Foa_Content_of_HHS-2025-ACL-AOA-INNU-0036 (1).pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

Advancing Strategies to Support Older Adults with Behavioral Health Conditions in the Senior Nutrition Program Setting

HHS-2025-ACL-AOA-INNU-0036

08/20/2025

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Background

Purpose

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Summary/Abstract

Problem Statement

Goals and Objectives

Approach

Target Population

Outcomes

Project Management / Organizational Capacity

Evaluation

Dissemination

Budget Narrative/Justification

Work Plan

Letters of Commitment

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

Appendix A: Glossary of Terms

ACL Center:

Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity Title:

Advancing Strategies to Support Older Adults with Behavioral Health Conditions in the Senior Nutrition Program Setting Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2025-ACL-AOA-INNU-0036

Primary CFDA Number:

93.045 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

07/21/2025 Due Date for Applications:

08/20/2025 Date for Informational Conference Call:

Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary https://www.grants.gov/

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary Benefit to Older Americans

This funding opportunity will provide beneficial outcomes to improve the health and well-being of older Americans with a behavioral health condition, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Participation in a senior nutrition program is proven to decrease hunger and malnutrition, improve socialization, and improve health and well-being. Older adults with behavioral health conditions have been found to be at risk for isolation and malnutrition, which can both worsen behavioral health conditions. Thus, our ability to reach and understand the needs of this population will help older adults get connected by their local senior nutrition program to other services and evidence-based programs that will improve their health and prevent worsening of their behavioral health condition. The critical knowledge gained from this funding announcement will not only be beneficial to the older adults served through this funding announcement, but the resources created will provide best practices and lessons learned that will be shared widely so that older adults across our nation can have improved access to services that will contribute to better health outcomes that make America healthier.

Goals

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will fund two (2) statewide initiatives to develop the capacity to increase the number of older adults with behavioral health conditions, which may include older adults experiencing homelessness, who attend senior nutrition programs. This NOFO has the following goals: 1) learn of existing barriers and facilitators to serving older adults living with behavioral health conditions in the congregate meal setting, 2) based on learnings from Goal 1, train staff and sub-grantees to develop and implement person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate best practices to meet the needs of older adults living with behavioral health conditions in the congregate nutrition program setting, 3) evaluate the effectiveness of implemented practices through measurable outcomes, and 4) create and share a minimum of ten (10) resource materials and disseminate findings to help the senior nutrition program network adopt best practices.

Applicant should show they can work statewide.

Eligibility

Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native Hawaiian), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

Funding details

Estimated Total Funding: $1,000,000 Total

Expected Number of Awards: 2

Award Ceiling:

• Year 1: $500,000

• Year 2-3: $400,000 subject to available funds

Award Floor:

• Year 1: $400,000

• Year 2-3: $300,000 subject to available funds

For this cooperative agreement, we plan to fund awards in three 12-month budget periods for a total project period of 36 months (3 years) with performance periods of September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2028. The awardees will collaborate with ACL and the National Resource Center on Nutrition on Aging (NRCNA) during the project period. ACL expects a September 1, 2025 start date.

Match

Yes, cash or in-kind.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Background Administration for Community Living

The mission of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities across the lifespan, and their families and caregivers. Within ACL, the Administration on Aging (AoA) is the agency designated to carry out the Older Americans Act (OAA). The OAA promotes older adult well-being by providing services and programs designed to help them live independently in their homes and communities. The OAA also empowers the federal government to fund states, territories, and tribes for support services for older adults.

ACL wants to create a stronger aging network that has the tools and resources to be successful.

As a part of this strategy, the OAA promotes sharing best practices, fostering innovation, increasing business acumen, capacity-building, and organizational development. Together, this network seeks to sustain programs that serve older adults effectively.

The Older Americans Act

The Older Americans Act (OAA) is carried out by the aging network in communities across the United States. The aging network includes State Units on Aging (SUAs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), and local service providers (LSPs). This network provides services, referrals, and programs to older adults. Senior centers and congregate meal sites are two of the most common service locations.

The OAA focuses on older adults and family caregivers with the greatest economic need and greatest social need. The OAA encourages regular physical activity, evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs, and nutrition services with a person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate approach.

Senior Nutrition Program

The Senior Nutrition Program includes Congregate Dining and Home Delivered Meals. The program is designed to:

• reduce hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition;

• promote socialization of older adults; and

• promote the health and well-being of older adults by assisting such individuals to gain access to nutrition and other disease prevention and health promotion services to delay the onset of adverse health conditions resulting from poor nutritional health or sedentary behavior.

