What Schools Should Know About the COPS SVPP Grant

As the school year wraps up and summer planning begins, many administrators are turning their attention to the investments they want to make before students return in the fall. If safety technology is on your list, federal funding may be closer than you think. The COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) is one of the most substantial grant opportunities available for K-12 school safety, and summer is exactly the right time to start getting ready for it.

What Is the SVPP?

The SVPP is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's COPS Office, operating under the authority of the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018. It provides awards to improve security at schools and on school grounds through evidence-based school safety programs and technology.

The Numbers

For FY25, up to $73,000,000 was available, with up to $500,000 per award and approximately 200 awards anticipated. Awards cover a three-year project period.

Each award recipient may receive a maximum federal share of $500,000, with a required cash match of at least 25 percent toward the total project cost.

There is also a microgrant tier worth knowing about: approximately $1 million is reserved for rural, tribal, and low-resourced schools. Microgrant applications must not exceed $100,000, and the 25 percent cash match requirement is waived for selected microgrant applicants. 

What Can the Funding Cover?

The eligible uses cover a wide range of safety improvements, from physical upgrades like locks and lighting, to law enforcement training, to technology that speeds up emergency notification. 

There is also a catch-all category for any measure the COPS Office determines provides a significant security improvement, which gives schools meaningful flexibility in how they approach their application.

A Note for Independent Schools

Independent schools will want to pay close attention to how eligibility is structured. The SVPP provides funding directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies, including school districts, public boards of education, police departments, and sheriffs' departments.

That said, independent schools are not without options. There are two practical paths worth exploring.

The first is through your local school district. Districts in your area can sponsor or reference independent schools in their application, and for many independent schools, this tends to be the more straightforward route. If you have an existing relationship with your local district, that's a natural place to start the conversation this summer.

The second path is through a local law enforcement agency or municipal government. A partnership with one of those eligible entities allows them to apply and designate your school as a subrecipient, with funding flowing through to support your campus directly.

Both approaches take some coordination, but both are doable. Summer is an ideal time to have these conversations before the pressure of a new school year sets in.

The FY25 Cycle Has Closed

The FY25 SVPP closed on June 26, 2025. Based on historical patterns, the FY26 application period is expected to open in spring and close in early summer. 

That timeline makes this summer a valuable planning window. Schools that arrive at the FY26 application period with a partner identified, their safety technology needs documented, and their community consultation process underway are in a much stronger position than those who start from scratch when the window opens.

Who Needs to Be Part of the Conversation

One requirement that stands out is the program's emphasis on community input. Each application must be accompanied by an assurance that it was prepared after consultation with mental health professionals, social workers, students, parents, teachers, principals, and other school personnel, to ensure improvements are consistent with a comprehensive approach to preventing school violence and are individualized to the needs of each school.

For independent schools, this kind of stakeholder-driven process will feel familiar. It reflects the same community-centered approach most independent schools already bring to major decisions.

Want to explore more funding options?

The SVPP is one of several grant programs available to schools investing in safety technology. Read our complete guide to school safety grants for a full look at what funding opportunities are available for your school.

Explore the School Safety Grant Guide →