BJA FY24 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative | O BJA 2024 172187

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2024 172187

The BJA FY24 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) is a discretionary grant program from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, designed to help jurisdictions reduce violent crime by tackling the long-standing problem of unsubmitted and partially tested sexual assault kits (SAKs) and strengthening the investigations and prosecutions that follow from testing those kits. The core idea is not only to pay for getting evidence tested using CODIS-eligible DNA methods, but also to make sure jurisdictions have the staffing, policies, and coordinated processes needed to turn laboratory results into real case progress, including arrests, prosecutions where appropriate, and improved public safety outcomes. The solicitation also makes clear that SAKI can extend beyond sexual assault kits alone to include untested evidence tied to sexually motivated homicides and other violent cold case crimes, reflecting a broader cold-case and violent-crime reduction strategy.

A major focus of the opportunity is helping jurisdictions identify and address SAKs in their custody that were never submitted to a forensic laboratory, including kits that were only partially tested in the past and may require additional testing using current approaches. Funding is intended to support the full pathway from evidence to action: organizing and inventorying kits, submitting them for appropriate forensic testing, and then supporting the casework that follows, such as investigative follow-up, crime analysis, victim engagement strategies, and prosecutor-led review of cases where DNA results or other evidence may support charges. The program is framed around improving both the volume and quality of outcomes, meaning it is not just about clearing shelves in evidence rooms, but about ensuring tested kits lead to meaningful investigative and prosecutorial decision-making.

Another key component is expanding CODIS-eligible DNA sample collection from qualifying individuals who should already have a DNA profile in CODIS but do not, because a sample was never collected or never submitted for testing. The solicitation also encourages sites to develop or reform policies related to arrestee DNA collection when it is legally permissible in the applicant jurisdiction. In practice, this part of the program aims to close gaps in DNA databases that can prevent matches, delay identifications, or reduce the ability of law enforcement to connect offenders across cases. By improving both evidence testing and database completeness, the initiative seeks to increase the likelihood of CODIS hits and strengthen the overall impact of forensic evidence on violent crime investigations.

Eligibility depends on the specific “Purpose Area” under the solicitation, and BJA separates applicants into categories based on their role and capacity and, in some cases, their progress in previously addressing unsubmitted kits and downstream case activity. For Purpose Areas 1 and 3, eligible applicants include other state law enforcement agencies, other units of local government, other governmental non-law-enforcement agencies acting as fiscal agents, and other prosecutor’s offices. Purpose Area 2 is reserved for small law enforcement agencies or consortia of small agencies, defined here as agencies with fewer than 250 sworn officers (or a consortium meeting that small-agency standard). For Purpose Areas 3, 4, and 6, applicants can include jurisdictions that have already addressed their unsubmitted kits (including partially tested kits) and can clearly demonstrate they have also handled downstream case activities like crime analysis, investigation, and prosecution (as applicable) for at least 75 percent of associated cases under their control or authority. Importantly, a jurisdiction does not need to be a current or former SAKI grantee to apply under these Purpose Areas, but it must be ready to document that it meets the stated threshold; otherwise, the application may not advance to peer review. Purpose Area 5 is limited to existing and/or previous SAKI grantees that have addressed unsubmitted kits and can similarly demonstrate they have completed downstream investigative and prosecutorial activities for at least 75 percent of associated cases under their control or authority.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number O-BJA-2024-172187 and CFDA 16.833 (now commonly referenced through Assistance Listing terminology, but the number remains a key identifier). The application closing date was August 1, 2024. BJA anticipated making about 29 awards, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000 per award. The opportunity is categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services, and while the eligibility list includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments, the solicitation language also emphasizes support for rural and tribal jurisdictions more generally, consistent with SAKI’s nationwide focus on addressing backlogs and improving the systems that respond to sexual violence and related violent crimes.

Overall, this SAKI solicitation is structured to fund both the front-end work of testing and the back-end work of acting on results, including the policy and operational improvements that keep jurisdictions from recreating the same backlog problems in the future. It prioritizes measurable progress in kit submission and testing, stronger investigative and prosecutorial follow-through, and strategic DNA collection and CODIS participation to increase the likelihood that offenders are identified and held accountable while improving the justice system response for survivors.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY24 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.833.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-01. (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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 29 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others.

Apply for O BJA 2024 172187

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: