BJA FY 2026 The Kevin and Avonte Program: Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities | O BJA 2026 172697

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2026 172697

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity for FY 2026 called the Kevin and Avonte Program: Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities (Opportunity Number O-BJA-2026-172697; CFDA 16.015). The focus of this program is straightforward: support public safety and community-response efforts that reduce injuries and prevent deaths when people with certain cognitive conditions wander away from safe settings. The NOFO emphasizes individuals living with forms of dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) and individuals with developmental disabilities (including autism) who may be at heightened risk of becoming lost due to wandering.

Funding is intended to help agencies strengthen real-world prevention and rescue capacity. A central allowable purpose described in the notice is the implementation of locative technologies used to track and quickly locate missing individuals. In practice, that typically means tools and program infrastructure that enable rapid identification and recovery when someone is reported missing, with the goal of shortening search timeframes and improving outcomes. In addition to technology implementation, the program also supports broader prevention and safety initiatives, including developing or operating programs that reduce wandering risk, increase safety for vulnerable individuals, and improve coordination so rescues happen faster and more reliably. The NOFO also makes clear that these efforts can involve partnerships, including work carried out jointly by agencies and nonprofit organizations.

A wide range of applicants are eligible, reflecting the cross-sector nature of missing-person response for vulnerable populations. Eligible applicants include state governments; county governments; city or township governments; and other units of local government (specifically noted as towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state). Also eligible are special district governments and independent school districts, along with public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible as well. On the nonprofit side, both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, other than institutions of higher education) may apply. The notice also lists “Others,” indicating additional eligible entity types may be allowed as defined in the full NOFO.

The opportunity explicitly includes health care agencies as key participants. For the purposes of this NOFO, that term covers state, local, or tribal government-operated health departments, hospitals, and medical centers, as well as nonprofit health clinics, behavioral health providers, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) that work with individuals who have dementia or developmental disabilities. This definition signals that BJA expects public safety and health systems to collaborate, since prevention planning, caregiver support, clinical touchpoints, and rapid response protocols often intersect when addressing wandering and elopement risk.

Key administrative details include an award ceiling of $150,000 per award. The NOFO was created on 2026-08-17, and the original application closing date is 2026-10-06. The funding instrument is a grant, the agency is the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services. While the summary information provided does not specify the expected number of awards, project period, required match, or other scoring/prioritization factors, those specifics are typically laid out in the full NOFO and would govern what activities are most competitive, how budgets should be structured, and what partnerships and implementation plans applicants should document.

Overall, this grant is aimed at practical, on-the-ground improvements that help communities prevent wandering incidents and respond faster when they occur, especially through the use of tracking/locative technology and coordinated programs that connect law enforcement, other public safety agencies, health care providers, and nonprofit partners.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 2026 The Kevin and Avonte Program: Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.015.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-08-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-10-06. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for O BJA 2026 172697

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