Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2010 ONC BC 004
Apply for HHS 2010 ONC BC 004
- The Office of the National Coordinator in the health recovery act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Recovery Act Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.727 ARRA Health Information Technology Beacon Communities.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 30, 2009 and posted on Dec 2, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 1, 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 $220,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $20,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Special district governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) City or township governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) County governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Recovery Act Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program (Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2010 ONC BC 004) was a discretionary federal grant initiative run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Its core purpose was to invest in a small set of advanced, high-performing communities so they could strengthen and expand local health information technology infrastructure and health information exchange capabilities. The program was designed to show, in real-world community settings, what the near future of health care could look like when hospitals, clinicians, and patients are all meaningful users of health IT and when that technology is directly tied to better care delivery and better health outcomes.
A central theme of the opportunity was demonstration and proof at scale. Rather than funding communities that were just beginning to adopt electronic systems, ONC sought places that were already considered national leaders. Applicants were expected to show mature progress in three connected areas: health IT adoption and use (especially electronic health records), workflow redesign and care coordination (so technology improves day-to-day clinical work and transitions of care), and quality measurement plus monitoring and feedback (so the community can track performance and continuously improve). In other words, the program was aimed at communities that had already built momentum and could use federal funding to accelerate results, generate measurable improvements, and serve as credible examples for others.
The awards were structured as cooperative agreements, which generally means the federal agency anticipates substantial involvement during the project period rather than providing funding with minimal interaction. The plan was to fund about 15 Beacon Communities across the country, each represented by a qualified nonprofit organization or government entity that could speak for and coordinate a geographic health care community. Over a 36-month performance period, each recipient was expected to advance what it already had in place by deepening EHR adoption and effective use, expanding or improving health information exchange, and applying those capabilities to community-wide care coordination and quality improvement efforts. The desired outcomes went beyond installing technology; the intent was to show measurable gains in health care quality, safety, efficiency, and population health.
Another major deliverable was knowledge-sharing. ONC explicitly expected that the Beacon Communities would produce practical lessons learned, both individually and collectively, that could be applied by other communities nationwide. The program positioned these sites as laboratories for implementation: demonstrating how to align hospitals, clinics, and other stakeholders around shared goals; how to use data and exchange to improve care; and how to translate health IT investments into concrete improvements that others could replicate.
Financially, the opportunity was sizable, reflecting the Recovery Act focus on rapid, high-impact investments. Estimated total funding was $220,000,000, with individual awards ranging from a floor of $10,000,000 to a ceiling of $20,000,000. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement, lowering the barrier for eligible entities to apply while still requiring them to demonstrate readiness and leadership.
Eligibility was broad across public and nonprofit sectors, consistent with the idea that a communitywide initiative might be led by different kinds of convening organizations depending on local structure. Eligible applicants included state, county, city or township, and special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in the nonprofit categories as specified). Regardless of applicant type, the expectation was that the applicant would represent and coordinate a defined geographic health care community and have the capacity to manage a complex, multi-stakeholder effort.
Key dates show this was a time-limited competitive opportunity. It was posted December 2, 2009, created December 30, 2009, and closed February 1, 2010 (with the archive date of March 3, 2010). The CFDA number associated with the program was 93.727 (ARRA Health Information Technology Beacon Communities). The announcement listed ONC as the agency and provided a general direction to contact the ONC Beacon Community Program contact for assistance, particularly for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the Recovery Act Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program?
The Recovery Act Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program (Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2010 ONC BC 004) was a discretionary federal grant initiative run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). It was designed to invest in a small number of advanced, high-performing communities to strengthen and expand local health information technology (health IT) infrastructure and health information exchange (HIE) capabilities.
2) What was the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The core purpose was to demonstrate, in real-world community settings, what health care could look like when hospitals, clinicians, and patients are meaningful users of health IT and when that technology is directly tied to better care delivery and better health outcomes.
3) Who ran the program and what federal office administered it?
The program was administered by ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) within HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
4) What type of award was this?
Awards were issued as cooperative agreements, meaning ONC anticipated substantial involvement during the project period (as opposed to a grant structure with minimal agency interaction).
5) How many communities were expected to be funded?
The plan was to fund about 15 Beacon Communities across the country.
6) How long was the performance period?
The performance period was 36 months.
7) What kinds of activities were recipients expected to carry out during the project?
Over the 36-month period, each recipient was expected to advance what it already had in place by deepening electronic health record (EHR) adoption and effective use, expanding or improving health information exchange (HIE), and applying those capabilities to community-wide care coordination and quality improvement efforts.
8) What outcomes was ONC trying to achieve through Beacon Communities?
The desired outcomes went beyond installing technology. The intent was to show measurable gains in health care quality, safety, efficiency, and population health, and to demonstrate how health IT can translate into concrete improvements in care delivery and outcomes.
9) Was this program meant for communities just starting with EHRs and HIE?
No. A central theme was demonstration and proof at scale, and ONC sought communities already considered national leaders rather than those just beginning to adopt electronic systems.
10) What did applicants need to demonstrate to be considered competitive?
Applicants were expected to show mature progress in three connected areas: (1) health IT adoption and use (especially EHRs), (2) workflow redesign and care coordination (so technology improves day-to-day clinical work and transitions of care), and (3) quality measurement plus monitoring and feedback (so performance can be tracked and continuously improved).
11) What does it mean that this opportunity focused on "demonstration and proof at scale"?
It means ONC wanted communities that could use funding to accelerate existing momentum, generate measurable improvements, and serve as credible, real-world examples that other communities could learn from and replicate.
12) What role did knowledge-sharing play in the program?
Knowledge-sharing was a major deliverable. ONC expected Beacon Communities to produce practical lessons learned, individually and collectively, that could be applied by other communities nationwide. These sites were positioned as implementation laboratories for aligning stakeholders, using data and exchange to improve care, and turning health IT investments into measurable improvements.
13) What was the total estimated funding for the program?
Estimated total funding was $220,000,000.
14) What was the expected size of individual awards?
Individual awards were expected to range from $10,000,000 (minimum) to $20,000,000 (maximum).
15) Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
16) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included state, county, city or township, and special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; and nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in the nonprofit categories as specified).
17) Did the program restrict eligibility to nonprofit organizations only?
No. Eligibility spanned both public and nonprofit sectors, including various levels of government, tribal entities, institutions of higher education, and nonprofits.
18) What kind of organization was expected to represent a Beacon Community?
Each Beacon Community was expected to be represented by a qualified nonprofit organization or government entity that could speak for and coordinate a defined geographic health care community.
19) What capabilities was the applicant expected to have, regardless of organization type?
Regardless of applicant type, the applicant was expected to represent and coordinate a defined geographic health care community and have the capacity to manage a complex, multi-stakeholder effort.
20) What kinds of stakeholders were envisioned as part of the "community" effort?
The program description emphasized demonstrating what health care could look like when hospitals, clinicians, and patients are meaningful users of health IT, and it also described aligning hospitals, clinics, and other stakeholders around shared goals.
21) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number associated with the program was 93.727 (ARRA Health Information Technology Beacon Communities).
22) What is the funding opportunity number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number was HHS 2010 ONC BC 004.
23) When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on December 2, 2009, created on December 30, 2009, and closed on February 1, 2010. The archive date was March 3, 2010.
24) Is this opportunity still open?
No. Based on the provided dates, the opportunity closed on February 1, 2010 and was archived on March 3, 2010.
25) Who should applicants have contacted for help with the announcement?
The announcement provided a general direction to contact the ONC Beacon Community Program contact for assistance, particularly for applicants who had trouble accessing the full announcement electronically.
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