The Senior Nutrition Program meals must comply with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and meet 1/3 of the Dietary Reference Intakes for older adults to help meet their unique nutrition needs. Improved overall diet quality for older adults can help maintain cognitive health and independence.

Intersection of Nutrition and Behavioral Health

Behavioral health and nutrition are linked and depend on what older adults eat and drink and how they live. Nutrition related factors for behavioral health include food security, nutrition security, and malnutrition.

Food and nutrition insecurity can increase depression and anxiety risk, which can create a cycle of chronic stress and chronic disease risk. Stigma, embarrassment, and shame from food and nutrition insecurity can make older adults avoid social situations. This can make them feel isolated and lonely, which can lead to depression and anxiety.(1-3)

Malnutrition can worsen both behavioral health and nutrition status. Nutrient deficiencies can lead to depression or anxiety. Limited mobility, financial constraints, and chronic health issues put older adults at higher risk.(4-5)

Social isolation, limited healthy food access, and financial constraints can lead to poor nutrition and behavioral health issues. Meal programs for older adults that provide nutrition and social engagement can improve access to healthy meals and provide social interaction and behavioral health benefits.(6) Research suggests that meal programs and services may help prevent psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.(7) Programs that include behavioral health and nutrition can improve quality of life, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance independence for older adults.(8)

For older adults, behavioral health conditions may be underdiagnosed, or symptoms masked by another condition.(9) In a study of older adults, of the 90% that reported using prescription medication, 12% took it for depression and 13% took it for worry, nervousness, or anxiety.(10)

How SNPs can best serve older adults with behavioral health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not clear.

Almost 30% of people experiencing homelessness in the United States are older adults (20.6% aged 55-64; 8% over the age of 64).(11-12) Homelessness can worsen nutrition and overall health status of older adults and increases their risk of food insecurity and chronic disease.

Focus on Congregate Dining Sites

Home delivered and congregate dining programs provide balanced, nutritious meals and access to needed services and supports. This funding opportunity is focused on only congregate dining sites (locations where groups of older adults dine together) for several reasons.

Behavioral health conditions often lead to self-isolation and social withdrawal. Congregate dining helps reduce isolation and provide social connection. Eating meals with others who may https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/ https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/ https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/dietary-guidelines/dietary-reference-intakes share similar behavioral health conditions may create a sense of belonging, provide informal peer support, and reduce stigma and loneliness.(13)

Social and recreation activities at congregate dining sites provide opportunities for engagement and mental stimulation that may improve emotional well-being. Staff, volunteers, and peers in congregate dining sites may encourage older adults to participate in activities that enhance mood and reduce depression.

Congregate dining sites serve as resource hubs for additional services and supports, such as behavioral health services, evidence-based chronic disease prevention or self-management programs, wellness programs, or case management. Staff at congregate sites may identify behavioral health needs of meal participants and provide early intervention screening and referrals to needed services.

The aging network including SUAs, AAAs, and LSPs, is aware that older adults with behavioral health conditions and older adults experiencing homelessness, need support. However, the capacity to serve them varies widely across the aging network and depends on many factors, including training and professional development, workforce constraints, stigma, funding, and community partnerships.

Purpose This section provides details about the Areas of Focus, Target Population, Goals, and Additional Requirements.

Areas of Focus

For this project, the areas of focus are:

(A) Through a statewide initiative, develop the capacity to increase the number of older adults with behavioral health conditions, which may include those experiencing homelessness, who participate in the Senior Nutrition Program.

(B) To develop at least ten (10) Section 508-compliant resources that can be shared with the network to enhance program knowledge and sustainability.

Target Population

For this project, the target population is older adults (60 years and older), which may include those experiencing homelessness, with one or more of the following behavioral health conditions:

• Depression

• Bipolar disorder

• Anxiety disorders

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Eating disorders

OAA programs should be prioritized for older adults at greatest economic need and greatest social need. While your project should focus on the target population, we expect you will serve a population that reflects the demographics, geographic location, and needs of older adults in your state. Your statewide project should reach older adults at greatest economic need and greatest social need and have a geographic reach that includes urban, suburban, and rural (and frontier, if applicable) areas.

Goals

Goal 1: Identify what works to serve older adults with behavioral health conditions in the congregate nutrition program setting.

