BELTON, Mo. — Safe Fleet and its brands are kicking off the company’s United Against Bullying (UAB) 2017 Grant Program.

The grant application process began on Monday and closes on March 31. Grants are available to school districts and organizations working with students in the U.S. and Canada.

A total of $50,000 will be awarded to the most inspiring and detailed proposals for a new anti-bullying or kindness initiative, to enhance or expand an existing program, or to purchase equipment to help address bullying and ensure the safety of students on the school bus.

The purpose of the annual grant program and other UAB campaigns is to start conversations on kindness and bullying, to empower students to stand up to abusive behavior, and to end bullying.

The UAB program is the social campaign of Safe Fleet, a provider of safety solutions for fleet vehicles.

In 2016, the company awarded $55,000 for anti-bullying initiatives.

“Safety for children and adults is our number one focus. By awarding grants for anti-bullying and kindness initiatives, we enable more adults to reach more children,” said John R. Knox, president and CEO of Safe Fleet. “We believe that it is young people focused on kindness and empathy who will be the leaders in their communities and who will end bullying.”

The online UAB grant application form is available at unitedagainstbullying.net/grant along with the rules and regulations and a PDF working version. All applicants are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible about the program they envision. A review committee will select the winning grant recipients, to be announced in April.