Disclaimer: Grant programs change every fiscal year. Deadlines, dollar amounts, and rules in this guide are directional — always confirm the current Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on the official agency site before you apply. Orbit Security Group writes security designs and part lists; we do not prepare grant applications or guarantee eligibility.
How grants fit a security design project
Most funders want more than a vendor quote. They want a scope tied to risk, a hardware schedule, install plan, and often local match (cash you contribute). A design package with door-by-door hardware, camera coverage, and orderable part numbers is the piece most owners do not have when the window opens.
Start gathering site photos, floor plans, and a plain description of what failed last time before the NOFO drops. When the window is open, you are submitting — not starting from scratch.
Federal programs — K-12 schools (cameras, locks, door hardware)
COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)
Agency: U.S. Department of Justice, COPS Office
Official page: cops.usdoj.gov/svpp
What it typically funds: Physical security on K-12 school grounds — locks, lighting, metal detectors, technology for emergency notification to law enforcement, coordination with local police, and other measures the COPS Office agrees improve security. Door access, cameras, and intercoms often fit when tied to emergency notification and site safety plans.
Typical award size (FY26 cycle — verify): Up to $500,000 federal share per award, 36-month project period, with roughly $73 million available nationally. Micro-grants up to $100,000 exist for smaller/rural districts. 25% local cash match is usually required (waivers possible for micro-grants and financial hardship).
Who can apply as primary applicant:
- States, local governments, Indian tribes
- Public school districts, school boards, law enforcement agencies
Who usually cannot apply alone:
- A single private-school building that is not its own district
- Independent/private schools (including many private charter schools) as primary applicant
Path for private schools: Work through your public district, diocese or network, county/city government, or local law enforcement as the applicant, with your school as the beneficiary site in the project narrative.
FY26 timing (verify on COPS site): Application window has historically opened in spring and closed in early summer. The FY26 NOFO referenced a deadline of August 11, 2026 — confirm whether that cycle is still open or closed before you rely on it.
BJA STOP School Violence Program (different pot — mostly NOT hardware)
Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance
Official page: bja.ojp.gov — STOP School Violence
Important: BJA STOP funds threat assessment teams, anonymous reporting systems, and training — not target-hardening hardware. BJA states funds cannot buy cameras, locks, fencing, or similar equipment, and cannot hire armed security officers.
If you need cameras and door access → SVPP (COPS), not BJA STOP.
Federal programs — nonprofits, faith-based orgs, daycares with 501(c)(3) status
FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)
Agency: FEMA / U.S. Department of Homeland Security (via state admin)
Official page: fema.gov — NSGP
What it funds: Target hardening — cameras, access control, fencing, lighting, blast-resistant doors, and related physical security at nonprofit-owned or leased facilities considered at elevated risk of terrorist attack.
Typical award size: Varies by urban vs. state allocation; awards often in the tens to low hundreds of thousands per site depending on year and risk tier. Reimbursement-based — you usually pay, install, then claim eligible costs per grant rules.
Who may qualify:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofits at high risk (as defined by the program)
- Many private schools, daycares, and houses of worship pursue NSGP if they hold eligible nonprofit status and meet state/federal risk criteria
How you apply: Through your State Administrative Agency — not directly to FEMA in most cases.
| State | Administering agency (verify current) |
|---|---|
| Delaware | Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) |
| New Jersey | NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) |
Delaware: Search demac.delaware.gov and DEMA preparedness grants for current NSGP-S / NSGP-UA instructions.
Pennsylvania (federal NSGP via PEMA): pa.gov/services/pema/nonprofit-security-grant — PEMA is the State Administrative Agency. Subapplications are site-specific (unique risk/vulnerability assessment per location). Typical caps have been up to $200,000 per site per funding stream (NSGP-S or NSGP-UA), with a $600,000 cap per organization per stream across multiple sites — verify the current NOFO. Philadelphia-area nonprofits may fall under NSGP-UA; most other PA counties use NSGP-S. Sign up for PEMA updates when the window opens; cycles close quickly.
New Jersey — state layer on top of federal NSGP:
- NJ NSGP – Target Hardening Equipment (NJ NSGP-THE): Up to $100,000 for approved security equipment on nonprofit-owned/controlled property. FY2027 state window was announced July–September 2026 — verify njohsp.gov/grants.
- NJ NSGP – Security Personnel (NJ NSGP-SP): Up to $20,000 for additional law enforcement or registered security officers — not a substitute for door hardware design.
