FY 2023 Law Enforcement Transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to Improve Hate Crime Reporting | O BJS 2023 171779

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJS 2023 171779

The FY 2023 Law Enforcement Transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to Improve Hate Crime Reporting opportunity is a discretionary funding program from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Its main purpose is to expand and strengthen hate crime reporting by helping more local law enforcement agencies successfully report incident-level crime data through the FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The program is explicitly tied to the goals of the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, which emphasizes improving hate crime data collection and reporting so communities and policymakers have a clearer picture of what is happening, where it is happening, and how best to respond.

This solicitation is structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, which usually means the federal agency expects to be more directly involved in guiding, coordinating, and supporting the work during the project period. In practical terms, the award is intended to fund not just financial assistance but also hands-on technical assistance designed to move agencies closer to NIBRS compliance and routine NIBRS reporting. The emphasis is on increasing the number of local agencies that can submit usable NIBRS data to the FBI, with a specific focus on improving the completeness and quality of hate crime data captured through those incident-based reports. The broader framing of the opportunity fits within OJP priorities around civil rights, racial equity, access to justice, support for victims, improved public safety, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

BJS positions this investment as an information and statistics initiative (Funding Activity Category: Information and Statistics; CFDA/Assistance Listing: 16.048). That is important because it signals the program is primarily about data capacity, data quality, and reporting infrastructure rather than direct enforcement operations. The expected outcome is better national and local visibility into hate crimes through more consistent NIBRS participation, which can improve analysis, resource targeting, transparency, and accountability. Because hate crime statistics depend heavily on local reporting practices and technical capability, helping agencies modernize records management processes, implement NIBRS-ready systems, and adopt consistent data standards can directly affect whether hate crime incidents are recorded and transmitted in ways that are comparable across jurisdictions.

The opportunity was released on June 1, 2023, with an original application closing date of August 1, 2023. BJS anticipated making one award under this solicitation (Expected Awards: 1), with an award ceiling of $4,400,000. The single-award structure suggests the recipient would likely serve as a national or multi-jurisdictional technical assistance provider or lead organization coordinating support, tools, and implementation assistance across many local law enforcement agencies rather than funding a large number of individual agencies directly.

Eligibility is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. That range of eligible applicants aligns with the program design: entities with national reach, strong technical expertise in law enforcement data systems, experience in training and technical assistance, and capacity to coordinate cross-agency implementation work are the kinds of applicants that can realistically deliver NIBRS transition support at scale.

In short, this BJS cooperative agreement opportunity is aimed at accelerating local law enforcement adoption of NIBRS and improving the reliability and coverage of hate crime reporting nationwide by funding a significant, centralized effort that combines dollars with technical assistance, grounded in OJP priorities and authorized by the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 Law Enforcement Transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to Improve Hate Crime Reporting" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.048.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 01, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 01, 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 $4,400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses.

Apply for O BJS 2023 171779

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