U.S. Department of Justice Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation Fiscal year 2023 Competitive Grant Announcement | O BJA 2023 171471

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2023 171471

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) for Fiscal Year 2023 is a competitive grant opportunity designed to streamline how federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia apply for DOJ funding. Instead of submitting multiple separate applications to different DOJ offices and programs, eligible tribal applicants submit a single CTAS application that can request support across one or more purpose areas. The overall intent is to make funding access easier while encouraging tribes to build a coordinated, comprehensive approach to public safety, justice system improvements, and services for victims within their communities. CTAS itself is not a stand-alone program; it is one consolidated solicitation that serves as a gateway to multiple DOJ tribal government-specific grant programs offered through several DOJ grant-making components.

This FY 2023 solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number: O-BJA-2023-171471) is administered through the DOJ Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and offers discretionary grant funding. The opportunity is targeted primarily to federally recognized Native American tribal governments, with tribal consortia and certain other tribal designees also able to apply depending on the detailed eligibility rules in the solicitation. A key structural rule is that each tribe or tribal consortium may submit only one CTAS application, but that single application may include proposals under multiple purpose areas. Because the application can cover more than one area, a single submission may lead to multiple awards if different parts of the application are funded.

CTAS brings together seven separate DOJ tribal grant programs that are administered across four DOJ components: the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), the Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Office of Justice Programs Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and the Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). In practical terms, this means tribes can use CTAS to seek support for a wide range of justice and public safety needs, including law enforcement capacity, justice system planning and operations, victim services, and youth-focused delinquency prevention or intervention efforts, depending on which purpose areas they select.

The FY 2023 CTAS announcement highlights several changes compared with prior years. One notable update is that template text is no longer counted toward the narrative page limit, which can give applicants more room to describe their project approaches without being penalized for required form language. Another important change affects Purpose Area 9: awards under that purpose area can be used to serve youth up to age 21, expanding the eligible age range. Purpose Area 9 also includes three categories that tribes may apply under, including a two-year strategic planning award that was added in FY 2022; applicants are explicitly encouraged to review the categories carefully to ensure the request aligns with the correct track. Additionally, Purpose Area 8 funding may be used to expand the treatment workforce for Juvenile Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts, signaling an emphasis on strengthening the staffing and service capacity needed for these court-based treatment and rehabilitation models.

DOJ also signals priority areas it hopes CTAS funding will help address, while still allowing tribes to set their own locally driven strategies. The solicitation encourages tribes to consider using CTAS to support initiatives such as efforts related to missing or murdered Indigenous people; implementation of tribal criminal jurisdiction authorities connected to the Violence Against Women Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) and the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, including special tribal criminal jurisdiction; public safety adaptations in response to recent jurisdictional changes affecting how criminal matters are handled in Indian Country; and addressing shortages in law enforcement and core justice services, particularly for remote tribes facing geographic and infrastructure barriers. These emphasis areas reflect DOJ’s interest in supporting both immediate safety needs and longer-term system capacity, especially where federal law changes or persistent service gaps create urgent needs.

From an administrative and timing standpoint, the opportunity was created on December 19, 2022, with an original closing date of March 21, 2023. The solicitation lists an award ceiling of $11,975,000 and an expectation of 116 awards, indicating that awards can range widely in size depending on the purpose areas selected and the scope of the proposed activities. The CFDA numbers associated with CTAS include 16.583, 16.585, 16.596, 16.608, 16.710, and 16.731, reflecting the multiple underlying DOJ funding streams being accessed through this one consolidated solicitation.

Finally, DOJ makes clear that CTAS is meant to simplify access to DOJ’s tribal set-aside opportunities, but it does not limit tribes from seeking other funding. Federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia are encouraged to apply separately to other DOJ or federal grant programs for which they qualify, using resources like Grants.gov, the DOJ Program Plan, and individual agency websites. Additional CTAS and tribal justice funding information is also referenced through DOJ’s tribal justice webpage at justice.gov/tribal, which serves as a central hub for guidance and related resources.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Department of Justice Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation Fiscal year 2023 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 Dec 19, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 21, 2023. (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 $11,975,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 116 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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