The Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program is a funding opportunity offered through the Office of Adult and Juvenile Assistance (OAJJA) for fiscal year 2023 and 2024 in consultation with the Deputy Attorney General, the P.O.S.T. Board Director, and the Opioid Crisis Recovery Funds Advisory Committee which supports the Colorado Department of Law.

The intent of the Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program is to provide grant funding to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of investigating deaths and serious injuries caused by illegal synthetic opiate poisoning and for disrupting synthetic opiate supplies. 

Resource: 
HB22-1326 Fentanyl Accountability And Prevention

Legislative Fiscal Year 2022_2023 Report

The Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program Announcement, Application, and Application Instructions can be obtained through Colorado’s online application system, ZoomGrants.

The application period is now closed. 

• Organize goals and objectives. Make sure objectives 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.

Summary Tab:

• Project Name/Project Title: Please be descriptive of the project to be funded and do not label it merely “Synthetic Opioid Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant 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 who 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 Public Safety, etc.  Choose yes or no.
• (Q4) Legal Entity County Enter the county of your legal entity address.
• (Q5) Agency Function Choose your agency’s function from the list: 
  • County Sheriff’s Office
  • Municipal Police Force
  • Colorado State Patrol
  • Colorado Bureau of Investigation
  • Colorado District Attorney's Office
  • Multijurisdictional law enforcement task force that includes a law enforcement agency as defined by section 24-32-124 (1)(e) 
  • Police department for a private or state institution of higher education

Questions/Statement of Work Tab:

• Project Duration
  January 1, 2024
  • (Q1) Project Start Date:
  • (Q2) Project End Date: June 30, 2024
• 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
  (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. Shawn Smith, 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.
• (Q16) Eligible Activities: Does your project include any of the following activities? Select all that apply.
  • Investigating deaths and serious injuries caused by illegal synthetic opiate poisoning
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.  
• (Q17) Describe the number or rate of drug overdoses or trafficking in your community that are related to fentanyl or synthetic opioid. Please provide any supporting data. Resources:  Counts of drug overdose deaths due to any opioid in Colorado, 2020-2021 and Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program
• (Q18) Describe any existing programs in your community to address fentanyl and other synthetic opiate poisoning investigations and/or distribution interdiction. (3,000 characters) 
• (Q19) Provide a description of what barriers your agency has encountered in performing fentanyl death investigations or distribution interdiction.
• (Q20)  Provide what support your agency would need to overcome the barriers. 
• (Q21) Describe your experience level with conducting fentanyl or other synthetic opioid death investigations or distribution interdiction.
• (Q22) Describe how you plan to overcome any gaps in knowledge or experience conducting fentanyl or other synthetic opioid death investigations or distribution interdictions.
• (Q23)  If your project entails an evaluation or analysis component, describe what would be included.

Tables (Goals & Outcomes) 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 goal(s) 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 how you intend to reach your goal and include the strategies you will use to get there.  Strategies include both process and output. Please write at least one measurable outcome 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
• Measurement: Include measures that will sufficiently document any change that occurs.
• Timeframe:  The expected date in which the objective will be completed.

Documents Tab

1. 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. 
2. Indirect Cost Rate: If applicable. If the applicant agency has an existing negotiated federal indirect cost rate (NICR) and is requesting indirect on this project, attach your NICR here.
3. Budget Worksheet: Required. Download the template from ZoomGrants, Complete, Save and Upload into ZoomGrants. This Excel document contains two tabs: Personnel Costs and Non-Personnel Costs.

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. 

• 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): Excel will automatically calculate this total based on the amounts you entered in the overtime annual salary and fringe columns.
• Personnel Costs Tab: 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
• 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 percent 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 percent 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.

Non-Personnel Costs Tab:

Year 1 = January 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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

• Supplies and Operating: Add expendable or non-durable items within this category by major type [e.g., office supplies, laptops, software (regardless of cost),  telephone,  postage, vehicle gas, leases, etc.,] and show the basis for computation: “X” dollars per month for office supplies, 2 laptops at “X” dollars each. NOTE: 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. Large items should be listed and justified (e.g., unusual supply items, software, special printing, etc.). 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 mileage expenses for project personnel by purpose and show basis for computation. Indicate if the travel is in-state or out-of-state. Out-of-state travel is discouraged and needs to be thoroughly 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. Mileage: Allowable State travel rates for mileage are $0.56/mile for 2WD and $0.59/mile for 4WD.
• 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
• 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 the 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). 
  • 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.

• 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.

 

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 provide grants to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of investigating deaths and serious injuries caused by illegal synthetic opiate poisoning and for disrupting synthetic opiate supplies. 

