OVC FY25 Services for Victims of Technology-Facilitated Abuse Pre-Application Video

IVETTE ESTRADA: Welcome to OVC’s Fiscal Year 2025 Services for Victims of Technology-Facilitated Abuse Notice of Funding Opportunity Pre-Application Information Session. 

Hello, my name is Ivette Estrada, and I am a Senior Grants Management Specialist for OVC. We are pleased you are joining us today to receive an overview of OVC's Fiscal Year 2025 Services for Victims of Technology-Facilitated Abuse Notice of Funding Opportunity. 

Today we will talk about OVC’s mission, an overview of the Notice of Funding Opportunity, including eligibility, the program focus, and required documents. We will also talk about application content requirements, the application submission process, and resources available to help you as you prepare your applications. It will be helpful if you are following along with the NOFO and taking notes to help you when you are submitting your application by the deadline.

The Office for Victims of Crime, which is part of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administers the Crime Victims Fund, which is financed by fines and penalties from convictions in federal cases and not from tax dollars. This funding supports formula programs to states, territories, and tribes, as well as many OVC discretionary grant programs for victims of crime. 

I will now cover an overview of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. 

But before we dig into the NOFO, please mark your calendars with these dates. The Grants.gov deadline for this NOFO is August 15, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. This is where you need to submit the SF-424. 

The JustGrants deadline where the full application itself is submitted is August 20, 2025, 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time. 

You should submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov as early as possible. We recommend submitting no later than 48 hours before the deadline. If you fail to submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov by the deadline, you will be unable to submit the full application in JustGrants.

The purpose of this program is to support the provision of direct services for victims of technology-facilitated abuse. This is defined as the use of technology and the internet to bully, harass, stalk, intimidate, or control a victim. There will be up to three awards that we are anticipating. The award ceiling is $1 million per award. The award start date will be October 1, 2025, and the award period of performance will be up to 36 months. 

Eligible applicants for this program are Government Entities, this includes state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, Native American Tribal governments federally recognized, Native American Tribal governments other than federally recognized. Educational organizations, this includes independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher ed, private institutions of higher education. Public housing organizations, and this includes public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities. It also includes nonprofit organizations and other units of local government, which includes towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state. You can reference page 7 of the NOFO for more information about eligibility.

In May 2025, President Trump signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act into law setting federal penalties for the non-consensual distribution of intimate imagery online. The acts defined in TAKE IT DOWN and other acts or patterns of behavior that intend to harm, threaten, control, stalk, harass, impersonate, exploit, extort, or monitor another person using any form of technology are collectively known as Technology-Facilitated Abuse. 

This Notice of Funding Opportunity will support direct services to address Technology-Facilitated Abuse. This includes but is not limited to crimes commonly referred to as image-based sexual abuse, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, sextortion, synthetic intimate images or deepfakes, online stalking, harassment, and abuse.

The goal of this program is to strengthen efforts to identify and serve victims of Technology-Facilitated Abuse. There are three objectives. The first objective is to develop a clear response protocol to improve victim assistance that defines the roles of service providers and community partners and when they should be involved. Objective 2 is to deliver comprehensive victim services such as privacy protection and management, image/video removal, safety planning, mental health support, housing assistance, and other services. Objective 3 is to advise victims on their rights and to ensure that they are empowered throughout the response process. 

Expected Outcomes. OJP requires performance measurement to track progress toward project goals and objectives. Performance measures include both a narrative and numerical data. Recipients must report regularly on these measures to demonstrate outcomes and impact.

Funding Priorities. OJP will provide priority consideration to applicants that propose projects designed to advance the goals listed here. Applicants seeking priority consideration should specify in their Proposal Narrative and in the Budget Detail Form, if applicable, which of the following goals the project is intended to advance and how it will do so. Note that addressing these priority areas is one of many factors that OJP considers in making funding decisions. Receiving priority consideration for one or more priority areas does not guarantee a funding award.

Performance Measures. Award recipients are required to submit performance measure data in the online Performance Measurement Tool, the PMT, and separately submit a semi-annual performance report in the JustGrants system. Applicants selected for an award will receive further guidance from OVC on post-award reporting processes. 

To locate the OVC performance measures, go to page 9 in this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Click on Performance Measures, then click on Transforming Victim Services Grantee Performance Measures from the menu on the right. 

Scroll down the page until you find the Standard TVS Performance Measures and click on the plus sign next to it. Use the Performance Measures Map to review previous funding opportunities and the Performance Measures Questionnaire to review possible performance measures for your award.

The Funding Instrument. If your proposal is awarded, it will be made as a cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements differ from grants by including substantial federal involvement from OVC in the project. This means that while the award recipient manages daily activities, the awarding agency plays a key role in reviewing and approving major aspects like project work plans and major project-generated materials. The awarding agency closely participates in the performance of the program and retains the authority to redirect the project to ensure alignment with program priorities.

