Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2019 ACF OCSE FD 1541
The Child Support Intergovernmental Case Processing Innovation Demonstration (Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2019-ACF-OCSE-FD-1541; CFDA 93.564) is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). It was released as a forecast on May 22, 2019, with applications originally due July 17, 2019 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The forecast notice also clarifies two corrections: the funding opportunity number was corrected from FC-1541 to FD-1541, and eligibility was corrected to specify Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), rather than other tribal organizations.
At its core, this opportunity funds demonstration projects that test practical ways to improve how child support agencies handle intergovernmental cases, meaning cases that cross state lines or involve state and tribal Title IV-D agencies working together. OCSE is looking for projects that can show measurable improvements in two specific areas: first, increasing child support payments collected on intergovernmental cases; and second, improving case processing procedures so the work is faster, more efficient, and provides better customer service to families. Applicants are expected to propose an innovation that fits within a broad demonstration framework and is grounded in approaches like procedural justice (improving fairness, transparency, and trust in agency interactions), behavioral economics (designing processes and messages that make it easier for people to comply and engage), and stronger communication strategies (clearer, more effective outreach to parents and partners).
Project designs can vary widely, but the intent is to move beyond minor tweaks and instead test strategies that can be evaluated and potentially replicated. Funding can support both programmatic changes and technical capacity building that directly improves intergovernmental processing. The announcement explicitly notes examples such as automation, staffing changes, data analysis, system analysis, and technical steps needed to access federal tools like the Federal Parent Locator Service (including costs such as required security assessments). In addition to implementing an innovation, grantees are expected to actively support information sharing and partnership-building with other state and tribal IV-D agencies, since intergovernmental performance depends heavily on coordination and consistent processes across jurisdictions.
A key requirement is evaluation. Grantees must assess whether their approach worked by using administrative data and conducting a pre/post comparison focused on outcomes like collections and the time it takes to complete major case processing steps. The evaluation can be done internally by state or tribal IV-D staff or through an external, third-party evaluator, but it must be solid enough to demonstrate whether the tested changes produced meaningful results.
Eligible applicants are state governments and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. OCSE anticipated making about 18 awards. While the listed award ceiling in the forecast is 170,000 (reflecting the Section 1115 portion for states), the program is structured around Section 1115 demonstration funding paired with Federal Financial Participation (FFP). This matters because recipients can draw down additional federal matching funds according to their applicable cost-sharing rate, and any FFP requested must be built into the project budget. OCSE expected that, once Section 1115 funds and the associated FFP are combined, the typical total project funding could reach up to about 500,000.
The award structure is explained by organization type and FFP rate. For states (generally at 66 percent FFP), the Section 1115 funding ranges from a 20,000 floor to a 170,000 ceiling, and a state funded at the 170,000 ceiling could draw an additional 330,000 in FFP, reaching a total of 500,000. For tribes at 80 percent FFP, the Section 1115 ceiling is 100,000 (floor 20,000) and the estimated FFP tied to that ceiling is 400,000, again totaling about 500,000. For tribes at 90 percent FFP, the Section 1115 ceiling is 50,000 (floor 20,000) with an estimated 450,000 in FFP, also totaling about 500,000. In short, the Section 1115 portion differs by applicant type because the match rate differs, but the intended total project ceiling across types is roughly the same when the match is included.
Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at helping state and tribal child support programs modernize and improve cross-jurisdiction casework by testing evidence-informed process improvements, strengthening coordination with partner agencies, investing in targeted technology and analytic capacity, and producing measurable results using administrative data.Apply for HHS 2019 ACF OCSE FD 1541
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - OCSE in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Child Support Intergovernmental Case Processing Innovation Demonstration" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.564.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 22, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 17, 2019 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $170,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Child Support Intergovernmental Case Processing Innovation Demonstration?
It is a discretionary grant competition that funds demonstration projects designed to improve how child support agencies process intergovernmental cases (cases that cross state lines or involve coordination between state and tribal Title IV-D agencies). The focus is on testing practical, evidence-informed innovations that can be evaluated and potentially replicated.
Which agency is offering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS-2019-ACF-OCSE-FD-1541 and the CFDA number is 93.564.
Was there a correction to the Funding Opportunity Number?
Yes. The forecast notice clarifies that the Funding Opportunity Number was corrected from FC-1541 to FD-1541.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are state governments and Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized.
Was there a correction to the eligibility description?
Yes. The forecast notice corrected eligibility to specify Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), rather than other tribal organizations.
What types of cases does the program target?
The program targets intergovernmental child support cases, including cases that involve more than one state and cases that require collaboration between state and tribal Title IV-D agencies.
What are the main goals OCSE wants projects to achieve?