C.R.S. 24-33.5-533. Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation And Distribution Interdiction Grant Program

The grant funding may be used by a law enforcement agency for the following purposes only: 

• Investigating deaths and serious injuries caused by illegal synthetic opiate poisoning
• 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
• 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
• 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:

• Enhanced testing equipment for synthetic opioids, such as TruNarc
• Technology to unlock cell phones, such as 'Graykey' by Grayshift
• 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
• Mobile device forensic tools
• Personnel to get trained and manage overdose detection and surveillance applications
• Safe Evidence Handling and Storage items, such as vented hoods, faraday bags
• Training relevant to investigating, disrupting distribution and prosecution of illegal synthetic opiates

Please note this is not an exhaustive list.  

All grant applications must address all of the following:

• The specific activity the grant would fund
• Number or rate of drug overdoses related to synthetic opiates within the community intended to be served. This information is available online at Counts of drug overdose deaths due to any opioid in Colorado, 2020-2021
• Barriers the agency experiences when performing fentanyl or other synthetic opioid death investigations or distribution interdiction within the designated agency
• How the proposed project will address the identified barriers.  
• Existing resources available when performing fentanyl or other synthetic opioid death investigations within the designated agency 
• Details on collaboration efforts among federal, state, or local law enforcement partners regarding synthetic opiate importation and high-level distribution networks
• If personnel costs are included, how the project will be sustained once funding ends

Currently closed. 

$801,471

January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024

A match is not a requirement for this funding.

Money from the grant award may only be used for the stated eligible activities.

Eligible grant recipients include:

• Colorado law enforcement agencies per 24-32-124(1)(e)
  • “Law enforcement agency” means a county sheriff’s office, municipal police force, the Colorado state patrol, or the Colorado bureau of investigation.
• Colorado District Attorney's Office
• Multijurisdictional law enforcement task force that includes a law enforcement agency as defined by section 24-32-124 (1)(e) 
• Police department for a private or state institution of higher education

Funding decisions will be made in consultation with the P.O.S.T. Board Director or Designee, the Deputy Attorney General, and the Opioid Crisis Recovery Funds Advisory Committee.

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:  

• Specific activity requested for grant funding
• Availability of existing programs in your community to address fentanyl or other synthetic opioid investigations and/or distribution interdiction
• The prevalence of deaths related to synthetic opiate poisoning, overdose, or trafficking
• Ability to overcome barriers to performing fentanyl or other synthetic opioid death investigations or distribution interdiction
• Collaboration efforts among partners regarding synthetic opiate importation and high-level distribution networks
• Innovation of the proposal

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.

Sample Grant Agreements

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 on or before August 1 each year thereafter as funding is available. Performance metrics will be outlined at the time of the award.

Announcement date: July 5, 2023

Application deadline: August 18, 2023 (EXTENDED)

Funding decision announced: October 2023

Reconsideration/appeals deadline: Approximately 3 days following Denial Notification

Grant Agreement Issuance: December 2023

Award Period: January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024

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

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

What are allowable projects for this 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.

Are there examples of eligible activities?

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

Enhanced testing equipment for synthetic opioids  Technology to unlock cell phones such as 'Graykey' by Grayshift

 

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)

What online tools and resources do you recommend for reference?

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

What is the difference between opiates and opioids?

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

Can I request funding to purchase naloxone or Narcan?

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.

Can you provide insight as to an approximate expected award amount for agencies?

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.

How much funding is available?

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.

What is the potential award date and the grant period?

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

Is this grant program a supplement only grant or can it also be a replacement grant?

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

Has anyone applied yet?

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.

Is there a standard definition of serious injury?

"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."

Do I need to provide data related to the cause of death?

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.  

We have a Nighthawk subscription. Can we purchase training credits to use in 2024?

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.

Are vehicles allowed to be purchased? We are in need of a van to use as a command post during opiate poisoning death investigations.

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

Would funding a full-time fentanyl investigator be considered an eligible activity under the synthetic opiate grant program?

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

Are there opportunities for vendors to partner with law enforcement?

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

Under the Tables (Goals & Outcomes) Tab in Zoom grants directly after the goals section is a header titled Project Evaluation. However, you can not type in the area. What is supposed to go in this spot and how?

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.

In the grant application I read questions 19 and 20 as being the same  question. Am I understanding the questions incorrectly?

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

There was a questions on the last webinar about the funding tools (for example Night Hawk) and if when the item is not being used for grant purpose if it can be used by the department for other case investigations.  If it can, what guidelines would there be?

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.

