State Justice Institute opens FY 2027 grants for state and local courts

The State Justice Institute published on 21 October 2026 its grant guideline for fiscal year 2027, opening funding to state and local courts, national nonprofit organisations and judicial-education bodies. The notice fixes the award ceilings, matching requirements and quarterly application deadlines that will govern the year’s competitions. It appears in the Federal Register (Vol. 91, No. 202, Notices, p. 66599) as FR Doc. 2026–21505, with a stated date of 19 October 2026.

The guideline implements the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10701 et seq.), which created SJI as a private, nonprofit corporation incorporated in Virginia to improve the administration of justice in the state courts. The agency is supervised by a board of directors appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, composed of six judges, a state court administrator and four members of the public, no more than two of whom may belong to the same political party. The board, chaired by Hon. John Minton, retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky, makes awards on a quarterly basis aligned with the federal fiscal year; Jonathan D. Mattiello is executive director.

Five grant types with fixed ceilings

The guideline sets out five instruments, each with its own cap and matching rule:

• Project grants: up to $300,000 for 36 months for state court and national nonprofit applicants; local court applicants may request up to $200,000 for 24 months. A cash match at least equal to the award is required, so a $300,000 project needs $300,000 in cash.
• Technical Assistance (TA) grants: may not exceed $75,000 or 12 months, with a total match of at least 50 percent, of which 20 percent must be cash.
• Curriculum Adaptation and Training (CAT) grants: may not exceed $40,000 or 12 months, under the same 50 percent match rule.
• Strategic Initiatives Grants (SIG): handled at the discretion of the board and staff, and requiring an approved concept paper before a full application; state and local courts and noncourt units of government must provide a dollar-for-dollar cash match, while noncourt and nongovernmental entities are exempt.
• Education Support Program (ESP): covers tuition of up to $1,000 per course, administered by the National Judicial College and the National Center for State Courts through its Institute for Court Management.

Deadlines and submission rules

Applications may be filed at any time but are considered only against the fiscal-quarter timetable: 1 November, 1 February, 1 May and 1 August. All submissions must go through the SJI Grants Management System at gms.sji.gov, and applicants are urged to file at least 72 hours before the deadline to correct missing or incomplete forms. Individual files may not exceed 5 MB.

State and local court applicants must attach a Certificate of State Approval signed by the state’s chief justice or state court administrator, and the program narrative is limited to 25 double-spaced pages. Grantees must file quarterly progress and financial reports within 30 days of each quarter’s close — no later than 30 January, 30 April, 30 July and 30 October — and final reports within 90 days of the end of the grant period.

Who may apply and what is prioritised

Eligible recipients include state and local courts and their agencies, national nonprofits serving state judicial branches, national nonprofits for the education and training of judges and court personnel, and, where objectives are better served, nonprofits with judicial-administration expertise, institutions of higher education, individuals, partnerships, firms and corporations, provided for-profit organisations waive their fees. SJI is barred from awarding grants to federal, tribal and international courts.

The board has set five Priority Investment Areas applicable to all grant types: opioids and other dangerous drugs and behavioural health responses; promoting access to justice and procedural fairness; protecting victims, underserved populations and vulnerable populations; advancing justice reform; and transforming courts, including courthouse and public safety, technology, cybersecurity, emergency response and workforce development. Funds may not supplant state or local money, construct court facilities, serve solely to buy equipment, or pay for meals, trinkets, lobbying or litigation support.

The guideline matters because it is the operating rulebook for a national programme that channels federal money into court modernisation at a moment when courthouse security, self-represented litigants and rural access are pressing concerns. For court administrators and nonprofit training bodies, the calendar is now fixed: the first window closes on 1 November 2026.

Source: Federal Register, Vol. 91, No. 202, 21 October 2026, Notices, p. 66599 (official reference: FR Doc. 2026–21505).