The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is offering funding through the fiscal year 2025 Enhancing Youth Defense Training and Technical Assistance program. This initiative aims to improve the quality of legal representation for youth involved in the justice system by providing specialized training, tools, resources, and technical assistance to youth defense practitioners. The total funding available is $900,000, with one award anticipated. The performance period is 36 months, starting October 1, 2025.

Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit organizations, including small businesses. Only one entity may apply as the lead applicant, with others included as subrecipients if applicable. There is no cost-sharing or match requirement for this program.

The program’s primary goals are to strengthen youth defense practices nationally and help youth defender offices improve service delivery and build capacity. Objectives include providing high-quality legal training, tools, and leadership development opportunities for youth defenders and addressing systemic gaps to improve outcomes for justice-involved youth. Deliverables include the development and dissemination of training, technical assistance, and best practices to the broader youth defense community. Performance measures will track progress, such as the number of trainings conducted and resources provided.

Applications must follow a two-step submission process. First, applicants must submit the SF-424 form in Grants.gov by February 4, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Following that, the full application must be submitted in JustGrants by February 18, 2025, at 8:59 PM Eastern Time. Required components include a proposal narrative, budget detail form, financial management questionnaire, and resumes for key personnel. The proposal narrative should address the statement of need, project goals and objectives, implementation plan, and the applicant's capacity to carry out the project.

Applications will be reviewed based on technical merit, feasibility, capacity to achieve goals, and budget reasonableness. Peer review criteria will focus on the statement of need, project design, organizational competencies, and cost-effectiveness. Selected applicants will receive notification by September 30, 2025, and will be required to submit periodic financial and performance reports.

For additional details, applicants are encouraged to review all submission guidelines and resources provided in the funding announcement and Application Resource Guide. Technical support is available through the Grants.gov and JustGrants help desks.