Deadline Date: August 11, 2026
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has launched the FY26 Collaborative Reform Initiative (CRI) Program to strengthen community policing, improve law enforcement effectiveness, enhance officer safety and wellness, and provide technical assistance that supports crime reduction and public safety across the United States.
The program focuses on advancing community policing practices, protecting Americans, enhancing officer safety and wellness, strengthening agencies’ capacity for self-improvement and effectiveness, providing tailored technical assistance, supporting organizational improvements, delivering training and peer-based learning opportunities, offering expert consultation, analysis and assessments of law enforcement policies and operations, responding to critical incidents through immediate technical assistance, conducting data analysis, carrying out after-action reviews, and supporting public safety and crime reduction.
The funding opportunity is divided into two categories. The first category, the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC), supports the delivery of customized technical assistance to state, local, campus, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies. Assistance is tailored to the needs of each requesting agency and may include consultation, training, mentoring, policy assistance, peer exchanges, meeting facilitation, conference support, web-based learning, and resource referrals. Applicants are expected to demonstrate the capacity to manage nationwide technical assistance efforts, maintain experienced subject matter experts, and assess the effectiveness of the support provided.
The second category, the Collaborative Reform Initiative Critical Response, is designed to assist law enforcement agencies that experience high-profile events, major incidents, or other significant operational challenges. Support may include immediate technical assistance, data collection and analysis, and after-action reviews that help agencies evaluate responses, identify effective practices, and strengthen future operations. Assistance is provided only upon the voluntary request of the law enforcement agency and is offered at no cost to the recipient.
The program has an expected total funding of $4.2 million. Up to one award of $3.45 million is anticipated for the CRI-TAC category, while up to one award of $750,000 is expected for the Critical Response category. Both awards will be issued as cooperative agreements with a 12-month project period beginning on October 1, 2026.
Eligibility differs by category. The CRI-TAC category is limited to law enforcement stakeholder associations, including eligible nonprofit and for-profit organizations. The Critical Response category is open to nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and institutions of higher education. Cost sharing or matching funds are not required under this funding opportunity.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
