Community Policing Development (CPD) Microgrants
🏛 Community Oriented Policing Services (USDOJ-OJP-COPS)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for law enforcement agencies at state, local, tribal, and territorial levels. Applicants must be police departments, sheriffs' offices, or similar law enforcement agencies. Agencies propose demonstration or pilot projects in one of eleven focus areas: terrorism prevention, violent crime, gang violence, human trafficking, child exploitation, vagrancy/squatting, immigration/border security, drug markets, officer recruitment/retention, unmanned aerial systems, or cybercrime. Each application must address one focus area only and may be submitted to the incorrect category risks rejection.</eligibility_summary>
<parameter name="faq_text">Q: Who can apply for this grant?
A: State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies can apply. This includes police departments, sheriffs' offices, and similar agencies.
Q: What types of projects does this fund?
A: Demonstration or pilot projects that improve officer and public safety. Projects should be innovative, evidence-based, or address a specific public safety gap.
Q: Can an agency submit multiple applications?
A: Yes, agencies can submit multiple applications but must submit a separate application for each project. Verify you select the correct focus area for each.
Q: What is the deadline?
A: The deadline is August 17, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling.
Q: What is the typical funding range?
A: Awards typically range up to $200,000. The total funding pool is $6.7 million across all awards.
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Program description
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing and the Administration’s priority of Making America Safe Again by supporting the nation’s state, local, territorial and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the FY26 Community Policing Development: Microgrants Program. Community Policing Development (CPD): Microgrants program funds are used to fund demonstration or pilot projects to be implemented by local, state, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies to increase their capacity to implement innovative or evidence-based projects that improve officer and public safety. These projects should offer creative ideas to advance crime fighting, increase organizational effectiveness, and promote community safety.
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing and the Administration’s priority of Making America Safe Again by supporting the nation’s state, local, territorial and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the FY26 Community Policing Development: Microgrants Program. Community Policing Development (CPD): Microgrants program funds are used to fund demonstration or pilot projects to be implemented by local, state, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies to increase their capacity to implement innovative or evidence-based projects that improve officer and public safety. These projects should offer creative ideas to advance crime fighting, increase organizational effectiveness, and promote community safety.
Applicants are invited to propose demonstration or pilot projects in one of eleven areas:
-Preventing and investigating domestic terrorism
-Violent crime enforcement and investigations
-Gang violence enforcement and investigations
-Detecting and investigating human trafficking
-Investigating and interrupting child exploitation
-Vagrancy and squatting
-Immigration and border security
-Investigating and interrupting opioid and drug markets
-Officer recruitment, hiring, and retention
-Unmanned aerial systems
-Investigating and interrupting cybercrime
The COPS Office encourages agencies to propose partnerships with other law enforcement entities through taskforces and other formal operational arrangements to address the chosen area of focus, as well as with relevant stakeholders.
The COPS Office also encourages agencies to consider including evaluation components appropriate to the type of activities proposed. Applicants should explain in their application how their approach addresses a specific public safety need or gap in services.
Applicants may submit multiple applications but must submit a separate application for each project. Any applicant that selects the incorrect category may not pass the basic minimum requirement phase of the review process.
See the Eligible Applicants section for eligibility details.
As community policing is common sense policing, throughout the FY26 Community Policing Development: Microgrants Program NOFO materials, the terms “community policing” and “common sense policing” are used interchangeably, unless otherwise specified.
All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Organizational documentation (proof of law enforcement status)
Program contact
- 👤 Community Oriented Policing Services
- 📧 AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov
- 📞 800-421-6770
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.710 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$10,958,667
-
$10,492,902
-
$10,469,448
-
$9,789,763
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$9,784,130
-
$9,544,040
-
$9,000,000
-
$8,547,000
-
$8,245,000
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$6,323,580
Top States by Funding
- TX 13 awards $84.4M
- VA 11 awards $53.1M
- CA 8 awards $36.6M
- NJ 7 awards $26.1M
- FL 6 awards $24.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.710). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2012 | $151,572,278 | |
| 2013 | $166,436,731 | |
| 2014 | $169,289,196 | |
| 2015 | $168,217,132 | |
| 2016 | $167,422,943 |
💡 Tips for applicants
- Select the correct focus area carefully. Incorrect category selection may result in rejection at the screening stage.
- Include evaluation components in your proposal to measure project outcomes and success.
- Consider proposing partnerships with other law enforcement agencies or relevant stakeholders through task forces.
- Explain how your project addresses a specific public safety need or service gap in your community.
- Emphasize how your proposed activities advance crime fighting, organizational effectiveness, or community safety.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Selecting the incorrect focus area from the eleven options will cause automatic rejection during screening. Failing to explain how the project addresses a specific public safety need or gap weakens competitiveness. Proposals without evaluation components miss an opportunity to demonstrate impact and learning.
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