Funding is available through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee for public and nonpublic K-12 schools.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of vulnerabilities faced by American schools, the importance of employing robust and advanced security measures cannot be overstated. It is paramount that educators access every available resource to enhance safety infrastructure and support mental health initiatives.

A variety of grants are available to support these actions. To help you navigate the various deadlines and application processes, Radius Systems has compiled a list of upcoming opportunities. The proactive steps you take today could lead to a safer, more secure learning environment for tomorrow.

Steps for Prep: Helpful Tips for Proactive Grant Management

Radius Systems utilizes a consultative, custom-designed approach to partner with school districts in determining the ideal scope for their security upgrades projects. 

  • Conduct a security assessment to identify vulnerabilities that could be addressed if grant money is received
    • Conduct an audit and site walk-through of existing security measures to identify deficiencies
    • Review the school’s security program and compliance with the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), DOE, FEMA, NFPA, PCCD, and state guidelines, standards, and regulations
  • Develop a project plan
    • Use identified vulnerabilities to propose solutions and define a scope of work
    • Demonstrate how it will fill specific gaps and needs
  • Create a budget for the proposed solution
    • Solicit budgetary pricing from multiple reputable vendors for your determined scope of work
    • Use COSTARS and other cooperative purchasing programs to find vendors and compare pricing
  • Utilize free and paid resources to build a strong application
    • Radius Systems can connect you to third-party grant experts for customized assistance
  • Regularly check state and federal grant solicitation sites for active funding announcements:
  • Subscribe to grant opportunity notifications to stay informed of upcoming deadlines:

 Pennsylvania K-12 Security Grant Details

Click the links below to get detailed information on each grant and start preparing your application.

Application due date: 9/26/2024

  • Funding Announcement​​ (link)
  • Funding Announcement Q&A​​ (link) (Updated 8/23​/2024)​
    • Webinar: TBD
  • State or Federal: 
    • State
  • Competitive or Noncompetitive 
    • Noncompetitive, formula-based solicitation of $100 million.
  • Eligible entities:
    • Eligible school entities (i.e., a school district, area career and technical school, intermediate unit, charter school, regional charter school, and cyber charter school)
  • Funding availability: 
    • Awards start at $100,000 per district plus an additional amount based on adjusted average daily membership.
  • Eligible Program Activities and Expenses: 
    • Eligible to apply for physical security enhancements, behavioral health improvements, or both (see activities under Section 1306-B(J) allowed)
    • Level 1 Baseline Criteria is applicable, meaning that school entities must meet Level 1 prior to expending funds on eligible project activities.
  • Project Dates: 
    • Applications will be approved by PCCD as they meet the criteria of this solicitation for 24-month projects and will have a start date of July 1, 2024, and an end date of June 30, 2026.
  • Questions regarding this funding announcement should be directed as follows:

Application due date: 9/26/2024

  • State or Federal: 
    • State
  • Eligible entities: 
    • Nonpublic schools, Approved Private Schools and Private Residential Rehabilitative Institutions OR Municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and approved vendors to support school security personnel services for public school entities and nonpublic schools.   
  • Funding availability:
    • Applicants can request up to $75,000
  • Eligible Program Activities and Expenses: 
    • Supporting nonpublic schools seeking to meet Level 1 Baseline Criteria (revised and adopted by the SSSC, May 2023), which are standards that assist school entities in guiding their decisions about their physical security and behavioral health needs.
    • Supporting expenses related to gaps identified within a professionally completed assessment (e.g., physical security assessment conducted by Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) RVAT or an individual on the SSSC’s registry and/or a behavioral health assessment by an individual on the SSSC’s registry).   
  • Project Dates: 
    • Requests approved at the November 13, 2024 SSSC meeting will be for up-to-18-month projects and have a start date of January 1, 2025.
  • Questions regarding this funding announcement should be directed as follows:
    • Questions must be sent via email to RA-CD-NPSEC-GRANT@pa.gov with Targeted School Safety grants for Nonpublic Schools in the subject line. All questions regarding this funding announcement must be received by close of business on Monday, September 23, 2024.  

