When Congress passed the STOP School Violence Act of 2018, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) was given the authority to provide grant funding to schools to improve their security measures. This spring, the COPS office will release its annual School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) grant that provides schools with funding to purchase school safety technologies that fall into the following categories:
- Acquisition and installation of technology for expedited notification (to law enforcement) during an emergency
- Coordination with local law enforcement
- Placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures
- Training for local law enforcement officers to prevent school violence
- Any other measure that the COPS Office Director determines may provide a significant improvement in security
The FY2024 grant funding details have not yet been released, but in 2023, the grant provided a total of up to $73 million in funding, with a cap of $500,000 per awardee.
To be as prepared as possible for FY2024 SVPP grant application, below are some steps you can take while you’re waiting on the announcement:
Step 1: Start Preparing:
- Identify the problem you want to solve
- Propose a solution and demonstrate how it will fill specific gaps and needs
- Develop budget for the proposed solution
- Validate your problem with data
- Obtain administrative approval
- Request letters of support from any additional agencies or jurisdictions (i.e., city, county, law enforcement, school district, etc.)
- Complete additional strategic planning
Step 2: Register or renew with the System for Active Aware Management (www.SAM.gov) database (must renew annually).
Step 3: Register at Grants.gov or confirm registration and complete form SF-424 and if applicable, the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Form
Step 4: Read up on the detailed application process to be prepared for what’s to come when the grant is announced.
Step 5: Connect with a Grants Expert, and discover other available education grants.
Be sure to keep checking the COPS SVPP website so you don’t miss when the grant application is released.
Questions? Please do not hesitate to reach out to a Motorola Solutions representative at any time.
