Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS 12 09 15
Apply for CNCS 12 09 15
- The CNCS in the community development, education, employment, labor and training, health, housing, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2016 Social Innovation Fund Pay for Success Cooperative Agreement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.024.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 09, 2015 and posted on Dec 09, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 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 $5,400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township 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, Private institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FY 2016 Social Innovation Fund Pay for Success (PFS) Cooperative Agreement was a federal funding opportunity released by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) under CFDA 94.024. The competition was designed to accelerate the use of Pay for Success approaches, which are performance-based financing models that aim to move public and philanthropic dollars toward programs that can demonstrate measurable, verifiable outcomes. In practice, this means supporting initiatives that are set up to track results carefully and tie funding or repayment to whether those results are achieved, rather than simply funding activities or services without a strong outcomes framework.
At a mission level, the opportunity sat within the broader Social Innovation Fund (SIF) goal of expanding effective, community-based solutions, particularly in low-income communities. The PFS focus emphasized building and advancing emerging models that can prove impact, scale what works, and strengthen accountability for results across sectors such as community development, education, employment and workforce training, health, housing, and regional development. The underlying intent was to encourage more jurisdictions and organizations to implement PFS projects so that innovative interventions could reach more people while also generating clearer evidence about what actually improves lives.
The award was structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning CNCS expected to have a more active role than in a standard grant, typically through collaboration, oversight, and engagement on implementation and performance management. The maximum award amount listed (award ceiling) was $5,400,000, and the agency anticipated making about four awards. The opportunity was posted on December 9, 2015, with an application deadline of February 11, 2016, indicating a relatively short application window typical of competitive federal funding rounds.
Eligibility was broad across public, nonprofit, and education sectors. Eligible applicants included state, county, and city or township governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); and private institutions of higher education. This range of eligible entities reflected the cross-sector nature of PFS initiatives, which often require coordination among government funders, service providers, evaluators, and sometimes intermediaries or investors to structure outcome-based contracts and evaluation plans.
Overall, this competition was intended for applicants prepared to design or implement Pay for Success projects with clear outcome targets and robust measurement, using the cooperative agreement to help bring performance-driven, evidence-oriented interventions to scale in communities facing persistent economic challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the FY 2016 Social Innovation Fund Pay for Success (PFS) Cooperative Agreement?
The FY 2016 Social Innovation Fund (SIF) Pay for Success (PFS) Cooperative Agreement was a federal funding opportunity released by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) under CFDA 94.024. It was designed to accelerate the use of Pay for Success approaches, which are performance-based financing models focused on achieving measurable and verifiable outcomes.
Which federal agency offered this opportunity?
This opportunity was offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
What is CFDA 94.024?
CFDA 94.024 is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number associated with this CNCS Social Innovation Fund funding opportunity.
What does "Pay for Success" (PFS) mean in this competition?
In this competition, Pay for Success refers to performance-based financing models that aim to shift public and philanthropic dollars toward programs that can demonstrate measurable, verifiable outcomes. Funding or repayment is tied to whether results are achieved, rather than simply funding activities without a strong outcomes framework.
How is a PFS approach different from traditional grant funding?
The PFS focus emphasizes careful tracking of results and linking funding or repayment to outcomes achieved. Traditional grant funding is often structured around supporting activities or services, even when the connection to measurable outcomes is less direct.
What was the broader mission context of this opportunity?
This opportunity sat within the broader Social Innovation Fund (SIF) goal of expanding effective, community-based solutions, particularly in low-income communities. The PFS emphasis was on building and advancing models that can prove impact, scale what works, and strengthen accountability for results.
What types of issue areas or sectors were included?
The opportunity referenced multiple sectors, including community development, education, employment and workforce training, health, housing, and regional development.
What kinds of projects was this competition trying to encourage?
The competition aimed to encourage more jurisdictions and organizations to implement Pay for Success projects so that innovative interventions could reach more people and generate clearer evidence about what improves lives.
What is a cooperative agreement, and why does it matter?
This award was structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning CNCS expected to have a more active role than in a standard grant. The description indicates this active role would typically include collaboration, oversight, and engagement on implementation and performance management.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The maximum award amount listed (award ceiling) was $5,400,000.
How many awards did CNCS anticipate making?
CNCS anticipated making about four awards.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on December 9, 2015.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was February 11, 2016.
How long was the application window?
Based on the posting date (December 9, 2015) and deadline (February 11, 2016), the application window was relatively short, which is typical of competitive federal funding rounds.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad across public, nonprofit, and education sectors. Eligible applicants included state, county, and city or township governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); and private institutions of higher education.
Are nonprofits eligible, and are there any restrictions mentioned?
Yes. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status were eligible, with a stated exclusion for institutions of higher education.
Are institutions of higher education eligible?
Private institutions of higher education were listed as eligible applicants. Separately, the eligibility description noted that 501(c)(3) nonprofits were eligible but excluded institutions of higher education under that nonprofit category.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations were included as eligible applicants.
Why does the opportunity emphasize measurement and verification?
The PFS approach described in the opportunity is centered on measurable, verifiable outcomes. The intent is to strengthen accountability for results and build clearer evidence about what interventions produce real improvements.
What level of readiness was implied for applicants?
The opportunity was intended for applicants prepared to design or implement Pay for Success projects with clear outcome targets and robust measurement, using the cooperative agreement to support performance-driven, evidence-oriented interventions.
Why was cross-sector participation important for this opportunity?
The eligibility range reflected the cross-sector nature of PFS initiatives, which often require coordination among government funders, service providers, evaluators, and sometimes intermediaries or investors to structure outcome-based contracts and evaluation plans.
What was the underlying intent of promoting Pay for Success projects?
The underlying intent was to encourage wider implementation of PFS projects so that innovative interventions could scale, reach more people, and produce clearer evidence about what improves lives, especially in communities facing persistent economic challenges.
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