Eligibility and Application Information
The Office of Policy and Management Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division (OPM CJPPD) serves as the State Administering Agency (SAA) for the distribution of Byrne SCIP grant funds in Connecticut. As the State Administering Agency, OPM CJPPD receives funding and is responsible for appropriately distributing the funds throughout the state.
OPM CJPPD is currently accepting grant applications for Program Area # 4 – Safe Storage of Firearms from eligible entities.
Eligible entities include, but are not limited to, state agencies, non-profit organizations, federally recognized tribal nations, coalitions, inter-municipal groups and taskforces, and private entities. All recipients and subrecipients (including any for-profit organization) must forgo any profit or management fee.
Applicants must demonstrate a history of financial and programmatic capacity similar to what is proposed in their Byrne SCIP project application. To be considered for the maximum subaward available, a nonprofit must demonstrate a project portfolio exceeding $250,000 per year. Requests for smaller amounts should be supported by a track record of implementing projects of an equal scale and budget. Applicant organizations must be willing to allow OPM CJPPD to review their financial systems to ensure that the applying entity would be able to pass strict federal and state financial reviews and audits. Additionally, applicants that do not meet the stated guidelines can seek to partner with other entities who qualify for Byrne-SCIP to have project/program funds passed through.
A total of $308,780 is available to fund projects for a 12-month grant term. Funds for the proposed program shall be used to implement activities that address one or more of the objectives below and align to the corresponding program area summary.
- Purpose: Promote the safe storage of firearms inside the home or motor vehicle
- Program area summary: programs (i) demonstrating a logical, fair, and equitable strategy to distribute safes, lock boxes, and other storage supplies; (ii) public awareness materials focusing on constituencies such as veterans, victims and victim advocates, older adults, new gun owners, or Black, Indigenous, and people of color; (iii) public awareness materials focusing on goals, including suicide prevention, intimate partner violence reduction, prevention of theft of firearms, curbing community gun violence; or (iv) some or all of the above.
- Objectives include:
- Distributing safes, lock boxes, and other storage supplies to safeguard firearms inside the home, motor vehicle, or both;
- Increasing public awareness — such as radio, television, social media, websites, and recorded videos —including tailored messages to constituencies promoting the safe storage of firearms; and
- Developing print materials — such as fact sheets, brochures, and flyers — with tailored messages to constituencies or groups promoting the safe storage of firearms.
Application Process
In order to apply, potential subrecipients must submit a coversheet, application, narrative, and budget to OPM. Additionally, in order to be eligible for grant funds, applicants must have an active Unique Entity Number registered in SAM.GOV, a FEIN number, written accounting policies and procedures, a financial management system that is able to track actual expenditures and outlays, in addition to other requirements described in the federal, interagency/general, and special conditions.
Completed application packages must be submitted electronically to ryan.fleischman@ct.gov by Friday, May 10,2024. Email the following completed documents with “Byrne SCIP Safe Storage of Firearms Application” in the subject line.
The budget narrative must describe each line item requested in the budget and explain all costs included in the budget, including how the costs of goods and services are determined and how they will fulfill the objectives of the project.
Limitations on the use of Byrne SCIP funds
In addition to the unallowable costs identified in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide, award funds may not be used for the following:
• Prizes, rewards, entertainment, trinkets (or any type of monetary incentive) • Client stipends
• Gift cards
• Food and beverage
• Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAV), and all accompanying accessories to support UAS or UAV
• In general, as a matter of federal law, funds may not be used, either directly or indirectly, to support the enactment, repeal, modification, or adoption of any law, regulation, or policy, at any level of government. See 18 U.S.C. 1913. Recipients and subrecipients must comply with the provisions in 2 C.F.R. § 200.450 (Lobbying) and 18 U.S.C. 1913, as appropriate. Also, see Chapter 2.1 of the DOJ Grants Financial Guide for specifics about restrictions on lobbying.