OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Training and Services to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities Grant Program Solicitation | O OVW 2021 36006

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OVW 2021 36006

The OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Training and Services to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities Grant Program (often referred to as the Disability Grant Program, or DGP) is a U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) funding opportunity designed to improve how communities and organizations respond to victims of violence who have disabilities and to Deaf victims. Authorized under 34 U.S.C. 167 20122 and listed under CFDA 16.529, the program focuses on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, with an emphasis not only on improving victim services but also on strengthening systems that hold offenders accountable. The core idea is sustainable, long-term change: building better structures, better partnerships, and better organizational practices so that accessibility and safety are not one-off improvements but part of the routine way agencies operate.

A central priority of the program is creating and strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration. In practice, this means encouraging coordinated work across victim service providers, disability service organizations, Deaf-serving organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and other relevant partners. The intention is to break down the common gaps that can occur when agencies operate in silos, especially in cases where victims may face extra barriers to reporting, communicating, accessing shelters or advocacy services, or navigating medical and legal systems. By supporting collaboration, the grant aims to improve both the immediate response to victims and the longer-term institutional coordination that makes responses more consistent and effective.

The solicitation emphasizes increasing organizational capacity to provide services that are accessible, safe, and effective for individuals with disabilities and Deaf individuals. This goes beyond physical accessibility, although that can be part of it. Capacity-building can include improving communication access (for example, addressing interpreter access and other communication accommodations), enhancing policies and procedures so they are inclusive and trauma-informed, training staff to recognize and respond appropriately to disability-related needs, and reducing systemic barriers that make it harder for victims to seek help. The overall purpose is to ensure that services are not only available in theory, but workable in real life for victims with diverse needs.

Another major use of DGP funding is to help grantees identify unmet needs in their organization and/or service area and then develop a concrete plan to address those needs. That planning component is important because it pushes applicants to assess current gaps and build a foundation for future work, rather than relying on assumptions about what victims need. The program is designed to support efforts that are structured and intentional, helping organizations understand barriers in their local context and implement steps that lead to lasting improvements, rather than short-term fixes.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, meaning OVW typically has substantial involvement in the funded project through collaboration, guidance, and oversight. The funding activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services. The opportunity number is O-OVW-2021-36006. The solicitation was posted on January 22, 2021, with an original closing date of March 25, 2021. OVW anticipated making about 12 awards, with an award ceiling of $500,000 per award.

Eligibility is broad and includes state governments, county governments, city or township governments, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The solicitation also references additional eligibility details in an "Additional Information on Eligibility" section, indicating there may be further clarifications or conditions for certain applicant types.

Finally, the solicitation points applicants to OVW program resources and accountability tools, including OVW program information pages and performance measurement guidance under the VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative. It also references examples of successful projects contained in OVW reports to Congress, including the 2018 Biennial Report. These references signal that funded projects are expected to align with OVW goals, track progress using established performance measures, and contribute to broader evidence about what works in improving safety, accessibility, and justice for victims with disabilities and Deaf victims.

• 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 2021 Training and Services to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities Grant Program Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.529.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 22, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 25, 2021. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O OVW 2021 36006

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