BJA FY 23 National Training and Technical Assistance: Capital Case Litigation Initiative | O BJA 2023 171669

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2023 171669

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), offered a discretionary grant opportunity titled "BJA FY 23 National Training and Technical Assistance: Capital Case Litigation Initiative" (Funding Opportunity Number O-BJA-2023-171669; CFDA 16.746). The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the federal government expects substantial involvement during the project period, such as ongoing coordination, shared planning, and federal input on deliverables rather than a purely hands-off grant.

The central purpose of the initiative is to strengthen the fairness and quality of capital case proceedings by improving the information, training, and support available to judges who preside over death penalty cases. The solicitation emphasizes that capital litigation involves uniquely high stakes and complex legal issues, and it targets the practical need for judges to have current, comprehensive, and legally sound guidance on death penalty law. In plain terms, the funded organization is expected to deliver high-quality training and technical assistance that helps judges navigate the evolving procedural, constitutional, evidentiary, and case-management challenges that arise in capital cases, supporting fair and impartial court processes.

This opportunity sits within OJP's broader priorities of advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting victims and people impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and communities. While the day-to-day work described here is judicial training and technical assistance, the solicitation frames that work as part of a larger effort to promote confidence in the justice system and to ensure that the most serious cases are handled with rigor, consistency, and procedural fairness.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities with relevant expertise and the ability to operate at a national scale: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and other eligible entities. A key condition is that for-profit applicants must agree to forgo any profit or management fees. Beyond basic eligibility, the solicitation signals a strong preference for applicants that can demonstrate deep experience with capital case litigation and judicial decision-making issues, along with a proven track record of delivering training and technical assistance nationwide. The emphasis is not just on knowing the subject matter, but on having the infrastructure, relationships, curriculum development capacity, and delivery capability to reach judges across jurisdictions effectively.

Financially, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $1,000,000. The posting does not clearly state the exact number of expected awards, but it indicates this is a national training and technical assistance effort, which often suggests a limited number of awards intended to support a centralized provider or a small set of providers. The original application closing date was May 8, 2023, and the opportunity was created on March 16, 2023.

In summary, this BJA initiative funds a national provider to deliver up-to-date, practical training and technical assistance for judges handling capital cases, with the overarching goal of strengthening the quality of representation and ensuring fair, impartial proceedings in death penalty litigation. The ideal applicant is an organization with demonstrated capital-case expertise and the ability to run high-quality, nationwide judicial education and support services under a cooperative agreement framework.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 23 National Training and Technical Assistance: Capital Case Litigation Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.746.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-03-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-05-08. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• 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, Others.

Apply for O BJA 2023 171669

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