Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2026 ACL AOA EESC 0037
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is offering a single cooperative agreement to operate the National Information and Referral (I&R) Support Center, a national hub meant to strengthen and professionalize information, referral, and assistance (I&R/A) services serving older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers under the Older Americans Act (OAA). The main idea is to improve how people get connected to services by building a more consistent, better trained, and more reliable I&R/A workforce nationwide. This includes providing national leadership, hands-on training, technical assistance, tools and resources, peer learning opportunities, and broad dissemination of evidence-informed and culturally responsive practices across the aging and disability referral ecosystem. A key emphasis is pushing the field toward shared standards, quality benchmarks, and certification so that service quality is less dependent on geography and more grounded in nationally recognized practices.
A central responsibility of the Support Center is to help ACL continue operating and improving the Eldercare Locator, the well-known national entry point that connects people to local and state resources. The Eldercare Locator is described as a trusted gateway that supports a consumer-driven access system by helping individuals find community-based services near where they live. Through technical assistance tied to the Eldercare Locator and the broader National Aging Services Network, the Support Center is expected to promote more consistent and accessible referral practices, improve database-driven referral accuracy, and strengthen connections between national and local systems so consumers do not have to navigate a fragmented maze of separate information sources.
The opportunity is framed around major real-world pressures that make I&R/A more important and more complex than in the past. Older adults and caregivers are facing more complicated decisions involving health care, housing, transportation, nutrition, caregiving, and long-term services and supports, and they often have to contact multiple providers to piece together answers, which creates confusion and frustration. The funding notice also highlights how emergencies and disruptions (including severe weather events, natural disasters, and the COVID-era experience) increase the need for timely, accurate, well-coordinated information and assistance. At the same time, the population needing help is growing and diversifying, and caregivers are increasingly seeking support through multiple channels such as phone, websites, chat, and social media.
Another core theme is modernization of I&R/A while still protecting the human side of service delivery. The notice recognizes that technology is becoming a bigger part of aging in place, including smartphones, online chat, web conferencing, assistive technologies, voice assistants, and emerging AI-enabled tools that may support medication management, safety monitoring, and reducing isolation. The Support Center is expected to help the field use innovative technology in ways that enhance workforce capacity, improve access, and create efficiencies, while also recognizing that many older adults either lack access to technology or simply prefer speaking with a person. In other words, the goal is not to replace human connection, but to strengthen I&R/A across both high-tech and traditional channels.
From a program outcome standpoint, ACL expects the funded Support Center to measurably raise the skills, knowledge, and management capacity of I&R/A programs across the National Aging Services Network. The practical result ACL is looking for is better performance by local and state I&R/A providers in connecting older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers to the right information, services, and supports, with higher quality and more standardized approaches nationwide. This work also aligns with broader federal priorities, including ACLs strategic priority of "Connecting People to Services" and the HHS goal of improving well-being by helping people remain in their homes and communities longer with informed guidance.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant offered as a cooperative agreement (meaning the federal agency typically expects substantial involvement during the project rather than a hands-off grant). Only one award is expected, with an award ceiling of $225,000. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.048, and the funding activity category is Income Security and Social Services. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions). Faith-based and community organizations may apply if they meet eligibility requirements, but foreign entities are not eligible. The opportunity number is HHS-2026-ACL-AOA-EESC-0037, and the original closing date is July 22, 2026.Apply for HHS 2026 ACL AOA EESC 0037
- The Administration for Community Living in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Information and Referral Support Center" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.048.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-06-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-07-22. (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 $225,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): National Information and Referral (I&R) Support Center (ACL)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is a discretionary federal grant from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in the form of a cooperative agreement to operate the National Information and Referral (I&R) Support Center. The Support Center is intended to be a national hub that strengthens and professionalizes information, referral, and assistance (I&R/A) services serving older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers under the Older Americans Act (OAA).
2) What is the purpose of the National I&R Support Center?
The purpose is to improve how people get connected to services by building a more consistent, better trained, and more reliable I&R/A workforce nationwide. The Support Center is expected to provide national leadership, hands-on training, technical assistance, tools and resources, peer learning opportunities, and broad dissemination of evidence-informed and culturally responsive practices across the aging and disability referral ecosystem.
