Senate Bill 03-103 created a Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board cash fund for the purpose of providing funding for continuing education training of Colorado peace officers, particularly small and rural agencies through grants awarded by the POST Board. The Grant program is funded by a $1 fee assessed on motor vehicle registrations. Approximately $3 million dollars is awarded through this program annually. Funds are subject to state legislative allocations. Applications are reviewed by the Grant Subcommittee in April and final decisions are made by the POST Board by June 30th of each year.
Grants are not provided to individuals. Please see the current POST Grant Guidelines for details.
Available Grants
- Regional & In-Service
The Colorado POST Regional and In-Service Grant Programs are announcing the availability of funds for the training of peace officers, particularly small and rural agencies for FY25 (July 1st, 2024-June 30th, 2025). Funds are subject to state legislative allocation.
The Regional Grant Program was implemented to supplement law enforcement agency training budgets. Ten (10) training regions have been established throughout the state that are responsible for applying for funds on behalf of the law enforcement agencies within their geographical location. Eligible applicants must be a local government, college, university, or not-for-profit entity for the purpose of funding peace officer training programs to law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
The In-Service Grant Program was implemented to assist agency budgets due to In-Service training requirements.
Grant
Grant Program Year
Application Period
How To Apply
Other Instructions
Regional July 1st, 2024 - June 30th, 2025 March 1st, 2024 - March 31st, 2024 APPLY
Along with the grant application, POST-designated Training Regions shall conduct and submit a needs assessment of the area or Region served that contains an executive summary, including key findings and priorities and a description of the need’s assessment process.Agencies may contact their regional training grant coordinator if interested in receiving a training scholarship or hosting a training course. A list of training coordinator contacts may be found HERE.
Program delivery and grant administrative funds are also available.
In-Service July 1st, 2024 - March 31st, 2025 March 1st, 2024 - 31st, 2024 APPLY
Entities which have received previous grant funding from POST have continual access to the database.Eligible applicants are law enforcement agencies, and eligible use of funds includes: training, training equipment, training supplies, backfill and travel costs for both student and instructor. - Capital Improvement
POST has set aside an estimated $250,000 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to be awarded for the Capital Improvement Training Grant Program. It is designed to improve law enforcement training facilities in Colorado for the training of Colorado peace officers. Eligible applicants are law enforcement agencies as well as the POST training regions. Projects benefiting region wide training initiatives will be prioritized.
Grant Program Year
Application Period
How To Apply
Other Instructions
July 1st, 2024 -March 31st, 2025 March 1st, 2024 - March 31st, 2024 APPLY
In addition to a submitted application, applicants must make a five-minute presentation to the Grant Sub-Committee at a date to be determined in April 2024. Grant award decisions will be made by the POST Board in June 2024.Grant applicant must disclose the available financial and non-financial resources secured or projected to be secured for the capital project. Grant applicant must be able to provide a timeline from start to finish for project and at what stage the project is or will be at the time of the grant application. Grant applicant must provide budget details for the project including overall cost and assurance of project completion if grant is awarded. - Public Safety Leadership Development (All funds have been awarded)
Additional funds will become available July 1st, 2024
The need for leadership skills is stronger than ever. That's why the University of Denver and multiple local agencies have created a program that focuses on communication, interpersonal skills, and building trust. The Public Safety Leadership Development Program starts in July and POST will be providing grant funding, in the form of scholarships, to 25 employed peace officers who are interested in participating.
Grant Program Year
Application Period
How To Apply
Other Instructions
July 1st, 2024 - March 31st, 2025 Application must be submitted to POST by the certified peace officer’s agency at least 30 days in advance of the class. Priority will be given to small/rural law enforcement agencies.
If an agency is awarded a scholarship, POST will notify the agency of the approval at which time the student may register, and the agency will need to pay for the training. POST will reimburse the agency after the student has completed the course. Agencies must submit the following to POST at time of reimbursement:
- Completed Public Safety Leadership Development Scholarship Reimbursement Form;
- Certificate of completion. Proof of payment.
- Rural & Small Agency Academy Scholarship
The POST Board has set aside an estimated $150,000 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to be awarded for the Rural & Small Agency Academy Scholarship Program.
The Rural & Small Agency Academy Scholarship Program was developed by way of House Bill 20-1229 to provide scholarships to law enforcement agencies in rural and smaller jurisdictions with limited resources. Funding is provided to assist such agencies with the payment of tuition costs only for peace officer candidates to attend an approved basic law enforcement training academy.
Grant Program Year
Application Period
How To Apply
Other Instructions
July 1st, 2024 - March 31st, 2025 March 1st, 2024 - March 31st, 2024 APPLY
Late applications will NOT be accepted. In addition to a submitted application, applicants must make a three-minute presentation to the Grant Sub-Committee at a date to be determined in April 2024. Grant award decisions will be made by the POST Board in June 2024.Eligible applicants must be a Colorado rural AND small law enforcement agency as further defined herein. See more details below. “Rural” means an area defined or designated as rural by the Federal Office of Management and Budget. Office of Management and Budget definition – All counties that are not part of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) are considered rural.
Colorado Map of the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas
“Small” means agencies that have 35 or less law enforcement officers employed at their agency.
