Purpose of the Funds: The National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) was established in 1995 to aid states in improving the accuracy and completeness of state criminal history information. The program is administered at the federal level by the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The Colorado Bureau of Investigation Crime Information Center is the agency responsible for managing state criminal history data in Colorado. The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice is the designated State Administering Agency (SAA) and is responsible for managing this program.

The goal of the NCHIP program is to ensure that accurate records are available for use in law enforcement, including sex offender registry requirements, and to protect public safety and national security.

The NCHIP program awards are made annually to each applicant State and eligible territory. Funds distribution is based upon need rather than population or other formula-based methodology. All States and eligible territories have received funds under the program. Starting with FY 2000, NCHIP has been funded under the Crime Identification Technology Act of 1998, P.L.105-251 (CITA).

Eligibility and Requirements: The NCHIP program is open only to agencies that directly contribute data to the Colorado Computerized Criminal History (CCH) system and other supported systems. It is a “cooperative agreement” with the federal government and individual projects must be approved by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The Division of Criminal Justice compiles all qualified project requests into a single state application.

Solicitation Schedule: The NCHIP program announcement is typically issued in March of each year and because this program is not a competitive grant, the application time line is extremely short. State applications are due 4 to 6 weeks after announcement.

Important Information Regarding New Requirements
For
Receipt of Federal Funding

The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) encourages all potential grant applicants who plan to apply for federal funding from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice or any other agency, including direct awards from the federal government to make sure that their agency has a Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and has registered with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. These are required as part of the implementation of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act) that went into effect January 1, 2009.

A DUNS number is a unique number that identifies an organization and helps track the distribution of grant money. Verify whether or not your agency has a DUNS number and a current registration in CCR. If your agency does not have a DUNS number, and/or is not currently registered in CCR, begin these processes now due to the time required to complete these. Subgrant awards without a DUNS number and a current registration in CCR will have a Special Condition placed on award documents to complete this requirement within 30 days of the start of the subgrant project period. It is imperative that this timeframe is met per reporting requirements under the Transparency Act.

To obtain a DUNS number online, go to the DUNS registration website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do or call the Dun & Bradstreet hotline at 1-866-705-5711. You will receive a DUNS number at the conclusion of your phone call. There is no cost associated with obtaining a DUNS number. Your DUNS number is required as part of the CCR registration process.

Review the CCR handbook at www.ccr.gov before registering with CCR. Gather the necessary information prior to starting the registration process. This could take several weeks. Allow 30-60 minutes to complete the registration. To register with CCR, go to www.ccr.gov. Click on Start New Registration on the left navigation bar. Contact the CCR Assistance Center at 1-888-227-2423 or 1-269-961-5757 with any questions. Once you have completed the online CCR registration, please allow at least ten (10) business days to receive your valid registration.

If your agency has previously registered with CCR, please note that the CCR login procedures have recently changed. Log onto the website at www.ccr.gov to "Update or Renew Registration". If you currently have a CCR record, but do not have a user ID and password, you will not be able to access your record until you create a user account. Your User ID and password will replace the Trading Partner Identification Number (TPIN) as the method of logging into your CCR account. A User Account Guide, containing detailed information about creating a User Account, can be found at www.ccr.gov/doc/UserAccount.pdf.

If you have questions regarding these requirements, you are first encouraged to contact Dun & Bradstreet or the CCR Assistance Center. You can also contact Stacey Alles at DCJ at stacey.alles@cdps.state.co.us or 303-239-5773.

Staff Contact Information:
Bruce Langsdon
Colorado Division of Criminal Justice
Office of Adult and Juvenile Justice
700 Kipling St.
Denver, CO 80215
Phone: (303) 239-4567 or
Toll Free: 1-800-201-1325
Fax: (303) 239-4491
E-mail: bruce.langsdon@cdps.state.co.us