Tenders/NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders

NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders

National Institute of Justice

Published: Oct 22, 2026

Updated: Oct 23, 2026

About This Opportunity

This is a grants contract in the Research, Monitoring Evaluation and information and communication technology sectors. Located in United States, North America, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums.

Published through Grants.gov, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for grants in the Research sector. Grant applications generally require a detailed project proposal, a clear results framework, and evidence of the applicant's capacity to deliver the proposed activities. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.

Description

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Drones as First Responders. This opportunity seeks proposals for rigorous evaluations of implementations of drone technology to combat violent crime, immigration enforcement, and other law enforcement activities. The goal of this NOFO is to provide actionable information about police implementation of small drones through a collaboration between law enforcement agencies and researchers. NIJ welcomes research and evaluation of drones as first responders (DFR) capabilities, including evaluation of existing capabilities or pilot programs at police departments already using DFR, as well as implementation of new pilot programs or demonstrations. NIJ expects research entities and law enforcement agencies to collaborate on implementing DFR and evaluating operational performance. Law enforcement agencies participating in evaluations will have the option to retain any DFR technology purchased through the NOFO at the study’s conclusion. Agency: National Institute of Justice CFDA: 16.560 Eligible Applicants: Other Units of Local Government Applicant Types: State governments; Independent school districts; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; City or township governments; Private institutions of higher education; County governments; Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification); Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; For profit organizations other than small businesses; Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Small businesses; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments); Special district governments; Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Cost Sharing: No More Info: Full Announcement — https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/o-nij-2026-172805 Contact: National Institute of Justice Email: OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from Grants.gov and was originally published on October 22, 2026. Last refreshed today. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About National Institute of Justice

National Institute of Justice has issued 29 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 9 currently open and 0 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Information & Communication Technology, Research & Innovation, and Law & Legal Services. All notices are published for United States. Notices are distributed via Grants.gov. Most recent publication: October 22, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by National Institute of Justice in United States. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Grants contract in the Research & Innovation sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United States. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit Grants.gov to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions provided by the contracting authority.