OAJJA: Law Enforcement Workforce Recruitment, Retention, and Tuition Grant Program

The mission of the Division of Criminal Justice is to improve the public safety of the community, the quality of services to crime victims, and the effectiveness of services to offenders. We accomplish this by analyzing policy, conducting criminal justice research, managing programs, and administering grants.

To assist Law Enforcement Agencies in addressing workforce shortages, improve the training given to POST certified Peace Officers; and improve relationships between Law Enforcement and impacted communities

Resource: SB22-145, SB22-145

C.R.S. 24-33.5-528. Law enforcement workforce recruitment, retention, and tuition grant program

1. Recruit, pay the tuition for, and train individuals to work in POST certified law enforcement careers;
2. Increase the number of persons receiving training as POST certified and non-certified law enforcement personnel and improve the training provided to such persons;
3. Improve the training provided by entities approved for providing training by the peace officer standards and training board, referred to in this section as "approved POST Board trainers", by enhancing their curriculum to expand mental health, implicit bias, cultural competency, critical incident, de-escalation, and trauma recovery training and increasing the availability of workforce mobility;
4. Provide continuing education opportunities for POST certified and non-certified law peace officers; and increase activities intended to foster a more positive relationship between law enforcement and impacted communities.
5. Provide opportunities for POST certified and non-certified law peace officers to receive training in equity, diversity and inclusion;
6. ​Provide, or assist in the provision of child care for peace officers.  Please see the FAQ section below for guidance on this activity;
7. Providing, or assisting in the provision of cardiovascular and other health screenings;
8. Create partnerships with schools, school districts, colleges or universities to develop and implement internship or mentorship programs for students interested in a career in law enforcement;
9. Create partnerships with schools, school districts, or youth-services organizations to develop and implement youth programs to foster a positive relationship between youth and law enforcement and to foster early interest in law enforcement careers;
10. Develop and implement education campaigns for law enforcement workforce recruitment, retention and tuition assistance;
11. Implement any other strategy demonstrated to recruit, train and retain a high-quality and diverse law enforcement workforce if deemed appropriate by the Division.

Examples of best practices: President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice Report

$705,289

Where 20% must go to Law Enforcement Agencies in rural counties and municipalities with a population of fewer than 50,000 persons, wholly located either east of Interstate 25 or west of the continental divide.

*

April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026
 

A match is not a requirement for this funding.

The Advisory Committee encourages applicants to show a commitment from either local governments or other funding committed by partner agencies for this project to support sustainability.

A law enforcement agency shall use the grant money to supplement the costs of recruitment and training. A local government or law enforcement agency may not use the grant money to supplant these costs.

A law enforcement agency may not use the grant award to cover the costs of eligible law enforcement officer salaries and benefits if the eligible law enforcement officers would have been hired by the law enforcement agency even if the division had not awarded the law enforcement agency the grant.

• Colorado law enforcement agencies, including those serving rural municipalities and counties
• Tribal law enforcement agencies that serve fewer than fifty thousand residents
• Third-party membership organizations on behalf of a law enforcement agency
• Any state institution of higher education, as defined in section 23-18-102 (10), that operates a law enforcement academy

The Advisory Committee will evaluate applications on the following criteria:

• How the grant would improve and support P.O.S.T-certified and non-certified peace officer recruitment and retention;
• Compliance of the applicant with all relevant state and local laws or a demonstration of how the applicant will come into such compliance;
• Sustainability of the project after the grant ends; and
• If the grant includes activities that are likely to foster a more positive relationship between law enforcement and the impacted community.

The Law Enforcement Workforce Advisory Committee will meet and make funding recommendations in Mid-late November. 

Applications that are denied funding may submit an appeal within 3 days of notification, however, appeals may only contain clarifying information specific to the reasons noted in the denial notification and can not contain new information. 

If awarded, grantees will receive additional information regarding administrative requirements.

The grantee will be required to submit financial and programmatic reports describing how the grant funds were utilized, including data and other relevant information on performance metrics. These reports will be required quarterly and on or before August 1, 2023, and August 1, 2024. Performance metrics will be outlined at the time of the award.

Announcement date: August 23, 2024

Application deadline: October 4, 2024

Funding decision announced: Mid November

Reconsideration/appeals deadline: Approximately 5 days following Denial Notification

Grant Agreement Issuance: April

Award Period: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

An active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) registered with SAM is required to submit your Application.

Organize goals and outcomes. Make sure outcomes are measurable and viable.

Use only whole dollar amounts in your budget and be sure to have the financial person who will be working on the project with you look over and verify your proposed budget.

Justify and explain all budget items and calculations in the budget narrative.  Example:  price per unit x number of units = total price for all units

Double-check budget descriptions to make sure they contain a sufficient level of detail and all figures total correctly.

How to Apply

The Law Enforcement Workforce Recruitment, Retention, and Tuition Grant Program Announcement, Application and Application Instructions can be obtained through Colorado’s on-line application system, ZoomGrants.

Apply Now via  ZoomGrants.  Link:   https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/2023_SMART_LE

Project applications must be submitted on or before FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2024 at 5:00PM MST. 
DCJ support ends at 5:00PM MST.

PROJECT APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ON-LINE. Failure to submit a complete project application may result in denial of funding.

We highly recommend applicants read all of the Application Instructions. Link to application instructions https://dcj.colorado.gov/le-recruitment-grant-program-application-instructions

The grant announcement, application, and instructions can be obtained in the library on ZoomGrants.
 

Summary Tab

Project Name/Project Title: Please be descriptive of the project to be funded and do not label it merely “Law Enforcement Workforce Recruitment, Retention, and Tuition Program”.  It should be unique to your project and agency.

Amount Requested: Enter the amount of funding requested in this application.

Applicant Information:* (Account Owner) Enter the name and contact information of the person that will be responsible for this account.

Organization Information*: Enter all requested information for the applicant agency.

CEO/Executive Director* (if NA, enter Signature Authority): If the applicant agency does not have a CEO/Executive Director, enter the individual that is authorized to enter into a legally binding contract with DCJ.

If you have questions about updating your Organization Information, please contact Cindy Johnson at 303-239-4443.

* Returning DCJ ZoomGrants users will already have this information populated. Changes made to these fields may only be performed by the Account Owner and will update all applications/grants associated with this account. DO NOT CHANGE the Organizational information without first consulting Cindy Johnson. Changing information that has already been validated may result in a delay in processing payments or other aspects of your grant application.

Organizational Details Tab 

(Q1) Legal Entity Name: If your agency is a DBA (doing business as), the Legal name will be different than the Applicant Agency Name.  If your agency is NOT a DBA, then the Applicant Agency Name and Legal Entity name will be the same.

(Q2) Legal Entity Physical Address: Street Address, City, State, Zip + 4

(Q3) Are you a Colorado State Agency? e.g. Colorado Department of Revenue, Colorado Department of Corrections, Colorado Department of Public Safety, etc.  Choose yes or no.

(Q4) Legal Entity County Enter the county of your legal entity address.

(Q5) Entity’s Fiscal Year End: Enter the month and last day of your fiscal year.

(Q6) Total Federal Expenditures during the entity’s last fiscal year.

(Q7) Is your agency a Law Enforcement Agency in a rural county or municipality with a population of fewer than 50,000 persons, wholly located either east of Interstate 25 or west of the continental divide?  Choose yes or no.

(Q8) Organization Type Choose your organization type from the list: Colorado Law Enforcement Agency, Tribal Law Enforcement Agency, Third-party on behalf of a Law Enforcement Agency, or State Institution of Higher Education, as defined in section 23-18-102 (10) that operates a law enforcement academy

Statement of Work Tab

Project Duration
(Q1) Project Start Date: Enter “01/01/2023” or a later date

(Q2) Project End Date: Enter “06/30/2024” or an earlier date

Primary Contact
(Q3) Applicant Primary Contact: Name Phone, email address This is the individual who will be contacted during the review period and will be notified of award decisions and next steps.   Enter the name, telephone number, and e-mail address.

Project Officials
Project Officials: (Q4-13) You must have a minimum of three contacts for this application, the Project Director, Financial Officer, and Signature Authority (also called the Authorized Official). All three must be from the applicant agency and must be unique individuals; one person cannot serve in more than one role.

(Q4) Project Director: Name This must be an individual other than the authorized official or financial officer and must be from the applicant agency. The project director is the individual who will be in direct charge of the project and must be within the organizational structure of the applicant agency. This should be a person who combines knowledge and experience in the project area with ability in administration and supervision of personnel and will be expected to devote a major portion of his/her time to the project. This person will be required to sign all quarterly reports and other grant forms. Enter salutation, first, last, title, and agency for the project director (e.g. Mrs. Sally Smith, Program Coordinator, ABC Company)

(Q5) Project Director: Email Address Enter e-mail address for the project director to be used for primary communication.