Application due date: The 2025 NSGP Grant application period will open Spring 2025​

  • ​Funding Announcement Link 
  • Competitive or Noncompetitive:
    • Competitive 
  • State or Federal: 
    • Federal program administered by PEMA.
  • Eligible entities:
    • Eligible organizations are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits including educational facilities at a high risk of terrorist or other extremist attack
  • Funding availability:
    • No cost-share requirement
    • Maximum award request in 2024 is $150,000 for both NSGP-UA and NSGP-S.
    • Nonprofits with multiple sites (multiple locations/physical addresses) can apply for additional sites at up to $150,000 per site, for a maximum of three sites, per funding stream (NSGP-S and NSGP-UA). Each location MUST have an individual application. No combination of site applications can exceed $450,000 per funding stream.
  • Eligible Program Activities and Expenses: 
    • This funding for eligible nonprofit organizations is generally limited to target hardening and physical security enhancements
    • Allowable Costs: Funding Guidelines​ (PDF)
  • Project Dates: 
    • 36-month period of performance
  • Questions regarding this funding announcement should be directed as follows:

Application due date: The 2025 NSGP Grant application period will open Spring 2025​

  • ​Funding Announcement Link 
  • Competitive or Noncompetitive:
    • Competitive 
  • State or Federal: 
    • Federal program administered by PEMA.
  • Eligible entities:
    • Eligible organizations are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits including educational facilities at a high risk of terrorist or other extremist attack
  • Funding availability:
    • No cost-share requirement
    • Maximum award request in 2024 is $150,000 for both NSGP-UA and NSGP-S.
    • Nonprofits with multiple sites (multiple locations/physical addresses) can apply for additional sites at up to $150,000 per site, for a maximum of three sites, per funding stream (NSGP-S and NSGP-UA). Each location MUST have an individual application. No combination of site applications can exceed $450,000 per funding stream.
  • Eligible Program Activities and Expenses: 
    • This funding for eligible nonprofit organizations is generally limited to target hardening and physical security enhancements
    • Allowable Costs: Funding Guidelines​ (PDF)
  • Project Dates: 
    • 36-month period of performance
  • Questions regarding this funding announcement should be directed as follows:

Application due date: annually in February

  • ​Funding Announcement Link: 2023-24 FY Announcement https://www.pccd.pa.gov/Funding/Documents/Funding%20Announcements/2023-24%20School%20District%20Meritorious%20Grants%20FA%20Final.pdf  
  • Competitive or Noncompetitive:
    • Noncompetitive, formula-based solicitation.
  • State or Federal: 
    • State
  • Eligible entities:
    • Eligibility of these funds is only open to school districts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.   
  • Funding availability:
    • 2023-24 FY School districts are eligible for an award ranging from $30,000 to $45,000, dependent upon the average daily membership of the school district.
  • Eligible Program Activities and Expenses: 
    • School entities can apply for any eligible activity allowed under 24 P.S. §13-1306-B(j)(130), as amended by Act 33 of 2023, including: Security planning and purchase of security-related technology.
  • Project Dates: 
    • All projects will be for a period of 24 months.
  • Questions regarding this funding announcement should be directed as follows:
    • Questions should be sent via email to RA-CD-SSSC@pa.gov with “Meritorious” in the subject line.

Application due date: Annual grant application due each spring (typically June)

  • ​Funding Announcement Link
  • Competitive or Noncompetitive:
    • Competitive 
  • State or Federal: 
    • Federal
  • Eligible entities:
    • Units of local government (e.g., counties, cities, school districts)
  • Funding availability:
    • SVPP funding will provide up to 75% of total project cost up to $500,000 per award.
  • Eligible Program Activities and Expenses: 
    • “Coordination with law enforcement”
    • “Training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence against others and self”
    • “Metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures”
    • “Technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency”
    • “Any other measure that the COPS Office determines may provide a significant improvement in security”
  • Project Dates: 
    • Each award is three years (36 months) in duration for maximum federal.
  • Questions regarding this funding announcement should be directed as follows:
    • See the COPS Office’s Grants page for current funding opportunities.

Schools are strongly encouraged to utilize PCCD’s General Application Grant Guides on the PCCD website (www.pccd.pa.gov) for assistance in navigating the Egrants registration and application process.

Our expert staff has a wealth of experience in developing security solutions for K-12 and Higher Education environments.

Do you need help assessing your security needs? Are your communication, access control, and surveillance systems outdated? Radius Systems understands the complexity of grant applications and evaluating security integrators. We can connect you to the latest technology including automated lockdown actions, weapons detection, emergency mass notification, visitor management, and more.

Radius Systems can help with assessing your security vulnerabilities and needs for grant applications.

    FIRST NAME *

    LAST NAME *

    EMAIL ADDRESS *

    PHONE NUMBER

    SUBJECT

    HOW CAN WE HELP?