Community Policing Development (CPD) Tolerance, Diversity, and Anti-Bias Online Training Solicitation | O COPS 2021 81002

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2021 81002

The Community Policing Development (CPD) Tolerance, Diversity, and Anti-Bias Online Training Solicitation is a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) funding opportunity issued by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) to strengthen law enforcement agencies ability to carry out community policing through the development of an online training focused on tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias. The central idea behind the solicitation is that community policing works best when agencies build durable partnerships with community members and use practical problem-solving approaches to address the underlying conditions that contribute to crime (violent and nonviolent) and to the fear of crime. This solicitation supports work that helps agencies improve day-to-day performance, increase legitimacy, and build trust with the communities they serve by expanding training that aligns with modern civil rights and community engagement expectations.

CPD funding is designed to build capacity in the field by identifying and spreading promising practices, testing innovative strategies, and generating knowledge about what works and why. In this solicitation, that overall CPD purpose is channeled into creating guidance and training products that can be used broadly by law enforcement. The COPS Office emphasizes that the products created under CPD awards should reflect "good guidance" principles: they should be quality-driven and practical (with action-oriented statements officers and agencies can actually apply), evidence-based (grounded in the best available research identified through systematic review), accessible (written in clear language, kept to manageable lengths, and tailored to law enforcement realities), and memorable (structured so that key points stick and can be recalled under pressure or in complex situations). In plain terms, the training is expected to be more than a set of concepts; it should translate into concrete behaviors and decision-making improvements in the field.

The solicitation also sits within broader DOJ priorities for FY 2021, which include advancing civil rights, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims, protecting the public from evolving threats, and strengthening trust between law enforcement and the community. The COPS Office frames law enforcement as a key partner in achieving these goals, particularly through meaningful relationships with all segments of the community and through collaborative prevention, intervention, and response efforts. Applicants are expected to reflect these priorities in their proposals where relevant, showing how the proposed online training will support community policing outcomes and contribute to trust, fairness, and effective service delivery.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is a discretionary, open-competition solicitation, meaning eligible applicants compete for funding rather than receiving formula-based allocations. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically signals that the federal government (here, the COPS Office) expects to have substantial involvement during the project period, such as collaboration on deliverables, review and approval processes, and ongoing coordination. The solicitation allows an applicant to submit multiple applications, but each proposed project requires its own separate application, and each application must clearly identify the correct solicitation or it may fail the basic screening step.

Key award and timing details included an award ceiling of $1,800,000, with an expectation of one award. The opportunity was posted June 3, 2021, and the original closing date was July 21, 2021. The program is listed under CFDA 16.710 and is administered by the DOJ COPS Office. The statutory authority for the program is grounded in major federal crime and law enforcement legislation, including the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (as amended) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, with citations noted in the solicitation (34 U.S.C. 10381 et seq.). As with federal grants generally, awards depend on the availability of appropriated funds and may include additional conditions required by law.

The solicitation highlights several compliance and implementation expectations that shape how applicants should plan their projects. Award recipients are expected to begin work immediately upon selection and notification, so proposals should demonstrate readiness and an ability to launch without a long ramp-up period. Deliverables must align with COPS Office Curriculum Standards and Review Process Guides (referenced at https://cops.usdoj.gov/training), indicating that training content will be reviewed against formal standards. If the project involves conferences or convenings, those elements must follow the COPS Office conference request approval process. Written products are also expected to follow the COPS Office Editorial and Style Manual, which matters for consistency, clarity, and usability across the field. For proposals that include site-specific work with particular agencies, the COPS Office strongly encourages letters of support from the targeted agencies to show commitment, access, and feasibility.

Finally, the solicitation provides a clear point of contact for program questions through the COPS Office Response Center (800-421-6770) and email (AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov), with operating hours on weekdays during business hours Eastern Time. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a focused CPD investment to build and disseminate a high-quality, evidence-informed online training product that helps law enforcement agencies improve tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias competencies as a practical part of community policing and trust-building work.

• The Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community Policing Development (CPD) Tolerance, Diversity, and Anti-Bias Online Training Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.710.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 03, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 21, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,800,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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