OVC FY25 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), through its Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), has released the FY25 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside (TVSSA) Formula Program funding opportunity. This initiative aims to support the provision of victim services in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. The program is funded through a set-aside from the Crime Victims Fund and aligns with DOJ's mission to uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and ensure the safety of all communities. The total estimated funding available under this opportunity is approximately $85 million, with an anticipated award ceiling of $650,000 and an estimated 315 awards to be made. The performance period ranges from 12 to 60 months, beginning either October 1, 2025, or January 1, 2026. This program is exclusively open to applicants who submitted a Population Certification and received an invitation letter from OVC. Eligible entities include federally recognized Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Regional Corporations, and authorized designees. All grantees and subrecipients must forgo any profit or management fees. Importantly, the program does not require any cost sharing or match contributions from applicants. Funding can support a wide range of victim service activities, including direct services, traditional healing, program development and expansion, community education, and services for families of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP). A significant emphasis of the FY25 TVSSA program is on addressing the needs related to MMIP cases. Applicants may use funds to support families of missing persons through outreach, response planning, awareness activities, and limited support for urgent private search efforts under specific conditions. While direct investigative activities are not allowable, grantees may cover costs like search supplies, volunteer training, family travel and lodging, and related support during active search efforts when law enforcement assistance is unavailable and immediate action is needed. Applicants are required to submit their application through a two-step process. First, the SF-424 must be submitted via Grants.gov by 8:59 p.m. ET on September 22, 2025. Second, the full application must be submitted through JustGrants by 8:59 p.m. ET on September 29, 2025. To complete the application, applicants must prepare a detailed Proposal Narrative Questionnaire, a budget worksheet, and potentially additional documents such as a construction-renovation questionnaire or a tribal authorizing resolution. All applicants must also complete a Financial Management and Internal Controls Questionnaire within JustGrants. Award recipients must comply with federal statutes and regulations, including environmental compliance requirements for any construction or renovation activities. Projects involving construction will be subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and must meet Department of Justice modular building standards. Additionally, grantees will be required to submit regular performance and financial reports and adhere to post-award monitoring, particularly for projects involving real property. Technical assistance is available through pre-application webinars and optional virtual office hours. For questions about the program, applicants should contact their assigned OVC grant manager or email OVCTribalSetAside@ojp.usdoj.gov. For technical assistance, support is available through the SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and JustGrants help desks. Award notices are expected to be issued by September 30, 2025.

Submit SF-424 at least 48 hours before the Grants.gov deadline. Use GSA rates when budgeting travel. If proposing construction, include the Construction-Renovation Questionnaire.