The FY2026 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program is now open, and it is one of the largest sources of federal funding available to law enforcement agencies for equipment and technology upgrades. If your department has been putting off a radio system replacement because of budget constraints, this funding cycle is worth a close look, but the window to apply is short.
What the JAG Program Covers
JAG is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and is the leading source of federal justice funding for state and local agencies. Funds can be used across seven purpose areas, including law enforcement operations, prosecution and courts, corrections, prevention, drug treatment and enforcement, planning and technology improvements, and crime victim and witness programs.
For most departments considering a communications upgrade, the funding falls under equipment, technology, and information systems, which is broad enough to cover interoperable two way radios, dispatch consoles, repeater infrastructure, and related accessories.
Key Deadlines
Mark these dates now, since JAG applications move through two separate systems and both have hard cutoffs.
- Grants.gov submission: October 9, 2026, 11:59 pm Eastern
- JustGrants submission: October 16, 2026, 8:59 pm Eastern
Agencies typically need to register in Grants.gov first, then complete the full application in JustGrants. Waiting until the week of a deadline is risky given how often federal grant portals see registration delays or system slowdowns during peak submission periods.
Why This Matters for Radio Systems
A lot of departments in our service area are still running analog systems that are difficult to maintain, lack interoperability with neighboring agencies, or fall short of FirstNet and P25 compatibility requirements. JAG funding gives agencies a path to close that gap without pulling entirely from the general fund.
If your department is weighing options, the practical starting point is figuring out what “upgrade” actually means for your operation: replacing aging handhelds, adding multi-band capability so you can talk across mutual aid channels, or building out infrastructure for wider area coverage. That scoping work is worth doing before you write the budget narrative for the grant application, since reviewers respond better to a specific, justified request than a general “new radios” line item.
Getting Started
The solicitation documents and full eligibility details are published directly through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and that is the right first stop for confirming your agency’s allocation and specific requirements. From there, most agencies benefit from outside help scoping the technical side of the request, whether that is sizing out a new fleet of portables, confirming FCC licensing needs, or making sure whatever you propose is compatible with what neighboring agencies already run.
If your agency has looked at grant funded communications before, this works the same way our earlier guide on federal grant funding for government and municipal agencies lays out, and fire departments in the region have used a similar approach with AFG grant funding for fire department communications.
Whisler Communications works with public safety agencies across Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Pierce, Kitsap, and Clark counties on exactly this kind of planning. If you are considering a JAG application for radio equipment, reach out and we can help you think through what to request before you write the application.
