Strategies to Link, Engage, and Retain Men with HIV in Care: Implementation Technical Assistance Provider

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary federal entity focused on improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. Within HRSA, the Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) program funds innovative models of HIV care and treatment. Under the SPNS portfolio, HRSA has released a forecast for a cooperative agreement titled "Strategies to Link, Engage, and Retain Men with HIV in Care: Implementation Technical Assistance Provider" (HRSA-26-088). The goal of this funding opportunity is to strengthen the implementation of interventions that aim to engage men with HIV—especially those facing challenges in remaining in care—by leveraging implementation science and community-driven solutions. This initiative seeks to fund a single Implementation Technical Assistance Provider (ITAP) that will coordinate with an Evaluation Provider under a parallel funding opportunity. The ITAP will manage up to eight sub-awards to implementation sites selected by the grantee. These sites will adopt emerging or evidence-informed interventions designed to support men with HIV who are not consistently engaged in care or who encounter barriers to care continuity. The ITAP will be responsible for identifying suitable interventions, guiding their adaptation and implementation using frameworks such as HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) Implementation Science Framework, and delivering site-specific technical assistance throughout the process. The initiative is grounded in the Ryan White Program 2030 (RWP2030) vision and aligns with the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. strategy. It emphasizes rapid adaptation, large-scale implementation, and timely evaluation to generate generalizable outcomes. Furthermore, the project intends to produce publicly accessible dissemination products, guided by human-centered design and adult learning methodologies, to enhance replication and sustainability across diverse settings. These components underscore the initiative’s commitment to ensuring best practices in HIV care can be scaled effectively and quickly to meet ongoing public health needs. Spending under this cooperative agreement will support management of sub-awards, intervention adaptation and implementation, technical assistance delivery, and related dissemination activities. The total estimated program funding is $3,240,000, which is also the award ceiling, with one award expected to be made. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for applicants. The performance period will likely begin on September 1, 2026, with the award date projected for the same day. Eligible applicants include a wide range of public and nonprofit entities such as academic institutions, local and state governments, tribal entities (with or without federal recognition), community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and health care providers such as nonprofit hospitals and community health centers. Eligibility is broadly inclusive, and eligible entities must be able to administer federal cooperative agreements and have the capacity to manage sub-awards. Interested applicants should anticipate the official posting of the opportunity around April 1, 2026, with applications due by June 1, 2026, no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Submissions must be completed electronically, and while no pre-application components such as a Letter of Intent are required at this stage, applicants are advised to monitor Grants.gov for updates. For further details, prospective applicants may contact Alexis Leal at 301-443-3709 or via email at [email protected].