ClosedOpportunity O-BJA-2026-172698

BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes

Bureau of Justice Assistance · Department of Justice

At a glance

BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes is a closed federal grant opportunity from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (Department of Justice). The application deadline was September 24, 2026. Individual awards are listed as up to $1M. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts and 9 more. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 16.812 (Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Posted: Aug 17, 2026
Close date: Sep 24, 2026
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: $1,000,000
Est. total funding: Not specified
Expected awards: Not specified
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Native American tribal organizations
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
Private colleges & universities
For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
Small businesses
Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Other Units of Local Government: For the purposes of this notice of funding opportunity, other units of local government include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state.; Faith-based Organizations: Religious organizations, faith-based nonprofits, and organizations with religious charters, names, or missions.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act (SCA) Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes. This opportunity supports state, local, and tribal governments and community-based organizations to provide education and employment programs for adults and youth leaving prison and jail. The goal of the program is to improve academic and vocational/trade programs available to adults and youth in prisons and jails and expand workforce development and career pathways that result in improved job readiness, employment attainment, and retention, thereby improving employment prospects and reducing recidivism. Applicants may consider proposing projects that develop marketable skills, leverage technology, and build capacity to align with their local job market and engage in the digital economy.

Additional information from the agency ↗

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

16.812Second Chance Act Reentry InitiativeProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 16.812

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$51.3M

FY25

$35.4M

FY26

— est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 16.812. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Bureau of Justice Assistance
OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
202-514-9354

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes”?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities, For-profit organizations (not small businesses) and 2 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as up to $1m.

How do I apply for “BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity O-BJA-2026-172698), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

OpenALN 16.812