OVW FY 2025 Local Law Enforcement Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes Program | O OVW 2025 172415

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OVW 2025 172415

The OVW FY 2025 Local Law Enforcement Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), designed to strengthen how public agencies prevent, investigate, enforce, and prosecute certain cyber-enabled crimes that target people. The program is specifically aimed at cybercrimes against individuals, with an emphasis on adult and young adult victims. In practical terms, the funding is meant to help jurisdictions build or enhance capacity to respond when technology is used as a tool of harassment, intimidation, coercion, or exploitation, rather than focusing on cyber incidents that primarily harm businesses or government systems.

The grant focuses on "cybercrimes against individuals" as defined in federal statute (34 U.S.C. 30107(a)(2)). Covered conduct includes criminal offenses involving the use of a computer to harass, threaten, stalk, extort, coerce, cause fear to, or intimidate a person, as well as the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images of an adult. A key point in the definition is that the offense does not have to formally include "use of a computer" as an element under state or local law; what matters is that a computer was used in the commission of the conduct. The term "computer" is also interpreted broadly to include computer networks and interactive electronic devices, which generally captures common modern tools such as smartphones, social media platforms, messaging apps, and other internet-connected technologies used to target victims.

Just as important is what the program is not intended to fund. Cybercrimes against individuals, for purposes of this opportunity, do not include computer-based offenses aimed at harming a commercial entity, a government agency, or any nonnatural person. That means the program is not centered on things like attacks on corporate networks, ransomware against agencies, or other primarily enterprise-focused cyber incidents. The focus remains on person-centered victimization: threats, stalking, coercive control, extortion, intimidation, and image-based abuse carried out or facilitated through technology.

Eligibility is limited to public-sector governmental entities: States and U.S. Territories, Indian Tribes (federally recognized), and units of local government (such as counties, cities, or townships). The opportunity is listed under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 16.060 and is offered as a grant funding instrument within the law, justice, and legal services activity category. The funding opportunity number is O-OVW-2025-172415, and the original application closing date is August 7, 2025. OVW anticipates making about 14 awards, with an award ceiling of $700,000 per award.

Overall, this program is geared toward helping eligible jurisdictions improve real-world enforcement and accountability when technology is used to harm individuals. While the notice emphasizes prevention, enforcement, and prosecution, the victim-centered scope and OVW sponsorship strongly signal an intent to support responses that treat these cases as serious person-based crimes, improve investigative and prosecutorial effectiveness, and better address the needs and safety of adult and young adult victims targeted through digital means.

• The Office on Violence Against Women in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW FY 2025 Local Law Enforcement Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.060.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-05-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-08-07. (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 $700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others.

Apply for O OVW 2025 172415

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