Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Tribal Capacity Building Training and Technical Assistance (TCBTTA)

The Community Services Block Grant Tribal Capacity Building Training and Technical Assistance, or CSBG TCBTTA, is a federal cooperative agreement administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of Community Assistance. Opportunity HHS-2026-ACF-OCS-ET-0028 is intended to strengthen tribal capacity to administer the Community Services Block Grant while respecting tribal sovereignty, supporting compliance, and advancing anti-poverty and self-sufficiency strategies. CSBG supports services and strategies intended to minimize the causes and conditions of poverty, revitalize communities, and empower individuals and families with low incomes to become self-sufficient. The TCBTTA initiative responds specifically to the administrative environments of tribal CSBG recipients, including PL 102-477 tribes, and their governance structures, budget cycles, staffing constraints, technological infrastructure, and government-to-government relationships. The selected organization will provide planned and ad hoc training, technical assistance, consultation, resources, and tools tailored to tribal CSBG recipients. Required areas include financial management, budgeting, reporting, internal controls, federal grant compliance, procurement, property management, completion of the CSBG Tribal Annual Report, risk management, tribal needs assessments, CSBG planning, performance management, data use, and continuous quality improvement. The recipient must facilitate convenings, webinars, and forums, develop tribal-specific tools and resources, and establish an ongoing community of practice. The project also emphasizes meaningful workforce development, financial literacy, economic mobility, education, transportation, and access to safe and stable housing where relevant. Subject Matter Experts with appropriate experience are expected to support project objectives. The cooperative agreement provides expected total program funding of $500,000, with one expected award. The stated minimum and maximum award amounts for the first budget period are both $500,000. The planned project period is 36 months, consisting of three one-year budget periods, and continued support after the first budget period depends on appropriations, satisfactory progress, and the government's determination that continued funding is in its best interest. No cost sharing is required. Construction, purchase of real property, major renovation, and pre-award costs are prohibited. Indirect costs may be charged using an approved negotiated rate or, when applicable, a de minimis rate of up to 15 percent of modified total direct costs. The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role and may not function primarily as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations. Eligible applicants are CSBG-eligible entities, or statewide or local organizations or associations, with demonstrated expertise in training individuals and organizations on methods for effectively addressing the needs of low-income families and communities. Faith-based and community organizations may apply when they meet these requirements. Individuals, including sole proprietorships, federal entities, and foreign entities are expressly ineligible. Subrecipients must meet the NOFO eligibility requirements and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier through SAM.gov. Applicants must demonstrate relevant organizational capacity and experience, including work with tribes, tribal organizations, communities with low incomes, and emerging practices. The application must also document the qualifications, responsibilities, and time commitments of key staff, Subject Matter Experts, consultants, subcontractors, and partners. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov unless ACF approves an exemption for paper submission. Applicants need active SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations and a Unique Entity Identifier. The application consists of two files plus required standard forms. File one includes a table of contents, one-page project summary, project narrative, and line-item budget and budget narrative. File two contains applicable attachments such as the ACF priorities alignment attestation, indirect cost agreement, legal status documentation, organizational capacity materials, Subject Matter Expert commitment letters, and third-party agreements. Required standard forms include the Project Abstract Summary, SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, Key Contacts, Grants.gov Lobbying form, SF-LLL when applicable, and Project/Performance Site Location forms. Files one and two together are limited to 75 pages. The project narrative addresses purpose and need, objectives, approach, project timeline and milestones, logic model, project performance evaluation, expected outcomes, organizational capacity, oversight of federal funds, protection of sensitive information, and the budget. Merit review provides up to 120 points, including the bonus criterion. Purpose and need is worth 5 points, response 30 points, project timeline and milestones 10 points, resources and capabilities 25 points, impact 20 points, budget and budget narrative 10 points, and alignment with ACF priorities 10 points. Applicants may earn an additional 10 bonus points for addressing the A Home for Every Child initiative. Reviewers particularly assess the strength of the tribal-specific TTA strategy, the logic model, the 36-month implementation strategy, organizational and staff capacity, federal award oversight, protection of sensitive information, measurable and sustainable impact, performance measurement, continuous improvement, and a detailed SMART budget. Final funding decisions may also consider geographic distribution, service to emerging or underserved populations, past performance, risk, agency priorities, and compliance with funding restrictions. Applications are due Monday, August 24, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time for electronic submissions. Approved paper submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. No separate LOI, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement is stated. The expected project start date is September 30, 2026. The 36-month project begins with Phase One, covering months one through four for planning and preparation, followed by Phase Two for implementation and evaluation during the remainder of the project period. Recipients must submit semiannual performance and financial reports and quarterly CSBG Training and Technical Assistance Tracking forms. The NOFO does not establish a recurring annual application cycle or provide a future-cycle date. No complete direct PDF URL is stated in the provided source material.

Design proactive year-round TTA specifically for tribal governance, sovereignty, staffing, budget-cycle, technology, and reporting realities; demonstrate long-term capacity building rather than reactive compliance support; align the work plan and milestones to the two project phases and full 36-month period; use a strong logic model linking activities to short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes; provide measurable performance indicators and data collection methods that support continuous improvement; demonstrate substantial organizational and staff experience with tribes and communities with low incomes; provide a detailed federal funds oversight framework; structure a SMART budget with clear calculations and justification for SMEs, partnerships, subawards, and project phases; explicitly demonstrate measurable alignment with relevant ACF priorities and address A Home for Every Child where appropriate.