Find out what helps and hinders meal delivery in the congregate dining site for the target population. Gather existing research on how behavioral health and nutrition are connected. Talk to key people, including the target population, behavioral health service providers, and caregivers. Create a space for people to work together, share ideas, and innovate. Analyze the information to pinpoint common challenges, like stigma or accessibility, and supportive factors, such as helpful programs or community resources.

Recommended activities and use of funds:

• Conduct a needs assessment of the target population to understand their specific experiences and preferences (including food preferences), how familiar they are with programs and services in the aging network, and reasons why they don’t use those programs and services.

• Survey the target population to identify barriers to participation in congregate dining.

Include urban and rural communities to reach a wide audience. May include providers and caregivers, but primary population surveyed should be the target population.

• Conduct focus groups with the target population.

• Conduct a literature review on the target population and the intersection with the senior nutrition program. Include perspectives from behavioral health care providers and homelessness practitioners, to identify barriers to participation.

• Create workgroups with stakeholders, leaders, experts, and other relevant groups.

• Examine, document, disseminate key findings, including a report on project learnings.

Goal 2: Based on learnings from Goal 1, train staff and subgrantees to create and apply person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate best practices to meet the needs of the target population.

Based on your learnings from Goal 1, train staff and subgrantees. Develop training materials, guides, and tipsheets that highlight these principles in service delivery. Test, refine and improve these practices, based on participant feedback. Document outcomes and share findings with relevant stakeholders across behavioral health and the aging network to promote wider adoption and support for best practices.

Recommended activities and use of funds:

• Use learning collaboratives and/or workgroups to address the barriers found in Goal 1.

• Provide sub-awards o Fund pilot sites to test ideas.

o Conduct pre- and post-surveys at pilot sites to measure effectiveness.

o Implement routine data collection practices to capture participant reach.

o Provide training and technical assistance to sub-awardees.

• Implement the following practices at pilot SNP sites:

o Incorporate social workers or social work students, other relevant professional disciplines, or peer support personnel identified by learnings in Goal 1.

o Establish or enhance existing evaluation, screening and referral pathways to professionals through congregate meal settings.

o Include activities shown to improve behavioral health (meditation, yoga, storytelling or oral traditions, gardening, pottery) and to improve socialization.

o Enhance behavioral health, cultural competency, and person-centered training for staff and establish person-centered policies and procedures at congregate meal sites, AAAs, or statewide.

Goal 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented best practices through measurable outcomes.

Develop or administer quantitative and qualitative feedback from implemented best practices using appropriate evaluation methods. Clean and organize the data for analysis. Finally, analyze, interpret, and document results.

Record the number of participants reached and how they were served, including the target populations. Include participant retention outcomes, reasons for retention success or failure (e.g., what encourages and discourages participants returning for meals after an initially successful outreach). Consider outcomes such as whether attending more congregate meals lead to a person accessing wrap around services, or adhere to their medication schedule, or increase food security? How does the project impact behavioral health conditions or symptoms (e.g., decreased anxiety) or provide stability for the target population (e.g. access to a meal, socialization). Other demographic data may be captured, but is not required.

Recommended activities and use of funds:

• Survey the target population to identify project effectiveness. Include urban, suburban, rural, and frontier (where applicable) communities to reach a wide audience. May include providers and caregivers, but primary population surveyed should be the target population.

• Host focus groups with participants from the project.

• Conduct a post assessment to understand the specific experiences (e.g., food quality, effectively addressing barriers to participation) and preferences (e.g., food, communication) of the target population.

• Use data management software to organize, sort, and analyze data.

• Compile results into tables, graphs, and charts that can be used in reports and resource development and shared with ACL and the National Resource Center on Nutrition on Aging (NRCNA).

Goal 4: Create and share a minimum of ten (10) Section 508-compliant resources and other materials and disseminate findings to help the Senior Nutrition Program network adopt best practices.

Use evaluation findings and collaboration with nutrition experts and program leaders to identify areas for improvement in congregate nutrition program service delivery. Use this information to develop at least ten (10) Section 508-compliant resources that can be shared with the network to enhance program knowledge and sustainability. Share project progress, results, and resources through at least one (1) presentation at a conference or webinar annually. Disseminate materials through other platforms to reach the Senior Nutrition Program network. Gather feedback from users to ensure the needs of the aging network and the target population are met.