The Grant Application and supporting documents mention the dates March 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024, however in the excel workbook, the dates are March 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023. Which is the correct timeframe?

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.

ZoomGrants is saying I do not have access when trying to start an application.  How can I get access?

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. 

With regard to the budget worksheet, should training be listed under the consultant section?

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

We are making new safety protocols for the department and are trying to determine what is the best equipment/items to request for this grant because numerous vendors are contacting us about their products. What would be best to ask for in this grant?

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

Question 18 asks about existing programs to address opiod investigations and/or distribution interdiction. We currently address these LE functions. Are you looking for examples such as the needle exchange program or mental health services?

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

Is the grant funded by the state or federal government?

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

Is the grant considered a reimbursement grant where the grantee pays for the items and is reimbursed at a later date?

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

Where can I find the terms and conditions in writing?

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

We are trying to upload an additional document to support our  application  but there is no open space for this under the documents tab.  Are we allowed to submit supporting materials for this award?

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.

If we are currently funded through the Synthetic Opiate Grant Program are we eligible to apply for the new round of funding?  And are there any unallowable expenses for equipment and supplies even if it would fit into the eligible activities catergory?

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.

I was thinking of shooting for a 5 year subscription for Cellebrite this time. Do you have and suggestion or feedback on that?

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.

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

• Enhanced testing equipment for synthetic opioids 
• Technology to unlock cell phones such as 'Graykey' by Grayshift
• 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

Please note this is not an exhaustive list.  

Nighthawk
This analytic tool can go through all the data that is collected and sort through information for investigations. The data is information from different social media sites, cell phone information, cell tower information, suspect information, and links of all sorts.

The NighthawAscend.cloud product has servers to save data from computers and cell phones.

Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP)
ODMAP provides near real-time suspected overdose data across jurisdictions to support public safety and public health efforts to mobilize an immediate response to a sudden increase, or spike, in overdose events. ODMAP links first responders and relevant record management systems to a mapping tool to track overdoses to stimulate real-time response and strategic analysis across jurisdictions. 

Resource:  The Overdose Mapping Application Program: A guide to the ODMAP platform and community user application.

This is a FREE tool.  Request agency access by completing an electronic form.  The form will be reviewed by ODMAP.  The review process may take up to a month for access to be granted.

This is not an all-encompassing list and no business is being promoted.  These are only examples.

Cellebrite 
This equipment has the capability of getting into locked devices and extracting different types of data.

• Forensic tool that can extract information from phones such as phone calls, social media correspondences, photos, and other data
• Works on both iOS platforms and android platforms; however, some local users have found it to be more successful on android
• "Pathfinder" is an analytic tool that can go through all the data that is collected and sort information for investigations. The data is information from different social media sites, cell phone information, cell tower information, suspect information and links of all sorts. This is an additional cost to the basic Cellebrite product.
• "Guardian" is cloud-based storage (data management) for all information associated with Pathfinder, but information from Pathfinder can also be stored on the premise with a server

Graykey from GrayShift

• Graykey has the capability of getting into locked devices and extracting different types of data
• Works on both iOS platforms and android platforms; however, some local users have found it to be more successful on iOS platforms
• After the information is extracted from a device, it needs to be put into Cellebrite physical analyzer to parse out the information

ResQ CQL - handheld analyzer detecting trace elements of a substance, drugs and/or explosives including Fentanyl identification, Note: Check with your fire departments and hazmat teams first.  They may have one.

MX 908 - This device assists with detecting a trace elements of a substance, drugs and/or explosives.Note: Check with your fire departments and hazmat teams first.  They may have one.

TruNarc Handheld Narcotics Analyzer - handheld analyzer used for Fentanyl identification; Note: it does not go down to the trace element level

Faraday bag for phones with battery kit - designed to charge a device while it remains shielded from RF signals; obtain the ones that have a plug-in system inside the bag so that the power cord does not act as an antenna.

GPS Trackers

Self-contained vent hoods

Pull cameras

PPE

General technical assistance regarding the grant application process will be offered to all applicants through webinars, office hours, and other means.

Best Practices and Technical Assistance Webinar

• December 8, 2022 Recording

Below is a non-exhaustive list of :

Technical Resources

• Overdose Detection Mapping Application (ODMAP)
  • ODMAP Training
• Rocky Mountain High-Intensity Drug Training Assistance (HIDTA) 
• Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking
• Colorado 2022 Fentanyl Summit - Lists key subject matter experts on the topic. Only available to law enforcement.
• Denver Fentanyl Action Summit

Data Resources

• Counts of drug overdose deaths due to any drug in Colorado, 2020-2021

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.