Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2010 AOA PX 1008
Apply for HHS 2010 AOA PX 1008
- The Administration on Aging in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pension Resource Center" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.048 Special Programs for the AgingTitle IVand Title IIDiscretionary Projects.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 5, 2010 and posted on Feb 5, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 5, 2010. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $425,253.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $425,253.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education County governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Eligible applicants include domestic public or private and non profit entities including state, local and Indian tribal governments, faith based organizations, community based organizations, and institutions of higher education, with a proven record of advising and representing individuals who have been denied employer or union sponsored pensions or other retirement savings plan benefits, and which have the capacity to deliver services on a regional basis
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Opportunity Summary:
The Pension Resource Center grant opportunity (HHS 2010 AOA PX 1008), offered by the Administration on Aging (AoA), funds a single national Technical Resource and Assistance Center designed to strengthen and connect AoA-funded pension counseling projects and expand reliable pension help to people nationwide. The core problem the opportunity responds to is that the US retirement benefits landscape is massive and confusing: hundreds of thousands of private retirement plans, thousands of public plans, and overlapping federal and state labor and tax rules. On top of that complexity, real-world disruptions like plan underfunding, terminations, freezes, employer mergers or closures, recordkeeping gaps, and life events like divorce or death frequently leave workers and retirees unable to find benefits, unsure how to apply, or stuck with miscalculations and denials. The opportunity emphasizes that there is no single government agency tasked with walking individuals through the full process of locating benefits, interpreting plan language, rebuilding work histories, or verifying benefit calculations, and that private legal representation is often out of reach for low- and moderate-wage workers whose claims may be financially modest but personally crucial. For disadvantaged seniors in particular, getting earned retirement income can determine whether they remain independent or face severe hardship.
This grant sits within the longer-running Pension Counseling and Information Program that Congress directed AoA to develop, beginning as demonstration projects in 1993 and becoming a permanent program in 2000 under Title II of the Older Americans Act. That program is built around two service hallmarks: trustworthy, personalized assistance regardless of a person s age, income, or the dollar value of the claim, and broad expertise across essentially all employer-sponsored retirement arrangements, whether public or private, and whether defined benefit or defined contribution. AoA expanded the regional counseling network to cover 27 states, supported by one national technical assistance project. The announcement highlights strong performance, including nearly 100 million in recovered benefits for tens of thousands of clients, described as a return of more than 5.50 in benefits per federal dollar invested, plus the non-monetary value of finally giving people clear answers and peace of mind when benefits are not owed.
The purpose of the funded Pension Resource Center is to provide the backbone support that makes the counseling network work at scale and with consistent quality. The center is expected to improve retirement financial security in a way that aligns with AoA s broader independence and choice goals for older adults, because stable income affects decisions about housing, nutrition, medications, health care, and long-term care planning. It also frames pension counseling as a form of consumer protection and anti-exploitation support, helping older adults navigate high-stakes decisions in an environment where misinformation or predatory practices can cause lasting harm.
Applicants must propose a project plan to operate a national technical resource and assistance center focused on pensions and retirement savings plans, specifically defined as retirement-income plans such as defined benefit pensions and defined contribution or profit-sharing arrangements sponsored by federal systems (including civil service, military, and railroad), state and local governments, and private employers (including religious employers). The required work is organized into two major functions. First is training and technical assistance: the center must design, coordinate, and deliver substantive legal training and skills-building for pension counselors and related advocates, keeping content current with statutes, regulations, and case law. It must host one national pension counseling training conference each project year; run up to two two-day Pension Basics trainings for new caseworking staff (with the center covering all related costs); and respond to annual training needs assessments with supplemental training coordination. The announcement even lays out recommended annual training volumes by experience level (24 hours for newer staff, 12 hours for more experienced staff, and at least 12 hours for interns and other non-traditional staff). Beyond training events, the center must provide ongoing technical assistance and case consultation, including legal research and writing support, troubleshooting complex claims and appeals, facilitating communication across projects, and helping identify local subject matter experts. A concrete expectation is maintaining a robust employee benefits reference library (for example, treatises and primary-source access tools) and guiding local projects on what materials they should also keep.
