Opportunity Information: Apply for CI CET 23 004
The FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Innovations in Citizenship Preparation is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), administered through USCIS efforts led by the Office of Citizenship and Public Engagement (OCPE). The program is rooted in the idea that naturalization is one of the most important milestones in an immigrant's long-term integration into U.S. civic life. By helping lawful permanent residents build English proficiency and learn U.S. history and government, citizenship preparation supports not only passing the naturalization test and interview, but also the broader understanding of the rights and responsibilities that come with U.S. citizenship. In practice, the grant program is meant to expand access to high-quality citizenship preparation services nationwide so more immigrants can realistically pursue and achieve naturalization and become more fully connected to the civic, cultural, and economic life of their communities.
This particular funding track, called Innovations in Citizenship Preparation (often shortened to "Innovations"), is distinct from other USCIS citizenship grants because it focuses less on funding standard, ongoing service delivery and more on developing, testing, and sharing creative approaches that can reduce barriers to naturalization at scale. The intent is to encourage organizations to try new methods and solutions that improve how citizenship education and preparation services are designed, delivered, and accessed. The emphasis on innovation signals that USCIS is looking for models that can be evaluated, refined, and then replicated or shared so other communities can benefit, especially in places where immigrants face persistent obstacles such as limited transportation, limited access to instruction, scheduling constraints, language barriers, digital divides, or difficulty navigating the naturalization process within the bounds of authorized legal practice.
The opportunity is part of a broader federal integration agenda and aligns with Executive Order 14012, which aims to restore confidence in legal immigration systems and strengthen integration and inclusion efforts for new Americans. It also supports the DHS Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2020-2024 by promoting integration, inclusion, and citizenship, and it advances USCIS mission priorities by ensuring immigrants receive instruction on citizenship responsibilities and accurate information on how to apply for naturalization in a way that stays within authorized immigration law practice. In other words, it is not just an education grant; it is also meant to strengthen the broader ecosystem that helps eligible immigrants move from permanent residency to citizenship with trustworthy guidance and effective preparation.
Historically, the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program (CIGP) has been a long-running national investment. Since 2009, USCIS has awarded more than $132 million through 579 competitive grants to immigrant-serving organizations across 39 states and Washington, DC. Over its first 15 years, the program reports helping more than 300,000 lawful permanent residents prepare for citizenship. That track record is included to show both the scale and the federal commitment behind the program, and it also signals that USCIS expects grantees to deliver measurable results and contribute to proven or promising practices that can improve outcomes for future participants.
In terms of who can apply, Innovations is intentionally broad and open to a wide range of institution types and sizes, reflecting USCIS's goal of attracting diverse ideas and partners. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The narrative description also emphasizes openness to public, nonprofit, and for-profit institutions of all sizes, underscoring the goal of maximizing participation and expanding the pool of innovative proposals.
Key administrative details from the notice include that the funding instrument type is a grant, the activity category is listed as community development, and the CFDA number is 97.010. The opportunity number is CI CET 23 004, and it was posted on June 9, 2023, with an application closing date of July 28, 2023. The award ceiling is $250,000, and USCIS anticipated making about 14 awards under this specific opportunity. Taken together, those numbers suggest a competitive program aimed at funding a limited set of projects that can demonstrate new, practical, and transferable approaches to citizenship preparation, rather than distributing small amounts broadly for routine programming.
Overall, the Innovations in Citizenship Preparation grant is best understood as an R&D-style investment within the citizenship education space: USCIS is looking for projects that can pilot and validate new strategies for helping lawful permanent residents prepare for naturalization while also strengthening community integration. Strong proposals would generally be expected to show a clear problem or barrier being addressed, an innovative approach that goes beyond standard classroom instruction alone, a plan to test and learn from implementation, and a strategy for sharing results or tools so the work can be adopted elsewhere, all while staying aligned with USCIS guidance about accurate naturalization information and lawful boundaries around immigration legal services.Apply for CI CET 23 004
- The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Innovations in Citizenship Preparation" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.010.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 09, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 28, 2023 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Regional Hub Program Apply for CI CET 23 001 Funding Number: CI CET 23 001 Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Community and Regional Integration Network Grant (CARING) Apply for CI CET 23 003 Funding Number: CI CET 23 003 Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services (CINAS) Apply for DHS 23 CIS 010 002 Funding Number: DHS 23 CIS 010 002 Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Innovations in Citizenship Preparation Apply for DHS 23 CIS 010 004 Funding Number: DHS 23 CIS 010 004 Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Regional Hub Program Apply for DHS 23 CIS 010 001 Funding Number: DHS 23 CIS 010 001 Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| FY 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program: Community and Regional Integration Network Grant (CARING) Apply for DHS 23 CIS 010 003 Funding Number: DHS 23 CIS 010 003 Agency: Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division Category: Community Development Funding Amount: $300,000 |
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