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Funding & ProcurementBVP, JAG, COPS, FEMA

Grants

The Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP), run by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, reimburses states, local governments and federally recognized tribes for up to 50 percent of the cost of eligible body armor vests. Byrne JAG formula funds can also buy body armor, under similar conditions, but cannot pay the BVP match. Other programs fund armor only in specific cases, and each has its own rules.

Sources read Sep 30, 2026 · 14 sources

If you buy armor

BVP is a reimbursement: you buy first, then request payment. Build the paperwork into the order.

  1. Register in SAM.gov and the BVP systemAn active SAM.gov registration is required to receive BVP funds, and the information in SAM must match the BVP system. BVP registration is open all year.
  2. Put a written mandatory wear policy in placeIt must be in effect when you apply, dated, signed by the chief executive or an authorized representative, and it must specify when uniformed officers on duty must wear armor. A policy that only keeps vests "readily available" does not qualify.
  3. Apply in the open periodBJA's fact sheet says the annual application period typically begins in April and closes six weeks later. Funding decisions follow three to four months after it closes.
  4. Buy eligible vestsVests must have been tested through the NIJ Compliance Testing Program and found to comply with the most current NIJ body armor standards, appear on the NIJ CPL as of the date ordered, be uniquely fitted, and be made in the United States. You may buy from any distributor.
  5. Request paymentAfter delivery, enter the receiving report and request payment. Recipients have approximately two years from award release to request reimbursement.
Watch out for
  • JAG funds may buy vests but may not be used as the 50 percent BVP match.
  • Receiving JAG funds may affect a local government's BVP eligibility in the same fiscal year, unless it has fewer than 100,000 residents.
  • By statute, BVP funds go first to qualifying local governments with fewer than 100,000 residents.
  • BVP cannot pay for replacement trauma plates for existing vests, and it pays for only one vest per officer per replacement cycle if a tactical vest is bought.
  • FEMA lists personal body armor (AEL 01LE-01-ARMR) for specialized teams such as SWAT, to supplement normal stores for CBRNE terrorism response surge capacity, not for routine use.
  • A financial or natural disaster hardship waiver can raise BVP reimbursement up to 100 percent, but then only for vests with a unit cost of $1,200 or less, excluding taxes, shipping and handling.

If you sell armor

Agencies pay you in full and then claim reimbursement, so your quote and invoice become their grant file.

  1. Quote the exact CPL modelGive the model name exactly as it appears on the NIJ CPL, the standard it is listed under, and its status on the date you quote. The CPL is per model.
  2. State where it is madeBVP and JAG require body armor made in the United States. Say so on the quote, per model.
  3. Separate the linesThe BVP receiving report records unit price and, separately, tax, shipping and handling. BVP counts integral carriers, attachments, inserts and covers in the vest cost.
  4. Show the price before special discountsThe BVP glossary says the unit price should reflect the vest's price before any special discount not available to the general public.
  5. Record order and delivery datesAgencies report the date ordered and the date received, and the CPL listing is checked as of the order date.
Watch out for
  • The NIJ Mark may only appear on labels of armor that is listed on the CPL, and only manufacturers participating in the NIJ Compliance Testing Program may use it.
  • NIJ stopped accepting new 0101.06 models for testing in January 2024 and anticipates maintaining the 0101.06 CPL through at least the end of 2029. Report the standard and status as read, with the date.
  • Manufacturers and vendors cannot see or use the BVP system's agency directory.

On this path

Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP)
BJA reimbursement of up to 50 percent of the cost of eligible body armor vests for law enforcement officers. Assistance Listing 16.607.
Buyers and sellers
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG)
BJA formula grant to states and eligible local governments; can fund ballistic and stab body armor under conditions.
Buyers
COPS Office, CTAS Purpose Area 1 (tribal)
The COPS allowable cost list includes ballistic vests, carriers and rifle plates that meet NIJ standards and appear on the CPL.
Buyers
COPS Technology and Equipment Program (TEP)
Invitational funding for law enforcement equipment and technology, limited to recipients designated by Congress.
Buyers
FEMA Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP, UASI)
Preparedness grants applied for by each State Administrative Agency and passed through to local and tribal governments; body armor is on the Authorized Equipment List with limits.
Buyers

Look it up on ArmorList

BVP awardsWhere BVP money went, by fiscal year and state.Funding programsWhich programs pay for armor, and on what conditions.Find CPL-listed modelsBVP pays only for models on the CPL on the order date.

Questions

Can we use JAG to pay our half of a BVP purchase?

No. BJA says JAG funds may buy vests but may not be used as the 50 percent BVP match.

Can FEMA homeland security grants replace patrol vests?

FEMA's Authorized Equipment List limits personal body armor to specialized teams such as SWAT and to surge capacity for CBRNE terrorism response, not routine use.

Does the COPS Hiring Program pay for armor?

No. CHP pays entry-level salaries and fringe benefits; equipment is unallowable.

Must the mandatory wear policy exist before we apply?

Yes, for BVP it must be in effect at the time of application and stay in effect for the life of the vests. JAG body armor purchases also require a written mandatory wear policy.

Do BVP vests have to be 0101.07?

BJA's wording is that vests must comply with the most current NIJ body armor standards and appear on the CPL as of the order date. Check the model and its status on the CPL on the day you order.

Sources

This is a reference compiled from official sources, not legal, procurement or grant advice. Your procurement code, the contract and the program’s own guidance are the record.