Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Planning

The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Planning is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through its Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. This program is designed to strengthen rural health systems by supporting early-stage planning and capacity-building activities focused on substance use disorder, particularly opioid use disorder. The initiative is part of a broader federal effort to reduce substance use related morbidity and mortality in rural communities, where access to behavioral health services is often limited and fragmented. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to help rural organizations establish and expand collaborative networks that can assess community needs and develop actionable strategies to address substance use disorder. Rather than funding direct service delivery, the program emphasizes planning activities that build a strong foundation for future implementation. This includes creating partnerships across sectors, conducting comprehensive community assessments, and developing strategic action plans to improve prevention, treatment, and recovery services. The program also aims to strengthen the behavioral health workforce and ensure that services are responsive to local needs and sustainable over time. Funding is structured as fixed awards of 100000 dollars per year for two years, resulting in a total potential award of 200000 dollars per recipient. Approximately 40 awards are expected from a total program funding pool of 4000000 dollars. Funds may be used for planning-related activities such as stakeholder engagement, workforce preparation, data collection, and infrastructure development, including limited equipment purchases or minor renovations in the second year with prior approval. However, funds may not be used for direct service delivery, acquisition of real property, or certain restricted items such as drug paraphernalia. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, though voluntary contributions are permitted but not considered during review. Eligibility is broad and includes domestic public and private entities such as state, county, and local governments; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; institutions of higher education; tribal governments and organizations; small businesses; and for-profit entities. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Applicants must propose projects that exclusively serve HRSA-designated rural areas and must form a network of at least four organizations, with at least half physically located in the target rural service area. Applications must also include letters of support from at least two network partners. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes multiple components such as a project narrative, budget and budget narrative, work plan, staffing plan, organizational chart, and letters of support. Applicants must complete required federal forms including SF-424 and SF-424A. The project narrative must address program objectives, community need, proposed approach, evaluation strategy, and sustainability planning. Applications are evaluated based on six criteria including need, response, evaluation, impact, organizational capacity, and budget justification. The application deadline is May 29, 2026 at 1159 PM Eastern Time. Awards are expected to be announced around August 2026, with a project start date of September 1, 2026 and a two-year period of performance ending August 31, 2028. A webinar will be posted to Grants.gov prior to the deadline to provide additional guidance. Questions may be directed to program staff via email or phone. This opportunity is expected to recur annually as part of the ongoing RCORP initiative, supporting long-term improvements in rural behavioral health systems.

Focus on strong rural network partnerships; ensure activities exclude direct service delivery; demonstrate comprehensive community assessment; align with all three core objectives; include required letters of support