- You may apply for federal and state programs in the same cycle, but NJ typically allows only one state grant award per organization per fiscal year.
Delaware — daycares and early childhood programs
Licensed childcare in Delaware rarely qualifies as a primary SVPP applicant, but several state quality and facility programs can include safety improvements when they are written into an approved plan.
Quality Improvement Awards (QIA) — Delaware Stars / DIEEC
Who runs it: Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) / Office of Early Learning
Guide: dieec.udel.edu — FY26 QIA policy guide
What it may fund: Activities in your Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) co-written with a Quality Improvement Specialist — facility and safety upgrades when tied to quality goals, not a standalone “buy cameras” line item.
Typical eligibility (FY26 — verify):
- Licensed by Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL)
- Open with enrolled children; active QIP in the ECE Portal
- ASQ account, formative assessment tool used with fidelity
- Application through the ECE Portal during open windows
Security angle: Entry control, cameras at pickup doors, and visitor management are easier to fund when framed as supervision, safety, and authorized pickup in the QIP — not as a generic IT project.
Delaware Stars for Early Success
Tiered reimbursement and incentives tied to program quality. Higher star levels can unlock funding streams that indirectly support facility investment. Security hardware still needs to sit inside an approved quality or capital plan.
Other Delaware sources to watch
- Delaware Community Foundation and regional funds (e.g. Next Gen North) — occasional early childhood capital grants; competitive, project-specific.
- Community Project Funding / congressional allocations — rare, earmark-style capital for specific nonprofits (not a standing program you apply to every year).
New Jersey — daycares, preschools, and child care homes
NJEDA Child Care Facilities Improvement Program
Agency: NJ Economic Development Authority
Page: njeda.gov — Child Care Facilities Improvement
What it funds: Furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE) for registered Family Child Care homes and licensed centers — health, safety, accessibility, and quality of the learning environment.
Typical award size: Roughly $10,000–$20,000 per eligible FCC (phase-dependent; verify current NOFA).
Security angle: Door hardware, entry control, and exterior cameras may fit when documented as safety/secure entry in the application — confirm allowable FFE categories in the active NOFA.
Also see: childcarenj.gov/providers/grants for Thriving by Three and related DHS programs.
Pennsylvania — schools, nonprofits, daycares, and municipalities
Pennsylvania runs several state-funded school-safety and nonprofit-security programs through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) in addition to federal NSGP administered by PEMA. Deadlines and dollar amounts change every fiscal year — confirm on PCCD Active Funding Announcements before you budget.
PCCD School Safety & Mental Health Grants (public school entities)
Agency: PCCD School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC)
Page: School Safety and Security
What it funds: Physical security enhancements and/or behavioral health initiatives — at the school entity’s discretion. Eligible uses follow 24 P.S. §13-1306-B(j) when the entity meets current Level 1 Baseline Criteria for physical security (cameras in critical/blind-spot areas, visitor procedures, secured exterior doors, electronic locksets, emergency communications, assessments, training, and related items — verify the current baseline document).
Who can apply: Public school districts, intermediate units, area career and technical schools, charter, regional charter, and cyber charter schools (as defined in the annual funding announcement).
Mechanics: Noncompetitive, formula-based allocation per school entity (amount listed in the announcement appendix). No local cash match for eligible public school entities in recent cycles. Applications through PCCD Egrants.
FY 2026–27 timing (verify): Applications due October 16, 2026 for the 26–27 School Safety & Mental Health Grants solicitation. Project period typically 24 months (e.g. July 2026 – June 2028).
Design angle: Level 1 gaps — cameras, door hardware, intercoms — are often the first use of funds. A physical security assessment from PA State Police RVAT or an assessor on the PCCD Assessor Registry can document blind spots before you apply.
PCCD Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools
Agency: PCCD / SSSC (transferred from PDE under Act 33 of 2023)
Overview: Competitive grants for nonpublic schools — private schools, diocese schools, licensed private academic schools, and related nonpublic entities that meet Title VI — plus separate tracks for municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and approved school security personnel vendors providing guard services.
What it funds: Activities under Section 1306-B(j) — establishing or enhancing school security, including cameras, access hardware, training, and (for vendor applicants) school security personnel services.
Typical award size (FY 2025–26 — verify): About $20.7 million statewide; up to $75,000 per nonpublic school award; 24-month project period. No match in recent announcements.
Priority: Applicants addressing Level 1 Baseline Criteria gaps or findings from a professional physical security or behavioral health assessment.
