BJS FY25 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA) | O BJS 2025 172532

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJS 2025 172532

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is offering a discretionary cooperative agreement for its FY25 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA), a national data collection effort designed to produce current, reliable statistics on law enforcement training academies across the United States. The purpose of the project is to update a long-running BJS census series that tracks who is being trained, what they are being taught, and what resources academies have to carry out their mission. CLETA focuses on core operational facts about academies, including recruit volume and characteristics, curriculum and training content, staffing and instructors, and institutional resources and capacity. BJS has already completed five prior waves of this census (2002, 2006, 2013, 2018, and 2022), and this award continues that series so policymakers, practitioners, and researchers have consistent, comparable national benchmarks over time.

The project is structured as a 36-month program with several major phases. First, the recipient will develop and refine the survey instruments (instrumentation), ensuring the questions and data elements are clear, current, and aligned with BJS statistical standards and the realities of modern academy training. Second, the recipient will build or update the survey frame (frame development), meaning the comprehensive national listing of eligible law enforcement training academies that should be contacted for the census. Third, the recipient will field the CLETA in 2027, carrying out the national data collection with academies and managing survey administration, follow-up, and response support. Finally, the recipient will complete data cleaning, analysis, and delivery of both raw and final datasets, producing usable statistical files and documentation that BJS can release and use for public reporting and trend analysis.

The opportunity is grounded in the role these academies play in preparing newly appointed or elected law enforcement officers for service, typically through mandatory basic training required under federal or state law depending on the hiring authority. The solicitation recognizes that academies vary widely in governance and setting: they may be operated by state, county, or municipal agencies, as well as by higher education institutions such as universities, colleges, and technical schools. By capturing standardized information across this diverse landscape, CLETA provides a national picture of academy training inputs and practices. Prior results illustrate the scale of the system; for example, the 2018 CLETA reported 681 academies providing instruction to about 59,500 recruits per year, underscoring why up-to-date statistics are valuable for understanding workforce pipelines, training emphases, and capacity.

Administratively, this is a BJS opportunity in the Information and Statistics activity category (CFDA 16.734) and will be funded through a cooperative agreement, which typically means substantial involvement by the federal sponsor during project execution (for example, coordination on methodology, deliverables, timelines, and review of instruments and outputs). BJS expects to make one award, with an award ceiling of $750,000. The funding opportunity number is O-BJS-2025-172532. The original closing date listed is 2026-02-12, and the opportunity was created on 2026-01-21.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, city or township, and special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and individuals. In practical terms, the applicant should be capable of executing a nationwide statistical data collection with strong survey operations, frame construction skills, data management and quality control capacity, and the ability to deliver well-documented datasets suitable for federal statistical use and dissemination.

• The Bureau of Justice Statistics in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJS FY25 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.734.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-01-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-02-12. (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 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district 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, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for O BJS 2025 172532

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: