Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee

Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee, doing business as CAC, is a U.S. local government entity (Knox County-based) that operates as a federal grant recipient delivering community action, transportation, homeless services, and volunteer-service programs across Tennessee as a prime recipient (59% of awards) and sub-recipient (41% of awards). CAC does not hold federal contracts; its entire footprint consists of federal grants from civilian agencies, with no competitive set-aside posture.

CAC's customer concentration is distributed across five major federal agencies accounting for 69% of recent awards. The Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service leads by award count with 43 awards, followed by the Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration with 38 awards, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development with 35 awards, the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families with 19 awards, and the Department of the Interior National Park Service with 17 awards. Combined dollars obligated across all 221 awards (prime and sub) total $530.2 million.

As a prime recipient, CAC operates multiple AmeriCorps and transit programs. Representative examples include a $463,723 AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program (CFDA 94.016) grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service for the 2026–29 program year, engaging volunteers aged 55 and older to deliver in-home supportive services and companionship to vulnerable adults in Knox County; a $2.62 million Federal Transit Administration formula grant (CFDA 20.507) awarded June 15, 2026, providing demand-response public transportation and job-access services outside the City of Knoxville's fixed-route coverage area through March 30, 2034; a $2.48 million Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities formula grant (CFDA 20.513) from FTA awarded March 10, 2026, distributing capital and operating funds to subrecipient nonprofits and human service agencies to expand transportation for seniors and individuals with disabilities; and a $120,852 Continuum of Care project grant (CFDA 14.267) from HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development for fiscal year 2025–26, supporting permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and supportive services for homeless individuals and families in Knox County.

As a sub-recipient, CAC receives pass-through funding from the Tennessee Department of Human Services for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Child Nutrition block meals reimbursement; from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency for weatherization assistance, low-income home energy assistance, and Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) services; from the National Council on the Aging for benefits enrollment and outreach to low-income older adults and persons with disabilities; from Volunteer Tennessee for AmeriCorps member deployment on environmental education and public lands improvements in multi-county service areas; and from the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) services.

Activity has grown substantially, from 17 awards in 2022 to 34 in 2024, with 27 awards in 2025 and 17 awarded year-to-date in 2026. Seven awards carry ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months and face recompete. CAC's grant portfolio is heavily anchored to entitlements and formula distributions under federal transit, nutrition, weatherization, and AmeriCorps programs, positioning it as an operational delivery agent for social services and transportation access in Knox County and surrounding East Tennessee counties rather than as a competitive procurement vendor.