Path for private K-12 in PA: Often better than SVPP as primary applicant — confirm the active funding announcement on PCCD’s site each year.
PCCD Nonprofit Security Grant Fund (state — not federal NSGP)
Agency: PCCD — Act 83 of 2019 (separate from PEMA’s federal NSGP)
Page: Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program
What it funds: Security enhancements at facilities owned or operated by eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Pennsylvania that principally serve populations within FBI single-bias hate crime categories (race/ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, disability).
Typical uses: Planning, training, equipment, and technology — including surveillance camera systems (usually budgeted under Supplies & Operating when components are under $10,000 per unit; whole systems are not single “equipment” line items if each part is under the threshold — see PCCD Q&A).
Who cannot apply: Public K-12 school districts are not eligible under this state nonprofit fund (use PCCD school safety grants instead).
How to apply: Competitive initial request (often SurveyMonkey) when the fall window opens, then a full Egrants application if invited. Fall 2026 initial requests were due September 10, 2026 — verify the next cycle. Questions: RA-CD-NPSEC-GRANT@pa.gov.
Note: You may pursue federal NSGP through PEMA and state NPSGF through PCCD in the same era — they are different programs with different rules; do not assume one application covers both.
Pennsylvania — licensed child care and early learning
Keystone STARS Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Awards
Who runs it: OCDEL via Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs)
Guide: Keystone STARS CQI Award and ELRC policy announcements (e.g. ELRC 26-03)
Who qualifies: DHS-certified Keystone STAR 2, 3, or 4 child care centers, group homes, and family child care homes with a regular Certificate of Compliance (not provisional/revoked).
What it may fund: Quality improvement in STAR performance categories — including minor renovations such as fencing, flooring, and security cameras or access control systems (explicitly listed as allowable minor renovation examples in the provider resource manual). Major construction is not allowed.
Mechanics: No application — eligible providers receive an Eligibility and Acceptance Letter from their ELRC with a maximum award amount. Spending window is defined annually (e.g. purchases paid in full between July 1, 2026 and April 2, 2027 for the 2026–27 award — verify current manual).
Security angle: Frame entry cameras and door hardware as health and safety equipment or minor renovation tied to secure pickup and staff supervision — not a generic IT project.
Child Care Start-Up and Expansion Grants (regional, cyclical)
When ELRC regions run start-up/expansion rounds, indoor health and safety categories have historically included cameras to monitor new classroom(s) alongside gates and child-safety hardware. These are limited regional windows — contact your ELRC and watch pakeys.org for announcements; do not assume an open round year-round.
Pennsylvania — municipalities and public works (grant watch list)
There is no standing statewide rebate that pays for every municipal camera install. Useful paths to monitor:
- PCCD Regional Policing Assistance — competitive rounds for law enforcement and regional policing initiatives (verify whether your borough’s project fits the current announcement; not a direct “buy cameras for the landfill” program).
- Federal HSGP / SHSP — flows through PEMA to counties and regional partners; a warehouse or landfill owner usually does not apply alone — the municipality or county is the applicant of record for homeland-security sub-grants.
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and county economic development — occasional security or facade funds for eligible commercial/municipal parcels; call your county planning office.
For network extension to bus yards, landfills, and pump stations on property the municipality owns, capital budgets and PCCD-adjacent public-safety grants are the norm; Orbit’s design package still helps when a local program or CDBG sub-grant requires a scope and BOM.
Private schools (without their own district)
| Need | Likely path |
|---|---|
| Cameras, locks, door access on campus | COPS SVPP through public district, county, or law enforcement partner |
| Standalone private school building | FEMA NSGP if 501(c)(3) and meets risk criteria — apply via DEMA (DE), NJOHSP (NJ), or PEMA (PA) |
| Private school in Pennsylvania | PCCD Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools (competitive, up to ~$75k in recent cycles) and/or FEMA NSGP via PEMA if 501(c)(3) |
| Small capital project | Local foundation, diocese capital campaign, or state nonprofit security grants |
Do not assume a private school can submit SVPP alone. Confirm applicant of record with your attorney or grant writer before you spend time on a budget.
Small businesses, retail, dealerships, light industrial
There is no standing federal grant that pays for cameras and door access for a typical small business nationwide. Funding is almost always local:
- City or county camera rebate programs (police department community affairs pages)
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) sub-grants through your municipality for eligible commercial areas
- Downtown / urban renewal security reimbursement (example pattern: pre-approved exterior camera/lighting rebates up to a few hundred dollars per storefront)
- State economic development programs in distressed zones — varies by address
How to search: "[your city] security camera rebate business" and your police department non-emergency / community outreach page. Call the county economic development office and ask whether CDBG or small-business facade/security funds exist for your parcel.
