Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Essentials for Improved Outcomes

The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of Community Assistance is offering the Community Services Block Grant CSBG Essentials for Improved Outcomes cooperative agreement under opportunity HHS-2026-ACF-OCS-ET-0030 and Assistance Listing 93.569. The program will support a national competition to identify one organization to strengthen the Community Services Block Grant network. CSBG supports states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, United States territories, and federally and state recognized tribes and tribal organizations in addressing poverty, revitalizing communities, and helping individuals and families with low incomes achieve self sufficiency. State and territory recipients work with eligible entities to tailor programs to local needs, while tribal recipients may provide services directly to individuals and families. The selected recipient will provide training and technical assistance to increase understanding of CSBG statutory and regulatory requirements, improve implementation of critical program elements, and strengthen coordination and development of anti poverty resources. Required work includes helping the CSBG network apply statutory requirements to administrative, fiscal, and program operations; use workforce development strategies to retain qualified staff; develop cross system partnerships for families with multiple needs; improve performance measures; and help clients navigate systems such as foster care, veterans services, and reentry supports. The recipient must develop and promote practices that improve organizational, fiscal, and governance effectiveness, support use of CSBG Organizational Standards, collaborate with national partners on the CSBG Performance Management Framework, engage subject matter experts, and collect and report data demonstrating measurable improvements. The cooperative agreement has a 36 month project period divided into two phases and three one year budget periods. Phase One covers approximately months one through four and focuses on planning and preparation. During this phase, the recipient must develop a work plan, an approach for identifying additional training and technical assistance needs, an outline of tools to be implemented during Phase Two, an updated Project Performance Evaluation Plan as needed, an engagement plan for territories and directly funded tribes and tribal organizations, and a dissemination plan. Phase Two covers the remainder of the project period and involves implementation, evaluation, refinement, and dissemination of training and technical assistance through resources such as webinars, training modules, podcasts, presentations, toolkits, and other learning tools. The recipient must conduct ongoing performance evaluation, provide semiannual and final performance reports, develop a sustainability plan, create defined training and technical assistance tools, and assess return on investment. Expected total program funding is 600000 dollars, with one expected award. The minimum and maximum award amounts for the first budget period are both 600000 dollars. Continued support beyond the first budget period depends on appropriations, satisfactory progress, and a determination that continued funding is in the federal government's best interest. No cost sharing is required, and voluntary cost sharing is not considered during merit review. Prohibited costs include construction, purchase of real property, major renovation, and pre award costs. The recipient must maintain a substantive role if subawards are used, and subrecipients must satisfy the opportunity's eligibility requirements. The applicable salary rate limitation prevents awarded funds from paying salary at a rate above Executive Level II. The budget must also provide for travel by one key staff member to a CSBG training and technical assistance national conference or meeting in Washington, DC, during each award year if attendance is requested. 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. Subrecipients must meet the same eligibility requirements. Individuals, including sole proprietorships, federal entities, and foreign entities are not eligible. Faith based and community organizations may apply when they otherwise satisfy the eligibility requirements. Applicants must maintain active SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations and a Unique Entity Identifier. Applications are submitted through Grants.gov unless ACF has approved an exemption for paper submission. The application consists of two principal files plus required standard forms. File one contains the table of contents, one page project summary, project narrative, and line item budget and budget narrative. File two contains applicable attachments, including the ACF priorities alignment attestation, indirect cost agreement when applicable, legal status documentation, organizational capacity supporting information, 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. Applications passing the initial responsiveness review undergo merit review using criteria totaling 110 points. Purpose and need is worth 5 points, response 30 points, impact 30 points, resources and capabilities 25 points, budget and budget narrative 10 points, and alignment with ACF vision, mission, values, priorities, and guiding principles 10 points. Reviewers assess the quality of the proposed approach, dissemination of training and technical assistance resources, replicability of tools, strategic partnerships, implementation across the 36 month period, logic model, innovation, performance evaluation, organizational capacity, staffing, federal funds oversight, protection of sensitive information, and the reasonableness and structure of the budget. Selection may also consider service to emerging, unserved, or underserved populations, geographic distribution, past performance, compliance requirements, and alignment with agency priorities. Applications are due Monday, August 24, 2026. Electronic submissions through Grants.gov must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, while applicants with an approved exemption for paper submission must meet the 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time deadline. The expected project start date is September 30, 2026. The source does not state that this opportunity recurs annually or on another regular schedule, so no future cycle is projected. Program questions may be directed to Cheryl Zuni at CSBGNOFOS@acf.hhs.gov or 202-401-9333. Grants management questions may be directed to Janice Realeza at Janice.Realeza@acf.hhs.gov or 215-861-4007. After award, recipients must submit performance and financial reports semiannually, the CSBG Training and Technical Assistance Tracking Form quarterly, and signed letters of commitment from subject matter experts by February 1, 2027.

Structure the application around the scored criteria and explicitly connect proposed activities to measurable CSBG network outcomes. Provide a clear 36 month strategy covering both project phases and required milestones. Use a well defined logic model connecting inputs activities outputs and short intermediate and long term outcomes. Demonstrate innovative and replicable TTA approaches and explain how tools will be disseminated across the CSBG network. Document strategic partner and SME roles responsibilities expertise and time commitments. Provide a strong performance evaluation and continuous quality improvement process with reliable data collection. Explain safeguards against fraud waste and abuse. Present a detailed SMART budget with calculations and phase specific costs. Demonstrate specific measurable alignment with relevant ACF priorities particularly promoting work and self sufficiency.