PSN FAQs

The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Blueprint is a resource to help prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and community partners develop an effective and sustainable initiative to address violent crime in their districts. The Blueprint contains information about the history of the PSN Grant Program, how to build a strong initiative, and examples of successful projects from around the country. The Blueprint can be accessed through the PSN Training and Technical Assistance website.

A list of the most recent PSN projects funded by DCJ may be found on the PSN Funded Projects web page.

Project applications will be accepted from law enforcement agencies and from other organizations providing relevant services in Colorado within the four TEAs outlined as follows:  1) Denver Metro area; 2) Colorado Springs; 3) Northern Colorado (including the cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, and Loveland); and 4) Southern Colorado (including the city of Pueblo).  

Additionally, projects must fall within one or more of the two following purpose areas: Category 1) is for focused and strategic enforcement by law enforcement agencies, of which 30% must be dedicated to gang/violent crime task forces – specifically on the investigation and prosecution of criminal and/or transnational organizations that are engaged in high levels of violent crime, firearms offenses, human trafficking, and drug trafficking; and Category 2) is for violent crime prevention resources and community engagement efforts (see application instructions for more specific information).

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

• Salary, wage, and fringe benefits of individuals supporting the PSN project
• Overtime compensation of individuals supporting the PSN project
• Workshops and events associated with the support of the PSN project (pending approval by OJP/BJA)
• Travel associated with implementation and evaluation of the PSN project
• Equipment purchased to support the execution of the PSN project
• Printing, publication, and duplication of materials that support the PSN project
• Some examples of ineligible activities/costs include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Food and beverages
• Prizes, rewards, entertainment, trinkets (or any type of monetary incentive) 
• Client stipends
• Gift cards
• Other costs identified in the DOJ Grants Financial Guide 

Below is a non-exhaustive list of resources:

• An overview of and resources for the the Department of Justice (DOJ) Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program can be accessed on the agency's website
• Colorado specific PSN Program information and other grant resources are available through DCJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods information page.
• The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Blueprint is a resource to help prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and community partners develop an effective and sustainable initiative to address violent crime in their districts. The Blueprint contains information about the history of the PSN Grant Program, how to build a strong initiative, and examples of successful projects from around the country. The Blueprint can be accessed through the PSN Training and Technical Assistance website.
• BJA’s required performance measures for the PSN Program can be found on the BJA website 
   

Applicants should ask for what is needed. Keep in mind the amount of funding available is $323,224 for up to a twenty-four month project duration and there are four TEAs eligible to apply. Applications are not typically received from all four TEAs each funding cycle. 

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

There is $323,224 available in the FY 2021 - 2022 PSN Program funding opportunity.  

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

The project start date is October 1, 2023 and the project end date is no later than September 30, 2025. Project duration may be up to twenty-four (24) months, although it is anticipated that some will not require the full twenty-four (24) months to fully expend their grant awards and complete their projects.

These funds cannot be used to supplant (replace) dollars that would, in the absence of these federal funds, be made available for the proposed project; however, they may enhance or expand an existing program funded from other sources.  If the request is to sustain a program that has lost previous funding through no fault of its own, the loss must be clearly documented.

These are considered supplies and must be entered into the supplies and operating category.  Equipment is considered an individual item costing $5,000 or more.

Yes.  A line item budget must be included in the budget narrative under the consultants/contracts (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 PSN funding.

All funds that are being requested for administrative functions, which can include accountant services, must be requested under the “Indirect” Line Item of the budget and clearly identified as administrative costs.

In ZOOMGRANTS, the City or County is considered the Legal Entity. The Police Department or Sheriff’s Office would be the Applicant Agency (applying agency). The DBA status should be set to Yes.

No.  If your agency is not currently registered in SAM you will not have an UEI assigned yet and must begin this process now due to the time required for completion.

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. 

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

See pages 14-15 of the PDF entitled Navigating ZoomGrants and Setting up New ZoomGrants Accounts instructions

The application will collect information regarding the Geographic Area(s) where grant funds will be utilized and is not linked to the physical address of the agency.

Pre-Application/Organization Details and Questions/Statement of Work Tabs:

• Short Answers: Single Line- 250 characters
• Multiple Choice: Only one answer is allowed
• Checkboxes: One or more answer is allowed
• Table Format: 10 characters each       
• Long Answers: Each long answer question will indicate the character limit associated with each question.

Tables (G&O, Budget Details, Additional Funding) Tab:

• Large text boxes: 6500 characters
• Medium text boxes: 25 characters
• Small text boxes: 10 characters

NOTE: carriage returns counts as two (2) characters.
 

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) character when TYPING/EDITING. The final character 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.

In that case, 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 a hard copy to submit for prior approval from your Authorizing Authority.

When you log into ZOOMGRANTS, 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 to the Archived tab.