The second major function is nationwide client referral and outreach. The center must operate a no-cost referral service that routes individuals to the most appropriate help based on both geography and subject matter. To do that, it must build and maintain a national dataset of free pension assistance resources, including AoA counseling projects, relevant government agencies, and other basic assistance providers, while leveraging existing networks. The referral system must be accessible to consumers and to frontline service providers across the country and must include a deliberate strategy to reach underserved and hard-to-reach seniors, including people with limited English proficiency. The dataset may also include related but non-core services (such as actuarial/accounting help, QDRO drafting in divorce contexts, financial education, retirement and estate planning, or other elder rights supports); those providers may charge for services, but the referral information itself has to be provided free. In parallel, the center must run ongoing national outreach so the public and key intermediaries (like State and Area Agencies on Aging, legal services providers, and other aging-network organizations) know that pension help exists and how to access it, again with a focus on cost-effective methods and meaningful reach into underserved communities.
Administratively, this was a discretionary cooperative agreement with one expected award totaling 425,253 dollars (with the floor and ceiling equal to that amount), posted February 5, 2010, and closed April 5, 2010, under CFDA 93.048 (Special Programs for the Aging, Title IV and Title II Discretionary Projects). Cost sharing or matching was required. Eligible applicants included a wide range of domestic public and private nonprofit entities, including 501(c)(3) organizations (other than IHE in that listing), state, local, and federally recognized tribal governments, faith-based and community-based organizations, and institutions of higher education, provided they have a proven record of advising and representing people denied pensions or other retirement plan benefits and can deliver services on a regional basis. The opportunity ultimately seeks one capable national organization to serve as the technical hub: improving counselor expertise, strengthening coordination, and making sure the public can actually find trustworthy help when pension benefits are delayed, denied, or lost in the system.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Pension Resource Center Grant (HHS 2010 AOA PX 1008)
What is the Pension Resource Center grant opportunity?
The Pension Resource Center grant opportunity (HHS 2010 AOA PX 1008) is a federal funding opportunity from the Administration on Aging (AoA) to support a single national Technical Resource and Assistance Center. The Center is intended to strengthen and connect AoA-funded pension counseling projects and expand access to reliable pension help nationwide.
Who is offering this grant?
The grant is offered by the Administration on Aging (AoA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
How many awards are expected under this opportunity?
One award is expected. The program is designed to fund a single national organization to operate the Technical Resource and Assistance Center.
What is the total funding amount for the award?
The expected award amount is $425,253. The announcement specifies both the floor and the ceiling as $425,253.
What type of funding mechanism is this?
This opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on February 5, 2010, and closed on April 5, 2010.
What CFDA number is associated with this grant?
The CFDA number is 93.048, listed as Special Programs for the Aging, Title IV and Title II Discretionary Projects.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The announcement states that cost sharing or matching was required.
What problem is this grant trying to address?
The grant responds to the complexity of the U.S. retirement benefits system, which includes hundreds of thousands of private retirement plans, thousands of public plans, and overlapping federal and state rules. It also addresses common disruptions that prevent people from getting benefits they earned, such as plan underfunding, plan terminations, freezes, employer mergers or closures, recordkeeping gaps, and life events like divorce or death that complicate eligibility and benefit calculations.
Why is a national technical resource and assistance center needed?
The announcement emphasizes that there is no single government agency responsible for walking individuals through the full process of finding lost benefits, interpreting plan language, rebuilding work histories, or verifying benefit calculations. At the same time, private legal representation is often unaffordable for low- and moderate-wage workers, even when the claim is financially modest but critical to the individual.
How does this grant relate to the Pension Counseling and Information Program?
This grant sits within the longer-running Pension Counseling and Information Program that Congress directed AoA to develop. The program began as demonstration projects in 1993 and became a permanent program in 2000 under Title II of the Older Americans Act.
What are the key service hallmarks of AoA pension counseling projects mentioned in the announcement?
The announcement describes two hallmarks: (1) trustworthy, personalized assistance regardless of a person's age, income, or the dollar value of the claim, and (2) broad expertise across essentially all employer-sponsored retirement arrangements, whether public or private, and whether defined benefit or defined contribution.
What kinds of retirement plans are in scope for the Center's work?
The Center is focused on pensions and retirement savings plans defined as retirement-income plans. These include defined benefit pensions and defined contribution or profit-sharing arrangements sponsored by federal systems (including civil service, military, and railroad), state and local governments, and private employers (including religious employers).
What are the two major functions the funded Center must perform?
The required work is organized into two major functions: (1) training and technical assistance for pension counselors and related advocates, and (2) nationwide client referral and outreach to route individuals to appropriate pension help and ensure the public knows how to access it.
