Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program

Federal Funding Agency:

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Applicant Eligibility:

State, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies must be from federally recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior).

Due Date:

Grants.gov Deadline April 20, 2026, 11:59 pm Eastern
Application JustGrants Deadline April 27, 2026, 8:59 pm Eastern

Funding Amount:

Up to $3,000,000

Agency Notice of Funding Opportunity:

This NOFO will support state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, prosecution agencies, and their partners in identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and preventing hate crimes. Funding may be used to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or any other form of assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of such crimes and can also be used to address serial violent hate crime offenses by the same person(s).

Solicitation

Additional Notes:

Category 1: City or County Demonstration Projects (Anticipated Award Amount: $300,000) Category 1 will support hate crimes prevention, identification, investigation, and prosecution activities focused on serving one jurisdiction for a maximum of $100,000 per year, $300,000 total.

Category 2: State or Regional Initiatives (Anticipated Award Amount: $3,000,000) Category 2 will support hate crimes prevention, identification, investigation, and prosecution initiatives that include coordination among multiple jurisdictions. Category 2 includes applications from single agencies (including county agencies) that serve multiple municipalities. Applications under this program are eligible for $100,000 per year per jurisdiction, $300,000 total, for a maximum award amount of $3,000,000 (up to 10 jurisdictions).