National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) (16.554)
National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) (Assistance Listing 16.554) is run by the Office of Justice Programs, part of the Department of Justice. It awarded $361 million in 239 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.5 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.2 million. Half of the 239 awards fell between $640,853 and $2.2 million, and they ranged from $20,768 to $10.0 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$361 million
- Grant awards239
- Typical award$1.2 million
- Awarded in FY 2025-$5.5 million
- Size rank447 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements
Key findings
- It is the 447th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 63% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 53 states and territories.
What the program funds
GOAL(S): Ensuring the quality and completeness of the nation’s criminal history record systems by providing financial and technical assistance to states and tribes for the establishment or improvement of computerized criminal history record systems and related systems capturing data on mental health and protective orders. OBJECTIVE(S): Objective 1: Improve criminal history record systems in the U.S. states and territories to support background checks for the purposes of identifying ineligible firearm purchases and persons ineligible to hold positions involving children, the elderly, or the disabled. Performance Measure 1: Percentage of state or tribal records that are automated. 2) Ensure the development of the infrastructure connects each state’s and tribe’s record systems to national records and connects each state’s background check databases to other states.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Past notices
Of 10 notices posted under this program since 2021, most went up in March (4), August (2) and November (2).
- O-BJS-2026-172689: BJS FY 2026 National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) Training and Technical Assistance
- O-BJS-2026-172688: BJS FY 2026 Consolidated National Criminal History Improvement Program
- O-BJS-2025-172527: BJS FY25 Consolidated National Criminal History Improvement Program
- O-BJS-2024-172006: BJS FY24 National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) Supplemental Funding under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
- O-BJS-2024-172008: BJS FY24 National Criminal History Improvement Program
- O-BJS-2023-171664: FY 2023 National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP)
- O-BJS-2023-171460: FY 2023 National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) Training and Technical Assistance Program
- O-BJS-2023-171464: FY 2023 National Criminal History Improvement Program Supplemental Funding
- O-BJS-2022-171203: FY 2022 National Criminal History Improvement Program
- O-BJS-2021-37001: BJS FY 2021 Invited to Apply - National Criminal History Improvement Technical Assistance Program (NCHIP-TA)
Rules from the program listing
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
See the current fiscal year’s solicitation guidelines posted on the Office of Justice Programs web site at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/CurrentFundingOpportunities.htm.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) (16.554) awarded $361 million across 239 grant awards, an average of $1.5 million per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 99% of the money, nonprofits 1.0%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 236 | $356 million | 99% |
| Nonprofits | 2 | $3.5 million | 1.0% |
| Other | 1 | $1.0 million | 0.3% |
By state
49 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 7 | $21.5 million |
| Connecticut | 8 | $19.5 million |
| Nebraska | 6 | $18.7 million |
| Michigan | 6 | $17.7 million |
| Arizona | 9 | $16.5 million |
| Oklahoma | 6 | $14.4 million |
| Florida | 7 | $14.3 million |
| California | 6 | $13.6 million |
| Minnesota | 5 | $10.9 million |
| Tennessee | 5 | $10.9 million |
| New York | 4 | $10.5 million |
| Missouri | 7 | $10.3 million |
| Ohio | 7 | $10.0 million |
| South Carolina | 6 | $9.9 million |
| Washington | 6 | $9.5 million |
| Indiana | 5 | $9.1 million |
| Alabama | 6 | $8.7 million |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | $8.6 million |
| Alaska | 5 | $8.4 million |
| Texas | 2 | $8.2 million |
| Illinois | 2 | $7.9 million |
| Kansas | 6 | $7.6 million |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $7.5 million |
| Arkansas | 4 | $6.7 million |
| West Virginia | 5 | $6.6 million |
| Kentucky | 4 | $6.5 million |
| Hawaii | 5 | $5.8 million |
| New Hampshire | 5 | $5.0 million |
| Guam | 7 | $4.9 million |
| New Jersey | 3 | $4.9 million |
| Utah | 5 | $4.4 million |
| Nevada | 4 | $4.0 million |
| Mississippi | 4 | $3.7 million |
| Rhode Island | 5 | $3.6 million |
| South Dakota | 5 | $3.4 million |
| Iowa | 4 | $3.4 million |
| Colorado | 7 | $2.2 million |
| New Mexico | 1 | $2.2 million |
| Montana | 4 | $2.1 million |
| Georgia | 1 | $2.0 million |
| Louisiana | 2 | $1.8 million |
| Wyoming | 5 | $1.7 million |
| Maine | 3 | $1.6 million |
| Wisconsin | 3 | $1.6 million |
| District of Columbia | 3 | $1.2 million |
| Maryland | 2 | $1.1 million |
| Oregon | 3 | $1.1 million |
| Idaho | 2 | $1.0 million |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1 | $1.0 million |
| North Dakota | 1 | $882,000 |
| Delaware | 5 | $734,568 |
| Vermont | 5 | $616,180 |
| American Samoa | 2 | $590,000 |