3) Who is the federal funder?
The funder is the Administration for Community Living (ACL), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
4) What type of award is this?
This is a cooperative agreement. That means the federal agency typically expects substantial involvement in the project rather than a fully hands-off relationship.
5) How many awards will be made?
Only one award is expected.
6) What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling is $225,000.
7) What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is HHS-2026-ACL-AOA-EESC-0037.
8) What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.048.
9) What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Income Security and Social Services.
10) Who can apply (eligible applicants)?
Eligible applicants include:
- State governments
- County governments
- Local governments
- Special district governments
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- Other tribal organizations
- Nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions)
11) Can faith-based or community organizations apply?
Yes. Faith-based and community organizations may apply if they meet the eligibility requirements described in the opportunity.
12) Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Foreign entities are not eligible.
13) What is the application deadline?
The original closing date is July 22, 2026.
14) What populations are intended to benefit from this project?
The project is intended to strengthen I&R/A services for older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers served under the Older Americans Act (OAA), with the practical goal of improving connections to the right information, services, and supports.
15) What kinds of activities is the Support Center expected to provide?
Based on the notice description, the Support Center is expected to provide national leadership and capacity-building support such as training, technical assistance, tools and resources, peer learning opportunities, and wide dissemination of evidence-informed and culturally responsive practices for I&R/A programs across the aging and disability referral ecosystem.
16) Why is this Support Center being emphasized now?
The opportunity highlights that I&R/A has become more important and complex due to real-world pressures: people face complicated decisions across health care, housing, transportation, nutrition, caregiving, and long-term services and supports, often requiring multiple contacts that can be confusing and frustrating. The notice also points to emergencies and disruptions (including severe weather events, natural disasters, and the COVID-era experience) as drivers of increased need for timely, accurate, and well-coordinated information and assistance.
17) What role does the Eldercare Locator play in this opportunity?
A central responsibility of the Support Center is to help ACL continue operating and improving the Eldercare Locator, described as a trusted national entry point that connects people to local and state resources and supports a consumer-driven access system for finding community-based services.
18) How is the Support Center expected to strengthen the Eldercare Locator and referral systems?
Through technical assistance tied to the Eldercare Locator and the broader National Aging Services Network, the Support Center is expected to promote more consistent and accessible referral practices, improve database-driven referral accuracy, and strengthen connections between national and local systems so consumers do not have to navigate fragmented, separate information sources.
19) Is the initiative focused on standardization and quality?
Yes. A key emphasis is pushing the field toward shared standards, quality benchmarks, and certification so that service quality is less dependent on geography and more grounded in nationally recognized practices.
20) What outcomes does ACL expect from the funded Support Center?
ACL expects measurable improvements in the skills, knowledge, and management capacity of I&R/A programs across the National Aging Services Network. The intended practical result is better performance by local and state I&R/A providers in connecting consumers to information, services, and supports using higher-quality and more standardized approaches nationwide.
21) How does this work relate to technology and modernization?
The notice emphasizes modernization of I&R/A while protecting the human side of service delivery. It recognizes that technology is becoming a bigger part of aging in place (for example: smartphones, online chat, web conferencing, assistive technologies, voice assistants, and emerging AI-enabled tools). The Support Center is expected to help the field use innovative technology to enhance workforce capacity, improve access, and create efficiencies.
22) Is the goal to replace human interaction with technology?
No. The notice explicitly recognizes that many older adults may lack access to technology or prefer speaking with a person. The goal described is to strengthen I&R/A across both high-tech and traditional channels, not to replace human connection.
23) What communication channels are relevant to the needs described in the notice?
The opportunity notes that caregivers and consumers increasingly seek support through multiple channels, including phone, websites, chat, and social media. The broader aim is consistent, accessible support across channels.
24) How does this opportunity align with broader federal priorities?
The notice states that this work aligns with ACL's strategic priority of "Connecting People to Services" and the HHS goal of improving well-being by helping people remain in their homes and communities longer with informed guidance.
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