September 2026 Funding Trends Report

September Trend at a Glance
September was defined by federal funding certainty and the first FEMA fire-grant award releases. Congress passed and the President signed a stopgap bill on September 3 that funds the government through December 11 and blocks OMB’s proposed grants rule until at least then, and FEMA began announcing FY2025 fire-grant awards region by region on September 23-25. On the application side, the BJA and OVW deadline wave started to close, with the Grants.gov window shut on several programs by September 25, and the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Local Formula solicitation now leads a crowded October. Watch for more FEMA award releases, and plan around the December 11 funding cliff.

September 2026 Executive Trend Summary

• Federal funding runs through December 11. The stopgap bill the President signed September 3 keeps government funded at FY2026 levels through December 11 or until FY2027 appropriations pass, so no October 1 shutdown. Trend implication: existing programs continue, but FY2027 program sizes for AFG, SAFER, COPS, and JAG remain unsettled until December or later.
• The OMB Uniform Guidance rewrite is delayed, not dead. The same bill postpones OMB’s proposed grants rule, which had been slated to take effect October 1, until after December 11, and bars a “substantially similar” rule before then. The rule is still proposed and not final. Expect the fight to resume in December.
• FEMA fire-grant awards began flowing. FEMA issued regional “FEMA Delivers” releases on September 23-25 covering fire departments and other first responder organizations, including more than $72 million across the Southeast and more than $47 million in the Mid-Atlantic. FEMA’s September 10 Federal Register notice put FY2025 AFG at $291.6 million (about 1,800 awards) and FP&S at $32.4 million (about 100 awards).
• FY2025 fire-grant competition was steep. FEMA received 8,426 AFG applications and 758 FP&S applications between May 19 and June 22, 2026. Agencies not funded should start improving their narratives and documentation now.
• October is the busiest month for DOJ deadlines. The FY2026 JAG Local Formula solicitation (Grants.gov October 9, JustGrants October 16), Byrne State Crisis Intervention, CTAS, ANGEL, and a group of October 29-30 treatment-court and rural violent-crime programs all fall in the next five weeks.
• Several September opportunities are already closed at Grants.gov. Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation and the Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative closed on Grants.gov September 25; JustGrants dates of October 2 apply only to agencies that already completed the first step.
  

  

FEMA Fire Grant Awards Begin: What Agencies Should Do Now

After months without confirmed announcements, FEMA began releasing FY2025 fire-grant award news the week of September 21 and will be released completely before October 1^st.
If your agency applied, check FEMA GO and the email of your authorized representative and follow FEMA’s instructions rather than relying on press coverage.

• Award lists and program details: FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants.

• Applicants who were not selected should request debrief or scoring information where offered and start updating equipment inventories, call-volume data, and quotes for the next cycle.

• Awardees should review the award letter terms, reporting, and period-of-performance requirements before spending.

JAG Local Formula Opens with Looser Equipment Rules
The FY2026 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Local Formula solicitation is open, with the Grants.gov SF-424 due October 9 and the full JustGrants application due October 16. According to Police1’s September 1 coverage, BJA’s revised equipment guidance is less restrictive than in prior years: vehicles used in routine patrol may qualify as police cruisers, and unmanned aircraft systems are no longer categorically prohibited but require prior approval. Confirm your jurisdiction’s allocation and the exact allowable-cost language in the solicitation before you budget.

Who Can Apply
Counties, cities, townships, and tribal governments that perform law-enforcement functions, based on predetermined allocations calculated from population and violent-crime data. No matching funds are required.

Read the full solicitation at BJA JAG Local Formula.

Missed the Grants.gov Window? Prepare for the Next Round
Two closely watched programs, the Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program and the Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative, closed on Grants.gov September 25. Five more BJA programs, including the Second Chance Act reentry programs and the Crime Gun Intelligence Center initiative, closed September 24 (JustGrants October 1). Because a valid Grants.gov submission is the first step, agencies that did not file cannot use the later JustGrants date.

Prepare Now
DOJ has posted a large set of FY2026 solicitations with deadlines running into November, and other rounds may follow in future fiscal years. Keep SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and JustGrants registrations current, and keep policies, MOUs, budget narratives, and data ready so a short window does not cost you the application.

Priority Applications Due in September and October 2026
Deadlines shown as Grants.gov / JustGrants where two dates apply. Confirm each date on the official notice before submitting.

The full list of open DOJ opportunities is on the OJP funding page; additional treatment-court, DNA, and youth-justice programs close between October 29 and November 13.

September-October Grant Strategy

• Prioritize by deadline and readiness, not award size. In October, that means JAG first (October 9 / 16), then the October 15-30 group.
• Confirm SAM.gov, Grants.gov, JustGrants, FEMA GO, and state portal access is active before the final week. An expired SAM.gov registration or an outdated Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) can stall a submission, and DOJ requires the Grants.gov step to be completed first.
• Keep decision-makers available for certifications, resolutions, MOUs, and approvals.
• For submitted FEMA fire applications, monitor FEMA GO and your email rather than making unsolicited changes; watch for award, debrief, and post-award instructions.
• Plan for December 11. Funding is set only through that date, and the OMB grants rule delay ends then. Build timelines that do not depend on FY2027 numbers, and be ready for revised requirements.
• For Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) and Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), check each State Administrative Agency’s calendar; state deadlines rarely mirror federal dates.
• Prepare for the next cycles by refreshing equipment inventories, staffing data, call volume, incident trends, quotes, and capital plans.
• Build a grants team, not a grants person: finance, the mayor or city/county manager’s office, the SAM.gov account holder, department heads, IT, and public works, meeting monthly. Cross-department buy-in leads to more funding.

Useful Grant Education

• Gov1: How to Complete SAM.gov Registration for Federal Grants
• FireRescue1: N.Y. volunteer fire department awarded $1M for equipment, facility upgrades
• Police1: FY 2026 JAG Local Formula Grant opens with updated equipment guidance
• NLC: Local Governments Can’t Shut Down — They Need Partnership From Washington

DOJ Funding Links

• Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Funding Opportunities
• COPS Office Grants
• Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Current Funding Opportunities

Foundation Grants Currently Open

• FM Global Fire Prevention Grant Program - national (quarterly; next deadlines Sept. 30 and Dec. 31)
• Peoples Bank Foundation - OH, WV, KY, VA, MD & DC (quarterly cycle)
• LG&E and KU Foundation - KY (October application cycle)
• Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation - CT (New Haven County phase: October 1-31)
• Vector Wealth Strategies Community Impact Fund - Greater Huntsville, AL (disaster relief and human services cycle through Oct. 15)
• Ion Bank Foundation - CT, NY & NJ
• Nashwauk Area Community Fund - MN