended by the contractor/grantee.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
An informal conference with the Bureau of Indian Affairs field representative or district commander is recommended.
- Application procedure
Initial applications must contain the information specified in 25 CFR Part 900, Subpart C, "Contract Proposal Contents." Completed applications should be submitted to the local Bureau of Indian Affairs agency or regional office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Applicants meeting the requirements of 25 CFR Part 900 who exercise criminal law enforcement authority over crimes under the Major Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. 1153) and other Federal statutes and who currently operate a Law Enforcement Services program will be selected. Additional funding provided under the Initiative will be distributed on the basis of need.
- Award procedure
The dollar value of the awards depends upon the amount that had been previously prioritized by the individual Indian tribe through participation in the Bureau of Indian Affairs' budget formulation process and upon identified program needs.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Applications will be processed within 90 days.
- Renewals
Awards may be renewed indefinitely upon satisfactory performance by the contractor/grantee. A notice of intent to renew should be submitted at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the current award. The amount of the award may be adjusted as a result of individual tribal priorities established in the budget formulation process.
- Appeals
An unsuccessful applicant may request an informal conference with the deciding official, or may appeal the denial of the application to the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, or may bring suit in U.S. District Court. Full appeal procedures are found in 25 CFR Part 900.
Grant awards
| Award | Recipient | Federal obligations | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian law enforcement | Narragansett Indian Tribe | $331,026 | |
| Penobscot law enforcement | Penobscot Indian Nation | $110,000 | |
| Indianlawenforcement | Houlton Band Of Maliseet Indians | $1,089,549 | |
| Mashpee wampanoag police department | Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe | $3,033,918 | |
| Catawba indian nation law enforcement | Catawba Indian Nation | $3,228,954 | |
| Oneida indian nation police department | Oneida Indian Nation | $1,736,973 | |
| Law enforcement | Indian Township Tribal Government | $1,230,817 | |
| Indian law enforcement | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation | $3,013,143 | |
| Law enforcement | Penobscot Indian Nation | $2,180,212 | |
| Adult detention services | Hualapai Tribal Council | $333,517 |
Latest 10 of 76 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi Band Of Choctaw Indians | $60,618,756 | 23% |
| 2 | Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians | $22,705,849 | 8% |
| 3 | Shoshone Bannock Tribes | $18,835,707 | 7% |
| 4 | Three Affiliated Tribes | $15,743,751 | 6% |
| 5 | Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe | $14,279,405 | 5% |
| 6 | Indian Township Tribal Government | $12,128,128 | 5% |
| 7 | Seminole Tribe Of Florida, Inc. | $11,645,442 | 4% |
| 8 | Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation | $11,230,064 | 4% |
| 9 | Navajo Nation Tribal Government | $11,050,926 | 4% |
| 10 | Penobscot Indian Nation | $9,107,023 | 3% |
10 of 55 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $193,517 |
| FY2025 | $7,771,771 |
| FY2024 | $17,615,767 |
| FY2023 | $11,521,329 |
| FY2022 | $17,440,715 |
| FY2021 | $19,707,488 |
| FY2020 | $18,299,660 |
| FY2019 | $21,347,179 |
| FY2018 | $21,094,618 |
| FY2017 | $10,443,781 |
| FY2016 | $12,930,270 |
| FY2015 | $36,173,346 |
| FY2014 | $34,248,188 |
| FY2013 | $30,213,714 |
Show all 14
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.030?
Assistance Listing 15.030 is Indian Law Enforcement, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Indian Law Enforcement?
Its CFDA number is 15.030: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.030 awarded?
76 grant awards under 15.030 have obligated $267,786,585 in federal funds to 55 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.030?
The recipients obligated the most under Indian Law Enforcement are Mississippi Band Of Choctaw Indians ($60,618,756), Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians ($22,705,849) and Shoshone Bannock Tribes ($18,835,707).
How much did 15.030 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.030 obligated $7,771,771 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
On GovTribe
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