National Center for Benefits Outreach & Enrollment | HHS 2025 ACL CIP MINC 0022

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2025 ACL CIP MINC 0022

The Administration for Community Living (ACL), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is offering a discretionary funding opportunity to operate the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE). This award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the recipient will carry out the project with substantial federal involvement and ongoing collaboration rather than operating entirely independently. The overall purpose of the NCBOE is to strengthen and expand benefits outreach and enrollment assistance across the country, with a sharp focus on helping older adults who have the greatest economic need successfully learn about, apply for, and retain key federal and state benefits.

At its core, the NCBOE serves as a national technical assistance hub for States, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), and other community service providers that do direct work with older adults. The center is expected to support the full lifecycle of benefits access, from outreach and initial screening through application assistance and follow-up. A major emphasis is on making sure older adults are not only aware of programs they might qualify for, but are also able to navigate the often complicated enrollment processes that can be barriers for people with limited income, limited internet access, disabilities, limited English proficiency, or other challenges.

The opportunity outlines several major responsibilities the funded NCBOE operator must deliver. First, the center must maintain and continually update web-based decision-support and enrollment tools, along with integrated and person-centered systems that help older individuals understand the full range of benefits they may be eligible for. This is not limited to a single program; the goal is to help individuals identify multiple potential supports and move toward enrollment in the right combination of programs. Second, the center must use cost-effective strategies to locate older individuals with the greatest economic need and help enroll them into the programs for which they qualify. This suggests an expectation of practical, scalable outreach methods that can reach under-served populations efficiently, rather than relying solely on passive referrals.

Third, the NCBOE must help build and support a broad network of enrollment assistance sites by working with Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) and other public and private community-based organizations. The announcement explicitly includes faith-based organizations and coalitions as potential partners in building local capacity to function as benefits enrollment centers. Fourth, the center must develop and maintain an information clearinghouse focused on best practices and cost-effective methods for identifying and enrolling economically vulnerable older adults. In practice, this means collecting, organizing, and sharing proven models, tools, workflows, outreach strategies, training materials, and implementation lessons that States and local partners can use. Fifth, the NCBOE must provide training and technical assistance on effective outreach, screening, enrollment, and follow-up strategies, reinforcing that the award is intended to improve performance and consistency across a national network of providers.

In terms of who can apply, the listing indicates "EligibleApplicants: Unrestricted" in the source data, and it also notes the general HHS approach that awards may go to domestic public or private organizations, including non-profit or for-profit entities. Examples of potentially eligible applicant types include state, local, and Tribal governments, institutions of higher education, other non-profit organizations (including faith-based, community-based, and Tribal organizations), and hospitals, provided they meet the eligibility requirements laid out in the full funding opportunity announcement. Even though HHS grant policy can sometimes allow foreign entities in other contexts, this particular announcement is explicit and repeated: foreign entities are not eligible to compete for or receive awards under this opportunity. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are explicitly stated as eligible.

Key funding details are straightforward and high-stakes. The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS-2025-ACL-CIP-MINC-0022, under CFDA (now commonly referred to as Assistance Listing) 93.071, and the activity category is Income Security and Social Services. ACL anticipates making a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1), with an award ceiling of $15,000,000. The original application closing date is July 30, 2025, and the opportunity was created on June 30, 2025. Because there is only one expected award, the applicant should expect a competitive process focused on national-scale operational capacity, strong partnerships, proven experience in benefits enrollment systems, and the ability to provide consistent, high-quality technical assistance and training across diverse state and community contexts.

Taken together, this grant is designed to fund one national organization (or lead applicant structure) to serve as the backbone for benefits outreach and enrollment improvement nationwide for older adults with the greatest economic need. The work blends technology maintenance (decision-support and enrollment tools), field support (training and technical assistance), network-building (ADRCs and community enrollment centers), and knowledge management (a best-practices clearinghouse), all aimed at increasing successful enrollment and retention in critical benefits that improve financial stability, health, and overall well-being for older individuals.

• The Administration for Community Living in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Center for Benefits Outreach & Enrollment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.071.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-06-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-07-30. (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 $15,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for HHS 2025 ACL CIP MINC 0022

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