Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Grant Program

A law enforcement agency may apply for a grant for the following purposes only:

1. Investigating deaths and serious injuries caused by illegal synthetic opiate poisoning
2. Investigating, enforcing, and prosecuting synthetic opiate importation and high-level distribution networks, including multijurisdictional and multistate investigations and enforcement operations, to reduce the supply of illegal synthetic opiates and precursor chemicals in Colorado
3. Technology, equipment, and training to enhance intelligence, information-sharing capabilities, and interagency collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement partners regarding synthetic opiate importation and high-level distribution networks
4. Analyzing emergent trends in markets, including the use of the postal service, private courier, commercial cargo, and the internet, for the import and distribution of illegal synthetic opiates through a systematic and standardized approach, including the use of novel, high-frequency, and real-time systems to enhance market surveillance.

Some examples of eligible activities may include but are not limited to the following:

Please note this is not an exhaustive list.  

• Data analytics tools such as NightHawk for reviewing cell and social media
• Server storage to manage data captured
• Enhanced testing of synthetic drugs
• Forensic data analytic tools
• Server storage
• Mobile device forensic tools
• Personnel to get trained and manage overdose detection and surveillance applications
• Personnel to enter data or monitor alerts in Overdose Mapping Application Program (ODMAP)

Below is a non-exhaustive list of resources:

Overdose Detection Mapping Application (ODMAP)

• ODMAP Training
• Rocky Mountain High-Intensity Drug Training Assistance (HIDTA) 
• Commission on Combatting Synthetic Opioid Trafficking
• Colorado 2022 Fentanyl Summit - Lists key subject matter experts on the topic Note:  Resource is only available to law enforcement.
• Denver Fentanyl Action Summit

Although the terms opiates and opioids are often used interchangeably, they are different.

Opiates refer to natural opioids such as heroin, morphine, and codeine.

Opioids refer to all natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic opioids.

The term used in HB22-1326 is opiate and will be used when referencing the bill.  The term opioid will be used in non-bill language.

References:  CDC Opioids - Commonly Used Terms and DEA Drug Fact Sheet - Synthetic Opioids

The state offers the Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund Opportunity. Colorado Senate Bill 19-227 Harm Reduction Substance Use Disorders created the Opiate Antagonist - Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund. It allows eligible entities to purchase opiate antagonists, such as naloxone or Narcan, at low or no cost.

Eligible entities include, but are not limited to: local public health agencies, school districts, harm reduction agencies, law enforcement, and entities with publicly accessible AEDs,  which include but are not limited to recreation centers, shopping centers, and workplaces.

Apply for the Naloxone Bulk Fund

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is available to provide technical assistance to ensure each entity has the correct training and requirements to acquire, maintain, and administer opiate antagonists safety.

This grant program is new so there is no past history to base the average amount. There are no caps stipulated in the program legislation.

Applicants should ask for what is needed.

The committee making decisions will evaluate the number of applicants, and requested amounts when making decisions.

The legislature allocated $7 million in total funding to the program.  After program administration costs, $6,900,000 will be distributed to grant recipients.

There is no set amount pre-determined for each applicant.  Applicants will submit applications requesting what they need.  An advisory committee will review and evaluate applications and recommend funding.

Funding will be awarded on March 1, 2023. The award period is March 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

The grant can be used to supplement existing funding, replace existing funding, or as new funding.

No.  As of October 17, 2022, the grant program has not yet been opened to applications.  As a timeline is determined, this information will be posted on the Crime Prevention Grant Programs webpage.

"Serious bodily injury" as defined in CRS 18-1-901 "...involves a substantial risk of death, a substantial risk of serious permanent disfigurement, a substantial risk of protracted loss or impairment of the function of any part or organ of the body, or breaks, fractures, or burns of the second or third degree."

No, cause of death data is not required.  The public health data (Counts of drug overdose deaths due to any opioid in Colorado, 2020-2021) does not conclude what the cause of death is.  The data indicate the substances in the body, which may be multiple in number, at the time of death. The number or rate of drug overdoses related to synthetic opioid poisoning within the community intended to be served should be provided.  

Purchasing training credits is not an exclusion as listed in the legislation.  The eligible activities and examples given are non-exhaustive and do not include all potential strategies.

Vehicle purchases are not excluded from the legislation.  The eligible activities and examples given are non-exhaustive and do not include all potential strategies.

Personnel is not excluded from the legislation. The eligible activities and examples given are non-exhaustive and do not include all potential strategies.

You would need to partner with law enforcement agencies as DCJ is a passthrough agency that does not provide any services.

In Zoomgrants there was a question labeled "evaluation" that was after the goals and outcomes questions. It's a mistake and has since been corrected.

There was a typo in question 19 and it has been corrected.

Goods (equipment and/or supplies) purchased with State Grant Funds - The Grantee shall retain ownership of goods purchased, in part or in whole, with these grant funds. Upon the grant termination/end date, a final disposition form must be submitted to the DCJ during the close out period. There is no ongoing requirement beyond the close out period for these funds; however, DCJ strongly encourages the Grantee to continue to use the goods for the original intended purpose.

There was a mistake in the workbook and the first award period should be March 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023. The corrected workbook was uploaded into ZoomGrants on  December 18, 2022.

If the person trying to fill out the application is not the ZoomGrants account owner, the Account Owner will have to add the person who wishes to fill out the application as a collaborator and check the Application box if someone other than the Account Owner will be filling out the application. 

If the training will be provided by a contractor it should be listed under the consultant line item.  

You can view the Best Practices Webinar located on the DCJ website under Additional Resources.  There are also other resources avaliable on Technical Assistance for Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Grant Program webpage

An example of an appropriate response would be that you partner with those agencies within your community and make referrals to them as necessary. 

The Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program is funded through state funding.

Yes. The Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program uses a reimbursement process.

Here is a sample grant agreement.  Additional grant resources can be found on the Grants Guidance & Resources webpage.

In ZoomGrants, you can upload supporting documents on the Documents tab, under the budget worksheet section. It is important to be specific when naming the document so it is clear to the grant reviewers what the document is relating to. 

For example, "Investigations and Overdoses Data Tables", "Fentanyl budget worksheet", etc. 

Please upload the supporting document(s) separate from the budget worksheet.

Yes, you can absolutely apply if you are have a current grant award through this program.  Supplies and equipment requests must fit within the eligible activities.  It is encouraged that you provide detailed descriptions of how each requested item will assist in meeting the eligible activities.

We cannot provide guidance on what you should ask for, however you are encouraged to be as detailed as possible in your application and could articulate the length of subscription you would prefer but include an alternative as well.