(Q6) Project Director: Phone Number Enter primary phone number for the project director.

(Q7) Financial Officer: Name This must be an individual other than the project director or authorized official and must be from the applicant agency. The financial officer is the person who will be responsible for financial matters relating to the project and is in ultimate charge of accounting, management of funds, verification of expenditures, and grant financial reports. Enter salutation, first, last, title, agency (e.g. Mr. John Doe, Senior Accountant, ABC Accounting Services)

(Q8) Financial Officer: Email Address Enter e-mail address for the financial officer to be used for primary communication.

(Q9) Financial Officer: Phone Number Enter primary phone number for the financial officer.

(Q10) Signature Authority: Name This must be an individual other than the project director or financial officer. This is the individual authorized to enter into binding commitments on behalf of the applicant agency. For local units of government, this will normally be a city manager, mayor, district attorney, and/or the chair of the county commission. At the state level, this individual will be a department or division head. Enter salutation, first, last, title, agency (e.g. Ms. Jane Austen, County Commissioner Chair, ABC Company).

(Q11) Signature Authority: Mailing Address Enter mailing address for the signature authority to be used for mailing documents related to this application. Enter Street Address, City, State, Zip + 4 (e.g. 700 Kipling Street, Suite 1000, Lakewood, CO 80215-8957

(Q12) Signature Authority: Email Address Enter e-mail address for the signature authority to be used for primary communication.

(Q13) Signature Authority: Phone Number Enter primary phone number for the signature authority.

STATEMENT OF WORK:

(Q14) Project Summary: When read separately from the rest of the application, this summary should serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work. This will be used for publication and reporting purposes.

(Q15) Project Description: Describe your project that will be funded with a grant award in detail. This description should include a statement explaining your needs using local information and data if available.

Applicants must provide enough detail within this application for a reader to fully understand what the project is, what it will be doing, and how it will impact the described problem.

Include the following:

• A description of the problem in terms of causes and consequences.  Articulate why this problem should be addressed.  Use published literature to support your description where appropriate.  
• The extent and nature of the problem in your target population and/or community. Use data to support your description. 

(Q16) Eligible Activities: Select all that Apply.

1. Recruit, Tuition, Train (P.O.S.T.-certified): Recruit, pay the tuition for, and train individuals to work in P.O.S.T.-certified law enforcement careers, which may include:
   • (a) pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs for public safety careers;
   • (b) scholarships for training in public safety careers;
   • (c) tuition reimbursement for successful completion of training at P.O.S.T.-approved law enforcement training academies, for persons who were hired by a law enforcement agency after the effective date of this section and who complete at least one year of the agency's probation period;
   • (d) housing assistance while attending peace officer training and continuing education or other training programs if it is necessary because of the time or distance required to commute;
   • (e) make student loan payments for individuals' student loans related to the costs of becoming P.O.S.T-certified peace officers;
   • (f) provide supplemental resources to rural and smaller law enforcement agencies that possess modest or no financial resources to recruit and retain qualified and trained P.O.S.T.-certified peace officers; and
   • (g) any other strategies demonstrated to recruit, train, and retain high-quality P.O.S.T.-certified peace officers if deemed appropriate by the division.
2. Increase & Improve Training: Increase the number of persons receiving training as P.O.S.T.-certified and non-certified law enforcement personnel and improve the training provided to such persons.
3. Improve Training (P.O.S.T. Board Trainers): Improve the training provided by entities approved for providing training by the peace officer standards and training board, referred to in this section as "approved P.O.S.T. Board trainers", by enhancing their curriculum to expand mental health, implicit bias, cultural competency, critical incident, de-escalation, and trauma recovery training and increasing the availability of workforce mobility.
4. Continuing Education and Positive Relationships: Provide continuing education opportunities for P.O.S.T.-certified and non-certified law peace officers, and increase activities intended to foster a more positive relationship between law enforcement and impacted communities.

(Q17) Recruitment & Retention & Training: Describe how the grant would improve and support P.O.S.T.-certified and non-certified peace officer recruitment and retention. (3,000 characters) [Only visible if Recruit, Tuition, Train (P.O.S.T.-certified) was selected in Q16]

(Q18) Improve Relationships: Describe how the project intends to improve relationships between law enforcement and the community. (3,000 characters) [Only visible if Continuing Education and Positive Relationships was selected in Q16]

Sustainability and Certification
(Q19) Expand and Sustain: How does your agency plan to expand and sustain this project after the grant funding ends? (3,000 characters)

(Q20) Compliance with State and Local Laws: (Select one)

• In Compliance: I certify that the applicant agency is in compliance with state and local laws
• Internal Review Needed: I certify that, if awarded, the applicant agency is 1) either in compliance with state and local laws, or 2) is not in compliance with state and local laws and will submit a corrective action plan to DCJ.

Tables (Goals & Outcomes and Budget Details) Tab

Goals & Outcomes  This is a table.

Goals and Outcomes: These are the elements against which the project will be evaluated and which will be used to report quarterly and final progress. Using the format below; provide project/program goal(s), outcomes, measurement, and timeframe.

Goals: Goals are logical, sensible, clearly written and directly tied to the project.
Write one or more goals you will focus on this project.  Goals are broad statements (i.e., written in general terms) that convey a project's overall intent to change, reduce, or eliminate the problem described.  

Outcomes: Outcomes are realistic and able to be accomplished in the time frames described. Outcomes identify the amount of intended change expressed as a rate, percent or whole number. Include measures that will sufficiently document any change that occurs. 
Please write at least one measurable outcome(s) for each goal.  Outcome statements should include:

• The specific type of change or improvement that will occur
• The number or percent of individuals impacted (where appropriate)
• The expected magnitude, on average, of the expected change
• If client based, include outcomes reflecting the number of clients to be served

Measurement: is the description of what data will be collected to measure the change. Please describe the specific measurement tool(s) you will use to collect data for each outcome.  If you do not have a tool, please state TBD (To Be Determined).

Timeframe: The quarter in which the objective will be completed.

Personnel: Budget & Budget Narrative Details Table
Each position must be listed separately and be accompanied by a description that provides justification for the amount requested and details the basis for determining the cost of each position. For each position, explain how the salary and fringe benefit rates were determined. OT = Overtime

General Budget Instructions: 
Use only whole dollar amounts in your budget and be sure to have the financial person who will be working on the project with you look over and verify your proposed budget.

Justify and explain all budget items and calculations in the budget narrative. Example:  price per unit x number of units = total price for all units.

Double-check budget descriptions to make sure they contain a sufficient level of detail and all figures add correctly.

Budget items should be detailed, reasonable, specifically defined, and justified and the applicant should demonstrate how the costs were determined.  It should be clear so that no concerns of supplanting will exist. The budget must be completed entirely and each item listed should be accompanied by a description, which provides justification for the budget items and details the basis for determining the cost of each item.

• The budget must cover the entire project duration.
• In figuring the budget, work with WHOLE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ONLY. When necessary, round to the next highest whole dollar amount.
• The budget is broken into seven Budget Categories: Personnel, Supplies and Operating, Travel, Equipment, Consultant/Professional Services, and Indirect Costs. 

Column Headers
Personnel: This budget category should be used when employees are positions within the applicant agency and the implementing agency is a division (under the same unit of government) of the applicant agency.
The Personnel Budget should consider overtime, time needed to acquire new staff, and changing demands for personnel during the course of the project. If the implementing agency is contracted by the applicant agency (i.e., non-profit organization), these costs should be included in Consultants/Contracts (Professional Services).
Questions regarding the difference between a contract employee and a regular employee may be directed to the Internal Revenue Service. Contract employees or independent contractors should be shown under Consultants/Contracts (Professional Services).

Position Title and Name:  Add each position by title and name of employee, if available; if two individuals have the same title, list it twice.

Annual Base Salary: Enter the annual, full-time salary or base pay for the position.

Annual Base Salary to be Paid by Grant Funds: Enter the annual salary or base pay for the position to be paid by grant funds.

% to be paid by Grant Funds: ZoomGrants will automatically calculate this % based on the amounts you entered in the annual salary columns. 

Annual Fringe:  Enter the amount of Fringe Benefits for the position.

Annual Fringe to Be Paid by Grant: Enter the annual fringe for the position to be paid by Grant funds.

% to be paid by Grant Funds: ZoomGrants will automatically calculate this % based on the amounts you entered in the annual fringe columns.

Total Annual Base Salary + Fringe: ZoomGrants will automatically calculate this total based on the amounts you entered in the annual salary and fringe columns.

