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) |
Delaware: Search demac.delaware.gov and DEMA preparedness grants for current NSGP-S / NSGP-UA instructions.
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.
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) or NJOHSP (NJ) |
| 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 — usually government and regional partners, not a single warehouse owner applying alone.
- 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 state admin |
| NJ NSGP-THE | NJ nonprofits | Yes | NJ 501(c)(3) via NJOHSP |
| 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
- 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.