Announcement of Anticipated Availability of Funds for Family Planning Services Grants - Alaska (Fairbanks, Juneau, Soldotna and Sitka) | PA FPH 16 012

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the official title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Announcement of Anticipated Availability of Funds for Family Planning Services Grants - Alaska (Fairbanks, Juneau, Soldotna and Sitka)."

2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PA FPH 16 012.

3) What type of grant is this?

This is a discretionary federal grant opportunity.

4) What CFDA program number is associated with this funding?

The opportunity is under CFDA 93.217.

5) Which federal office is administering this opportunity?

The grant is administered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

6) What federal program is this funding connected to?

This opportunity is part of the Title X family planning program.

7) What is the main purpose of the grant?

The core purpose is to support organizations that will establish and operate voluntary family planning service projects in the listed Alaska service areas, making family planning services available to anyone who wants them.

8) Does the program prioritize any specific populations?

Yes. While services are intended to be available to anyone who wants them, the program gives priority to people from low-income families, consistent with Title X statutory requirements.

9) Which geographic service areas are included in this announcement?

The service areas named in the announcement are Fairbanks, Juneau, Soldotna, and Sitka (Alaska).

10) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include public and private nonprofit entities. The announcement particularly emphasizes entities operating at the local or regional level, since Title X allows these organizations to apply directly to the Secretary for funding.

11) Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply under the information provided?

Based on the information provided, eligibility is described as public and private nonprofit entities; for-profit eligibility is not indicated.

12) What kinds of projects is this grant expected to support?

Projects are expected to establish and operate voluntary family planning service projects that provide a full range of family planning services within the named Alaska communities.

13) What services are expected to be included in a "full range" of family planning services?

The announcement describes a full range as including clinical family planning and related preventive health services, plus education, information, and counseling tied to family planning.

14) Are referral services part of the expectations for funded projects?

Yes. Where appropriate, projects are expected to provide referral services so clients can access additional care beyond what the project directly delivers.

15) Does the announcement require services to be provided directly by the applicant?

Not necessarily. Applications that rely on partner organizations or contractors are not ruled out, but they are evaluated with special attention to whether the applicant can still ensure required services are provided and that the overall project will effectively reach and serve people most in need.

16) How are applications evaluated if the applicant plans to use partners or contractors?

The announcement highlights service coverage and the applicant's capacity to meet community needs across the service area. If partners or contractors are used, reviewers focus closely on how convincingly the applicant demonstrates it can manage service delivery, maintain quality, and provide broad access across Fairbanks, Juneau, Soldotna, and Sitka.

17) What is meant by "service coverage" in the context of this opportunity?

Service coverage, as emphasized in the announcement, refers to whether the applicant has the capacity and a realistic plan to meet community needs throughout the anticipated service area and ensure required services are available to the people the project is intended to benefit.

18) What documentation is required if the applicant will not provide all services directly?

The announcement requires documentation of the process the applicant will use to make subawards available to qualified entities that are eligible to receive federal funds.

19) Why does the announcement emphasize a subaward process?

The stated intent is to ensure the applicant can build out a service network and fairly offer opportunities to capable subrecipients, so services can be delivered throughout the region in a way that meets the needs of the target communities.

20) What should the subaward approach demonstrate to the funder?

It should show how the applicant will identify gaps and partners, select qualified subrecipients, and oversee those partners to ensure Title X program requirements are met and services remain accessible and effective across the service area.

21) What legal and policy framework should proposals be based on?

Applicants are instructed to ground proposals in the governing Title X legislation and applicable federal regulations, as well as legislative mandates and the program's operational guidance.

22) What specific guidance documents are referenced in the announcement?

The announcement specifically points to the Title X Program Guidelines (issued in 2014), Office of Population Affairs (OPA) Program Policy Notices, and other priorities and key issues referenced in the notice and application package.

23) What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?

The listed award ceiling is $329,000.

24) How many awards are expected under this opportunity?

The announcement notes an expectation of 35 awards (as presented in the source data).

25) What is the original application closing date?

The original application closing date is April 1, 2016.

26) When was the opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on October 23, 2015.

27) What is the overall goal of this funding in Alaska?

The overall goal is to strengthen or maintain Title X-supported family planning access in the specified Alaska communities by funding nonprofit or public entities that can either provide services directly or coordinate a network of providers through documented subawards and referrals.

28) What is a key theme reviewers are likely to look for in applications?

A key theme is whether the applicant can credibly demonstrate capacity, quality oversight, and a practical plan to reach community members most in need while delivering (or ensuring delivery of) required Title X family planning services across the named service areas.