Total Base Salary + Fringe to Be Paid by Grant Funds: ZoomGrants will automatically calculate this total based on the amounts you entered in the annual salary and fringe columns.

OT - Annual Base Salary: Enter the annual overtime base pay for the position.

OT - Annual Base Salary To Be Paid By Grant Funds: Enter the annual overtime base pay for the position to be paid by grant funds.

OT - Annual Fringe: Enter the amount of overtime Fringe Benefits for the position.

OT - Annual Fringe To Be Paid By Grant Funds: Enter the annual overtime Fringe Benefits for the position to be paid by grant funds.

Total To Be Paid By Grant Funds (including overtime): ZoomGrants will automatically calculate this total based on the amounts you entered in the overtime annual salary and fringe columns.

Budget Narrative and Justification: Explain how the salary and fringe benefit rates for this position were determined. An explanation and justification are required if the budget is not for an entry-level position. If the salary is expected to increase during the project year, indicate the percentage of the increase, and the months covered by the increase, and justify it. Be sure that the scheduled salary increase has been included in the annual base salary row, and that the proposed annual base salary is one that is paid 

Non-Personnel: Budget and Budget Narrative Details Tab

Be sure to read the following definitions for each budget category before completing it.

Budget Narrative and Justification: The applicant must provide a justification and explanation of the budget items listed in each Budget Category, as well as detailing the basis for determining the cost of each item. Failure to justify and explain/show calculations could result in denial of funding.

Describe the criteria used to compute budget figures. All budget figures should be justified and explained. The budget narrative should show the relationship between budget figures and proposed project operations. For example, if this is a training project, explanation of the Consultants/Contracts budget category amount should include an explanation of the need for consultants to provide the training and the hourly cost of the services to be provided.

OAJJA recognizes that governments are constantly faced with the challenges of limited resources. It is important that you describe how maximizing resources will be accomplished and that this project is not duplicating services.

Supplies and Operating: Add expendable or non-durable items within this category by major type [e.g., office supplies, software (regardless of cost), training materials, research forms, telephone, tuition, postage, etc.,] and show the basis for computation: “X” dollars per month for office supplies, “Y” dollars per person for training tuition, telephone-base charge plus long distance at “Z” dollars per month.
Includes tuition, registration, vehicle gas, leases, etc.
Out-of-state training costs must be justified in terms of availability of comparable training in state.
Large items should be listed and justified (e.g., unusual supply items, software, special printing, etc.)
NOTE: Tuition and registration fees (even if they include lodging and/or subsistence), vehicle gas, leases, and maintenance on project- or government-owned vehicles are operating expenses not travel. These types of costs must be shown in the Supplies and Operating category.

Items with a per unit cost of less than $5,000 are considered supplies and should be listed in this category. Items costing $5,000 or more should be listed under Equipment (see D below). If software is being purchased, regardless of the price, it belongs in the Supplies and Operating category. If custom development of software is contracted out, it is subject to prior approval by OAJJA and should be shown in the Consultants/Contracts (Professional Services) Budget. All purchases should be made through competitive bid, state or local award, or established purchasing/procurement procedures.

Budget Narrative and Justification: Explain how the cost of each item was determined and justify the need for the item.

Travel: Add travel expenses for project personnel by purpose (e.g., to attend training sessions, to transport clients, etc.) and show basis for computation. Show airfare, ground transportation, automobile, lodging and meals individually. Indicate if the travel is in-state or out-of-state.

Out-of-state travel must be justified and tied to the project goals and objectives.

Where a jurisdiction has an established travel policy, those rates may be used. Otherwise, state travel rates are the maximum allowed. Allowable State travel rates are:

• Mileage: 
  • State Officers and Employees - $0.56/mile for 2WD, $0.59/mile for 4WD
  • Out of State - $0.625/mile
• Lodging: In-state is the actual cost of reasonable accommodations. However, lodging costs in excess of $96.00 must have prior approval of the Project Director. Out-of-state costs should be federal GSA rates, and reasonable.
• Meals: Exceptions to the following rates are available from the DCJ for higher-cost metropolitan areas.

In-State
Rates per Meal:
Breakfast $13.00
Lunch $15.00
Dinner    $26.00
Total per diem: $59.00
Incidentals: $5.00

NOTE: Tuition and registration fees (even if they include lodging and/or subsistence), vehicle gas, leases, and maintenance on the project- or government-owned vehicles are operating expenses not travel. These types of costs must be shown in the Supplies and Operating category.

