OVC FY25 Invited to Apply Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program for Crime Victim Compensation and/or Assistance - Maine

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) supports victims of mass violence and terrorism through the Antiterrorism Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP). Funding for this program comes from the Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve (the Emergency Reserve). Along with non-grant training and technical assistance services, there are four types of grants that may be combined into one application: crisis response, consequence management, criminal justice support, and crime victim compensation.

AEAP grants are a mechanism by which the Director of OVC may award supplemental crime victim compensation and assistance to eligible entities responding to acts of mass criminal violence or domestic terrorism. The event must be sufficiently large that the jurisdiction cannot provide needed services to victims of the incident with existing resources, while also supporting victims of other crimes, in a timely and comprehensive manner. OVC generally accesses AEAP funds only in response to incidents that are sufficiently large in scope for the locale, and typically only where there was an unpredictable, indiscriminate, or broad targeting of victims, or otherwise unique aspect to the crime. In most cases, OVC expects States and communities to plan for and address victim needs stemming from relatively more predictable instances of gang-related violence, domestic violence, and broader community gun violence, from existing VOCA resources.

AEAP funds may be used to provide emergency relief to benefit victims such as crisis response efforts, help victims adapt to and cope with the consequences of the event over the longer-term, and facilitate victim participation in the judicial process. AEAP can also supplement state crime victim compensation administrative agencies that reimburse victims for out-of-pocket expenses related to their victimization. Funding under this program is retroactive to the date of the incident. Justification for all funding must demonstrate that AEAP funds will support victims of the incident and are supplemental to existing resources. OVC may provide a no-cost consultant(s) to help the prospective grantee with the AEAP application process.