This goal should be to produce the following materials in collaboration with ACL and the NRCNA, that include the following seven (7) topic areas plus three (3) additional topic areas based on knowledge gaps and needs identified by your project. Timeline for each resource should be outlined year by year in the work plan.

1. How-to toolkit and lessons learned

2. Insights on food preference and quality

3. Barriers and facilitators to the target population’s participation in SNPs and how to overcome and/or implement them

4. How to develop and implement person-centered policies (e.g., example mealtimes, meal delivery modes, socialization)

5. Insights on how to locate and encourage the target population to participate in SNPs

6. How to implement a trauma-informed and/or culturally appropriate approach with the target population

7. How to develop and maintain effective partnerships to meet the unique needs of the target population

8. - 10. Three or more additional resources based on knowledge gaps and identified needs

Recommended activities and use of funds:

• Create tip sheets, work guides, outlines, and templates to implement best practices.

• Present at conferences, webinars, and local community events throughout the state or nationally.

• Peer-reviewed journal publications.

Additional Requirements

To be considered for funding, you must include the following components in the proposal.

1. You must identify how many older adults from the target population across the state will be reached and define which behavioral health condition(s) will be prioritized. Older adults do not need to have a formal diagnosis of their behavioral health condition. You should describe how the target population will be identified and prioritized, either through existing screenings and assessments, or measures that will be added as a result of the project.

2. If you are not a State Unit on Aging (SUA), identify at least one key partner that receives OAA Title III-C funds. Title III-C recipient organizations include SUAs, AAAs, and LSPs. To identify your state’s SUA, or to find your local AAA and service provider go tohttps://eldercare.acl.gov/ .

3. Partnerships to support your application that will engage the target population that is not currently being served by OAA programs and services, including the Senior Nutrition Program. Partnerships should reflect state demographics. At least two or more of those partnerships should specialize in serving the target population. If applicable, one or more of these partners should specialize in serving older adults experiencing homelessness.

New or innovative partnerships are encouraged, including the Social Security Administration, behavioral health organizations (e.g., NAMI | National Alliance on Mental Illness), etc.

4. Service delivery should be person-centered, trauma informed, and culturally appropriate.

To do this, you will provide training on these topics for grant staff, sub-grantees, and program leaders.

5. Define how you will adhere to requirements for making and monitoring sub-awards, as outlined in 45 CFR 75.307.

6. You will establish uniform data collection requirements for all sub-grantees that collect the number and types of older adults served, activities performed, and project impact.

7. Sub-awardees should identify and help bring promising and impactful practices to scale.

8. All information and products developed and distributed must be Section 508-compliant and meet the cultural/linguistic needs of the target population. We must review and approve before being posted on the NRCNA website.

9. At the project’s end, you will transfer all content from listservs, collaboration platforms, videos, and other developed resources to us in a mutually agreed upon electronic format.

10. All proposed activity funded by us, or “federal financial assistance” as it is referred to, must abide by the Final Rule Implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Rule defines compliance requirements for federal funding recipients of the ACL that services must be provided in the most integrated setting appropriate to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities.

o To help regulated entities and community members understand the final rule, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), as the agency charged to implement and enforce Section 504, has a fact sheet with an overview of the rule. Find Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Final Rule: Section by Section Fact Sheet for Recipients of Financial Assistance from HHS on the OCR website.

Section 508 Compliance https://eldercare.acl.gov/ https://www.nami.org/ https://www.nami.org/ https://acl.gov/504rule https://acl.gov/504rule https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/section-504-rehabilitation-act-of-1973/ocr-detailed-504-fact-sheet/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/section-504-rehabilitation-act-of-1973/ocr-detailed-504-fact-sheet/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/disability/section-504-rehabilitation-act-of-1973/ocr-detailed-504-fact-sheet/index.html

This is a core requirement of your proposal. All materials and products that you create as part of this project shall comply with government accessibility standards, known as Section 508.

For example:

• Webinars must include live captioning, and American Sign Language interpreters must be available, if requested.

o If a webinar is jargon-heavy or highly technical, captioning should be done by professional captioners. If automatic captioning tools are used, captions must be edited in the final recording to correct errors.

o Videos must have correct captions.

• All files, such as PDFs, Word documents, and PowerPoint slide decks, must be navigable by screen readers and have enough contrast.

• All information and products should meet the cultural and linguistic needs of your intended audience. We will review and approve products before you share them with the public. At the end of your project, you will provide us with all the resources you develop.

