Smile Strong New Jersey Program

The Smile Strong New Jersey program is administered by the New Jersey Department of Health through its Division of Health Promotion and Oral Health Services Unit. This initiative represents a statewide effort to address oral health disparities and improve access to preventive dental care services across New Jersey. The program builds upon longstanding public health priorities that recognize oral health as an essential component of overall health and well being. It is designed to reach vulnerable populations and expand evidence based oral health interventions in community settings, particularly for populations experiencing barriers to care. The primary purpose of this grant program is to improve oral health education literacy and access to preventive services among children and other underserved groups. Target populations include Head Start and Early Head Start children school aged youth pregnant women individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and older adults. The program emphasizes the establishment of dental homes to ensure continuity of care and long term access to oral health services. Activities supported by the grant include oral health education screenings fluoride varnish applications dental sealants and referrals for treatment. Funding under this opportunity will support organizations in delivering preventive oral health services and implementing community based education programs. Allowable uses of funds include program staffing outreach activities educational material development service delivery coordination and partnership building. However funds must align with approved project goals and may not be used for activities outside the defined scope or for subgrants without approval. The program operates on a twelve month performance period beginning July 1 2026 and ending June 30 2027 and funding is contingent on availability and satisfactory performance. Eligible applicants include federally qualified health centers nonprofit dental organizations academic institutions private dental providers and other qualified health organizations with demonstrated experience in oral health promotion and community based service delivery. Applicants must have the organizational capacity infrastructure and expertise to implement evidence based programs and must operate within New Jersey. Additional requirements include compliance with state grant regulations proof of nonprofit status where applicable and access to licensed dental professionals for service delivery. The application process requires submission through the System for Administering Grants Electronically. Applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent by the specified deadline and attend a mandatory technical assistance meeting as a condition of eligibility. Following these steps eligible applicants may submit a full application by the final deadline. Applications must be complete adhere to formatting requirements and include all required documentation including program plans budgets and supporting materials. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered. Applications are evaluated through a competitive review process based on project design alignment with program goals feasibility budget justification and capacity to serve high risk populations. Additional evaluation criteria include clarity of objectives use of evidence based strategies and strength of partnerships. Award notifications are scheduled for mid August 2026 and selected grantees must comply with reporting requirements including quarterly progress reports detailing services delivered outcomes achieved and community engagement activities. Key timeline milestones include a Letter of Intent deadline in July 2026 application availability in late July and a final submission deadline in early August 2026. The program is structured as an annual funding opportunity with potential future cycles depending on state priorities and funding availability. Applicants are encouraged to maintain readiness for future rounds and align their organizational strategies with evolving oral health priorities across New Jersey.

Align proposal with evidence based oral health strategies and clearly define high risk populations and measurable outcomes to improve scoring likelihood