OJJDP FY 2026 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative | O OJJDP 2026 172748

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172748

The OJJDP FY 2026 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) designed to help communities respond to the intersection of substance use and youth safety. The program focuses on supporting children, youth, and families affected by opioids, stimulants, and other substance use disorders, with the broader goals of addressing violent crime risk and reducing overdose deaths. The intent is to fund practical prevention, early intervention, and treatment-focused strategies that reduce harm, stabilize families, and keep young people from entering (or re-entering) the child welfare and justice systems.

A central expectation in this NOFO is meaningful cross-system collaboration. Applicants are expected to build or strengthen coordinated responses that involve law enforcement, juvenile and criminal justice agencies, schools, mental health providers, child welfare agencies, community health organizations, and community-based service providers. The emphasis is on identifying and meeting the needs of children and families who are either at risk of becoming involved with child welfare or juvenile justice, or who are already involved, and then connecting them to timely supports that can reduce trauma, prevent escalation, and improve outcomes. In practice, strong proposals will typically show how multiple partners will share responsibilities, coordinate referrals and case responses, and align around common goals such as prevention of substance misuse, overdose prevention, safer homes and schools, and reduced justice involvement.

The opportunity is structured as a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) within the Law, Justice and Legal Services activity area and is listed under CFDA number 16.842. Eligible applicants are broad and include state governments; county governments; city or township governments; federally recognized Tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); and other eligible entities described as "Others," which may include additional units of local government depending on program rules. This breadth signals that OJJDP is aiming for geographic and organizational diversity, including jurisdictions and organizations that are close to day-to-day service delivery and system coordination.

Funding details indicate a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $750,000 per award, with an estimated 12 awards expected. The funding opportunity number is O-OJJDP-2026-172748, and the original application closing date is November 16, 2026. The NOFO was created on October 9, 2026, which suggests a relatively tight planning window for applicants that want to assemble partnerships, define a service strategy, and prepare a competitive submission before the deadline.

Overall, this initiative is aimed at communities that can demonstrate both the need and a realistic, coordinated plan to respond to substance use impacts on youth and families. Competitive applicants will generally be those that can clearly describe the local problem (including opioid and stimulant impacts), propose a set of prevention and intervention pathways that connect systems rather than operate in silos, and show how services will reach children and families most likely to touch child welfare or the juvenile justice system. The underlying theme is not only treatment access, but also prevention, safety, and stabilization through coordinated community and system partnerships.

• The Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OJJDP FY 2026 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.842.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-10-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-16. (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 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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, Others.

Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172748

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