SMART FY 2024 Keep Young Athletes Safe | O SMART 2024 172099

SMART FY 2024 Keep Young Athletes Safe (KYAS) Grant - FAQs

1) What is the SMART FY 2024 Keep Young Athletes Safe (KYAS) grant?

The KYAS grant is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) SMART Office. It focuses on reducing and preventing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of amateur athletes within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and each National Governing Body (NGB).

2) What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The central purpose is to fund one organization to design and run a comprehensive, prevention-oriented safety program. The program is intended to strengthen how USOPC and NGB sports organizations educate, screen, monitor, and respond to abuse risks, with a clear emphasis on practical implementation rather than purely advisory guidance.

3) How many awards does SMART expect to make under KYAS?

SMART expects to make one award. The program is structured as a single, sizeable national effort rather than multiple smaller grants to different recipients.

4) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is $2,123,869.

5) What is the application deadline for this opportunity?

The application deadline shown is August 9, 2024.

6) What is the funding instrument type?

The funding instrument type is a Grant.

7) What is the CFDA number and program identification information?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 16.840. The funding opportunity number is O SMART 2024 172099, and the title is SMART FY 2024 Keep Young Athletes Safe.

8) When was the opportunity posted?

The posting was created on June 27, 2024.

9) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to nonprofits and certain nongovernmental entities with nationally recognized expertise in identifying and preventing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse within the USOPC and NGB athletic context. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits other than institutions of higher education, and other qualifying entities as specified in the listing.

10) What kind of expertise does an applicant need to be considered competitive (based on the solicitation description)?

Applicants must be able to demonstrate nationally recognized expertise in identifying and preventing abuse in the USOPC and NGB context. They must also have a recognized background in investigating allegations of abuse and reporting to law enforcement, and those investigative practices must directly inform the applicant's prevention approach and training content.

11) Is this grant meant to support a small pilot program in one region or one sport?

No. The solicitation describes a program intended to operate across the USOPC and NGB ecosystem with consistent standards and usable resources. The applicant needs the capacity to implement training and related activities nationally, statewide, and locally.

12) What types of abuse does the KYAS program focus on preventing?

The KYAS grant focuses on reducing and preventing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of amateur athletes in the USOPC and NGB setting.

13) What are the expected program deliverables or components?

The selected grantee is expected to create and deploy a full set of protective measures aimed at youth and other amateur athletes. This includes developing educational materials and tools, building training programs that can be delivered broadly, and helping establish or improve policies that prevent abuse and address concerns when they arise.

14) Is the grant focused more on writing guidance or on implementing a working program?

The solicitation emphasizes practical implementation rather than purely advisory guidance. The grant is designed to fund the design and operation of a comprehensive program that gets used in the real world across relevant organizations.

15) What is required regarding background screening?

A major required component is developing background screening policy for both new and existing personnel connected to USOPC organizations. The policy is expected to cover roles such as coaches, instructors, volunteers, and other staff.

16) Does the KYAS program require oversight beyond creating policies?

Yes. The program is not limited to drafting policies. The solicitation requires oversight to help ensure screening and broader safeguarding procedures are actually being followed.

17) Are audits required as part of the program?

Yes. The solicitation calls for the grantee to conduct regular and random audits after implementation to verify that prevention and identification procedures are being applied correctly and consistently.

18) What is the role of mandated reporting under this grant?

The opportunity emphasizes mandated reporting and appropriate escalation of allegations. The KYAS program requires reporting of any allegations of sexual and physical abuse in accordance with applicable state and federal reporting requirements.

19) Does the solicitation connect safeguarding work to law enforcement reporting?

Yes. The description states that applicants must have experience investigating allegations of abuse and reporting to law enforcement, and that reporting expectations tie the program to lawful and prompt handling of allegations, including involvement of law enforcement when required.

20) What activity area does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity is in the law, justice, and legal services activity area.

21) What sports organizations are the focus of this grant?

The grant focuses on abuse prevention and response within the USOPC and each National Governing Body (NGB), aiming for consistent standards and usable resources across that ecosystem.

22) What level(s) of implementation capacity is the applicant expected to have?

The applicant is expected to have the capacity to implement training and related activities nationally, statewide, and locally, supporting broad delivery rather than limited, single-location implementation.

23) What does "prevention-oriented safety program" mean in the context of this grant?

Based on the description provided, it refers to a comprehensive set of protective measures that includes education, screening, monitoring, policy development or improvement, training that can be broadly delivered, and mechanisms to respond to concerns and allegations in a lawful and prompt manner.

24) Does the KYAS opportunity prioritize accountability and compliance?

Yes. The inclusion of oversight expectations and the requirement for regular and random audits indicates the funder is prioritizing accountability and real-world compliance, not just training completion or policy adoption.