Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2013 3569
Apply for BJA 2013 3569
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 13 Answering Gideons Call National Assistance To Improve the Effectiveness of Right to Counsel Services" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.751 Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 21, 2013 and posted on Mar 21, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 6, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $720,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education.
- Eligible applicants are private nonprofit organizations (including faith based, and community organizations), public universities, and colleges. BJA encourages eligible organizations to form partnerships through formal agreements with each other to meet the solicitation deliverables. If multiple parties work together to submit one application, one partner must clearly be indicated as the primary applicant/fiscal agent (for correspondence, award, management, and fiscal purposes) and the others indicated as subapplicant(s).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant opportunity titled "BJA FY 13 Answering Gideons Call National Assistance To Improve the Effectiveness of Right to Counsel Services" was a discretionary, competitive grant designed to strengthen indigent defense systems in the United States. The program was rooted in the reality that public defense and other indigent defense providers are frequently underfunded and understaffed, which can undermine the constitutional promise of effective legal representation for people who cannot afford counsel. The central goal of the initiative was to improve the quality, efficiency, and consistency of right to counsel services nationwide, using the American Bar Association's Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System (issued in 2002) as the primary framework for what effective public defense should look like in practice.
This opportunity sought applicants that could operate at a national assistance level, meaning the focus was not simply on serving a single jurisdiction but on providing support that could lift the broader indigent defense field. BJA wanted an organization (or a lead organization working through formal partnerships) that could carry out a wide range of activities aimed at improving the quality of representation for indigent defendants and delivering professional, ongoing technical assistance to the indigent defense bar. In practical terms, that "national assistance" orientation typically implies activities like training and professional development, development and dissemination of best practices, technical assistance to defender organizations and justice system stakeholders, tools and guidance aligned with recognized standards, and other capacity-building supports that help systems implement reforms consistent with the ABA Ten Principles.
The program was funded under the Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (CFDA 16.751), which is intended to help communities improve the functioning and capacity of state and local criminal justice systems. While Byrne funding is often associated with broader criminal justice improvements, this particular solicitation was targeted at a specific constitutional and system performance issue: making right to counsel more effective by strengthening how indigent defense services are delivered and supported. The underlying premise was that better defense delivery systems contribute to a more reliable and fair criminal justice process, and that improving defender capacity can have downstream effects on case outcomes, court efficiency, and overall system integrity.
The maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed for this solicitation was $720,000, with no stated minimum award amount (award floor listed as $0). There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which lowered the barrier for eligible organizations that might not have the ability to contribute nonfederal funds. The funding instrument type was a grant, and the activity category was Law, Justice and Legal Services, signaling that the funded work was expected to involve direct justice-system improvement activities rather than, for example, basic research alone.
Eligibility was limited to certain organizational types rather than individuals or local governments applying on their own. Eligible applicants included private nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (including faith-based and community organizations), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education. BJA explicitly encouraged partnerships among eligible organizations, with the expectation that partners would form formal agreements to meet the deliverables. If a collaborative group submitted a single application, one organization needed to be clearly designated as the primary applicant and fiscal agent responsible for official correspondence, grant management, and financial oversight, while other partners would be listed as subapplicants.
Timing details indicate this was a FY 2013 solicitation posted on March 21, 2013, with an application deadline of May 6, 2013. The archive date was June 5, 2013, reflecting that the opportunity is no longer open but remains available for reference. Applicants were directed to the full announcement for complete requirements and expectations, and the solicitation included standard federal submission support via Grants.gov, including a customer support hotline and email assistance for technical issues during application submission.
Overall, this grant opportunity was designed to move indigent defense systems closer to recognized national standards by supporting an entity capable of delivering sustained technical assistance and quality improvement resources across the field. The emphasis on the ABA Ten Principles highlights that BJA was looking for work that addresses foundational system elements such as defender independence, manageable workloads, adequate resources, strong training and supervision, and parity with prosecution and other justice partners, all with the ultimate aim of making the right to counsel meaningful in day-to-day practice rather than merely theoretical.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this BJA grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "BJA FY 13 Answering Gideons Call National Assistance To Improve the Effectiveness of Right to Counsel Services."