Unallowable Use of Funds. The activities listed on this slide are out of the program scope and will not be funded. I will not review or read through all of this in its entirety, so please be sure to review these out-of-scope activities carefully, on pages 8 to 9 of the NOFO as you prepare your application. Additionally, primary prevention, prosecution, and investigation activities are also unallowable under this program and may not be supported with award funds. As you prepare your application, be sure to refer to the Budget Detail Form on pages 15 to 16 of the NOFO for further information on allowable and unallowable costs that may inform the development of your project design. 

Match is not required for this opportunity. Note that applicants will not receive higher consideration by proposing a voluntary match contribution in their budget.

I'll now cover Application Content requirements. Your application must include a Proposal Narrative that follows all formatting and content requirements as detailed in the NOFO. The narrative should be double-spaced, use a standard 12-point font, have no less than 1-inch margins, not exceed 10 numbered pages, and this is a change from our previous years. This is not a typo. Not exceed 10 numbered pages and be submitted as an attachment in JustGrants. If the proposal fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, OVC may consider such non-compliance in peer review and in final award decisions. Note that tables, charts. and graphs can be included in the proposal narrative and can be created in a legible font smaller than 12-point, but these will count toward the page limit.

Your Proposal Narrative must include the four sections listed here. We've also included the merit review criteria next to each of the sections. The first section is Description of the Need; this has a weight of 20 percent. The next section is Project Goals and Objectives; that is 20 percent. Then there's Project Design and Implementation; that's 25 percent. Capabilities and Competencies; that's 20 percent. And an additional 15 percent will be assessed through your budget and associated documentation. Your application will be evaluated for technical merit based on how your proposed project addresses these criteria. 

In the first section of your Proposal Narrative, the Description of the Need, you will identify the issue or problem you wish to address with this project. Using supporting information and data, you will need to demonstrate the need’s impact on the target population and how it relates to the purpose of the NOFO.

In the second section of your Proposal Narrative, you will identify your Project's Goals and Objectives and how these will address the purpose of the NOFO. 

The third section of your Proposal Narrative should be the Project Design and Implementation section. Here you will outline key activities that will be carried out to achieve your project's goals and objectives identified in the previous section. You will explain how each activity will be implemented; specify the timeline for when activities will take place; identify key staff responsible for each activity; describe who will benefit from the project, for example, victims and how they will be engaged; list expected deliverables of the project; and include plans for subrecipients or consultants, if applicable.

The final section of your Proposal Narrative should detail your Capabilities and Competencies that you bring to successfully complete your proposed project.

As an applicant, you will use a JustGrants web-based form to submit your budget. You’ll provide clear, detailed calculations for each cost item, ensure personnel costs align with key project staff, break down the budget by year to cover the full 36-month project period, confirm the budget is accurate and aligns with the Proposal Narrative and project design, and ensure that the requested funding amount does not exceed the award ceiling of $1 million. You want to be sure that the budget is reasonable to conduct the proposed project and be within the applicant's capacity to manage. You can refer to the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide section on Budget Preparation and Submission Information for more information about how to complete a budget. 

As previously mentioned, your application must include the SF-424, the proposal narrative, and budget detail form. In addition to these required elements, your application should also include resumes of key personnel; Tribal Authorizing Resolutions, if applicable; and a timeline. So please review the NOFO checklist carefully prior to submitting your application.

To meet the Basic Minimum Requirements to advance to peer review and receive consideration for funding, your application must be from an eligible applicant, not exceed the award ceiling of $1 million, be responsive to the NOFO scope, and include the SF-424 in Grants.gov, the Proposal Narrative in JustGrants, the budget, including the budget detail and budget narrative in JustGrants. If you fail to submit any required document, your application will not move forward to peer review and not be considered for funding. 

We will now share a brief overview of the funding application submission process. 

Before you apply, your entity must register with SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier. You must maintain an active SAM.gov registration status at all times. For entities new to SAM.gov, the registration process can take time, so start early to be sure your status reaches “active” before you need to submit a funding application. Renew your registration in SAM.gov every 12 months. 

Even if you applied for a federal grant before, you need to check that your registration is current and renew it if it's not. Applicants who do not have an active SAM.gov status will not be able to complete step one of the application process in Grants.gov. Also, be sure that your organization's point of contact in SAM.gov, especially the Electronic Business Point of Contact, are current as they may receive notices about time sensitive actions they need to take during the application process.

Applications are submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step process. You’ll be required to register and add users in two different systems. For Step 1, you will submit the application for federal assistance or SF-424 in Grants.gov. For Step 2, you’ll complete the full application in JustGrants, which is DOJ’s grant management system. Note that we recommend completing each step at least 48 hours before the deadline and not waiting until the deadline to submit materials. That's to ensure that you have time to address unexpected errors and make corrections, if needed. And as a reminder, the Grants.gov deadline is earlier than the JustGrants deadline.

A few important points about Grants.gov Step 1. Be sure everyone you plan to have work on your funding application can access and take actions in Grants.gov. Do this in advance of the application to be sure you're ready to submit when the time comes. Grants.gov will only allow entities with an active SAM.gov registration status to submit an application for federal assistance. Be sure to check your registration is not expiring soon. 

One common question about the SF-424 is, “Do I need a firm budget amount to submit this form?” The answer is no. You can provide an estimate on this form and then update your funding requests in JustGrants. Once submitted, the SF-424 helps to pre-populate standard information in your JustGrants application. 

