🏔️ Colorado — CO
5 Programs Available
⭐ Most Funding Options
Colorado School Safety Grant 2026 — 5 Stackable Programs
Colorado has the richest school safety grant stack in our 7-state region. Five separate programs — STOP Act, SAFER, ESSIR, Youth Violence Prevention, and Stronger Connections — can be combined to fund a complete ThreatSight deployment at $0 out-of-pocket for most districts.
$1M
STOP Act max per district
$4.85M
Colorado SAFER pool
$9.36M
Stronger Connections for CO
Oct 27
STOP Act deadline
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Colorado Has the Best Stack
Among our 7 target states, Colorado is unique in having both a strong federal STOP Act allocation AND four additional state programs. Most Colorado districts can combine SAFER + STOP Act to cover 100% of ThreatSight costs. The $0 out-of-pocket scenario is realistic here — not just theoretical.
State Administering Agency
Colorado STOP Act Contact
Colorado's SAA is the Colorado Office of School Safety — the same agency that administers SAFER and ESSIR. One office, multiple programs, one point of contact for everything.
Phone
303-239-4442
Address
700 Kipling Street, Lakewood, CO 80215
Grants.gov Deadline
October 27, 2026 — 11:59 PM ET
JustGrants Deadline
November 3, 2026 — 8:59 PM ET
Max STOP Act Award
$1,000,000 per district
Match Required
25% non-federal — can use SAFER or ESSIR funds
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Multiple Deadlines — Coordinate Early
Colorado has state-level application windows for SAFER and ESSIR that differ from the federal STOP Act deadline. Contact OSS (303-239-4442) to get current state program deadlines — some open earlier in the year. STOP Act is October 27, SAFER deadlines vary by fiscal year cycle.
Funding Stack
Colorado's 5 Stackable Programs
Colorado is the only state in our region with this many stacking options. Here's the full picture.
| Program |
Amount |
Source |
Use for ThreatSight |
| STOP Act Category 2 |
Up to $1M |
Federal (BJA) |
AI detection software, BTAM team, training |
| SAFER Grant |
Up to ~$100K |
CO State (OSS) |
School safety equipment & technology; counts as STOP Act match |
| ESSIR (SB23-241) |
Varies |
CO State (CDE/OSS) |
Emergency safety infrastructure; can offset STOP Act match |
| Youth Violence Prevention (YVP) |
Varies |
CO State (CDPS) |
Threat assessment and intervention programs; training component |
| Stronger Connections (BSCA) |
$9.36M for CO |
Federal via CDE |
Mental health, threat assessment infrastructure; non-federal match |
SAFER (School Access For Emergency Response)
$4.85M Statewide
Colorado state grant for school safety equipment and technology. Administered by OSS. ThreatSight AI detection explicitly qualifies. Apply through OSS portal. Funds count as non-federal match for STOP Act — the stacking play that gets you to $0 out-of-pocket.
STOP Act Match Eligible ✓
ESSIR (SB23-241)
Varies by District
Emergency School Safety and Infrastructure Retrofitting grant created by Colorado SB23-241. Funds physical security infrastructure and technology systems. Can supplement SAFER for comprehensive deployment. Contact OSS for current cycle availability.
Equipment + Tech Eligible
Youth Violence Prevention (YVP)
Varies
Colorado CDPS program for threat assessment, intervention, and violence prevention programs. Covers training, behavioral assessment coordination, and early warning systems. ThreatSight's threat assessment component qualifies.
Training Component Eligible
Stronger Connections (BSCA)
$9.36M for CO
Colorado's Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Title IV-B allocation — the largest in our 7-state region. Administered through CDE. Covers threat assessment infrastructure. Non-federal — can satisfy the 25% STOP Act match requirement.
Non-Federal Match Eligible
Category 2 Applicability
How ThreatSight Qualifies in Colorado
Colorado districts have more angles for qualifying ThreatSight than any other state in our region. Here's the full map.
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STOP Act Category 2 — AI detection as BTAM infrastructure — ThreatSight qualifies as behavioral threat assessment technology. The BJA grant program explicitly includes AI-based early warning systems. Frame your application around the BTAM team + technology combination.
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SAFER — direct technology qualification — SAFER is designed specifically for school safety technology and equipment. ThreatSight's AI weapon detection is a clean fit. SAFER funds received can immediately be applied as your 25% STOP Act match.
