Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2016 ACL AOD DNBA 0177
Apply for HHS 2016 ACL AOD DNBA 0177
- The HHS-ACL in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Business Acumen for Disability Organizations" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.631.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 12, 2016 and posted on May 12, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 11, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Business Acumen for Disability Organizations grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2016 ACL AOD DNBA 0177) is a discretionary federal funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (HHS-ACL). It is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the federal agency expects to have an ongoing, substantial role in the project beyond simply issuing funds, often through collaboration, guidance, and oversight during implementation. The funding activity area is categorized under Income Security and Social Services (CFDA 93.631), signaling that the work is meant to strengthen service systems and supports that affect the stability, access, and well-being of people with disabilities in community settings.
The central goal is to help community-based disability organizations strengthen their ability to operate effectively in a health care contracting environment. The project is designed with two connected purposes. First, it aims to build baseline knowledge about what these organizations need in terms of content (skills, competencies, and training topics) and infrastructure (operational systems, staffing models, financial and administrative capacity, data capabilities, compliance readiness, and other organizational supports). This baseline knowledge is to be developed through surveys and feasibility studies, which implies a structured effort to gather information across the field, analyze gaps, and determine what kinds of business capacity-building supports are both necessary and realistic.
Second, the initiative is intended to deliver targeted technical assistance using a learning collaborative model to as many as 15 state coalitions of community-based disability organizations. In practice, a learning collaborative approach generally means a structured cohort experience where participating groups work on similar goals, share strategies and obstacles, receive expert coaching, and use iterative improvement cycles. Here, the improvement target is business capacity for contracting with health care entities. The opportunity specifically highlights potential contracting counterparts such as hospitals, health systems, accountable care organizations, and managed or integrated care plans. That emphasis suggests the project is meant to help disability organizations adapt to payment and delivery reforms in health care, where services and supports may be financed or coordinated through larger health systems and plans. The project focuses on positioning disability organizations to be credible, contract-ready partners that can negotiate, deliver, document, and sustain services under formal agreements with these health care payers and providers.
Funding is expected to support a single award, with an anticipated total award ceiling of $750,000. Only one award is expected, meaning one lead entity would be responsible for carrying out the national-level work of conducting the baseline assessments and then organizing and delivering the learning collaborative and technical assistance effort for up to 15 state coalitions. The original and current closing date for applications was July 11, 2016, and the opportunity was posted May 12, 2016, which places it as a time-limited funding announcement from that period.
Eligibility is broad and includes state governments, county governments, federally recognized tribal governments, other tribal organizations, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), small businesses, and other applicants as clarified in the additional eligibility information in the full announcement. This wide eligibility range reflects that the project could be led by various types of entities with experience in disability services, capacity building, technical assistance, research and assessment, or coalition support, as long as they can credibly convene stakeholders and deliver structured assistance across multiple states.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as an effort to strengthen the disability community-based service sector so it can better interface with the health care system as it becomes more driven by contracts, performance expectations, integrated care arrangements, and complex administrative requirements. The deliverables implied by the description include (1) field-wide or multi-stakeholder data gathering and analysis to define needs and feasibility, and (2) a hands-on, cohort-based technical assistance program that moves state coalitions toward stronger business operations and contracting readiness with major health care organizations and payers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Business Acumen for Disability Organizations.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS 2016 ACL AOD DNBA 0177.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a discretionary federal funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the Administration for Community Living (ACL) (HHS-ACL).
What type of award is this?
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement. This usually means ACL expects to play an ongoing, substantial role during the project (for example, collaboration, guidance, and oversight), rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.
What is the CFDA number and funding activity area?
The activity area is listed under Income Security and Social Services, with CFDA 93.631. This signals the work is intended to strengthen service systems and supports that affect the stability, access, and well-being of people with disabilities in community settings.
What is the main goal of the project?
The central goal is to help community-based disability organizations strengthen their ability to operate effectively in a health care contracting environment, so they can become credible, contract-ready partners to health care entities.
What are the two connected purposes described in the opportunity?
The project has two linked purposes:
- Build baseline knowledge about what community-based disability organizations need in terms of content (skills, competencies, training topics) and infrastructure (operational systems, staffing, financial and administrative capacity, data capabilities, compliance readiness, and other supports), using surveys and feasibility studies.
- Deliver targeted technical assistance through a learning collaborative model to as many as 15 state coalitions of community-based disability organizations, focused on improving business capacity for contracting with health care entities.
What does "baseline knowledge" mean in this grant context?