You should factor enough time and cost for this specialized work into your yearly Work Plan and Budget. Details of how you will meet this requirement should be in the Dissemination, Work plan, and Budget Justification sections of the application.

For more details about Section 508 compliance, please visit:

https://acl.gov/Site_Utilities/Accessibility.aspx

References

1. Myers CA. Food Insecurity and Psychological Distress: A Review of the Recent Literature. Curr Nutr Rep. 2020 Jun;9(2):107-118. doi: 10.1007/s13668-020-00309-1.

PMID: 32240534; PMCID: PMC7282962.

2. Reeder N, Tolar-Peterson T, Bailey RH, Cheng WH, Evans MW Jr. Food Insecurity and Depression among US Adults: NHANES 2005-2016. Nutrients. 2022 Jul 27;14(15):3081.

doi: 10.3390/nu14153081. PMID: 35956257; PMCID: PMC9370686.

3. Brandt L, Liu S, Heim C, Heinz A. The effects of social isolation stress and discrimination on mental health. Transl Psychiatry. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):398. doi:

10.1038/s41398-022-02178-4. PMID: 36130935; PMCID: PMC9490697.

4. Norman K, Haß U, Pirlich M. Malnutrition in Older Adults-Recent Advances and Remaining Challenges. Nutrients. 2021 Aug 12;13(8):2764. doi: 10.3390/nu13082764.

PMID: 34444924; PMCID: PMC8399049.

5. Bernstein M, Munoz N; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: food and nutrition for older adults: promoting health and wellness. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012 Aug;112(8):1255-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.06.015.

PMID: 22818734.

6. Björnwall A, Mattsson Sydner Y, Koochek A, Neuman N. Eating Alone or Together among Community-Living Older People-A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar 27;18(7):3495. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073495. PMID: 33801775;

PMCID: PMC8036467.

7. Jones-Cobb B, Hong, J, Breedlove M, Chase M, Shannonhouse, L. Mental Health Distress and Suicide Risk among Older Adults Who Receive Nutrition Services https://acl.gov/Site_Utilities/Accessibility.aspx

Programming: Implications for Licensed Professional Counselors., Adultspan Journal.

2024 Fall 23(2), Article 6. DOI: 10.33470/2161-0029.1168

8. Sadarangani TR, Beasley JM, Yi SS, Chodosh J. Enriching Nutrition Programs to Better Serve the Needs of a Diversifying Aging Population. Fam Community Health. 2020 Apr/Jun;43(2):100-105. doi: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000250. PMID: 32079966;

PMCID: PMC7880699.

9. Gum AM, King-Kallimanis B, Kohn R. Prevalence of mood, anxiety, and substance-abuse disorders for older Americans in the national comorbidity survey-replication. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009 Sep;17(9):769-81. doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181ad4f5a. PMID:

19700949.

10. Administration for Community Living 2023 Profile of Older Americans, May 2024 Available here: https://acl.gov/aging-and-disability-in-america/data-and-research/profile-older-americans

11. US Dept of Housing and Urban Development. The 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. Available here:

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2023-AHAR-Part-1.pdf

12. Henderson, KA, Manian, N, Rog, DJ, Robison, E, Jorge, E, Al Abdulmunem, M.

Addressing Homelessness Among Older Adults (Final Report). Washington, DC: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. October 26, 2023.

13. Middleton G, Patterson KA, Muir-Cochrane E, Velardo S, McCorry F, Coveney J. The Health and Well-being Impacts of Community Shared Meal Programs for Older Populations: A Scoping Review. Innov Aging. 2022 Oct 27;6(7):igac068. doi:

10.1093/geroni/igac068. PMID: 36588625; PMCID: PMC9795837.

Statutory Authority The statutory authority for grants under this Notice of Funding Opportunity is contained in the Older Americans Act, Title IIIC; 93.048 Special Program for Aging.

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$1,000,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$500,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$400,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2023-AHAR-Part-1.pdf

36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' Through this funding opportunity, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) plans to award approximately two (2) cooperative agreements to domestic public or private non-profit entities for a 36-month project period, pending available funding.

Under this competition, AoA/ACL will award cooperative agreements in the amount of:

• Year 1: $400,000 - $500,000

• Year 2-3: $300,000 - $400,000 subject to availability of funds.

This award is competitive, and applications will be evaluated in part on applicants’ stated plan of action and their demonstrated capacity to start grant activities within sixty days of their grant award.