Which federal agency offered this solicitation?
The solicitation was offered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
What was the main purpose of the grant?
The grant was designed to strengthen indigent defense systems in the United States by improving the quality, efficiency, and consistency of right to counsel services nationwide.
What problem was this program intended to address?
The program was rooted in the reality that public defense and other indigent defense providers are often underfunded and understaffed, which can undermine the constitutional promise of effective legal representation for people who cannot afford counsel.
What framework or standards guided the work under this program?
The primary framework referenced was the American Bar Association's Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System (issued in 2002), used as the benchmark for what effective public defense should look like in practice.
What does "national assistance" mean in the context of this grant?
"National assistance" means the funded work was expected to operate beyond a single jurisdiction, providing support that could strengthen the broader indigent defense field across the country rather than serving only one local system.
What kinds of activities were typically implied by the national assistance approach?
Based on the solicitation description, national assistance typically implies training and professional development, development and dissemination of best practices, technical assistance to defender organizations and justice system stakeholders, tools and guidance aligned with recognized standards, and other capacity-building supports to help systems implement reforms consistent with the ABA Ten Principles.
What funding program supported this solicitation?
This opportunity was funded under the Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (CFDA 16.751), which is intended to help communities improve the functioning and capacity of state and local criminal justice systems.
How was this Byrne-funded solicitation different from broader criminal justice funding?
While Byrne funding is often associated with broad criminal justice improvements, this solicitation targeted a specific constitutional and system performance issue: strengthening right to counsel by improving how indigent defense services are delivered and supported.
What was the maximum award amount?
The maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed for this solicitation was $720,000.
Was there a minimum award amount?
No minimum award amount was stated. The award floor was listed as $0.
Was a cost share or match required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement indicated for this solicitation.
What was the funding instrument type?
The funding instrument type was a grant.
What activity category did this opportunity fall under?
The activity category was Law, Justice and Legal Services.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to certain organizational types: private nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (including faith-based and community organizations), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education.
Could individuals apply for this grant?
The eligibility described was limited to organizations (nonprofits and institutions of higher education). Individuals were not listed as eligible applicants.
Could a local government apply directly?
The eligibility description focused on nonprofits and institutions of higher education. Local governments applying on their own were not listed among the eligible applicant types in the provided information.
Were partnerships encouraged?
Yes. BJA explicitly encouraged partnerships among eligible organizations, with the expectation that partners would form formal agreements to meet deliverables.
If multiple organizations applied together, who was responsible for the grant?
If a collaborative group submitted a single application, one organization needed to be designated as the primary applicant and fiscal agent responsible for official correspondence, grant management, and financial oversight. Other partners would be listed as subapplicants.
When was the solicitation posted?
The solicitation was posted on March 21, 2013.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was May 6, 2013.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The archive date was June 5, 2013, indicating the opportunity is no longer open and remains available for reference only.
Where were applicants directed for complete requirements?
Applicants were directed to the full announcement for complete requirements and expectations.
How were applicants expected to submit their applications?
Submission support referenced Grants.gov, indicating that applicants were expected to use Grants.gov for application submission and to rely on Grants.gov support for technical issues.
What kind of submission support was available?
The solicitation included standard federal submission support through Grants.gov, including a customer support hotline and email assistance for technical issues during submission.
What was the broader rationale behind improving indigent defense systems?
The solicitation described an underlying premise that stronger defense delivery systems contribute to a more reliable and fair criminal justice process, and that improving defender capacity can have downstream effects on case outcomes, court efficiency, and overall system integrity.
What system elements were emphasized through the ABA Ten Principles focus?
The emphasis on the Ten Principles highlighted foundational elements such as defender independence, manageable workloads, adequate resources, strong training and supervision, and parity with prosecution and other justice partners, with the ultimate aim of making the right to counsel meaningful in day-to-day practice.
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