OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Emerging Issues and Training and Technical Assistance Invitation to Apply | O OVW 2023 171822

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OVW 2023 171822

The OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Emerging Issues and Training and Technical Assistance Invitation to Apply is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). It is designed to fund projects that either (1) explore new and emerging issues in the violence against women field or (2) provide training and technical assistance (TTA) that helps OVW grantees, subgrantees, and the broader community of practitioners respond more effectively to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. The legal authority for this program comes from 34 U.S.C. 12291(b)(11) and (16), which support OVW work focused on innovation, emerging challenges, and capacity-building through training and technical assistance.

This solicitation is not a typical open competition. Instead, it follows a two-step process that began earlier with OVW's December 20, 2022 Call for Concept Papers. Under that call, eligible organizations were invited to submit concept papers proposing promising ideas aligned with OVW priorities, especially those connected to the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022). OVW reviewed those concept papers, identified proposals that best matched the purpose areas and emerging needs, and then directly invited selected entities to submit full applications. In other words, the "invitation to apply" format indicates that only applicants who were contacted after the concept paper review were expected to submit complete proposals under this specific opportunity.

A central theme of this funding is supporting implementation and field readiness in light of VAWA 2022, which introduced new and revised statutory programs and clarified or expanded various policy and practice expectations across the anti-violence landscape. OVW is using this opportunity to encourage innovative projects and targeted technical assistance that help jurisdictions, service providers, and systems partners understand and operationalize those updates. At the same time, OVW signals that it is also looking beyond VAWA 2022 to other emerging issues affecting survivors and communities, reflecting the reality that technology, social conditions, service delivery models, and offender behaviors continue to evolve.

Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements rather than standard grants. That matters because a cooperative agreement typically involves more substantial ongoing engagement from the federal awarding agency, such as collaboration on project design refinement, deliverable review, coordination with other OVW initiatives, or participation in structured learning communities. The funding instrument choice suggests OVW wants these projects to be closely aligned with national priorities and integrated into a broader strategy for strengthening the field, rather than operating as standalone, lightly monitored efforts.

The opportunity is categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services, with CFDA (now often referred to as Assistance Listing) number 16.526. OVW anticipated up to 25 awards, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 per award. While the listing indicates "Others" for eligible applicants, the key eligibility detail is effectively governed by the invitation-only nature of the solicitation, meaning eligibility in practice depends on OVW having selected and invited the applicant based on the earlier concept paper process. The opportunity was posted on July 18, 2023, with an original closing date of July 25, 2023, reflecting a short turnaround consistent with an invited-applicant process where applicants have already done substantial pre-work during the concept paper stage.

Finally, OVW emphasizes that funded projects will be tied to performance measurement and effectiveness expectations. Applicants and eventual awardees are directed to OVW program information resources and to the VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative, which OVW uses to track outcomes and demonstrate progress toward program goals. OVW also references its reporting to Congress on VAWA grant program effectiveness, underscoring that these projects are expected to contribute to measurable improvements in capacity, coordination, survivor-centered practice, and system responses across the violence against women field.

• The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW Fiscal Year 2023 Emerging Issues and Training and Technical Assistance Invitation to Apply" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.526.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 18, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 25, 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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O OVW 2023 171822

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