The academy must begin and be completed within the same fiscal year the application is approved by POST. E.g., if an agency is awarded funds in FY25, the scholarship recipient must begin and complete the academy within the same fiscal year. Request for reimbursement for tuition costs must also be submitted within the same fiscal year, no later than June 30th, 2025. Only tuition costs are eligible for reimbursement. Additional academy fees, including but not limited to housing, book costs, athletic fees, etc. are not eligible for reimbursement.
Agencies must have the scholarship recipient sign an agreement (Exhibit B - provided by POST) which requires the individual attending the approved law enforcement training academy to agree to repay the POST Board if the individual does not meet House Bill 20-1229 requirements stated as follows:
- Completion of the academy certification;
- At least three (3) years of employment by a Colorado law enforcement agency in a rural and small jurisdiction after attending and successfully completing the approved basic law enforcement training academy.
POST will track the scholarship recipient for three (3) years after they have attended the academy to ensure they continue to meet the requirements of the scholarship grant.
If a grant is awarded, the Exhibit B as referenced above will be sent through DocuSign to the scholarship recipient for signature. The Exhibit B must be signed by scholarship recipient prior to the start of the academy.
Agencies are eligible to submit for reimbursement to POST once the student has completed the academy. Agencies must submit the following to POST at time of reimbursement:
- Completed Rural & Small Academy Scholarship Reimbursement Form;
- Proof of payment of tuition costs;
- Academy certificate of completion (POST will reimburse the agency for tuition costs upon the date of academy training completion, even if they have not passed all their testing sections or received their certification).
- Very Small Agency Backfill
The Very Small Agency Backfill program is meant specifically for agencies with 10 or fewer peace officers. The program can be used to backfill for certified officers, as well as sworn detention officers. Larger agencies will be given consideration on a case-by-case basis. This program is designed to assist very small agencies with schedule coverage so their staff can attend law enforcement training.
Grant Program Year
Application Period
How To Apply
Other Instructions
July 1st, 2023 - June 30th, 2024 As soon as possible, but no less than 30 days in advance of the training. APPLY (agencies requesting backfill)
W-9 form and and EFT form requested from post.grants@coag.gov (agencies providing the backfill)
POST will help qualifying agencies contact larger agencies that are willing to provide staff coverage, whether within or outside of their jurisdiction. POST has made available both an Interagency Agreement and Intergovernmental Agreement template which can be used by agencies if they choose. These are general-use templates created by the State Controller's office.
POST will reimburse the providing agency up to $50/hr for each hour their staff works under this program, which includes benefit costs. Additional funds may be requested in order to cover travel time, lodging costs and mileage for officers providing the backfill.
Agencies wanting to reimburse their own employees overtime for coverage should request funding from the In-Service Grant Program or submit a request to their training region.
- Additional Non-POST Grant Opportunities
Allowable Grant Expenses
Below examples are most common allowable expenses. Additional details are available in the POST Grant Guidelines.
Expense | Description |
|---|---|
| Student | Travel costs for students traveling for official training are eligible and include commercial transportation, air fare, registration costs, tuition, parking, public transportation, computer connection fees, mileage, per diem and lodging. |
| Backfill | The provision of personnel resources to fill the position of a law enforcement officer, who is traveling to or from, attending or conducting training, is allowable. Actual salary and overtime, not to exceed $50 per hour, is allowable. |
| Peace Officer and Professional Trainer Instructor Fees | Instructor fees, per diem, travel costs (in and out of state) and lodging are allowable costs to compensate instructors who conduct training for law enforcement agencies. |
| Training Supplies | Supplies are items that are expended or consumed during the course of the training class such as targets, ammunition, simunitions, printing, manuals, field guides, etc. These materials are allowable costs. |
| Equipment Purchases | The purchase of equipment which facilitates training is allowable. Examples include, but are not limited to: firearms and driving simulators, ammunition, simunitions, track car maintenance, shooting range and drive track upgrades and improvements, on line training subscriptions, etc. |
Report Due Dates
- Regional Grantees
Regional grantees shall submit Progress, Financial, and Final Progress reports using the POST Grant Database. These reports (not including Equipment Inventory and Disposition Form) will be assigned to the Regions via the database approximately two weeks prior to the due date. A report must be submitted for every calendar quarter, including partial calendar quarters, as well as for periods where no grant activity occurs. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if these reports are delinquent.
Report Period Report Type Due Date July 1st-September 30th Progress and Financial October 7th October 1st- December 31st Progress and Financial January 7th January 1st -March 31st Progress and Financial April 7th April 1st-June 30th Final Progress and Final Financial July 7th July 1st-June 30th Equipment Inventory and Disposition Form June 30th - In-Service Grantees
In-Service grantees are only required to submit an Equipment Inventory and Disposition Form.
Report Period Report Type Due Date July 1st-June 30th Equipment Inventory and Disposition Form June 30th
Unexpended balance: Grantees shall inform POST in writing no later than March 31st of each year, of the status of any potential unexpended balance. Grantees' failure to notify POST of any unexpended balance may result in the reduction or termination of future awards.
Note
For questions about grants & grants management, please use the following e-mail: