BJA FY 22 Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR) Initiative | O BJA 2022 171210

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2022 171210

The BJA FY 22 Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR) Initiative is a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), U.S. Department of Justice discretionary funding opportunity designed to strengthen officer safety, wellness, resilience, and survivability nationwide. It sits within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) broader priorities of promoting civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting victims and justice-impacted individuals, improving community safety, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. In practical terms, this opportunity funds national-level training, resources, and hands-on support that agencies can use to reduce violence and harm to officers while also addressing the stressors and operational risks that contribute to injuries, fatalities, and long-term wellness challenges.

The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically means the federal government expects to have substantial involvement in the work as it is carried out (for example, coordinating deliverables, aligning products with BJA priorities, and participating in program planning and oversight). The initiative plans to make up to four awards total, with BJA intending to select one national program provider in each of four distinct categories. The maximum award amount listed is $6,700,000, and the opportunity was posted March 23, 2022, with an original application closing date of May 20, 2022. The CFDA number associated with this program is 16.738, and the listing identifies the activity category as Humanities (with a note to see Cultural Affairs), even though the content focus is clearly law enforcement training and technical assistance.

The core structure of the VALOR Initiative is built around four national programs, each focused on a different, high-impact aspect of officer safety and wellness. First, the VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Training and Technical Assistance Program (the VALOR Program) supports a national training and technical assistance provider that will continue and further enhance BJA s flagship suite of officer safety and wellness training, resources, and direct support. The expectation is that the selected provider will maintain and improve nationally applicable materials and deliver technical assistance that helps law enforcement agencies adopt safer practices, reduce line-of-duty risks, and strengthen wellness supports as part of everyday operations rather than as one-off initiatives.

Second, the National Suicide Awareness for Law Enforcement Officers Program (SAFLEO) targets suicide prevention, education, and awareness within law enforcement. Through this category, BJA seeks a national technical assistance provider to expand and strengthen efforts that help agencies recognize risk factors, reduce stigma around seeking help, and implement practical prevention strategies. While the announcement text is high-level, the intent is to sustain a national platform of training and resources that can be used broadly across jurisdictions and agency sizes, improving the ability of leaders, peers, and support systems to respond early and effectively.

Third, the Law Enforcement Agency and Officer Resilience Training Program (the Resilience Program) focuses on building resilience skills across both individuals and agencies. This category is aimed at continuing and enhancing BJA s resilience skills-building technical assistance program, which generally means structured training and implementation support that helps agencies develop healthier responses to stress, trauma exposure, critical incidents, and organizational pressures. The resilience focus complements officer safety and suicide prevention by emphasizing the skills, policies, and cultural practices that can reduce burnout and improve performance and decision-making under stress.

Fourth, the National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program (NLERS) addresses roadway safety, a major source of officer injury and death. Under this category, BJA seeks a national provider to continue and enhance roadway safety training and resources that help officers operate more safely around traffic stops, roadside incidents, crash scenes, and other roadway-related duties. The goal is to institutionalize safer roadway practices through training, guidance, and scalable resources that agencies can implement consistently.

Eligibility for the opportunity is broad and includes state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); private institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and other entities as specified in the solicitation s eligibility details. Because the awards are intended for national program providers and national technical assistance delivery, competitive applicants would generally be expected to demonstrate strong nationwide reach, deep subject-matter expertise in the specific category they are applying under, proven experience delivering training and technical assistance at scale, and the organizational capacity to produce and maintain high-quality resources that can be used across diverse communities and law enforcement contexts.

Overall, the FY 2022 VALOR Initiative is best understood as a set of four coordinated, national-capacity investments. Instead of funding local agencies directly for equipment or staffing, it funds organizations that can develop and deliver the training, technical assistance, and resource infrastructure that local, tribal, and state agencies can draw on to improve officer safety outcomes, reduce preventable deaths and injuries, strengthen wellness and resilience, and support the broader OJP goals of equitable, trustworthy, and effective public safety.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 22 Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR) Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.738.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 20, 2022. (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 $6,700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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