Mescalero Apache Tribe

Mescalero Apache Tribe-Special Revenue Dept, a federally recognized tribal government entity headquartered in Mescalero, New Mexico, is a grant recipient delivering social services, public health, transportation, justice, and environmental programs directly to the Mescalero Apache community, with minimal subcontracting footprint and one small federal contract (a $41,960 firm fixed-price refuse services contract awarded August 31, 2026, for the Mescalero Agency through the Albuquerque Acquisition Office, running through August 31, 2031).

The tribe's federal footprint centers on grants rather than contracts. The Special Revenue Dept acts as prime recipient across 123 awards spanning 42 distinct federal agencies, with a combined obligated value of $117.8 million against combined potential value of $192 thousand—a reflection of the source data's older potential-value estimates versus recent obligated spending. Awards per year have ranged from 7 to 19 over the past five years (11 in 2022, 19 in 2023, 15 in 2024, 8 in 2025, and 7 in 2026 year-to-date), with 21 awards completing within the next twenty-four months. The tribe received one federal contract sub-award in October 2024 from Justice and Security Strategies, Inc., for body-worn camera program micro-grant support.

Customer concentration spans child care and development, aging and nutrition services, public transportation, justice and victim services, employment and training, and environmental programs. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living leads by award count (17 awards), followed by the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (9 awards), the Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (8 awards), the National Park Service (7 awards), and the Administration for Children and Families (7 awards). The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs Albuquerque Acquisition Office anchors the potential-value ranking with 6 awards valued at $144 thousand combined, though the HHS programs carry the largest obligated dollars across the grant portfolio.

Representative grant work illustrates the breadth of tribal service delivery. The tribe received $1.336 billion in discretionary child care and development block grant funding (CFDA 93.575) and $151,616 in mandatory and matching child care funding (CFDA 93.596), both awarded October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, by the Office of Child Care. The Federal Transit Administration awarded $549,977 on January 21, 2026, under CFDA 20.509 (Formula Grants for Rural Areas and Tribal Transit Program) to cover public transportation operating costs including vehicle maintenance, insurance, and salaries through June 30, 2028. The tribe received $122,960 from the Administration on Aging (CFDA 93.047) on April 1, 2026, for nutrition and supportive services to tribal elders aged 60 and older through March 31, 2029. The Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded $892,682 on October 1, 2023, under CFDA 16.596 for a five-year Mescalero Apache Peacemaker Court project using culturally appropriate dispute resolution methods, completing September 30, 2028. The tribe also received $444,122 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.731) on October 1, 2023, for a tribal youth prevention program targeting substance abuse and suicide reduction through September 30, 2028. Mental health and prevention programs include a $934,000 five-year Native Connections grant from the SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services (awarded September 30, 2024, completing September 29, 2029) for suicide prevention, traditional values reinforcement, and alcohol use reduction among tribal youth and adults.

The tribe's grant portfolio spans health and human services, transportation, employment and training, justice and victim services, historic preservation, environmental management, and broadband infrastructure. The Administration on Aging supports multiple formula grants for elder nutrition and caregiver support (CFDA 93.047, 93.044, 93.052). The Employment and Training Administration funds employment services and training under WIOA (CFDA 17.277) with awards running through mid-2028. The Federal Transit Administration provides recurring formula grants (CFDA 20.509) for rural and tribal public transportation operations and discretionary capital grants for equipment and infrastructure. The Bureau of Justice Assistance and Office of Justice Programs fund tribal justice programs including peacemaker courts, tribal youth programs, and sex offender registration (CFDA 16.596, 16.731, 16.750). The Office of Child Care provides mandatory, matching, and discretionary funding for child care services and quality improvement. The Federal Highway Administration awarded $280,000 on December 29, 2025, under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program (CFDA 20.939) to develop a tribal safety action plan. The National Park Service awards Historic Preservation Fund grants annually (CFDA 15.904) to support tribal historic preservation office activities. The Environmental Protection Agency and NRCS provide grants for environmental programs, solid waste management capacity building, and watershed protection.

The tribe delivers all services directly to the Mescalero Apache community with no subrecipients across nearly all grants, performing work on tribal lands in Mescalero and surrounding areas of Otero County, New Mexico. The single sub-award reflects minimal vendor teaming in the federal footprint. Activity remains steady across the recent five-year window, with strong concentration in HHS programs (child care, aging, employment and training, health), transportation services, and justice programs—a profile typical of federally recognized tribal governments serving on-reservation populations.