One other note about the SF-424, the individuals listed in Section 8F of this form is automatically identified as the application submitter in JustGrants. Be sure this individual is checking their email and is prepared to complete the application in JustGrants during Step 2. 

If this is your entity's first DOJ application, your SAM.gov Electronic Business Point Of Contact will also need to monitor their email and prepare to take actions to onboard your entity into JustGrants as you move to Step 2. You can find more information about the SF-424 in the links provided in the NOFO. 

DOJ made one change to the Grants.gov step this year. We're no longer requiring every applicant to submit an SF-LLL in Grants.gov. Instead, applicants will be asked about their lobbying activities in the JustGrants application. 

Your JustGrants application will align with the requirements described in the NOFO. Generally, applications contain most of these sections.

After the JustGrants deadline has passed, OJP will thoroughly review all applications. First, we check to confirm that the application contains the Basic Minimum Requirements that were discussed earlier in the presentation. For applications that miss these requirements, you will receive notice that your application has been eliminated from further review. 

For competitive opportunities, peer reviewers who are subject matter experts assess the technical merits of an application. OJP staff then assess applications based on factors such as geographic diversity, past performance, if applicable, and whether applications are likely to meet the funding opportunities, goals, and objectives. 

We then evaluate the fiscal integrity of the applicant, examine proposed costs, and determine whether the budget and budget narrative accurately explain the project's costs and whether those costs are allowable and reasonable. Finally, OJP reviews potential risks presented by applicants prior to making an award. 

This pre-award risk assessment takes into account a variety of factors, including an applicant's financial capability and past performance. During the review process, OJP may contact you to clarify program or budget details.

Award Notices are usually made before the end of OJP's fiscal year, which is September 30th. Specific JustGrants users for your organization will be notified by email of an award, and they will also see the award in their JustGrants account. If you receive notice of an award, you must take specific steps in JustGrants to accept or decline it. The DOJ Award Acceptance Checklist on the JustGrants Resources website can walk you through those steps. If you are not selected for funding, OJP will notify you by email by December 31st and provide you with a summary of peer review comments. You can visit OJP's Grants Awards website to see all OJP awards made by year, program, and even locality.

Here's a reminder about due dates for this NOFO. The Grants.gov deadline is August 15, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Eastern, where you need to submit the SF-424. The JustGrants deadline, where the full application itself is submitted is August 20, 2025, 8:59 p.m. Eastern. Again, do not wait until the last minute to register with SAM.gov. Be sure to get started early. Successful applicants may not begin work until their budget has been reviewed and officially approved and cleared by OJP. 

We have many resources available to help guide you through the application process, which I will talk about. 

Grants.gov has a comprehensive Quick Start Guide to help you register for and apply to OVC Awards. The guide includes sections on registering roles, workspaces, completing forms, and submitting your application.

The JustGrants website has a collection of resources available for you to use. Training materials include self-guided e-learning videos supplemented by job aid reference guides, checklists, and infographics. These resources will help you learn to navigate the system to complete various essential grants management tasks during the application process. 

The DOJ Grant Application Submission Checklist includes step-by-step instructions on preparing your OVC application. 

The OJP Grant Application Resource Guide provides guidance to assist OJP grant applicants in preparing and submitting applications for OJP funding. It addresses a variety of policies, statutes, and regulations that apply to many, or in some cases all, OJP program applicants, or to grants and cooperative agreements awarded in FY 2025. Some OJP programs may have program NOFOs that expressly modify a provision of this guide. In such cases, the applicant is to follow the guidelines in the NOFO as to any such expressly modified provision.

The DOJ Grants Financial Guide is the primary reference manual to assist OJP award recipients in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibility to safeguard grant funds and ensure funds are used for the purposes for which they were awarded. Applicants will want to become familiar with the guide. 

Visit the OVC website to learn about OVC's history and funding, find multimedia products and register for upcoming events.

Today we've given you a brief overview of how to apply for the OVC 2025 Services for Victims of Technology-Facilitated Abuse Notice of Funding Opportunity. For further detailed training on application submission you can attend a live weekly training session, download detailed training slides, or watch a prerecorded version of the training.

Here's some important contact information. Again, start your application early in both Grants.gov and JustGrants to confirm system access. OJP only allows late submissions for documented technical issues and not user error or delays. Leave plenty of time to troubleshoot any problems before the deadline. 

The JustGrants help desk information is listed here. Their phone number is 833-872-5175 or you can reach them by email at [email protected]. You will want to always request a tracking number when reporting a technical issue. This is important for documentation. 

For programmatic questions, contact the OJP Response Center at 800-851-3420 or email them at [email protected]. 

For current OJP grantees, please understand that grant managers and OVC staff cannot answer questions about an open NOFO. For purposes of fairness and transparency, contact the OJP Response Center. 

If you miss the deadline due to a technical issue, notify the OJP Response Center within 24 hours and provide documentation. 

If you need assistance when registering or working in SAM.gov or Grants.gov, please contact their help desks directly. 

Thank you for your time and attention.