OCSE is looking for measurable improvement in two areas: (1) increased child support payments collected on intergovernmental cases, and (2) improved case processing procedures so work is faster, more efficient, and provides better customer service to families.
What kinds of innovations are applicants expected to propose?
Applicants are expected to propose an innovation that goes beyond minor tweaks and fits within a broad demonstration framework. The approach should be grounded in practical strategies that can be evaluated using administrative data and pre/post comparisons.
What frameworks or approaches does OCSE highlight for designing an innovation?
The opportunity highlights approaches such as procedural justice (improving fairness, transparency, and trust in agency interactions), behavioral economics (designing processes and messages that make compliance and engagement easier), and stronger communication strategies (clearer, more effective outreach to parents and partners).
Are technology and technical capacity-building activities allowed?
Yes. Funding can support programmatic changes and technical capacity building that directly improves intergovernmental processing, including technical steps needed to access federal tools like the Federal Parent Locator Service.
What are examples of activities this funding can support?
Examples explicitly noted include automation, staffing changes, data analysis, system analysis, and required technical steps such as security assessments needed to access federal tools like the Federal Parent Locator Service.
Is coordination with other agencies part of the expectation?
Yes. Grantees are expected to actively support information sharing and partnership-building with other state and tribal IV-D agencies, because intergovernmental performance depends heavily on coordination and consistent processes across jurisdictions.
Is an evaluation required?
Yes. A key requirement is evaluation. Grantees must assess whether their approach worked using administrative data and a pre/post comparison focused on outcomes such as collections and the time required to complete major case processing steps.
Can the evaluation be done by agency staff, or is an external evaluator required?
The evaluation can be conducted internally by state or tribal IV-D staff or through an external, third-party evaluator. Regardless of who performs it, the evaluation must be strong enough to show whether the changes produced meaningful results.
What outcomes should the evaluation measure?
The evaluation is expected to focus on measurable outcomes such as child support collections on intergovernmental cases and the time it takes to complete major case processing steps (using a pre/post comparison supported by administrative data).
How many awards did OCSE anticipate making?
OCSE anticipated making about 18 awards.
What is the award ceiling shown in the forecast, and what does it represent?
The forecast lists an award ceiling of 170,000, reflecting the Section 1115 portion for states.
How is the overall funding structured?
The program is structured around Section 1115 demonstration funding paired with Federal Financial Participation (FFP). Recipients can draw down additional federal matching funds based on their applicable cost-sharing rate, and any FFP requested must be included in the project budget.
What is the expected typical total project funding when Section 1115 funds and FFP are combined?
OCSE expected that, once the Section 1115 funds and associated FFP are combined, typical total project funding could reach up to about 500,000.
How does the Section 1115 amount differ for states versus tribes?
The Section 1115 portion differs by applicant type because FFP match rates differ, but the intended combined total ceiling is roughly similar (about 500,000) when Section 1115 funds and FFP are combined.
What are the Section 1115 funding amounts for states (and how does FFP relate)?
For states (generally at 66 percent FFP), the Section 1115 funding ranges from a 20,000 floor to a 170,000 ceiling. A state funded at the 170,000 ceiling could draw an additional 330,000 in FFP, reaching a combined total of about 500,000.
What are the Section 1115 funding amounts for tribes at 80 percent FFP?
For tribes at 80 percent FFP, the Section 1115 funding ranges from a 20,000 floor to a 100,000 ceiling. The estimated FFP tied to the 100,000 ceiling is 400,000, reaching a combined total of about 500,000.
What are the Section 1115 funding amounts for tribes at 90 percent FFP?
For tribes at 90 percent FFP, the Section 1115 funding ranges from a 20,000 floor to a 50,000 ceiling. The estimated FFP tied to the 50,000 ceiling is 450,000, reaching a combined total of about 500,000.
Does the opportunity mention a minimum (floor) amount for Section 1115 funding?
Yes. The Section 1115 portion includes a 20,000 floor for states and for tribes (including tribes at 80 percent or 90 percent FFP).
What does it mean that FFP must be built into the project budget?
It means applicants should account for and include any federal matching funds (FFP) they plan to draw down as part of the overall project budget planning, consistent with the applicable cost-sharing rate.
When was the opportunity released as a forecast?
The opportunity was released as a forecast on May 22, 2019.
When were applications originally due?
Applications were originally due on July 17, 2019 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
What is the overall purpose of this grant opportunity?
The overall purpose is to help state and tribal child support programs modernize and improve cross-jurisdiction casework by testing evidence-informed process improvements, strengthening coordination with partner agencies, investing in targeted technology and analytic capacity, and producing measurable results using administrative data.
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