FY09 Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) | Apply Online

FY09 Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) Grant Opportunity FAQs

1) What is the FY09 Youth Empowerment Program (YEP)?

The FY09 Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. Its purpose is to improve health-related behaviors among at-risk minority youth by reducing unhealthy behaviors and helping youth build practical skills, confidence, and knowledge to make healthier choices over time.

2) What is the main goal of YEP?

A central goal is learning what works by testing and demonstrating innovative approaches that can improve health and life outcomes for youth who are at higher risk for poor long-term outcomes. YEP is designed to generate measurable results and lessons learned that can inform future efforts.

3) What types of youth does YEP focus on?

YEP focuses on at-risk minority youth, particularly youth who are at higher risk for poor long-term outcomes. The program is centered on supporting healthier lifestyle choices and reducing unhealthy behaviors in these populations.

4) What kinds of activities or approaches does YEP want to fund?

YEP is structured as a set of demonstration projects. Applicants are expected to propose interventions that go beyond routine programming and that can show measurable results. Projects should produce lessons learned and approaches that could be replicated or expanded.

5) What does it mean that YEP is made up of “demonstration projects”?

Demonstration projects are intended to test and show how innovative interventions work in real-world settings. Under YEP, the expectation is that projects will not simply continue standard services, but will implement approaches that can be measured, evaluated through results, and used to identify strategies that may be replicated or scaled.

6) Is YEP designed to be a single-organization effort?

No. The opportunity emphasizes that youth health challenges are not solved by a single organization acting alone. YEP requires a multi-partner model with collaboration across multiple sectors of the community.

7) What kinds of partners are projects expected to include?

Projects are expected to bring together:

• Institutions of higher education
• Primary and secondary schools
• Community-based organizations and institutions
• The broader community

This collaborative structure is intended to combine academic expertise, school access to youth, community trust and services, and local buy-in.

8) Why does YEP require a collaborative model?

The collaborative setup is meant to ensure program activities are realistic, culturally appropriate, and sustainable. By combining the strengths of higher education, schools, and community organizations, projects are better positioned to reach youth effectively and maintain momentum beyond a single organization’s capacity.

9) What is the funding mechanism used for YEP?

Funding is provided through a cooperative agreement. This typically indicates a more hands-on relationship between the federal government and awardees than a standard grant.

10) How is a cooperative agreement different from a standard grant (based on this opportunity’s description)?

In practice, a cooperative agreement often means the funding agency may have substantial involvement in shaping implementation, monitoring progress, or supporting coordination across projects, consistent with the terms of the cooperative agreement.

11) How many awards were planned under YEP?

The program planned to make about 12 awards.

12) What was the estimated total funding amount for the program?

The estimated total funding level was $3.5 million.

13) What is the expected funding range for an individual award?

Individual awards were expected to fall within a narrow range, with a minimum (floor) of $275,000 and a maximum (ceiling) of $300,000.

14) Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was stated for applicants.

15) Who is eligible to apply as the lead applicant?

Eligibility was limited. To qualify, the lead applicant had to be either:

• An institution of higher education or a community college with a documented history of working in minority communities
• A tribal college

The competition was described as limited, meaning not all organization types were eligible.

16) What does “limited competition” mean for this opportunity?

“Limited competition” indicates that the applicant pool is restricted to certain eligible organization types. For YEP, the intent was to concentrate project leadership within higher education entities that have relevant experience and community relationships.

17) What responsibilities does the lead (submitting) institution have?

The submitting institution was required to act as the lead agency responsible for overall implementation and management of the project. It also had to serve as the fiscal agent, meaning it would manage the federal funds and handle financial reporting for the partnership.

18) What is the funding opportunity number for this announcement?

The funding opportunity number was MP YEP 09 002.

19) What CFDA number is associated with YEP in this listing?

The listing placed the opportunity under CFDA 93.910, Family and Community Violence Prevention Program.

20) What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The opportunity was listed under the health activity category.

21) When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on August 3, 2009.

22) What was the application closing date?

The application closing date was September 3, 2009.

23) When was the archive date?

The archive date was October 3, 2009.

24) Where can applicants get help accessing the full announcement?

Applicants needing help accessing the full announcement were directed to the Grants.gov Contact Center by phone at 1-800-518-4726 or by email at support@grants.gov, during weekday operating hours.