Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2009 ACF ORR RG 0020
Apply for HHS 2009 ACF ORR RG 0020
- The Administration for Children and Families in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Discretionary Funds for Refugee Microenterprise Development Projects" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.576 Refugee and Entrant AssistanceDiscretionary Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 13, 2009 and posted on Mar 13, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 11, 2009 See link to full announcement for details. IMPORTANT NOTE Applications submitted electronically via Grants.gov must be submitted no later than 430 p.m., eastern time, on the due date referenced above.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: County governments Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) City or township governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments.
- Eligible Clients Eligible clients are refugees who aspire to establish, expand, or stabilize a microenterprise but who lack the financial resources, credit history, or personal assets to qualify for business loans or assistance through commercial institutions. Refugees who are not yet citizens may participate regardless of their date of arrival in the U.S. However, refugees who arrived in the U.S. within the last five years have priority for services. Eligibility for refugee social services includes (1) refugees (2) asylees (3) Cuban and Haitian entrants (4) certain Amerasians, and (5) victims of a severe form of trafficking. Detailed information on eligibility is available at 45 CFR 400.43 and ORR State Letters 00 17, 01 13, 02 01, and 04 12. Please visit ORR website at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr to access these letters. Grantees will be responsible for documenting and maintaining refugee client eligibility for services under this project. Faith based and community organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign entities are not eligible under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Discretionary Funds for Refugee Microenterprise Development Projects grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2009 ACF ORR RG 0020) was offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). It supports microenterprise development efforts for refugees and other ORR-eligible populations, building on ORR's long-running investment in this field dating back to 1991. The overall aim is to help eligible clients start, expand, or stabilize very small businesses when they cannot easily access traditional commercial financing because they lack credit history, personal assets, or sufficient financial resources. The program sits within the Income Security and Social Services activity area and is funded as a discretionary grant.
The opportunity anticipated making about 8 awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $1,500,000. Individual awards were expected to range from $100,000 to $300,000, and there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The announcement was posted on March 13, 2009, with an application deadline of May 11, 2009. For applications submitted through Grants.gov, the deadline was explicitly tied to a firm cutoff time of 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. The listing was later archived on June 10, 2009. The applicable CFDA number for this funding is 93.576, Refugee and Entrant Assistance Discretionary Grants.
Eligible applicants covered a broad mix of governmental and nonprofit entities, including state governments, county governments, and city or township governments, as well as nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), and both public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education. The announcement also clarified that faith-based and community organizations could apply, reflecting ORR's typical openness to a wide range of community-based service providers. Foreign entities, however, were not eligible under this specific announcement.
On the client side, services were intended for refugees who want to pursue microenterprise ownership but face barriers to standard lending and business support systems. Refugees who are not yet U.S. citizens could participate regardless of how long they have been in the United States, but those who arrived within the past five years were identified as a priority group for services. The broader set of ORR-eligible service populations included refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, certain Amerasians, and victims of severe forms of trafficking. The announcement pointed applicants to 45 CFR 400.43 and several ORR State Letters (00-17, 01-13, 02-01, and 04-12) for detailed eligibility rules, and it emphasized that grantees would be responsible for documenting and maintaining proof of client eligibility throughout the project.
In terms of what ORR was looking for, the description underscored that historically successful microenterprise programs tend to be housed in organizations that have a long-term commitment to microenterprise development, especially access to lending, and that understand how to adapt microenterprise strategies to the refugee experience. ORR highlighted the importance of applicants committing their own agency resources to support refugee programming and aligning microenterprise work with the organization’s overall mission, suggesting a preference for programs that are not one-off projects but are integrated into sustained community economic development or human services efforts.
The full announcement and official requirements were provided through an ACF link, and applicants who had difficulty accessing the materials were directed to the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Discretionary Funds for Refugee Microenterprise Development Projects.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS 2009 ACF ORR RG 0020.
Which federal agency offered this grant?
This grant was offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
What is the CFDA number for this funding?
The applicable CFDA number is 93.576, Refugee and Entrant Assistance Discretionary Grants.
What is the purpose of the Discretionary Funds for Refugee Microenterprise Development Projects program?
The program supports microenterprise development efforts that help refugees and other ORR-eligible populations start, expand, or stabilize very small businesses, especially when they cannot easily access traditional commercial financing due to limited credit history, limited personal assets, or insufficient financial resources.
What activity area does this grant fall under?
The opportunity sits within the Income Security and Social Services activity area and is funded as a discretionary grant.
How many awards were expected to be made?
The opportunity anticipated making about 8 awards.
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding amount was $1,500,000.
What was the expected award size (minimum and maximum)?
Individual awards were expected to range from $100,000 to $300,000.
Was cost-sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted?
The announcement was posted on March 13, 2009.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was May 11, 2009.
Was there a specific cutoff time for Grants.gov submissions?
Yes. For applications submitted through Grants.gov, the deadline was tied to a firm cutoff time of 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. The listing was later archived on June 10, 2009.
Who could apply for this grant (eligible applicants)?
Eligible applicants included a broad mix of governmental and nonprofit entities, including:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education)
- Public/state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
Could faith-based or community organizations apply?
Yes. The announcement clarified that faith-based and community organizations could apply, consistent with ORR's typical openness to a wide range of community-based service providers.
Were foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. The announcement specified that foreign entities were not eligible under this opportunity.
Who were the intended clients for services supported by this grant?
Services were intended for refugees and other ORR-eligible populations who want to pursue microenterprise ownership but face barriers to standard lending and business support systems.
Which populations are considered ORR-eligible under this opportunity?
The broader set of ORR-eligible service populations referenced in the announcement included:
- Refugees
- Asylees
- Cuban and Haitian entrants
- Certain Amerasians
- Victims of severe forms of trafficking
Could refugees who are not U.S. citizens participate?
Yes. Refugees who are not yet U.S. citizens could participate regardless of how long they have been in the United States.
Were any client groups identified as a priority?
Yes. Refugees who arrived within the past five years were identified as a priority group for services.
What types of barriers to traditional financing did ORR highlight?
The announcement specifically noted that eligible clients may struggle to access commercial financing because they may lack:
- Credit history
- Personal assets
- Sufficient financial resources
What does ORR say about what makes microenterprise programs successful?
The announcement emphasized that historically successful microenterprise programs tend to be housed in organizations that:
- Have a long-term commitment to microenterprise development
- Focus especially on access to lending
- Understand how to adapt microenterprise strategies to the refugee experience
Did ORR express a preference for how microenterprise work should fit within an organization?
Yes. ORR highlighted the importance of applicants committing their own agency resources to support refugee programming and aligning microenterprise work with the organization’s overall mission. The description suggested a preference for programs that are integrated into sustained community economic development or human services efforts, rather than being one-off projects.
Where could applicants find detailed client eligibility rules?
The announcement pointed applicants to 45 CFR 400.43 and several ORR State Letters for detailed eligibility rules, specifically: 00-17, 01-13, 02-01, and 04-12.
What responsibilities did grantees have regarding client eligibility documentation?
The announcement emphasized that grantees would be responsible for documenting and maintaining proof of client eligibility throughout the project.
Where were the full announcement and official requirements provided?
The full announcement and official requirements were provided through an ACF link referenced in the opportunity information.
Who could applicants contact if they had trouble accessing application materials?
Applicants having difficulty accessing the materials were directed to the ACF Applications Help Desk at appsupport@acf.hhs.gov.
How long has ORR invested in microenterprise development, according to the announcement?
The announcement noted that ORR's investment in microenterprise development dates back to 1991.
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