Assistance Listing Number: 16.601
Funding Details: NIC expects to make one award for a 12-month project period. Requests for amounts more than award amount, including direct and indirect costs will not be considered.
Total funding available: $100,000.00 Total Award Amount: $100,000.00
Number of Awards: 1
Key Dates:
Announcement Date: February 27, 2026
Pre-proposal inquiries and questions must be submitted no later than April 6, 2026
Application Due Date: April 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Applications must be received electronically and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov.
Anticipated Award Date: May 8, 2026
Purpose
Providing victim-offender dialogue training for facilitators furthers NIC's mission by building the capacity and sustainability of federal, state, local, and tribal correctional agencies to provide victim services in the post-conviction setting.
Due Date for Applications / Deadline:
April 16, 2026 Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. NIC encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. In addition, NIC urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date. All applications are due to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 16, 2026. Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered.
SPECIAL NOTE
Applications must be ‘VALIDATED’ by Grants.gov by the application deadline. This can take up to 48 hours after successful submission. See Section 5, Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission, for more information. It is strongly recommended that applications be submitted at least 2 business days ahead of the application deadline.
Executive Summary
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has a long history of developing and delivering post-conviction victim service resources to support Victim Services Coordinators across the 50 state departments of correction. These coordinators manage a wide range of responsibilities, many of which are mandated by state constitutions, statutes, or administrative rules. One such responsibility is providing opportunities for victims/survivors—or their family members—to meet with the individual who committed the crime.
These interactions, often called Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD), allow victims to share how the crime has impacted their lives and to ask questions that may never have been addressed. Because these interactions are highly sensitive, they must be facilitated by specially trained professionals to ensure the best possible outcome for all parties. Across the United States, this service is referred to by several terms, including Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD), Victim Offender Mediation (VOM), Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue (VOMD), and Facilitated Dialogue. Currently, at least 26 states either operate or are required to operate a victim offender dialogue program. However, very few have formalized facilitator training programs, and most lack the dedicated funding needed to establish one. Many rely on a mix of staff and volunteers—or on volunteers exclusively—making it essential that training opportunities be provided regularly as personnel and volunteers cycle out. NIC is committed to strengthening the field of corrections by ensuring that agencies are equipped with the training, tools, and resources necessary to deliver post-conviction victim services effectively. Through this solicitation, NIC seeks a provider to deliver:
- One blended basic training for new facilitators of victim-offender dialogue.
- One blended advanced training focused on cases involving sexual assault.
Together, these training courses will expand the capacity of state correctional agencies to meet victims’ needs, foster healing, and enable victims to actively participate in repairing the harm caused to them.
Questions and Answers for this C.A.
Following are the responses to questions received as of 3/20/2026 in response to the above solicitation:
Question 1: NIC already has an in-person and virtual curriculum developed. To be responsive to the call, I was wondering if you could share more information about what is included in that curriculum.
Answer: The course schedules containing module topics and timelines are provided at the following link:
The complete course curriculum will be provided to the selected vendor upon award.