Cooperative Agreement Terms As provided by the terms of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (P.L. 95- 224), Cooperative agreements require our substantial involvement after an award is made. There are specific roles for both you and ACL.

Grantee Responsibilities

Recipient must execute the activities as noted in the program description and the responsibilities of the cooperative agreement listed here:

• Fulfill all grant requirements outlined in this Funding Opportunity, and carry out project activities as reviewed, approved, and awarded.

• Comply with all reporting requirements, as outlined in Section VI (Award Administration Information) of this Funding Opportunity and the Notice of Award.

• On a statewide level, establish partnerships to help implement the proposal. Partnerships should reflect state demographics, with at least two organizations specializing in behavioral health. If your project includes older adults who are experiencing homelessness, at least one partner should have expertise in homelessness.

• Identify a significant percent increase in the target population served from baseline to the end of the project period.

• Engage approximately 25% of your target participants by the end of Year 1, 50% of target participants by the end of Year 2, and 100% of target participants by the end of Year 3.

• Participate in ACL/ NRCNA sponsored research and/or evaluations.

• Participate in relevant ACL/ NRCNA education (e.g., webinars, workgroups, symposiums) with reasonable notice from ACL/NRCNA of the subject, date, and time of the event.

• You must budget each year for two people to attend NRCNA’s Innovations in Nutrition Program and Services conference. Attendance is expected annually for the project period (including any no-cost extension period, if applicable).

• For sub-awards, you should use a transparent and open process to solicit, review, select, and making required sub-awards to organizations. You should describe how the process will be designed and administered, and how you will conduct required oversight of sub-awardees.

• Provide person centered, trauma informed, and culturally appropriate training for all grant staff, sub-awardees, and program leaders.

• Project Investigator/Director must attend all regularly scheduled calls and communicate with the AoA Project Officer monthly (or another agreed time), to improve project effectiveness.

• With NRCNA, ensure all project goals and objectives are met and as needed, mutually agree how to address any program or technical assistance needs.

• Help us strengthen awareness of technical assistance and resource needs to serve the target population. Identify networks of aging and human service agencies that serve the target population.

• Improve the effectiveness of project activities and share information with us and the NRCNA and others as appropriate.

• Finalize project work plans for all 3 years and immediately notify us of needed changes to the work plan.

• Create contingency plans for staff turnover or hiring delays.

• Provide us with all resources and material developed, including data and project reach.

Comply with Section 508 requirements for all materials and work with us and NRCNA to disseminate Section 508-compliant content to the aging network.

• Share relevant data elements, data collection tools, and methods and materials so any aging network organization could replicate the project and evaluation. This is part of the Capstone Project, which will be due no later than the final performance report.

• Include the following disclaimers on all products produced using this funding:

o HHS Cooperative Agreement that is NOT funded with other non-governmental sources:

▪ "This [project/publication/program/website, etc.] [is/was] supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $XX with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government.”

o HHS Cooperative Agreement that IS partially funded with other nongovernmental sources:

▪ "This [project/publication/program/website, etc.] [is/was] supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $XX with XX percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $XX amount and XX percentage funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.”

The AOA project officer agrees to execute the responsibilities outlined below:

• Perform the day-to-day Federal responsibilities of managing a Cooperative Agreement and work with you to ensure that minimum grant requirements are met.

• Work with you to clarify program and budget issues and, as necessary and with support from NRCNA, mutually agree how to solve or address any program, budget, or technical assistance needs identified.

• Help you understand the strategic goals and objectives, policy perspectives, and priorities of ACL and other Federally sponsored projects and activities relevant to activities funded under this announcement.

• With NRCNA, provide technical assistance to you for program support and tasks related to fulfilling grant goals and objectives.

• Attend and participate in major project events, as appropriate.

• Host and facilitate upload of your resources onto the NRCNA website.

• Communicate with your project director monthly, or other agreed times, to improve project effectiveness.

• Consultation on technical assistance and resource needs such as how to:

o Understand the Older Americans Act and associated regulations.

o Connect with the network of aging and human service agencies

Once a Cooperative Agreement is in place, requests to modify or amend the agreement or the work plan may be made by us or you at any time as long as it stays within the scope of work.

Major changes may affect the integrity of the competitive review process. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the execution of an award notice. Unless we are authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 75, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral amendments, when an award is issued the Cooperative Agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference.

Funding policies & limitations

For guidance on some types of costs we do not allow or restrictions on them, see 45 CFR part 75, General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.

