Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 081414 001
Apply for ED GRANTS 081414 001
- The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSER) Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Program CFDA Number 84.224D" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.224 Assistive Technology.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 14, 2014 and posted on Aug 14, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 15, 2014 Applications Available August 14, 2014. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications September 15, 2014.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,986,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $993,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible Applicants State agencies and community based disability organizations that are directed by and operated for individuals with disabilities shall be eligible to compete. Under 34 CFR 75.127(a), eligible parties may apply for a grant as a group or consortium.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Assistive Technology (AT) Alternative Financing Program (AFP), administered by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSER) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), is a discretionary grant competition (CFDA 84.224D) designed to expand practical ways for people with disabilities to pay for assistive technology. The central goal is to help establish or strengthen financing programs that make it easier to purchase AT devices and related services through mechanisms that function more like mainstream financial tools than traditional grant giveaways. The opportunity is rooted in the idea that many people are able to use and maintain assistive technology successfully, but cannot afford the upfront costs, cannot qualify for standard credit on reasonable terms, or need financing structures that match their situation.
Funded projects are expected to operate an "alternative financing program" that directly supports the purchase of assistive technology. The notice lists several examples of acceptable models: a low-interest loan fund, an interest buy-down program (where the program subsidizes interest to reduce the borrower cost), a revolving loan fund (where repayments replenish the fund for future borrowers), a loan guarantee program (reducing lender risk to expand access), or an insurance-related program. In practice, these approaches are meant to widen the set of options available to consumers so they can obtain the AT they choose, when they need it, without being limited to a narrow set of charitable or agency-controlled purchasing pathways.
A major requirement highlighted in the synopsis comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014. Applicants must provide an assurance and a clear description of how their AFP will expand and emphasize consumer choice and control. In other words, the program should be designed so that individuals with disabilities are not just recipients, but decision-makers with real options about what devices and services to obtain and how to finance them. The emphasis is on financing access to the full array of AT devices and services, not just a small subset, and on avoiding eligibility designs that inadvertently exclude people based on disability type, health condition, age, income level, or where they live.
The Act also clarifies who can apply. Eligible applicants include State agencies as well as community-based disability organizations that are directed by and operated for individuals with disabilities. The synopsis also notes that, under 34 CFR 75.127(a), eligible parties may apply as a group or consortium, which matters for states or organizations that want to collaborate across agencies, regions, or service systems to build a stronger lending or guarantee platform.
Another program design expectation comes from the Managers Statement accompanying the Act: applicants are encouraged to incorporate credit-building activities into their AFP. That includes providing financial education and sharing information about other possible funding sources. This signals that the federal interest is not only in getting a device into someones hands, but also in helping people strengthen their overall financial stability and ability to access affordable credit in the future, which can have longer-term benefits well beyond a single AT purchase.
From a funding and competition standpoint, the opportunity anticipated a small number of awards. The notice lists an estimated total funding amount of $1,986,000 with an expected two awards, and an award ceiling of $993,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement identified in the synopsis, meaning applicants were not required (based on this summary) to provide a non-federal match as a condition of award, though applicants would still need to follow all requirements in the official Federal Register notice.
Applications were required to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, using the downloadable application package for CFDA 84.224 (without the letter suffix when searching; applicants were instructed to search "84.224" rather than "84.224D"). The application window described in the synopsis opened August 14, 2014, with a deadline for transmittal of applications of September 15, 2014, and an archive date of October 15, 2014. The posting identifies the opportunity number as ED-GRANTS-081414-001 and categorizes it under education-related federal funding activity.
For official details beyond the synopsis (including formal priorities, selection criteria, performance measures, and any pre-application expectations), the notice directs applicants to the Federal Register application notice, which is treated as the controlling source. Contact points included technical help for accessing the announcement and Grants.gov systems, and a designated program manager at the Department of Education for program-specific questions.
Assistive Technology (AT) Alternative Financing Program (AFP) Grant (CFDA 84.224D) - FAQs
What is the Assistive Technology (AT) Alternative Financing Program (AFP)?
The AT Alternative Financing Program (AFP) is a discretionary grant competition administered by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSER) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). Its purpose is to expand practical ways for people with disabilities to pay for assistive technology (AT) devices and related services.
What problem is this grant trying to solve?
The opportunity is aimed at situations where people can benefit from assistive technology but face barriers such as high upfront costs, difficulty qualifying for standard credit on reasonable terms, or a need for financing options that better match their circumstances.
What is the central goal of the AFP?
The central goal is to help establish or strengthen financing programs that make it easier to purchase AT devices and related services using mechanisms that function more like mainstream financial tools rather than traditional grant giveaways.
What are funded projects expected to do?
Funded projects are expected to operate an "alternative financing program" that directly supports the purchase of assistive technology.
What kinds of alternative financing models are acceptable under this opportunity?
The synopsis lists several acceptable models, including:
- A low-interest loan fund
- An interest buy-down program (where the program subsidizes interest to reduce borrower cost)
- A revolving loan fund (where repayments replenish the fund for future borrowers)
- A loan guarantee program (to reduce lender risk and expand access)
- An insurance-related program
How is the AFP different from a traditional grant program for devices?
The AFP emphasizes financing approaches that expand consumer options and resemble mainstream financing tools, rather than device distribution models that can limit choice to a narrow set of agency-controlled or charitable purchasing pathways.
What does "consumer choice and control" mean in this grant?
Applicants must provide an assurance and a clear description of how their AFP will expand and emphasize consumer choice and control. This means individuals with disabilities should have meaningful decision-making power about what AT devices and services to obtain and how to finance them, rather than being treated only as recipients.
Where does the consumer choice requirement come from?
The synopsis highlights a requirement from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, requiring applicants to explain how their AFP will expand and emphasize consumer choice and control.
Does the AFP have expectations about what devices or services can be financed?
Yes. The emphasis is on financing access to the full array of assistive technology devices and related services, not limiting support to only a small subset.
Does the synopsis mention any expectations about eligibility design?
Yes. The synopsis emphasizes avoiding eligibility designs that inadvertently exclude people based on disability type, health condition, age, income level, or geographic location.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants include State agencies and community-based disability organizations that are directed by and operated for individuals with disabilities.
Can organizations apply together as a partnership or consortium?
Yes. Under 34 CFR 75.127(a), eligible parties may apply as a group or consortium, which can support collaboration across agencies, regions, or service systems.
Are applicants encouraged to include credit-building activities?
Yes. The Managers Statement accompanying the Act encourages applicants to incorporate credit-building activities into their AFP, including financial education and sharing information about other possible funding sources.
Is the goal only to fund assistive technology purchases?
No. In addition to enabling AT acquisition, the synopsis signals an interest in supporting longer-term financial stability, such as improving participants' ability to access affordable credit in the future.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The synopsis identifies the program as CFDA 84.224D.
How should applicants search for the application package on Grants.gov?
Applicants were instructed to search for "84.224" (without the letter suffix) rather than searching "84.224D" when locating the downloadable application package on Grants.gov.
What is the opportunity number?
The posting identifies the opportunity number as ED-GRANTS-081414-001.
How many awards were anticipated?
The synopsis anticipated a small number of awards: an expected two awards.
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The notice lists an estimated total funding amount of $1,986,000.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed in the synopsis is $993,000.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
The synopsis states that no cost-sharing or matching requirement was identified in the summary. Applicants were still expected to follow all requirements in the official Federal Register notice.
How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using the downloadable application package.
When did the application window open and close?
The synopsis describes an application window that opened August 14, 2014, with a deadline for transmittal of applications of September 15, 2014.
What was the archive date listed for the opportunity?
The synopsis lists an archive date of October 15, 2014.
Where should applicants look for official and controlling requirements?
For official details beyond the synopsis, applicants were directed to the Federal Register application notice, which is treated as the controlling source for items like formal priorities, selection criteria, performance measures, and any pre-application expectations.
Who should be contacted for technical or program questions?
The synopsis notes that contact points included technical help for accessing the announcement and Grants.gov systems, and a designated program manager at the U.S. Department of Education for program-specific questions.
What federal funding activity category was this posted under?
The posting categorizes the opportunity under education-related federal funding activity.
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