What training and technical assistance activities are required?
The Center must design, coordinate, and deliver substantive legal training and skills-building for pension counselors and related advocates, keeping content current with statutes, regulations, and case law. It must also provide ongoing technical assistance and case consultation, including legal research and writing support, troubleshooting complex claims and appeals, facilitating communication across projects, and helping identify local subject matter experts.
Is the Center required to host a national training conference?
Yes. The Center must host one national pension counseling training conference each project year.
Are there required trainings specifically for new pension counseling staff?
Yes. The Center must run up to two two-day Pension Basics trainings for new caseworking staff, and the Center must cover all related costs for those trainings.
How does the Center determine what additional training is needed each year?
The Center is expected to respond to annual training needs assessments and coordinate supplemental training based on what the assessments identify.
Does the announcement specify recommended annual training hours?
Yes. The announcement recommends annual training volumes by experience level: 24 hours for newer staff, 12 hours for more experienced staff, and at least 12 hours for interns and other non-traditional staff.
What does "ongoing technical assistance and case consultation" mean in this opportunity?
Based on the announcement, it includes providing legal research and writing support, troubleshooting complex claims and appeals, facilitating communication across pension counseling projects, and helping identify local subject matter experts who can assist with specialized issues.
Is the Center expected to maintain reference materials?
Yes. A concrete expectation is maintaining a robust employee benefits reference library (for example, treatises and primary-source access tools) and guiding local projects on what materials they should also keep.
What is required under the nationwide client referral function?
The Center must operate a no-cost referral service that routes individuals to the most appropriate help based on geography and subject matter. To do that, it must build and maintain a national dataset of free pension assistance resources, including AoA counseling projects, relevant government agencies, and other basic assistance providers, while leveraging existing networks.
Who should be able to use the referral system?
The referral system must be accessible to consumers and to frontline service providers across the country.
Does the opportunity require outreach to underserved communities?
Yes. The Center must include a deliberate strategy to reach underserved and hard-to-reach seniors, including people with limited English proficiency, and conduct ongoing national outreach to ensure the public and intermediaries know that pension help exists and how to access it.
What kinds of organizations are mentioned as key intermediaries for outreach?
The announcement specifically mentions State and Area Agencies on Aging, legal services providers, and other aging-network organizations as key intermediaries that should know how to access pension help.
What information must be included in the national dataset for referrals?
The dataset must include free pension assistance resources, including AoA counseling projects, relevant government agencies, and other basic assistance providers. The Center is expected to leverage existing networks in building and maintaining this dataset.
Can the dataset include services beyond core pension counseling?
Yes. The announcement says the dataset may include related but non-core services such as actuarial/accounting help, QDRO drafting in divorce contexts, financial education, retirement and estate planning, or other elder rights supports.
If the dataset includes providers who charge fees, is the referral still free?
Yes. The announcement states that while some listed providers may charge for services, the referral information itself must be provided free.
How does the opportunity describe the broader impact of pension counseling?
The opportunity links pension counseling to improved retirement financial security and AoA's broader goals around independence and choice for older adults. It notes that stable retirement income affects decisions about housing, nutrition, medications, health care, and long-term care planning.
How is pension counseling framed in terms of consumer protection?
The announcement frames pension counseling as a form of consumer protection and anti-exploitation support, helping older adults navigate high-stakes decisions where misinformation or predatory practices can cause lasting harm.
What performance results are cited for the AoA pension counseling network?
The announcement highlights strong performance, including nearly $100 million in recovered benefits for tens of thousands of clients. It describes this as a return of more than $5.50 in benefits per federal dollar invested, in addition to non-monetary value such as clear answers and peace of mind when benefits are not owed.
What geographic coverage is mentioned for the regional counseling network?
AoA expanded the regional counseling network to cover 27 states, supported by one national technical assistance project.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants included a wide range of domestic public and private nonprofit entities, including 501(c)(3) organizations (other than IHE in that listing), state, local, and federally recognized tribal governments, faith-based and community-based organizations, and institutions of higher education.
What experience must applicants demonstrate?
Applicants must have a proven record of advising and representing people denied pensions or other retirement plan benefits and must be able to deliver services on a regional basis.
What is the main goal of funding one national organization?
The opportunity ultimately seeks one capable national organization to serve as the technical hub by improving counselor expertise, strengthening coordination among projects, and ensuring the public can find trustworthy help when pension benefits are delayed, denied, or lost in the system.
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