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How to Apply

How to Apply for OVW Funding

General Information

Note: Specific questions about a funding opportunity or application should be directed to the contact listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

OVW developed the FY 2025 Application Companion Guide to assist potential grantees in applying for OVW grants. The guide offers general assistance on all OVW grant programs, including information on post-award requirements for applicants who receive awards. It is not a substitute for program-specific notices of funding opportunities or for the applicable statutes, regulations, or policies that govern OVW's programs.

Applicants should read individual NOFOs in their entirety and follow the instructions set forth in each notice. Visit the Funding Opportunities page to learn which grant programs are currently accepting applications.  

All OVW funding opportunities are meant to help communities keep victims safe from further harm, hold offenders accountable, and end domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. What these grants support and what type of applicants are eligible to apply varies across the grant programs. What must be included in an application varies, too. No matter which program(s) you might apply to, we have some tips for preparing your grant application. Please see Six Steps to A Strong Grant Application and explore the resources linked below.

Faith-based organizations

  • Faith-based organizations are eligible to participate in DOJ programs on the same basis as other organizations and can obtain more information on applying for and receiving OVW funding at the links below and on DOJ’s Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships website.
  • Office for Civil Rights: Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations
  • In accordance with DOJ’s interpretation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, as set forth in a Memorandum of Opinion issued by the Office of Legal Counsel on June 29, 2007, funded faith-based organizations may prefer co-religionists for employees in programs funded by OVW if they can certify that they meet certain criteria. For more information, see FAQ - Nondiscrimination Grant Condition in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 and the applicable certification form (PDF).

Getting Started

To submit an application, all applicants must register online with the System for Award Management (SAM) and with Grants.gov. To ensure sufficient time to complete the registration process, applicants should register online with SAM and with Grants.gov immediately, and at least one month prior to the Grants.gov deadline, which can be found in the NOFO.

The JustGrants Getting Started webpage provides background on the transition to JustGrants and valuable information to assist with the application process. For more information on how to use the system, visit the JustGrants Training page.

Use this checklist to prepare and complete your application.

Step 1: Grants.gov

Go to Grants.gov and click “Search Grants” to find DOJ/OVW funding opportunities. Fulfill the Grants.gov portion of the application process by completing the SF-424 and SF-LLL and submitting by the Grants.gov deadline. After successful submission, this application information will be transferred to JustGrants for the second step of the application submission. Missing the Grants.gov application deadline will prevent applicants from being able to submit an application in JustGrants.

Submission Tips:

  • Submit early: Applicants should begin the submission process at least 48 hours before the Grants.gov application deadline.
  • Workspace status: The Grants.gov Workspace status will change from "In Progress" to "Submitted" once the application is successfully submitted.
  • Form preview: To view the form before completing it in Grants.gov, applicants should click the Package tab under the funding opportunity for which they are applying and select Preview, which will provide links.
  • Type of applicant: For "Type of Applicant" (box 9), do not select Other.
  • Federal funding requested: The amount of federal funding requested in the “Estimated Funding” section of this form (box 18a) should match the amount of federal funding requested in the budget of the application.
  • Required match: For all programs except STOP Formula: This program does not require a match; therefore, the value for the "Applicant" line (box 18b) should be zero.
  • Authorized Representative: The individual who is listed as “Authorized Representative” (box 21) must have the authority to apply for and accept grant awards on behalf of the organization or jurisdiction.
  • Contact person: The "Contact Person" listed in Section 8.f. on the SF-424 is automatically designated as the Application Submitter in JustGrants. Confirm that their email address is correct.
  • For help navigating the Grants.gov system: Visit the Grants.gov Applicant Resources section.
  • For technical questions regarding Grants.gov: contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov (24 hours a day, 7 days a week except federal holidays).

Step 2: JustGrants

After submitting the SF-424 and the SF-LLL in Grants.gov, JustGrants will automatically send an email instructing the applicant to continue the application submission process in JustGrants.

Applicants' opportunity to complete the application submission process ends at 5 p.m. ET on the JustGrants deadline date. The submission deadline is listed on OVW’s NOFO cover pages.

To learn more, download the application checklist and Job Aid Reference Guide, and read the FAQs. JustGrants functions best using a PC with Chrome or Edge web browser.

OVW Policy for Applicants Having Technical Difficulties

Technical difficulties are issues beyond the applicant’s control that keep the applicant from submitting an application on time.

Technical difficulties with SAM.gov or Grants.gov

  1. Contact SAM.gov or Grants.gov support as soon as you are aware of a problem.
  2. Maintain documentation of when the issue began and all communication with technical support.
  3. Before the Grants.gov deadline, notify the OVW contact by email. The deadline and email contact can be found in the NOFO. State that you are having technical difficulties with SAM.gov or Grants.gov. Provide regular updates to the OVW contact.
  4. If the technical difficulty cannot be resolved before the Grants.gov deadline, you must notify the OVW contact by email prior to the deadline.
  5. Once the Grants.gov deadline passes, you will not be able to continue and complete the application process in JustGrants. Therefore, you must email the complete application (for example, SF-424, Proposal Narrative, Budget and Budget Narrative, any other documents required per the NOFO), and all documentation confirming the technical difficulty to the OVW contact by the JustGrants deadline.

Technical difficulties while applying in JustGrants

  1. Contact OVW JustGrants Support at OVW.JustGrantsSupport@usdoj.gov or 866-655-4482 as soon as you are aware of a problem. OVW JustGrants Support is dedicated to OVW applicants.
  2. Maintain documentation of all communication with OVW JustGrants Support.
  3. Work with OVW JustGrants Support to resolve the technical difficulty.
  4. Prior to the JustGrants deadline, email the OVW contact. The deadline and email contact can be found in the NOFO. If you must submit your application by email due to the technical difficulty, you must do so by the JustGrants deadline, but no earlier than 4 hours before the deadline. The email must include the following:
  • A detailed description of the technical difficulty.
  • The contact information (name, telephone, and email) for the person making the request.
  • The applicant’s UEI number.
  • JustGrants application number(s) and User Support tracking numbers.
  • The complete application (SF-424, Proposal Narrative, Budget and Budget Narrative, MOU, and any other required documents).

We do not guarantee that applications submitted by email will be considered for funding, even if the email is received before the JustGrants deadline. We will decide and notify applicants of the decision within 30 days of the JustGrants deadline. We may then ask applicants to coordinate with us to submit applications in Grants.gov and JustGrants.

OVW Policy on Late Submission Request Due to Severe Inclement Weather or Natural or Manmade Disaster

Cases of severe inclement weather or natural or manmade disaster are the only circumstances under which OVW may accept applications after the deadline. In such circumstances:

  1. Email the OVW contact listed in the NOFO as soon as you are aware of severe weather or disaster that may prevent you from submitting the application on time. The email should describe the weather event or disaster, including when it occurred or is likely to occur, the impacted area, and the impact on the applicant and/or partners’ ability to ensure the application is submitted before the deadline (e.g., without power for “x” days, office closed for “x” days). If the application is complete and ready for submission at the time you notify OVW, then attach the application to the email.
  2. After following step 1, contact OVW within 48 hours after the deadline or as soon as communications are restored.

Note: We may not be able to accommodate all requests.

Within 30 days of receiving a request for late submission, we will notify applicants of OVW’s approval or denial.

Applicant Resources

OVW Pre-award Risk Assessment Questions

Applicants can contact OVW at OVW.Info@usdoj.gov or call 202-307-6026.

Use our free e-mail service to get the latest information about notices of funding opportunities, announcements, and training from the Office on Violence Against Women.

Updated February 26, 2026