Bulletproof Vest Grants and Sponsorships

Bulletproof vests are have proven to reduce fatalities of law enforcement officers and first responders who get involved in violence infested environments. The federal government, through the U.S Department of Justice, found it necessary to empower law enforcement officers and other first responders to be able to purchase bulletproof vests. The U.S Department of Justice came up with the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998 which aimed at providing officers at the local level with bulletproof vests.

In the sections below, we are going to explore the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant in detail. We’ll look at who is eligible for the grant and how to apply for it. More importantly, we will explore how Atomic Defense can make the whole process easy for you.

Who is Eligible for Body Armor Grants?

All law enforcement officers that are part of any unit that is recognized by the U.S Census Bureau are eligible for the bulletproof grant. This applied to all states and counties in the U.S. This eligibility criterion is just for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant from the U.S Department of Justice. Other non-governmental organizations offer bulletproof grants for one reason or the other. Some of these might offer bulletproof vests grants to civilians, but in most cases they are conditional or to vulnerable people.

A lot of focus is paid to law enforcement officers when it comes to bulletproof vest grants. By definition, a law enforcement officer is any officer of either the state or local government, who is mandated to engage in detection, investigation, and prevention of violations of criminal law. Employees of recognized tribes that are authorized by the law to carry out the same tasks are law enforcement officers as well. These officers also have the mandate to supervise and monitor offenders who have been released into society. 

Given the nature of their work, law enforcement officers are quite vulnerable to attacks. Gunfire is the major cause of officer deaths in the line of duty in the U.S. The Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Grant has provided millions of officers with bulletproof vests since it was launched, and in the process saved a lot of lives.

Application and Awarding of BVP and More

As a law enforcement officer, you have to take the initiative to apply for the grant. The applications usually start in April and run for six weeks. They normally happen once a year. The applications are submitted on the BVP website. The application process might be a little confusing for some, or you may not have the time to apply. Atomic Defense can help you complete the application, as well as prepare the paperwork that will be required. Just email or message us with more information about the grant you want to apply for.

Many applicants usually require assistance with processes such as registering on the BVP platform, creating and submitting applications and submitting payment requests. You can register as an individual user, or as a part of an agency. When you register as part of an agency, it means that the agency has sponsored you for the grant. Atomic Defense can help you register both as an individual user, or act as an agency and sponsor you if the grant you are seeking requires sponsorship. Either way, Atomic Defense seeks to make the process as easy as possible for you.

When a grant has been awarded, you will be notified through the BVP platform. The funds are not disbursed until you have logged into the site and provided the receipt information of the bulletproof vests that you need. That is where Atomic Defense comes in. We will help prepare all the paperwork concerning the bulletproof vests that you need and complete a payment request on the BVP platform. The payments are done once your paperwork has been reviewed for accuracy and authenticity.

 

The application paperwork gives the grantors an overview of who you are as a law enforcement officer, and the threats you are facing. You will have to write something about yourself while applying for the grant so that the grantors can judge how eligible you are for the grant. Let’s explore what exactly the grantors would be looking for.

What Do the Grantors Want to See?

Writing a proposal for a bulletproof grant is not just about putting pen to paper. You need to show cause and be convincing. The BVP program seeks to not just hand out bulletproof vests to everyone but to ensure those who are vulnerable are protected at all times. Keep the following pointers in mind while putting down a grant proposal.

1. Show Connection to the Mission

The BVP grant has a mission to empower law enforcement officers to be able to combat crime and respond to people in distress without always putting their lives on the line. You should be able to show your connection to this mission. Officers who are involved in areas that have high crime prevalence can relate their working environment to the mission quite easily.

2. Be Clear About the Types of Bulletproof Vest You Need

It is important for you to be clear about the type of body armor you need and why. In that case, you will have to outline the kind of threats you are facing, to justify why you need a specific type of bulletproof vests. Different bulletproof vests provide different levels of protection and have different costs.

Although a law enforcement officer cannot predict with certainty the kind of threats they will face while in their line of work, they usually know what to expect in certain situations. You can use your everyday experiences as a law enforcement officer to determine the level of protection that you need. This is another area where we offer free help.  If you are looking to know what type of bulletproof vests your department needs, we can help.

3. Be Clear About the Costs and Where You’ll Get the Body Armor From

You need to clearly outline the costs of purchase and maintenance of the kind of body armor that you are seeking. As mentioned above, different bulletproof vests have different costs. The protection levels of body armor you should consider are range from Level IIA to Level IV, with Level IV being the most protective. Bulletproof vests require proper maintenance, which might attract some costs, and you may have to replace them at some point. All this information needs to be clearly outlined in the grant proposal.

As mentioned earlier, we can help make the process of applying for the BVP grant seamless. Our help comes in quite handy when you have to outline information about bulletproof vests, their protective levels, and the cost of purchase and maintenance. Putting down the grant proposal might seem like a hill climb, but we can make it quite simple for you.

Bulletproof Vest Requirements

BVP will not fund the purchase of just any bulletproof vest. Any bulletproof vest that BVP funds must be under the tactical levels of body armor classification. BVP fund bulletproof vests that fall under the protection levels recognized by NIJ. Also, BVP releases fund for only one vest in each replacement cycle. The replacement cycle has to be clearly defined while you are making your application. The cycle is different from one type of bulletproof vest to the next, depending on its durability and resilience.

Being an authorized body armor vendor, Atomic Defense is in a perfect position to help you successfully apply for a body armor grant. We also work with a range of other organizations that provide funding for body armor to various people depending on the threat they are facing. 

Visit www.atomicdefense.com and explore the various types of body armor that we have. We have a large variety of body armor products in stock. You can apply for a grant to get any of the body armor that we sell. If you have any questions or concerns, get in touch with us via the email contact@atomicdefense.com or call 1-507-400-0490.