Budget Narrative and Justification:  Explain the relationship of each cost item to the project, (e.g., if training or conference travel expenses are requested, explain the topic of the conference and its relationship to the project, you must explain why this training cannot be achieved in-state). Out-of-state travel is discouraged and needs to be thoroughly justified. 

Equipment: Add each item separately, by unit cost. This category should include all items with a unit cost of $5,000 or more and useful life of more than one year. Items not meeting these criteria should be included in the Supplies and Operating category. Equipment must be justified as necessary and not currently available.

If the proposed equipment is to be shared with entities outside this project, the cost should be prorated based upon the percentage of use of the equipment by this project.
DCJ must provide prior written approval for the actual purchase of all equipment, separate from approval to fund the project. All equipment must be purchased through competitive bid, state or local award, or established purchasing/procurement procedures.

Budget Narrative and Justification: Explain how the cost of each item was determined. Explain why the proposed equipment is essential to conducting the project and is not currently available for use within your agency or organization. 

Consultants/Contracts (Professional Services): *Application must contain a detailed budget and budget narrative for anything listed under Contracted, Consultant and Professional Services. List each consultant, contractor, or type of service with proposed fee (by eight-hour day or hourly rate). If the applicant agency is contracting with an outside agency to conduct the day-to-day operations of the project, the total cost should be in Consultants/Contracts (Professional Services). 

Rates (honoraria are not an allowable expense) for individual professional services must be based on an hourly rate (including preparation and travel time), and must have explicit, separate prior approval from DCJ. Rates for individual consultants/contractors cannot exceed $650 per day or $81.25 per hour.  Justification is required to establish a “usual” or “going rate” for similar services. Some consultants/contractors provide services at a flat rate rather than an hourly rate. If that is the case, identify the service to be provided, including all covered expenses such as travel, and the rate for each “unit” of service. Contact DCJ if you have questions.

Professional services should be procured competitively. Sole source contracts must be justified and must have specific prior written approval from DCJ before execution of any contract, separate from approval to fund the project. 

Budget Narrative and Justification:  Explain why proposed consultant/contract services cannot or should not be provided by project staff. Explain how the hourly rate or flat rate was determined. For each consulting organization added, indicate the number of people to be assigned to the project, number of hours per person per day to be spent on the project, and a breakdown of the contract price by major cost item (i.e., supplies, rent, equipment, travel, contracted services)

Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are costs of an organization that are not readily assignable to a particular project, but are necessary to the operation of the organization and the performance of the project. Examples of costs usually treated as indirect include those incurred for facility operation and maintenance, depreciation, and administrative salaries. Indirect costs must be applied uniformly and consistently within the applicant organization (i.e. you can not claim the modified total direct cost on one application and a federally negotiated rate on another.

Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICR): If the applicant agency has an existing NICR, you may request up to the approved rate. Attach your NICR to the Documents tab.

If the applicant meets any of the two requirements below, they are eligible to request indirect costs at the approved rate.  

Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) de minimis: If the applicant has never received a federal negotiated indirect cost rate, and is not required to have a federal negotiated indirect cost rate, they are eligible to request the "de minimis" rate which is 10% of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC).

When using this method, cost must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. 

What is the Modified Total Direct Cost, or MTDC? 

• This base includes all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and subawards up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award).
• MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs.

Documents Tab

Organizational Chart: Required if personnel is being requested. If your project has personnel in the budget category, you must attach your organizational chart in this section. 

Financial Management Questionnaire: Required.  All applicants are required to download this form, complete, save, and upload back into ZoomGrants. It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify the agency’s ability to administer funds and comply with federal and state accountability requirements. The questions should be answered by the Applicant Agency with the assistance of the Financial Officer.  

Indirect Cost Rate: If the applicant agency has an existing negotiated federal indirect cost rate (NICR) and is requesting indirect on this project, attach you NICR here.

The Division of Criminal Justice is committed to a fair and impartial competitive application process. As such, any grant programmatic application questions and answers will be posted in the FAQs section below. Please check back frequently so you are getting the most up-to-date information.

Robyn May
Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, OAJJA
700 Kipling Street
Denver, CO 80215
Direct:  303-842-3344
Email: robyn.may@state.co.us

If you experience problems or have questions about how to use ZoomGrants, please contact dcjgms@state.co.us.

DCJ Staff will hold informational sessions for the LE Workforce Grant Program via Zoom that will include addressing the eligible activities and providing technical support relating to the application.

Wednesday September 18, 2024 11:30am - noon – Office Hours
Tuesday September 24, 2024 1pm - 1:30pm – Office Hours
Thursday October 3, 2024 10:30am – 11am – Office Hours

Use this link to join:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87375736240

What are examples of best practices from the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice?

Examples of best practices from the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice include:

Recruitment

• Internally identify priorities along with the priorities of the community.
• Collaboratively work with stakeholders to conduct a thorough assessment of what critical characteristics and traits qualify an individual as a candidate for employment with their agency. 
• Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for recruitment.
• Assure the validity of, and periodically audit, all testing instruments
• Offer recruitment and retention incentives.
• Reduce the time it takes to apply for and receive an offer from an agency.

Retention

• Increase staff engagement in the agency, allowing for both top-down and bottom-up input into policies, procedures, and operations.
• Develop formal procedures for exit interviews to identify reasons for leaving. 
• Examine salary and benefit packages and incentive programs to ensure that they are competitive in the field. 

Training

• Develop strategies to collaboratively work with stakeholders to develop minimum standards for annual online and in-person continuing education requirements. These should include the most significant areas and critical topics required, as well as the minimum training hours required for each. 

How do I find my project application if I don’t complete it all at the same time?

When you log into ZOOMGRANTS (ZG), click on My Account Home. Any incomplete applications will appear under the Incomplete tab. If the application deadline has passed the incomplete applications will move the to the Archived tab.

What do I do if I get the message that I exceeded the maximum length for a question? 

If there is a character limit it will appear with each question. As you type, a box indicates how many characters are remaining. There may be a slight discrepancy in character counts upon saving the answer. Carriage Returns count as two (2) characters when SAVED, but count as one (1) characters when TYPING/EDITING. The final characters count may be off by 1 character for each carriage return. You may need to shorten your answer if your initial answer uses the maximum character limit.

How do I submit more than one application for my agency?

A ZG account is linked to an individual within an agency, and not the agency as a whole. If your agency has distinct and separate projects with different project directors each project director should have his/her own account. (Unless the agency decides to have a singular generic account owner that provides project director access to each application on a case by case basis). 

• If your agency has multiple ZG accounts, each account may submit one or more applications.
• If a single ZG account holder would like to submit more than one application, you may accomplish this in one of two ways:
  1. Apply Again – creates a new blank application
     • Login 
     • Click Apply Again to create a new Application.
  2. Duplicate Application – copies an application within the same Grant Program and allows you to edit it. 
     • Under My Account Home find the application you want to duplicate (it will be under either the Incomplete or Submitted tab).
     • Click Duplicate and a copy of the application will open an allow you to edit.

 Do we need to include a breakdown budget for any contractors/vendors?

Yes. A line item budget must be included in the budget narrative under the consultants/contract (professional services) category. Suggested budget format is: list personnel, supplies and operating, travel, equipment, and contracted services or professional services. The budget should include only those items for which you are requesting funding.

Does the system allow for review by our Appointing Authority?

Prior to application submission by the division, all applications must be reviewed and approved by our Authorizing Authority so that s/he has the opportunity to evaluate projects to determine if they are in keeping with our mission and goals and do not violate laws or regulations.  Is that possible in the system?

Yes, you can “Print/Preview” the application prior to submission. This can be found on the top right corner of the individual application. You may save to PDF and/or print it.

Do the character limits in the sections include the spaces between words?

Yes. Be advised, hitting Return also uses two (2) characters.

We have not registered with SAM and do not have an UEI, will this stop us from submitting an application?

Yes. Please contact DCJ if you are currently registering with SAM or if you are reactivating your registration, but have not yet completed the process.

How do I update my SAM end date on my new application?

Using data released by the federal government, ZOOMGRANTS completes a SAM verification (via each applicant’s UEI) and presents the results for each applicant in the Application Summary tab of their applications.

The federal government releases this data every month, and SAM checks are completed once an applicant submits their application and are automatically updated monthly, following the release of the new data.

The SAM verification will only appear in the Application Summary tab on an application if the applicant has entered a valid UEI.

In the Senate Bill under Section 3, most of the sections state that these are for POST Certified and Non-Certified Law Peace Officers. IX and X just state Law Enforcement Workforce so we just wanted to verify if this still just pertains to POST and Non-certified Peace Officers or the Law Enforcement Agency as a whole.

If you take a look at the eligible activities it will give you a better idea on what these funds can be used for and by whom. I would encourage you to be as specific as possible in your application about what you are requesting and how it fits the legislative intent of the program in which you are applying.

If we are awarded the grant, but not all of the money that we ask for, will it show which line items will not be covered or will it just be an amount and we have to decide what changes to make?

The Funding Committee will make a decisions on which items will be funded from your proposal. If they decide not to fully fund a project and there are items requested that do not fit within the legislative intent of the grant program you will be notified of what is not allowable.

When I log into ZoomGrants, there is only one application, and it looks to be for both grants. What is the difference between the two grant programs?

The LE Workforce and SMART grants are listed under the same funding opportunity in ZoomGrants; however, as you work through the application and answer questions, it will toggle to the program you are applying for. If you want to apply for both it requires two applications. While they do have similarities, they do have different intent.

• SMART- The goal of the State’s Mission for Assistance in Recruiting and Training (SMART) Grant Program is to provide grants to law enforcement agencies to increase the number of P.O.S.T.-certified and non-certified law enforcement officers who are representative of the communities they serve and to provide training for those additional law enforcement officers.
• LE Workforce - The goals of the Law Enforcement Workforce Recruitment, Retention, and Tuition Grant Program, as established by SB22-145, are to: Assist Law Enforcement Agencies in addressing workforce shortages, Improve the training given to POST certified Peace Officers, Improve relationships between Law Enforcement and impacted communities.

Would the LE Workforce or SMART grant pay for a civilian position created to follow through with leads generated by our recruitment software and ensuring interested persons receive information needed in a timely manner?

Please review the eligible activities for each grant program and be as specific as possible as to how your request fits within the legislative intent of the program in which you are applying.

We tried to complete the financial management questionnaire on the new grant application and couldn't print or send a copy to attach to the grant application. Can you send it to us or do we need to complete it again?

We are using a JotForm for the Financial Management Questionnaire (FMQ) with the new applications and it does not provide a copy to upload. Once you fill out the FMQ and press submit, nothing further is needed relating to the FMQ for the application process.

For the LE Grant would gym memberships for officers qualify for other health related screening?

Gym memberships were funded through the LE Workforce grant previously. As with all requests, please make sure to provide as many details as possible as to how it fits within the legislative intent of the program.

We are looking for tuition help for sending 3 to the academy in August. The award period starts in January. Would we be able to be reimbursed for something from August of 2023?

The award period for the 2nd round of funding will be January 1, 2023 to January 31, 2025; the grant funds can only pay for approved expenses within this timeframe.

​How does the childcare reimbursement activity work for this grant program?

The Division of Criminal Justice does not provide legal advice on possible tax obligations resulting from receipt of child care benefits from HB 22-145. The following is provided for informational purposes only. Beneficiaries of child care benefits remain personally responsible for, and should consult with their tax advisors for advice on, any tax obligations resulting from benefits paid on their behalf.

As a courtesy the following information may be helpful in determining tax consequences of child care benefits.
Employer supported childcare is considered a fringe benefit. Some fringe benefits are taxable, while others are nontaxable or partially taxable.

An employer can establish a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA). A DCFSA is a unique employee benefit that allows workers to set aside pretax dollars to pay for eligible care expenses for a child, disabled spouse, elderly parent or other individual listed as a dependent who is physically or mentally incapable of self-care.  To determine if an employer FSA Program includes Dependent Care check with your agency's Human Resources/Payroll Department. The minimum and maximum amounts allowed to be contributed to a DCFSA are set by the employer, and the maximum set forth by the IRS. For more information an individual should consult their tax advisor.

• SB22-145 Resources To Increase Community Safety
• Video - How to Submit a Financial Report

The State of Colorado is committed to providing equitable access to our services to all Coloradoans. The Division of Criminal Justice is committed to making its physical campus and digital resources accessible to everyone. The Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) strives to ensure equal access to the services we provide to everyone with and without disabilities. To best meet reasonable accommodation needs for effective communication or a reasonable modification to programs, services, or activities, please contact us a week prior to the activity or event.

DCJ will make every effort to provide requested reasonable accommodations, however, failure to notify DCJ of requested accommodations at least 3 business days prior to the date of the activity or event date may result in delay or denial of the accommodation.