What we can provide for a local grant: Site plan markup, camera and door schedule, line-item BOM with MSRP or quote backup, and a short scope narrative — most local programs want proof of purchase and install, not a 40-page RFP.
Municipalities, warehousing, gated sites
- Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) sub-programs (SHSP, UASI) flow through state admin — PEMA (PA), DEMA (DE), NJOHSP (NJ) — usually government and regional partners, not a single warehouse owner applying alone.
- Pennsylvania: Watch PCCD Regional Policing Assistance and county CDBG channels for borough-scale security; municipal bus yards, landfills, and pump sites are usually capital-budget or design-first projects on property the town owns (see Industries — Municipalities).
- Port/critical infrastructure owners may have sector-specific FEMA/DHS paths — outside typical SMB scope.
- Warehousing / logistics: Often fund security through operations capital budgets or landlord TI negotiations; grants are the exception, not the rule.
What to prepare before the application window
Use this whether you hire a grant writer or self-apply:
- Site packet: Address, photos, floor plan or fire-escape map (daycares: no photos of children on playground).
- Risk narrative: What happened or what you are preventing — break-ins, unauthorized entry, lot incidents, after-hours access.
- Door schedule: Each opening, fail-safe vs. fail-secure, lock type, reader location.
- Camera schedule: Purpose per camera (entry, register, lot, pickup door).
- Network note: PoE switch, VLAN separation, who owns passwords after install.
- Budget: Orderable part numbers, install labor split, local match cash identified.
- Maintenance plan: Who replaces a failed reader in year two.
Orbit’s design deliverables map directly to items 3–6.
Programs at a glance
| Program | Best for | Hardware (cameras / doors)? | Typical applicant |
|---|---|---|---|
| COPS SVPP | Public K-12 sites | Yes | School district, local gov, law enforcement |
| BJA STOP | Threat assessment, reporting apps | No | States, districts, law enforcement |
| FEMA NSGP | 501(c)(3) at risk | Yes | Nonprofit via DEMA / NJOHSP / PEMA |
| NJ NSGP-THE | NJ nonprofits | Yes | NJ 501(c)(3) via NJOHSP |
| PCCD School Safety & Mental Health | PA public schools / charters | Yes (baseline first) | PA school entity via Egrants |
| PCCD Targeted Nonpublic School | PA private schools | Yes | PA nonpublic school |
| PCCD Nonprofit Security Grant Fund | PA 501(c)(3) hate-crime-target groups | Yes | PA nonprofit (not public districts) |
| Keystone STARS CQI | PA STAR 2–4 child care | Sometimes (minor renovation) | Licensed provider (ELRC letter) |
| DE / NJ ECE QIA & facility grants | Licensed daycare | Sometimes, in QIP/FFE scope | Licensed provider |
| Local camera rebates | SMB, retail | Yes (partial reimbursement) | Property owner / business |
Official links (bookmark these)
- COPS SVPP: https://cops.usdoj.gov/svpp
- BJA STOP overview: https://www.bja.ojp.gov/program/stop-school-violence-program/overview
- FEMA NSGP: https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/nonprofit-security
- NJ OHSP grants: https://www.njohsp.gov/grants
- NJ child care provider grants: https://www.childcarenj.gov/providers/grants
- Delaware DIEEC / QIA: https://dieec.udel.edu
- Pennsylvania PCCD funding: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pccd/resources/active-funding-announcements
- Pennsylvania PCCD school safety: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pccd/programs-and-services/school-safety-and-security
- Pennsylvania PCCD nonprofit security (state): https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pccd/programs-and-services/nonprofit-security-grant-fund-program
- Pennsylvania PEMA federal NSGP: https://www.pa.gov/services/pema/nonprofit-security-grant
- Pennsylvania Keystone STARS / ELRC: https://www.pakeys.org
- Grants.gov search: https://www.grants.gov
Working with Orbit on a grant-funded project
We can deliver the design and bill of materials grant writers and funders expect — door-by-door UniFi Access schedules, camera coverage, and network notes you can buy yourself or through a rep. We do not file applications, serve as fiscal agent, or certify that you will win an award.
If a grant is part of your plan, mention it on the contact form with the property type, applicant of record (district, nonprofit, business), and any deadline you are chasing.