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The $0 out-of-pocket path — SAFER covers your 25% match. STOP Act covers the remaining 75%. Together: 100% of ThreatSight costs covered by grants. For most Colorado districts, this math works. Contact us for a district-specific funding model.
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No new hardware required — ThreatSight deploys on existing camera infrastructure, keeping your total project cost low. This makes the 25% match easier to cover with SAFER alone, even for smaller districts.
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Post-Uvalde regulatory context — Colorado passed several school safety bills post-2022. Applications that reference Colorado's Senate Bill 23-241 compliance and state-level threat assessment requirements score favorably with BJA reviewers who track state legislative alignment.
Application Calendar
Colorado FY2026 Application Timeline
Colorado requires coordinating state and federal applications. Start with OSS contact — they can tell you SAFER's current cycle deadline, which may precede the federal STOP Act window.
Now — May 2026
SAM.gov + Contact OSS for SAFER Deadline
Register on SAM.gov immediately (4–6 weeks). Simultaneously call OSS (303-239-4442) to confirm SAFER's FY2026 application window — it may open before or overlap with the federal deadline. Submit SAFER first so funds are in-hand as your STOP Act match documentation.
June — July 2026
Apply for SAFER (State)
Submit SAFER application through OSS portal at oss.colorado.gov. Include ThreatSight as the safety technology. SAFER award letter becomes your 25% match documentation for the STOP Act application.
August — September 2026
Draft STOP Act Narrative
Frame ThreatSight as "behavioral threat assessment infrastructure aligned with Colorado's SB23-241 school safety requirements." Reference your SAFER award as match. We provide sample narrative language and Budget Detail Worksheet templates specific to Colorado's regulatory context.
October 27, 2026
STOP Act — Grants.gov Submission
Submit with Budget Detail Worksheet, SAFER award letter as match documentation, and stakeholder consultation. Include SB23-241 compliance references. Deadline is 11:59 PM ET.
November 3, 2026
JustGrants Secondary Submission
Complete at justice.gov/justicegrants by 8:59 PM ET. Awards announced approximately 6–9 months after deadline. SAFER deployment can begin on approval — STOP Act deployment on award notification.
Common Questions
Colorado STOP Act FAQ
Can Colorado districts really get to $0 out-of-pocket?
For most districts, yes. Here's the math: SAFER (state) funds cover your 25% STOP Act match. STOP Act (federal) covers 75%. If your ThreatSight deployment costs $100K and you receive $25K in SAFER + $75K in STOP Act, your net cost is $0. The key is getting SAFER first so it's documented as your match. Contact OSS and ThreatSight to build the district-specific model.
What is SAFER's per-district maximum?
SAFER's statewide pool is $4.85M for FY2026. Individual district awards vary based on district size and application competitiveness — contact OSS (303-239-4442) for current award range guidance. Smaller districts typically receive $25K–$75K; larger districts may receive more. The SAFER award covers your STOP Act match regardless of amount.
How does SB23-241 affect ThreatSight's positioning?
Colorado SB23-241 established new school safety infrastructure requirements and created the ESSIR grant program. Applications that reference SB23-241 compliance and position ThreatSight as supporting the state's legislatively-mandated safety goals score more favorably with both state (OSS) and federal (BJA) reviewers. We help you draft this language.
Can the Youth Violence Prevention grant fund ThreatSight?
Yes, partially. YVP grants are primarily for threat assessment coordination, intervention programs, and training. ThreatSight's training component and behavioral threat assessment functionality qualify. YVP won't cover the full deployment cost, but it can fund the training and BTAM coordination component — reducing what you need from STOP Act or SAFER.
Are Denver-area and Front Range districts eligible?
Yes. All Colorado public school districts are eligible for STOP Act Category 2. Urban and suburban districts on the Front Range have slightly lower per-application scores than rural districts (rural gets a geographic adjustment), but they're still competitive — especially if they can document multi-campus coverage needs and high threat incident rates.
Build Your Colorado Funding Stack
Colorado is the best grant opportunity in our region. We'll map your district's specific stack — SAFER + STOP Act + ESSIR — and help you execute all three applications. Free for all Colorado districts.
Request Free Funding Stack Analysis →
Or reach us directly: threatsight@polsia.app