Operation Ceasefire Grant

The Operation Ceasefire Grant (OCG) administered by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) provides funding for local law enforcement agencies and local units of government in Virginia to implement sustainable strategies that disrupt cycles of violence across the Commonwealth. The grant supports programs spanning a three-year period, from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. This initiative is structured as a competitive grant opportunity with a total available funding pool of $10,000,000. Each award may not exceed $500,000, and any request for equipment funding must be limited to a maximum of $100,000 per award. This funding opportunity is exclusively open to local law enforcement agencies and local units of government. Entities must also possess a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued by the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov) to be eligible. Applications from programs that have previously received funding through Operation Ceasefire or the Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention (FVIP) grant will not be considered for continuation funding under this announcement. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a clear plan for program sustainability and must be able to show prior success and measurable progress if the proposal involves expanding or replicating an existing program. Allowable funding areas include a wide range of violence prevention and intervention services. These encompass support for crime investigations through staffing and analysis, deployment of forensic and analytical technology, law enforcement and community training, prosecutorial resources such as case managers and victim advocates, and both youth- and adult-focused programming. Eligible programmatic activities include mentoring, employment training, outreach, and community-based violence interruption and prevention initiatives. Note that only forensic and analytical equipment purchases are permitted under the equipment budget category per appropriation guidelines. Applicants must submit their proposals through the Online Grant Management System (OGMS) by 5:00 p.m. on October 10, 2025. No late applications will be accepted. Technical assistance is available via a live webinar on September 17, 2025, and a recording will be made available on OGMS within two business days following the event. The review process is competitive and assesses the reasonableness and clarity of the proposal, past performance, geographic distribution, budget justification, and overall sustainability. Applications can receive a maximum score of 100 points, with specific scoring allocated across categories such as itemized budget, narrative, project description, and goals and objectives. Funding is disbursed on a cost-reimbursement basis and must be invoiced quarterly through OGMS. Only actual expenditures within the grant period are reimbursable, and all obligations must be fulfilled no later than 45 days following the end of the grant period. Additionally, quarterly financial and programmatic reports are required. Reporting deadlines are the 15th of the month following the close of each calendar quarter. For application support or questions, applicants may contact Jennifer Quitiquit, Safer Communities Program Coordinator, via email at jennifer.quitiquit@dcjs.virginia.gov or by phone at (804) 363-6027. DCJS emphasizes the importance of building strong, sustainable, community-oriented interventions through this grant, with a clear expectation that programs will continue beyond the funding period.

Attend the September 17, 2025 webinar and review recorded materials on OGMS. Follow templates and submit early.