HIV/STI/HCV Prevention and Related Services for Women and Girls

The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute has issued a Request for Applications (RFA #20399) targeting HIV, STI, and HCV prevention and related services for women and girls, particularly from communities of color. The initiative is structured into two distinct funding components. Component A focuses on direct prevention and related health services, while Component B aims to support capacity building for high-impact prevention strategies targeting Black and Latina/Hispanic women and girls. This program demonstrates a strategic approach by the Department to address health inequities and strengthen prevention infrastructure across New York State through community-based interventions. The AIDS Institute’s Office of Population Health and Prevention Programs, which manages this funding opportunity, seeks to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities in HIV, STI, and HCV incidence rates. The funder emphasizes comprehensive, culturally competent, and community-driven responses. Component A supports organizations delivering services such as HIV and STI screening, prevention education, linkage to care, and other interventions targeting at-risk women and girls. Component B provides funding to organizations to build organizational capacity, including training, technical assistance, and leadership development, to expand the impact of existing prevention efforts and improve overall service delivery quality. Eligible applicants must submit proposals through the Statewide Financial System (SFS). The application window officially opened on June 11, 2024, with a submission deadline set for August 7, 2024, at 4:00 PM EST. Prospective applicants were encouraged to attend a virtual applicant conference held on June 17, 2024, and were required to submit questions by June 26, 2024. The Department committed to posting answers and relevant updates by July 18, 2024. Application materials, training webinars, and detailed user guides are available through the SFS Public Portal and SFS Coach, ensuring applicants have access to technical support throughout the submission process. Applicants must meet specific technical requirements. Only those with the appropriate roles in the SFS system—such as Bid Response Submitter—can submit applications. Additionally, not-for-profit organizations are required to be prequalified in the Grants Gateway system at the time of application submission, including maintaining up-to-date financial documentation like IRS Form 990 and NY Charities Bureau filings. Failure to meet these technical and prequalification criteria may result in disqualification, regardless of the proposal’s quality. The evaluation process involves initial checks for completeness within the SFS portal. Applicants are advised to submit proposals at least 48 hours before the deadline to allow time for resolving submission errors. NYSDOH staff, along with Grants Management and SFS technical teams, are available to assist with questions and system navigation. However, applicants are warned that last-minute issues may not be resolved in time, potentially jeopardizing submission success. The AIDS Institute further emphasizes attention to file naming conventions and size limits (20MB) for all uploaded documents. This grant opportunity is part of NYSDOH’s broader strategy to end the epidemic of HIV/AIDS and reduce the incidence of STIs and HCV. While exact award amounts and the number of awards are not specified in the RFA excerpt, the structured approach, comprehensive application support, and emphasis on both service delivery and capacity building reflect the Department’s commitment to long-term health equity. All inquiries related to this opportunity should be directed to Nkechi Oguagha, Director of the Office of Population Health and Prevention Programs, via the official program email: [email protected].