Grants / Department of Justice / Bureau of Justice Assistance

BJA FY 2026 Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program

Open Closes November 2, 2026 (2 days left) Opportunity O-BJA-2026-172726

• Award ceiling$600,000
• Award floornot stated
• Expected awardsnot stated
• Total fundingnot stated
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Add the deadline to your calendar

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments and tribes.

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments
• Special district governments
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
• Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Other Units of Local Government: For the purposes of this NOFO, other units of local government include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state. States and counties that have in-house post-conviction representation programs that show demonstrable experience and competence in litigating postconviction claims of innocence.

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes.

Is this a realistic fit?

• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program. This opportunity strengthens the capacity of wrongful conviction review (WCR) entities and their criminal justice and victims’ services partners to more effectively and efficiently identify, assess, and manage post-conviction claims of innocence. Additionally, it aims to enhance public safety by preventing future errors, identifying actual perpetrators of crimes, and delivering justice to victims.

Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services.

How to apply

1. Read the full notice and attachments on Grants.gov and the agency's announcement. The notice is the official source for deadlines and requirements.
2. Make sure your organization has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID; registration can take several weeks.
3. Register on Grants.gov and submit through Workspace before the deadline and time given in the notice. Our application guide walks through each step.

Questions go to Bureau of Justice Assistance, OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov, 202-514-9354.

Open the official notice