Ready to apply?
Check out our How to Apply page for resources such as frequently asked questions, appendices, additional fact sheets, links to webinars, and more.
NOW OPEN:
The FY 25 School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will close on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 4:59 PM ET.*
*IMPORTANT: Applications will be submitted in a two-step process, each with its own deadline.
STEP 1: Submit an SF-424 in Grants.gov.
GRANTS.GOV APPLICATION DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2025, at 4:59 PM ET.
STEP 2: Submit the full application including attachments in JustGrants.
JUSTGRANTS APPLICATION DEADLINE: THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025, at 4:59 PM ET.
School Violence Prevention Program Informational Webinar
The COPS Office will host an informational webinar on the School Violence Prevention Program on May 8, 2025 at 1:00 PM ET.
ABOUT THE SVPP PROGRAM
The Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (STOP School Violence Act of 2018) gave the COPS Office authority to provide awards directly to States, units of local government, or Indian tribes to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the jurisdiction of the grantee through evidence-based school safety programs and technology.
State and local governmental entities must comply with 8 U.S.C. § 1373, which provides that State and local government entities may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, receiving from, maintaining, or exchanging information regarding citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual with components of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or any other federal, state or local government entity. This includes any prohibitions or restrictions imposed or established by a State or local government entity or official.
For additional information, please see the appendices in the FY25 SVPP Application Resource Guide.
Up to $73 million in funding is available for FY25 SVPP. Each award is three years (36 months) in duration for a maximum federal share of $500,000 per award. There is a local cash match (cost share) requirement of at least 25 percent.
SVPP funding will provide up to 75% funding for the following school safety measures in and around K-12 (primary and secondary) schools and school grounds:
- “Coordination with law enforcement”
- “Training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence against others and self”
- “Metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures”
- “Technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency”
- “Any other measure that the COPS Office determines may provide a significant improvement in security”
The following school safety measures are available through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) section of the STOP School Violence Act of 2018:
- Development and operation of anonymous reporting systems
- Hotlines
- Internet websites
- Mobile telephone applications
- Development and operation of a school threat assessment
- Specialized training for school officials in responding to mental health crises
- Training for school personnel and students to prevent student violence against others and self
- Any other measure the BJA determines may provide a significant improvement in security
Please find additional info on the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA's) website.
Funding may also be available through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.
The following resources present important lessons learned and other insights into school violence that may aid governments and communities as they develop and refine school safety plans. Applicants seeking SVPP funding may find these and other resources helpful as they prepare their applications.
Schoolsafety.gov
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Education (ED), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created SchoolSafety.gov to share actionable recommendations to keep school communities safe. SchoolSafety.gov aims to help schools prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from emergency situations
The Final Report and Finding of the Safe School Initiative
The Safe School Initiative sought to identify information that could be obtainable, or "knowable," prior to an attack. That information would then be analyzed and evaluated to produce a factual, accurate knowledge base on targeted school attacks. This knowledge could be used to help communities across the country to formulate policies and strategies aimed at preventing school-based attacks.
U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center
On July 12, 2018, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center released Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence to provide fundamental direction on how to prevent incidents of targeted school violence. The guide provides schools and communities with a framework to identify students of concern, assess their risk for engaging in violence, and identify intervention strategies to mitigate that risk.
Need more information on how to apply to any of our programs?
For additional assistance we encourage you to visit the How to Apply page, which includes frequently asked questions, appendices, additional fact sheets, links to webinars, and other resources.
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