How to Apply for OVW Funding

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The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) invites organizations and communities working to end gender-based violence to apply for funding.

This section provides general information about how to apply for OVW grants and cooperative agreements. Specific questions about an opportunity or application should be directed to the contact listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

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 on OVW’s Resources for Applicants page and the website of DOJ’s Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships.

Getting Started

There is a new two-step process to apply for funding from the Department of Justice (DOJ). First, the applicant submits two forms in Grants.gov -- the SF-424 and the SF-LLL. After these two forms are submitted in Grants.gov, the applicant receives an email from JustGrants to complete the application submission process in the new JustGrants system.

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. This application information will then 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.

For help navigating the Grants.gov system, visit the Grants.gov Applicant Resources section.

If applicants have 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 9 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.

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. State that you are having technical difficulties with SAM.gov or Grants.gov. Provide regular updates to the OVW contact. The deadline and email contact can be found in the NOFO.
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 apply in JustGrants. Therefore, you must email the complete application (SF-424, Proposal Narrative, Budget and Budget Narrative, MOU, 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 and is a separate Help Desk from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
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 a 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 numbers 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 you of a decision to approve or deny it. 

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