Funding policies

• Under this NOFO, existing projects cannot be continued without expansion or adding new and innovative approaches.

• Meals are allowed only in limited circumstances linked to program activities, such as during travel or when approved in advance by us.

• Certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment. See 2 CFR 200.216 to make sure this does not apply to any proposed equipment in your application.

Unallowable costs

IMPORTANT: The successful grantee, including any sub-grantees, cannot use project funds for:

• Construction and/or rehabilitation of buildings

• Basic research, such as scientific or medical experiments

• Medical care

• Income maintenance

• Equipment purchases, unless such equipment is demonstrated to be necessary to carry out an activity otherwise fundable under Title IV of the Older Americans Act

Indirect costs

Indirect costs are those for a common or joint purpose across more than one project and that cannot be easily separated by project. Learn more at 45 CFR 75.414, Indirect Costs.

To charge indirect costs you can select one of two methods:

Method 1 – Approved rate. You currently have an indirect cost rate approved by your cognizant federal agency.

Method 2 – De minimis rate. Per 45 CFR 75.414(f), if you have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to charge a de minimis rate. If you are awaiting approval of an indirect cost proposal, you may also use the de minimis rate. If you choose this method, costs included in the indirect cost pool must not be charged as direct costs. If you use the de minimis rate to calculate indirect costs, when you calculate this rate, you will now use 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC) rather than 10%. See 2 CFR 200.414(f). Additionally, when you calculate MTDC, you can now use up to $50,000 of sub-awards and subcontracts rather than $25,000. See 2 CFR 200.1.

Program income

It is called program income if you make any income from your project activities. You will have to use those funds to add to the project activities. Find more about program income at 45 CFR 75.307.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

Yes For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

The match for this program requires you to contribute 25% of the project’s total cost. You can calculate this match requirement by using the following formula:

• Start with the federal share.

• Multiply the federal share by 25 and divide that product by 75.

EXAMPLE: Multiply $120,000 (federal share) x 25 (required match percent) and divide that product by 75.

Match in this example is $40,000.

Types of match

You can meet your match requirement through any combination of:

• Cash contributed by your organization.

• Cash contributed by partners or other third parties.

• In-kind (non-cash) contributions from third parties.

Match commitments

You must follow through on your promise of match funds. This includes those who have promised an amount more than the required minimum. We put these commitments in the Notice of Award.

If you don’t provide your promised amount, we may have to decrease your award amount. You will have to include your funds when you fill out your Federal Financial Reports.

Examples of In-Kind Contributions include:

• Volunteer services (a reasonable hourly rate applied to a volunteer’s time multiplied by the number of hours worked). Don’t forget advisory council members, support staff helping, medical/professional consultants, receptionists;

• Donated time of employees from other organizations (salaries or positions must not be supported by Federal funds);

• Donated IT and tech support time and supplies;

• Unpaid interns or fellows;

• Donated supplies and loaned equipment;

• Donated goods (i.e., food, incentives, give-a-ways);

• Marketing materials, flyers, etc.;

• Donated utilities;

• Site location (donated or discounted space);

• Transportation

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria Not applicable

Application Screening Criteria

All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the five screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

For an application to be reviewed, it must meet the following screening requirements:

1. Applications must be submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, by the due date listed in section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

2. The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 20 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment/Support, Organizational Chart, Budget Narrative/Justification, and Vitae of Key Project Personnel, and reference list are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit.

4. Applications must include a Budget Narrative/Justification for years 1, 2, and 3 along with a combined Budget Narrative/Justification for the proposed 36-month budget period.

The proposed combined Budget Narrative/Justification must not exceed the award ceiling of $500,000 per year.

5. Applications must include a Project Work Plan for years 1, 2, and 3. Project Work Plans must be consistent with the proposed Project Narrative and Budget Narrative/Justifications.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from https://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an https://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the application deadline."

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from https://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

• At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/ recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

• All applicants must have a UEI and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration.

This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

SAM.GOV Quick Start Guide for Financial Assistance Registrations.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

• Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

• Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

2. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

3. Provide its UEI number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a UEI number at the time the subaward is made.

• The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New Unique Entity Identifier. As of April of 2022, the federal government stopped using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities.

• You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide. Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=54e0016fdb3bbd90a8cb4a3913961934 and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM.

Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from https://www.grants.gov that contains https://www.grants.gov tracking number.