Community Economic Development Projects

The Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families is awarding approximately $18.57 million in Community Economic Development discretionary funds to Community Development Corporations to stimulate job creation and business development for individuals with low income. Projects must be well-planned, financially sustainable, and innovative, with a clear focus on reducing dependency on federal assistance, combating chronic unemployment, and reversing community decline in both urban and rural settings. Applicants are expected to actively recruit low-income individuals for positions created through these projects, provide support to help them maintain employment, and ensure that the resulting businesses and jobs remain viable for at least one year after the project ends. Funding can support either construction or non-construction initiatives, with priority encouraged for rural and underserved areas, particularly in states with existing CED projects. Applicants are strongly encouraged to align their proposals with other OCS-funded programs and priorities to create a more comprehensive approach to addressing poverty, unemployment, and substance-use disorders in persistently disadvantaged communities. The funding opportunity seeks to foster integrated strategies that leverage multiple federal resources to maximize impact in high-poverty areas as identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. The solicitation, identified as HHS-2026-ACF-OCS-EE-0026, was posted on August 10, 2026, with a submission deadline of September 8, 2026. Proposals must be submitted through the Grants.gov portal, and inquiries may be directed to the designated point of contact at the Administration for Children and Families.