OJJDP FY 2026 Mentoring for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use | O OJJDP 2026 172743

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172743

The OJJDP FY 2026 Mentoring for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use grant is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The program is designed to help communities implement and deliver high-quality mentoring services for young people who are directly or indirectly affected by opioids and other substance use. In practical terms, this NOFO focuses on supporting structured mentoring approaches that can strengthen protective factors for youth, reduce risks associated with substance use, and provide stable, positive relationships during a period when many young people are dealing with trauma, instability, or exposure to substance use in their homes or peer groups.

The target population includes youth who are currently using substances or who are substance-dependent, as well as youth who may be at heightened risk of substance use. It also explicitly includes youth who have close family members experiencing substance use or dependency, recognizing that substance use disorders often affect entire families and can create environments that increase a young person’s vulnerability. The mentoring funded through this program is meant to be a real service delivery effort, not just planning or awareness work, and it emphasizes quality and consistency in how mentoring is provided.

Applicants have flexibility in the mentoring model they propose. Funded projects may use one-on-one mentoring, group mentoring, or peer mentoring, and they may combine these approaches depending on what best fits the youth population and local context. The opportunity also allows hybrid mentoring models, meaning programs can blend traditional in-person mentoring with virtual mentoring. This matters for rural areas, transportation barriers, safety concerns, and continuity when youth move placements or face disruptions that would otherwise end a mentoring relationship.

Eligibility is broad, reflecting the different systems and organizations that typically operate mentoring programs or serve youth impacted by substance use. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); and other entities. The NOFO also highlights the fit for units of local government, national organizations, and organizations with statewide reach that provide mentoring services, signaling that OJJDP is interested in supporting both community-based implementation and larger-scale models that can operate across multiple jurisdictions.

This opportunity is issued as a grant under the funding activity category of Law, Justice and Legal Services and is associated with CFDA number 16.726. The funding opportunity number is O-OJJDP-2026-172743. OJJDP expects to make about 15 awards, and the maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $2,000,000 per award. The NOFO was created on October 9, 2026, and the application deadline listed is November 16, 2026.

Overall, the grant is aimed at expanding access to effective mentoring for youth touched by opioid and other substance use issues, with an emphasis on delivering credible, structured mentoring relationships through models that can be in-person, virtual, or hybrid. It is positioned for organizations and public agencies that already provide mentoring or can credibly implement mentoring at scale, especially those that can reach youth whose substance use risks are tied to personal use, dependency, or close family exposure.

• The Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OJJDP FY 2026 Mentoring for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.726.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-10-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-11-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172743

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