Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2014 ACF OCSE FD 0818
Apply for HHS 2014 ACF OCSE FD 0818
- The Administration for Children and Families OCSE in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Behavioral Interventions for Child Support Services" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.564 Child Support Enforcement Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 12, 2014 and posted on Jun 6, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 5, 2014 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,200,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- State Title IV D agencies (including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) or the umbrella agency of the IV D program are eligible to receive awards under this funding announcement. Applications from individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship for profit organizations are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
Behavioral Interventions for Child Support Services (BICS) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). The purpose is to improve how state child support programs operate and how effective they are by applying behavioral economics and behavioral insights to real program processes. A central emphasis is not just on trying new ideas, but on building a lasting culture inside child support agencies that routinely tests improvements, learns quickly from evidence, and uses rapid-cycle evaluation and critical inquiry to guide everyday decisions.
The awards are structured as cooperative agreements, meaning OCSE expects an active partnership with grantees rather than a hands-off grant. Funding is provided through Section 1115 funds to state Title IV-D child support agencies (including eligible U.S. territories and the District of Columbia) to explore and test behaviorally informed interventions that can strengthen outcomes such as establishing orders, enforcing orders, and increasing consistent payments. The program also highlights specific priority areas where behavioral barriers often show up: early engagement with parents, "right-sizing" child support orders so they are realistic and payable, improving reliable payment behavior, strengthening family-centered services, and supporting other innovations that help families navigate establishment and enforcement processes more successfully.
A defining feature of BICS is the required collaboration with an OCSE-funded third-party technical assistance and evaluation (TAE) team, funded under a companion announcement (HHS 2014 ACF OCSE FD 0822). The grantee and the TAE team work together to diagnose where current business processes may be causing drop-off, confusion, missed appointments, nonresponse, or disengagement, then design interventions that use behavioral principles to reduce friction and increase follow-through. These interventions might involve redesigning notices and reminders, changing defaults, simplifying steps, adjusting the timing of communications, reframing messages, or reworking service pathways so that participation is easier and more predictable for parents.
Projects are expected to begin with a diagnosis and design phase and then move into a pilot test at a multi-county level (or a large single county). The pilots must use random assignment to credibly measure whether the intervention causes improvements in targeted outcomes. The evaluation focus is generally on shorter-term, measurable milestones such as enrollment, engagement, and program completion, rather than only long-term endpoints. If the pilot demonstrates success, the expectation is that the intervention will be scaled statewide or implemented as broadly as possible within the state, so the work does not stay limited to a small demonstration.
In terms of basic funding details, OCSE anticipated making about eight awards, with an estimated total funding level of $1.2 million. Individual awards were expected to fall between $125,000 and $150,000, and there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Eligible applicants are limited to state Title IV-D agencies or the umbrella agency administering the IV-D program (including DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship or for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible and would be disqualified from review.
Key administrative information in the announcement includes the Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2014 ACF OCSE FD 0818, CFDA 93.564 (Child Support Enforcement Research), and an original/current closing date of August 5, 2014 (with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. ET). The notice also states the FOA was modified to correct the webcast link for the HHS Behavioral Insights Conference, reflecting the broader federal interest at the time in applying behavioral economics to health and social service programs. For applicants needing technical help accessing the full announcement, ACF provided an Applications Help Desk contact (appsupport@acf.hhs.gov).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Behavioral Interventions for Child Support Services (BICS)
What is the Behavioral Interventions for Child Support Services (BICS) grant opportunity?
BICS is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). It supports projects that apply behavioral economics and behavioral insights to real child support program processes in order to improve how state child support programs operate and how effective they are.
What is the main purpose of BICS?
The purpose is to improve state child support program operations and outcomes by using behavioral insights to identify barriers in existing processes and test changes that reduce friction, improve follow-through, and increase successful engagement. A major emphasis is building a lasting agency culture that routinely tests improvements, learns quickly from evidence, and uses rapid-cycle evaluation and critical inquiry to guide day-to-day decisions.
Which federal offices are sponsoring BICS?
BICS is offered by HHS through ACF, specifically the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE).
What type of award is BICS (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
BICS awards are structured as cooperative agreements. This means OCSE expects an active partnership with grantees rather than a hands-off relationship.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are limited to state Title IV-D child support agencies or the umbrella agency administering the Title IV-D program. Eligibility includes the District of Columbia and U.S. territories such as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Who is not eligible to apply?
Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship or for-profit organizations are explicitly ineligible and would be disqualified from review.
What funding source is used for BICS?
Funding is provided through Section 1115 funds to support behaviorally informed interventions within Title IV-D child support agencies.
How many awards were anticipated, and what was the total funding level?
OCSE anticipated making about eight awards with an estimated total funding level of $1.2 million.
What is the expected award size for an individual grantee?
Individual awards were expected to range from $125,000 to $150,000.
Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
No. The announcement states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
What kinds of outcomes is BICS trying to strengthen?
The opportunity is intended to strengthen outcomes such as establishing child support orders, enforcing orders, and increasing consistent payments by applying behavioral insights to program processes.
What priority areas does BICS highlight?
The program highlights priority areas where behavioral barriers often appear, including early engagement with parents, right-sizing child support orders so they are realistic and payable, improving reliable payment behavior, strengthening family-centered services, and supporting other innovations that help families navigate establishment and enforcement processes more successfully.
What does "right-sizing" a child support order mean in this context?
In this announcement, "right-sizing" refers to improving how orders are set so they are realistic and payable, which can help reduce nonpayment and improve consistency.
What is the required technical assistance and evaluation (TAE) collaboration?
A defining feature of BICS is required collaboration with an OCSE-funded third-party technical assistance and evaluation (TAE) team. The TAE team is funded under a companion announcement: HHS 2014 ACF OCSE FD 0822.
What does the grantee do with the TAE team?
The grantee and the TAE team work together to diagnose where current business processes may contribute to drop-off, confusion, missed appointments, nonresponse, or disengagement, and then design and test interventions that use behavioral principles to reduce friction and increase follow-through.
What are examples of behavioral interventions that might be tested under BICS?
Examples described in the announcement include redesigning notices and reminders, changing defaults, simplifying steps, adjusting the timing of communications, reframing messages, or reworking service pathways so participation is easier and more predictable for parents.
How are projects expected to be structured over time?
Projects are expected to begin with a diagnosis and design phase and then move into a pilot test at a multi-county level (or a large single county).
What scale is expected for pilot testing?
Pilots are expected to be conducted at a multi-county level or in a large single county, rather than only a small or highly limited setting.
Is random assignment required?
Yes. The pilots must use random assignment to credibly measure whether the intervention causes improvements in targeted outcomes.
What is the evaluation focus for BICS projects?
The evaluation focus is generally on shorter-term, measurable milestones such as enrollment, engagement, and program completion, rather than only long-term endpoints.
What happens if the pilot demonstrates success?
If the pilot demonstrates success, the expectation is that the intervention will be scaled statewide or implemented as broadly as possible within the state, rather than remaining a small demonstration.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for BICS?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS 2014 ACF OCSE FD 0818.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.564, described as Child Support Enforcement Research.
What was the closing date and submission deadline time?
The original/current closing date stated is August 5, 2014, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. ET.
Was the announcement modified after release?
Yes. The notice states the FOA was modified to correct the webcast link for the HHS Behavioral Insights Conference, reflecting broader federal interest at the time in applying behavioral economics to health and social service programs.
Where can applicants get technical help accessing the full announcement?
ACF provided an Applications Help Desk contact for technical help: appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
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