Legal Assistance Enhancement Program Grants

The Administration for Community Living, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is seeking to award approximately five cooperative agreements under the Legal Assistance Enhancement Program Grants to strengthen and expand the delivery of legal services to older adults through public-private partnerships at the state and local levels. This initiative is authorized under Section 307(a)(11) of the Older Americans Act and implementing regulations at 45 C.F.R. 1321.93 and 1324.303, with the goal of achieving measurable and sustainable improvements in access to a full spectrum of legal assistance—from advice to full representation—for older adults facing social or economic vulnerabilities. Applicants must focus on one or more priority legal issue areas such as housing, income security, or abuse prevention and must demonstrate alignment with ACL’s strategic priorities including protecting rights and preventing abuse. The funding range is $200,000 to $300,000 per award, with a total program allocation of $2 million, and the performance period is fixed for two years from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2028, with no option for renewal or extension. All applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by the deadline of August 25, 2026, and must include a comprehensive project narrative limited to 20 pages, a 265-word project summary, a detailed work plan, a meaningful collaboration plan that defines formal roles between the Legal Assistance Director and legal service providers, letters of commitment from key partners, proof of nonprofit status, resumes and job descriptions for key personnel, and the required federal forms including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, Key Contacts, Lobbying Certification, and Project/Performance Site Location. Proposals will be evaluated on a 110-point scale with the highest weight given to the response, including work plan feasibility and organizational capability (50 points), followed by potential impact (20 points), resources and capabilities (20 points), purpose and need (10 points), project evaluation (5 points), and dissemination plan (5 points). Awards will be made through a trade-off process that considers not only technical scores but also budget reasonableness, geographic distribution, alignment with agency priorities, past performance, and funding availability. Applicants must be registered in SAM.gov with an active Unique Entity ID, comply with 2 CFR Part 2