OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program Solicitation | O OVW 2021 56002

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OVW 2021 56002

The OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program Solicitation is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Authorized under 34 U.S.C. 12341 and cataloged as CFDA 16.589, the program is built to strengthen how rural communities prevent and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Its central purpose is to improve safety and access to services for victims in rural areas, recognizing that rural communities often face distinct barriers such as long travel distances, fewer service providers, limited shelter and medical resources, and heightened confidentiality concerns in small or tightly connected communities.

The grant supports projects that are specifically tailored to rural realities rather than simply replicating urban or suburban models. In practice, this means OVW is looking for efforts that expand or enhance victim-centered services, improve coordinated community responses, and address gaps that are common in rural settings, such as limited law enforcement and prosecution capacity, shortages of trained advocates and forensic healthcare options, transportation challenges, and lack of culturally specific or accessible services. The program is also geared toward prevention and system improvements that reduce the likelihood of future victimization while strengthening community accountability and survivor safety.

This opportunity was posted under funding opportunity number OVW-2021-56002 (listed as "O-OVW-2021-56002" in the source data). It is classified as a grant under the funding activity category of Law, Justice, and Legal Services. The solicitation was created on January 15, 2021, with an original closing date of March 12, 2021. OVW anticipated making approximately 55 awards, with an award ceiling of up to $750,000 per award, indicating support for moderately sized projects that can meaningfully expand rural capacity and coordination.

Eligibility is broad and designed to accommodate the mix of entities that typically respond to violence in rural areas. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, and township governments; public and private institutions of higher education (including state-controlled institutions); federally recognized tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); and nonprofit organizations, including both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). The solicitation also lists an "Others" category with additional eligibility details referenced in the full text, signaling that OVW may allow additional applicant types under specific conditions described in the complete announcement.

OVW ties this program to its broader performance and accountability framework. Applicants and grantees are expected to align projects with OVW program goals and to track progress using OVW performance measures under the VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative. OVW also points prospective applicants to OVW program information pages and to examples of effective approaches documented in OVW reporting, including the 2018 Biennial Report to Congress on the effectiveness of VAWA grant programs. Taken together, the solicitation emphasizes both practical rural impact (expanded safety and services) and measurable outcomes (demonstrating improvements in response, access, coordination, and victim safety).

• The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.589.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 15, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 12, 2021. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 55 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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