Advancing Strategies to Enhance Preventative Health to Older Adults in the Senior Nutrition Program

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Administration for Community Living, has announced a forecasted grant opportunity titled Advancing Strategies to Enhance Preventative Health to Older Adults in the Senior Nutrition Program. This program is part of the agency’s mission to support initiatives that improve the well-being and independence of older adults. The opportunity is classified as a discretionary cooperative agreement under Assistance Listing 93.045, which funds special programs for aging populations with a focus on nutrition services. The forecasted funding announcement was last updated on September 5, 2025. The purpose of this grant opportunity is to establish a statewide initiative that increases participation among older adults in the senior nutrition program while placing a greater emphasis on preventative health. The goals include developing statewide capacity to grow participation, creating resources that strengthen knowledge and sustainability across the nutrition program network, and expanding partnerships with organizations that serve older adults and other stakeholders. By integrating preventive health approaches into the existing nutrition programs, the grant seeks to enhance long-term health outcomes and support community-based care models that reduce risks associated with aging. The funding scope allows for cooperative agreements, which means the federal agency will have substantial involvement with grantees in the execution of the projects. Funding may be used to support program development, expansion of services, training, and collaborative initiatives that build long-term capacity. Award sizes range from a minimum of $500,000 to a maximum of $1,233,333, with a total of $3,700,000 expected to be distributed across approximately three awards. Cost sharing or matching is required, though the specific matching percentage is not detailed in the forecast. Applicants should plan to allocate sufficient resources to meet the matching requirement as a condition of eligibility. Eligible applicants include a broad range of governmental and nonprofit entities. These include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments, as well as tribal organizations other than federally recognized entities, are also eligible. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, including faith-based and community organizations, may apply, along with both public and private institutions of higher education. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are also eligible. Foreign entities are explicitly excluded from eligibility. This broad eligibility is intended to ensure that diverse community-based and governmental organizations can strengthen senior nutrition efforts with preventive health integration. The estimated application open date is January 30, 2026, with applications due by April 1, 2026. Awards are expected to be announced on July 1, 2026, with projects beginning the same day. The opportunity is forecasted and not yet open, meaning that interested organizations should prepare in advance but cannot yet submit applications. No pre-application requirements, such as a letter of intent or concept paper, are indicated in the forecasted notice. Applications will be submitted through Grants.gov following the official announcement posting. Evaluation criteria are not specified in the forecast stage but can be expected to align with ACL priorities, such as increasing program reach, improving health outcomes, enhancing sustainability, and fostering collaboration across agencies and organizations. Grant applicants will need to demonstrate strong plans for outreach, measurable program impact, and scalability of their proposed models. The Administration for Community Living will provide oversight and technical guidance throughout the cooperative agreement period. For additional details or inquiries, the designated grant contact is Kari Benson, who can be reached by phone at 202-401-4634. No email contact was provided in the forecast notice. Applicants are encouraged to monitor the ACL grants website for updates, including the full Notice of Funding Opportunity when released. The anticipated timeline underscores the importance of preparing applications ahead of the January 2026 posting to ensure readiness by the April 2026 submission deadline.