Community Health Aide Program: Tribal Planning Implementation

The Indian Health Service (IHS), operating under the Department of Health and Human Services, is forecasting a discretionary grant opportunity titled “Community Health Aide Program: Tribal Planning & Implementation” under opportunity number HHS-2025-IHS-TPI-0001. This grant falls under the broader objective of advancing health outcomes among Native American populations and is part of the Indian Health Service’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the availability and delivery of health services through the Community Health Aide Program (CHAP). CHAP is a long-standing model used primarily in Alaska, with the goal of enhancing tribal capacity to provide primary and preventive healthcare services directly within communities. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to provide support for Tribal planning and implementation initiatives related to CHAP. Specifically, the program targets Tribes and Tribal Organizations (T/TO) in the contiguous 48 United States who are positioned to either initiate or expand a CHAP. Funding will assist in activities such as assessing feasibility, preparing for implementation, or supporting an already growing CHAP. IHS emphasizes regional flexibility, allowing Tribes to tailor the CHAP structure to meet the unique needs of their individual communities. The grants aim to empower Tribes to develop sustainable and community-driven healthcare models aligned with their specific cultural and healthcare priorities. This funding forecast anticipates a total program funding pool of $3,000,000. Individual awards will range between a floor of $500,000 and a ceiling of $750,000. Four awards are expected under this forecast. Notably, the grant does not require matching funds, and applicants should not submit concurrent proposals under the same program if they have already received an active award. Furthermore, Tribes that are prohibited from receiving funds under the Alaska Moratorium in connection with the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act are explicitly ineligible. Eligibility for this funding opportunity is strictly limited to Federally recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations as defined by 25 U.S.C. 1603. Federally recognized Tribes include organized groups such as bands, nations, Alaska Native villages, or corporations recognized by the U.S. government for eligibility for special programs. Tribal organizations must be either officially sanctioned by the Tribe’s governing body or democratically elected by the adult members of the community they serve. Applicants must also include supporting documentation such as letters of support or Tribal Resolutions from all Tribes that will be served by the proposed project. As of now, this is a forecasted opportunity, with an estimated posting date of May 1, 2025. Since the full application package and synopsis have not yet been released, an exact application deadline and award date have not been provided. Once the opportunity is posted, updated details regarding submission procedures and timelines will be made available on Grants.gov. For further inquiries regarding this opportunity, applicants may contact the Indian Health Service’s Division of Grants Management at 301-443-5204. There is currently no dedicated email contact or pre-application technical assistance session listed. Applicants are advised to monitor Grants.gov closely for updates and the release of the full application package.