Based on the description, baseline knowledge refers to a structured understanding of:
- The field's training and competency needs (the "content" side)
- The operational and organizational capacity needs (the "infrastructure" side)
- What kinds of supports are both necessary and realistic (feasibility)
The opportunity indicates these insights should be developed through surveys and feasibility studies.
What kinds of organizational "infrastructure" needs are mentioned?
The opportunity highlights infrastructure areas such as:
- Operational systems
- Staffing models
- Financial and administrative capacity
- Data capabilities
- Compliance readiness
- Other organizational supports tied to contract readiness
What is the learning collaborative model expected to look like?
The description implies a cohort-based approach where participating groups work on similar goals, share strategies and obstacles, receive expert coaching, and use iterative improvement cycles. In this opportunity, the improvement target is business capacity for contracting with health care entities.
Who is the intended audience for the technical assistance?
The technical assistance is intended for as many as 15 state coalitions of community-based disability organizations.
What is the contracting environment this project is responding to?
The opportunity is designed to help disability organizations adapt to a health care environment that is increasingly driven by contracts, performance expectations, integrated care arrangements, and complex administrative requirements.
Which types of health care entities are specifically mentioned as potential contracting counterparts?
The opportunity specifically mentions contracting with entities such as:
- Hospitals
- Health systems
- Accountable care organizations (ACOs)
- Managed care plans
- Integrated care plans
What does "contract-ready" mean here?
Within the description provided, being contract-ready means positioning disability organizations to be credible partners that can negotiate, deliver, document, and sustain services under formal agreements with health care payers and providers.
How many awards are expected?
Only one award is expected. That means one lead entity would be responsible for the national-level work: conducting baseline assessments and organizing/delivering the learning collaborative and technical assistance for up to 15 state coalitions.
What is the anticipated total funding amount?
The anticipated total award ceiling is $750,000.
What are the key deliverables implied by the opportunity description?
The description implies two major deliverable areas:
- Data gathering and analysis across the field (surveys and feasibility studies) to define needs and feasibility related to business acumen and organizational infrastructure.
- A hands-on technical assistance program delivered through a learning collaborative model that helps state coalitions strengthen business operations and contracting readiness with major health care organizations and payers.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 12, 2016.
What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed was July 11, 2016.
Is eligibility limited to nonprofits?
No. Eligibility is described as broad and includes a range of applicant types, including government entities, tribal entities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education), and small businesses, along with other applicants as described in the full announcement.
Which types of organizations are eligible to apply based on the description provided?
Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County governments
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- Other tribal organizations
- Nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)
- Small businesses
- Other applicants as clarified in additional eligibility information in the full announcement
Why is eligibility described as broad?
The description suggests the project could be led by different entity types with relevant experience, such as disability services, capacity building, technical assistance, research and assessment, or coalition support, as long as the applicant can convene stakeholders and deliver structured assistance across multiple states.
Is this opportunity intended to operate at a national level or a single-state level?
The structure described points to a national-level effort, because a single awardee is expected to conduct field-wide baseline assessments and then support up to 15 state coalitions through a structured learning collaborative and technical assistance.
What is the overall purpose or rationale of the grant?
Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an effort to strengthen the community-based disability service sector so it can better interface with the health care system as contracting and integrated care arrangements become more common and administratively complex.
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| Alzheimer's Disease Initiative - Specialized Supportive Services (ADI-SSS) Project Financed Solely by 2016 Prevention and Public Health Funds (PPHF 2016) Apply for HHS 2016 ACL AOA ALGG 0152 Funding Number: HHS 2016 ACL AOA ALGG 0152 Agency: HHS-ACL Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Home Study and Post Release Services for Unaccompanied Children Apply for HHS 2017 ACF ORR ZU 1139 Funding Number: HHS 2017 ACF ORR ZU 1139 Agency: HHS-ACF-ORR Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| UCEDD Network Diversity and Inclusion Training Action Planning Grant Apply for HHS 2016 ACL AOD DDTI 0173 Funding Number: HHS 2016 ACL AOD DDTI 0173 Agency: HHS-ACL Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $300,000 |
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| Diversity Community of Practice Apply for HHS 2016 ACL AOD DNDC 0180 Funding Number: HHS 2016 ACL AOD DNDC 0180 Agency: HHS-ACL Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $350,000 |
| Training and Technical Assistance Center for State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Delivery Systems Apply for HHS 2016 ACL AOD DNTA 0179 Funding Number: HHS 2016 ACL AOD DNTA 0179 Agency: HHS-ACL Category: Income Security and Social Services Funding Amount: $400,000 |
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