Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants - Special Issue Resource Centers (SIRCs) | HHS 2021 ACF ACYF EV 1941

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2021 ACF ACYF EV 1941

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants - Special Issue Resource Centers (SIRCs) opportunity is a federal funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). The goal is to fund four national Special Issue Resource Centers that strengthen how communities and major public systems respond to domestic violence and dating violence. These centers are designed to improve both intervention and prevention by focusing on system-level change, practical guidance, and specialized support that can be used across the country.

Under this opportunity, ACF/FYSB plans to make four awards, each structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a typical grant. That distinction matters because it signals an ongoing partnership with the federal agency: ACF/FYSB expects to be substantially involved in the project beyond routine grant monitoring. In practice, this means the funded centers should anticipate active coordination with federal staff, potentially including structured collaboration, strategic check-ins, federal input on deliverables, and other forms of engagement that go beyond standard conference calls or occasional site visits.

Each funded SIRC must operate at a national scope and concentrate its work in at least one of four priority systems where survivors often face barriers, safety risks, or inconsistent practices. The four focus areas are: (1) criminal and civil justice systems, (2) child protective services and child custody, (3) health care systems, and (4) mental health systems. The underlying idea is that domestic violence and dating violence are not addressed by victim service providers alone; survivors interact with courts, law enforcement, child welfare agencies, hospitals and clinics, and behavioral health providers, and the quality of those interactions can strongly affect safety, access to resources, and long-term outcomes. The SIRCs are meant to help these systems respond more effectively, consistently, and safely, while promoting approaches grounded in survivor needs and real-world practice.

The SIRCs also sit within a broader FVPSA-funded national network of resource centers that includes National, Special Issue, Culturally Specific, and Capacity Building Resource Centers. As part of that network, the SIRCs are expected to provide leadership and subject-matter expertise, along with training and technical assistance (often referred to as TTA), practical tools, and other resources that support programs and systems serving survivors of domestic violence and their children. In other words, these centers are not primarily direct service providers; they function more like national hubs that develop guidance, spread effective practices, and help agencies and organizations improve their policies and day-to-day responses.

From an eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is open to certain nonprofit and tribal organizations. Eligible applicants include Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (also excluding institutions of higher education). The listing also includes an “Others” category, with the note that applicants should consult the opportunity’s additional eligibility information for clarification. The funding is classified as discretionary, and the assistance mechanism is a cooperative agreement under the Income Security and Social Services funding activity category, with CFDA number 93.592.

In terms of scale and timing, the announcement indicates an award ceiling of $1,500,000 and an expectation of four total awards. The funding opportunity number is HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-EV-1941. The notice was created on May 13, 2021, and the original application closing date was June 28, 2021, with applications required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. Overall, the opportunity reflects FVPSA’s emphasis on strengthening coordinated community responses and improving how key systems identify, prevent, and respond to domestic and dating violence, using national resource centers to accelerate change through training, technical assistance, and system-focused solutions.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children Families - ACYF/FYSB in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants - Special Issue Resource Centers (SIRCs)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.592.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 13, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 28, 2021 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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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