Criminal Justice Program (DJ)

Criminal Justice Program (DJ) is sponsored by East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG). This program, along with others such as the Juvenile Justice Program and Victim Assistance General Direct Services Program, supports projects for developing viable communities by providing decent housing and suitable living environments, and to expand economic opportunities.

Criminal Justice Grant Funding Available for East Texas Public Safety Projects Criminal Justice Grant Funding Available for East Texas Public Safety Projects East Texas public agencies, nonprofits, schools, and federally recognized tribes will soon have the chance to apply for FY 2027 grant funding through the Office of the Governor’s Public Safety Office.

The application window for Criminal Justice programs opens Monday, December 15, 2025, and closes Thursday, February 12, 2026. ETCOG invites new and returning applicants from our fourteen-county region to attend free grant workshops hosted by our Public Safety team.

Grant funding will be available for the following Criminal Justice programs: General Victim Assistance Direct Services Program (VOCA) Violence Against Women Justice and Training Program (VAWA) Juvenile Justice & Truancy Prevention Grant Program (JJ/TP) Criminal Justice Program (JAG) Weekly workshops for each grant category will be held online from December 20 through January 20, 2026. Participation is required for all applicants.

To join a Criminal Justice grant workshop, visit www. pineywoods911. com/criminal-justice .

Sessions are held on Tuesdays from 10:00 am to 11:15 AM on these dates: “The goal is to improve public safety, support victims of crime, and help jurisdictions address gaps in the region with funding that encourages practical solutions,” said ETCOG Public Safety Director Stephanie Heffner.

“We guide applicants on what to include in their proposals and what they need to track once funding is awarded, so we can keep bringing strong public safety projects to East Texas. ” At this time, funding for Homeland Security grant projects is paused. ETCOG will announce workshops to apply for the State Homeland Security Program and Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities grants once they open.

Tips from TDA to Prepare for Upcoming 2027 TxCDBG Applications By Texas Department of Agriculture TDA is pleased to see interest from many communities in the upcoming 2027 Texas Community Development Block Grant applications.

No action is required for communities at this time; however, here are several items that may be useful as you look forward to the release of grant applications this fall: Save the Date for your local governing body resolution.

All TxCDBG grant applications require a resolution adopted by the local governing body to authorize submittal of the application, commit to adhere to the requirements of the TxCDBG program, and commit matching funds, if applicable. TDA recommends marking your calendar to complete this task at your October 2026 meeting. The required resolution language will be provided in the Application Guide, to be released in September 2026.

Procure a grant administrator. Many Grant Recipients hire a consultant to be responsible for grant administration and reporting requirements. If your community would like to have a grant administrator also assist in preparation of the grant application, the services contract must be competitively procured prior to any participation by the firm in the application process.

TDA has compiled a user-friendly guide to procuring a grant administrator according to TxCDBG policies: Solicitation and Contract Documents for Administration Services* Contracts The Unified Scoring Committee will determine at its meeting in September whether to offer an annual or biennial cycle for the Community Development Fund – the sample documents in this guide account for both options.

A similar guide for engineering procurement will be made available later this fall. No engineering work is required for the first phase of the application process. Attend your regional meeting to establish Project Priorities (or review the adopted priorities once posted).

Consider the projects important to your community in each of the Priority 1 categories, as well as other projects that are important to your community.

ETCOG's regional meeting will be held Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 12 noon, at ETCOG headquarters TDA’s default priorities can be used as a reference for the available project categories; each region will identify its own priorities within this structure: 2027 Regional Project Priority Scoring Element - Default.

pdf ETCOG to Hold Public Hearing on TxCDBG Regional Project Priority Types August 6 By East Texas Council of Governments ETCOG will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 12:00 p. m. during its Executive Committee meeting at 3800 Stone Road, Kilgore, Texas.

The purpose of the hearing is to gather public input on the Texas Community Development Block Grant ( TxCDBG ) Program Regional Project Priority Types for the East Texas region. As part of the standard TxCDBG process, each Council of Governments region in Texas is encouraged to identify the project types that best reflect regional needs and priorities.

During the hearing, ETCOG’s Executive Committee will receive comments from local officials, stakeholders, and members of the public regarding which eligible project categories should be prioritized for East Texas. These priorities may include needs such as water and sewer infrastructure, street improvements, housing, and other eligible community development activities.

Regional project priority types play an important role in the TxCDBG application process. The priorities adopted by ETCOG will be submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), which administers the TxCDBG program, for use in the upcoming funding cycle. Regional priorities account for a portion of the scoring used to evaluate grant applications.

ETCOG encourages anyone with an interest in community development needs across East Texas to attend the hearing and provide input during the public comment period.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Community Outdoor Outreach Program Grant Announces Schedule of Grant Application Workshops By Texas Parks and Wildlife The CO-OP Grant team will host a series of Grant Application Workshops to cover all the elements needed for a competitive application.

Offered both online and at sites around the state, the workshop will provide application support and assist potential applicants with an overview of the application process, grant program requirements and priorities, scoring criteria, budget planning and eligible grant expenses, and answer questions from applicants.

