DOJ – Specialized Services for Victims of Human Trafficking (2015)

By NLADA on May 7, 2015 • ( 0 )

Applications Due: June 1, 2015, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Description: The primary goal of this program is to enhance the quality and quantity of specialized services available to assist victims of human trafficking, as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended. This solicitation will provide funding to victim service organizations with a demonstrated history of providing services for victims of human trafficking. Funding under this program will support the provision of specialized services for victims of human trafficking, including services for underserved victims of human trafficking such as American Indians and/or Alaska Natives (AI/AN) or individuals who identify as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ). Funding will also support efforts to increase the capacity of communities to respond to human trafficking victims through the development of interagency partnerships, professional training, and public awareness activities. The statutory authority for this program is 22 U.S.C. § 7105(b)(2).

FY 2014 Services for Victims of Human Trafficking – Specialized Services applicants are not eligible to apply for funding under this solicitation, unless the new proposal outlines new services and cost items that were not included in the FY 2014 application.

Funding Title: OVC Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Specialized Services for Victims of Human Trafficking

Agency Name: Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crimes

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement

Express Language for Legal Aid: Yes. The solicitation states:

“Proposals under this grant program may include, but are not limited to, a plan to provide any of the following types of services and interventions:

Legal Services: including immigration assistance, assistance with civil legal remedies, victims’ rights enforcement, and assistance pursuing efforts to vacate a victim’s criminal conviction and/or expunge a victim’s criminal record (where the law allows a record to be vacated/expunged based on being a human trafficking victim) …”

Target Population: Victims of human trafficking, as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended

Expected Number of Awards: Up to 9

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Federal funds awarded under this program may not cover more than 75% of the total costs of the project. Applicants must identify the source of the 25% non-federal portion of the total project costs and how they will use match funds. If a successful applicant’s proposed match exceeds the required match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit. (Match is restricted to the same uses of funds as allowed for the federal funds.)

How to Apply: Applicants must register in, and submit applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” to find federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to register and submit an application at http://www.Grants.gov. Applicants that experience technical difficulties during this process should call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800–518– 4726 or 606–545–5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may occur, and it can take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. OJP encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. In addition, OJP urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

Current Closing Date for Applications: June 1, 2015, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Award Ceiling: Up to $600,000 for a 36-month project period

Eligible Applicants:

State government
Local governments
American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Non-profit, nongovernmental organizations

Current/Past Funding Recipients: 2013

Samples of Successful Application: 2009

Link to Full Announcement: http://ojp.gov/ovc/grants/pdftxt/FY15_Specialized_Services_Solicitations_508.pdf

Contact Information: For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via e-mail to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

Applicants that experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must e-mail the OVC contact identified below within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit their application. Additional information on reporting technical issues is found under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the How to Apply section.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact Ivette Estrada, Victim Justice Program Specialist, by telephone at 202-307-0932, or by e-mail at ivette.estrada@usdoj.gov