FY2026 Cooperative Agreement for 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline Administrator

The Cooperative Agreement for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Administrator is a federally funded initiative by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This opportunity aligns with SAMHSA’s role as the lead federal agency in behavioral health crisis services and aims to support the expanding national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline system. This lifeline, accessible via call, text, or chat, offers immediate support for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts, mental health crises, or substance use emergencies. SAMHSA established this cooperative agreement to ensure the continued development, operation, and enhancement of the 988 Lifeline Network, which is comprised of over 200 crisis contact centers nationwide. The main objective of this funding opportunity is to select a Lifeline Administrator responsible for overseeing the 988 infrastructure. This includes ensuring seamless 24/7 operations of all communication modalities—phone, chat, text, and videophone—across all crisis centers and specialized subnetworks. The administrator will also maintain national standards of care and quality, deliver culturally competent services, and support continuous performance improvement. Specific responsibilities include managing national-level performance data, ensuring rapid response capabilities, maintaining technical systems such as customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, and coordinating emergency responses in collaboration with partners such as the Department of Veterans Affairs. The administrator will also support states, territories, and Tribes in meeting performance benchmarks, namely a 90% or higher in-state/territory response rate for 988 contacts. Technical and operational infrastructure will need to support forecasting of demand, capacity management, cybersecurity safeguards, and integration with local and national partners. The administrator will play a critical role in advancing a federated yet coordinated model for 988 delivery, including proposing and implementing a tiered model that enables states and territories to assume primary accountability for select functions. Eligible applicants for this opportunity are domestic public or private nonprofit entities, including but not limited to states, territories, Tribes, public and private institutions of higher education, and other nonprofit organizations. The award provides up to $231,482,876 annually for a period of up to five years. Cost sharing is not required. All proposed activities must align with SAMHSA’s Strategic Priorities and current Executive Orders. Applications must not include harm reduction strategies as defined by SAMHSA’s Dear Colleague Letter, and all personnel appointments must adhere strictly to merit-based criteria without demographic preferences. The application process requires submission of various components including a one-page abstract, a 30-page narrative addressing need, implementation, organizational capacity, and data strategies, and supporting attachments such as biographical sketches, a timeline, confidentiality assurances, and letters of commitment. All applicants must be registered in SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. The final application deadline is February 27, 2026, with awards expected by April 30, 2026 and projects commencing by May 15, 2026. Applicants will be evaluated based on a merit review process and risk assessment, considering program readiness, capacity to serve national needs, experience in crisis response, data infrastructure, and plans for continuous quality improvement. The cooperative agreement requires significant coordination with SAMHSA throughout the grant period, including data reporting, performance evaluation, participation in in-person meetings, and strict adherence to all applicable federal laws and funding restrictions.

Ensure complete alignment with Executive Orders and SAMHSA Strategic Priorities; avoid harm reduction content; submit all required personnel bios and organizational charts.