Opportunities for in-person project consultation appointments with grant staff will also be made available at the site-based workshops. The CO-OP Grant will begin accepting project proposals August 3, 2026, through October 1, 2026, at 5 pm CST. Grant Awards will be announced March 1, 2027, and programs will take place over 18 months.

Eligible projects should engage program participants in areas of conservation, outdoor recreation, and environmental education and connect participants to TPWD sites, programs, and staff. Grant funding can support personnel, training, travel, food, fees, and supplies. There is no match requirement.

This grant supports outdoor programs for populations that are under-served. The CO-OP grant does NOT fund any type of construction, trails, boat ramps, or vehicles. This is a reimbursement grant.

REGISTER To attend at workshop, complete the online registration at: https://www. signupgenius. com/go/10C0F4BA5AD2DA1F5C16-64420560-tpwd#/ ONLINE WEBINAR Monday, July 20th 2 p.

m. - 4 p. m Live (Recording will be available on/after 7/22) TCEQ Launches Program to Reduce Emissions from Stationary Sources By Texas Commission on Environmental Quality $16.

5 Million in Grants Available USDA is Now Accepting Applications for Rural Businesses and Community Development Projects By USDA Rural Development SBA Launches $1 Million Patriot Pitch Competition to Showcase America’s Entrepreneurs Freedom 250 Event Celebrates Free Enterprise Through National Small Business Competition for $1 Million Cash Grant Opportunity for: Clean Land, Healthy Communities By East Texas Council of Governments Many of our communities have properties that are abandoned or underutilized because of suspected environmental contamination from past uses.

These properties are commonly referred to as “Brownfields. ” Redeveloping a brownfield site does more than change the look of a property; it strengthens the health, economy, and spirit of the whole community. Through ETCOG’s Brownfield Site Reuse & Revitalization Program, local governments and property owners can receive no-match funding to assess and plan for the safe reuse of vacant or underused sites.

Projects can include environmental studies, market analyses, community engagement efforts, and much more, that set the stage for growth while protecting public health and the environment. Every successful project begins with identifying potential sites. If your community has a property that could be brought back to life, now is the time to act.

Find details and a site nomination form at www. etcog. org/brownfields-program .

Application Period for Water Supply and Infrastructure Grants Now Open By Texas Water Development Board This is an announcement shared from Texas Water Development Board ETCOG Awards Civic Marketplace to Expand Cooperative Purchasing for Rural Communities, Schools, and Local Districts Today, the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) announced the award of Civic Marketplace as the technology platform for COGWORKS, its cooperative purchasing arm.

The partnership will leverage cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence to support regional purchasing for rural communities, school districts, and local governments across the East Texas region, state, and nationwide. For more than 50 years, ETCOG has supported East Texas through regional planning, coordination, and shared services.

COGWORKS was established in response to member demand for dependable cost-control solutions that serve jurisdictions of all sizes through competitively awarded cooperative contracts. This collaboration strengthens COGWORKS by improving shared buying, administrative coordination, and visibility into contract activity, enabling members to operate more efficiently while meeting procurement requirements.

“This partnership supports our responsibility to ensure rural communities, schools, and local districts can access purchasing programs that deliver measurable savings and efficiencies,” said David Cleveland, Executive Director of ETCOG. “COGWORKS allows participants to benefit from collective buying power and shared procurement expertise through a program they know and trust.

” Civic Marketplace will partner with ETCOG to activate and operate COGWORKS on its digital platform, in order to expand participation and deliver measurable value to member agencies across East Texas.

Through its purpose-built technology platform, proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) agentic, solutions, and hands-on program enablement, Civic Marketplace will support contract visibility, supplier onboarding, entity activation, and ongoing program analytics at no cost to member agencies.

“This partnership demonstrates ETCOG's commitment to building a strong, sustainable cooperative purchasing ecosystem for East Texas,” said Al Hleileh, CEO and Co-Founder of Civic Marketplace. “Our goal is to help COGWORKS increase utilization and transparency of cooperative contracts, elevate local businesses, and deliver regional efficiency.

” “Civic Marketplace was born in East Texas, with deep roots in the cities of Longview and Tyler,” added Ron Holifield, Co-Founder and President of Civic Marketplace. “Our partnership with COGWORKS is both a homecoming and a new wellspring for these communities, bringing together collaborative purchasing and cutting edge technology to help local government entities better serve their residents.

” As COGWORKS continues to grow, ETCOG and Civic Marketplace will work together to expand contract offerings, support supplier participation, and provide members with the tools and information needed to use cooperative purchasing effectively. About Civic Marketplace Civic Marketplace is the AI procurement platform built for local governments and free for every SLED entity to use.

By removing cost as a barrier, we make it easier for cities, counties, and school districts to modernize how they buy goods and services without adding strain to already tight budgets. Our platform connects government buyers to a network of pre-approved suppliers, ensuring every contract meets compliance and quality standards from the start.

We're especially committed to expanding access for historically underutilized businesses, helping local governments support regional suppliers and strengthen the communities they serve. Procurement doesn't have to be slow, complicated, or expensive. Civic Marketplace is backed by venture investment and built to prove it.

Learn more at civicmarketplace. com Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech-impaired customers may contact Relay Texas: 800-735-2989 (TTY) and 711 (Voice).

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