CY 26 Unmanned Aircraft Trade and Replace Program

Introduction:

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has received a general fund appropriation to make available one-time grant funding to replace certain unmanned aircraft through the Unmanned Aircraft Trade and Replace Grant Program. Only local first responder agencies in Virginia are eligible for this grant program.

Consistent with Appropriation Act language, the unmanned aircraft being replaced through this program are those manufactured by countries designated as a foreign adversary in the Code of Virginia § 55.1-507, with unmanned aircraft manufactured or assembled by a country not covered by section 1822 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2024. The countries listed in the NDAA as foreign adversaries are the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, the Russian Federation, and Venezuela. The unmanned aircraft eligible to be replaced by this grant program are only those used by Virginia first responder agencies, including local law enforcement agencies, local fire or ambulance service providers, and other local first responders. The terms “unmanned aircraft” and “drone” as used in the Unmanned Aircraft Trade and Replace Program are interchangeable.

Eligibility:

Local law enforcement agencies, local fire or ambulance service providers, or other local first responders are eligible to apply for this grant. This grant program is available to replace only unmanned aircraft currently in use by eligible local Virginia first responder agencies.

As required by the Appropriations Act, grant funding is to be distributed geographically throughout Virginia. How funds are geographically distributed will depend on the applications received. Grant funding will be used to replace the unmanned drone aircraft only and cannot be used for training, software, maintenance agreements, local personnel, or other expenses not related to the unmanned aircraft itself. Grant funding is limited to the purchase of the unmanned drone aircraft only. Ancillary equipment and related accessories are not eligible for funding under this grant.

Effective August 15, 2025, DCJS requires each applicant to have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. A Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier issued by the federal government through the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) that identifies businesses and other entities. DCJS requires a UEI for all grant applicants, regardless of whether they are applying for federal or state funds.

Grant Application Deadline:

Applications must be submitted in the DCJS Online Grants Management System (OGMS) no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 24, 2025. The system will not allow you to apply after the application deadline. Allow time for any possible technical difficulties you may experience, since the application will not be accepted after the deadline. Instructions on how to register in OGMS are available online at the DCJS website. If grant funds remain after this funding opportunity, there will be additional funding rounds until all funds are obligated.