Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2020 ACF OFA ZB 1817
The Family, Relationship, and Marriage Education Works - Adults (FRAMEWorks) grant opportunity is a competitive discretionary funding program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), administered through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA). It is intended to fund "healthy marriage promotion" efforts authorized under Section 403(a)(2) of the Social Security Act, with the overall aim of strengthening families by improving relationship and marriage outcomes through structured, education-oriented services. The program is specifically limited to adult-focused projects, meaning the people served must be age 18 or older, and proposals must be designed for either adult individuals or adult couples.
FRAMEWorks emphasizes program designs that deliver a broad set of service strategies, especially curriculum-based skills development and other structured interventions that help participants build relationship competencies. Applicants are expected to align their services with one or more of seven activity categories listed in the authorizing statute. These include marriage and relationship education and skills (often shortened to MRES), premarital education, marriage enhancement activities, divorce reduction activities, marriage mentoring, public advertising campaigns related to healthy marriage promotion, and efforts that reduce disincentives to marriage. In addition to relationship-focused work, applicants are encouraged to incorporate supports that promote employment, job readiness, and career advancement, reflecting an interest in addressing economic stability alongside relationship stability.
A key design preference in the solicitation is program focus and clarity. Applicants are strongly encouraged to propose one specific program model aimed at one clearly defined service population, such as adult individuals or adult couples, rather than bundling multiple models for different groups into a single application. This signals that OFA is looking for coherent, well-scoped projects with a clear theory of service delivery, target audience, and implementation plan. At the same time, ACF indicates interest in a range of project sizes and intensity levels, including high-impact projects, moderate-scope projects, and smaller-scope efforts, suggesting that applicants can be competitive with different scale approaches as long as the design is strong and feasible.
The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2020 ACF OFA ZB 1817; CFDA 93.086) is open to a wide set of eligible applicants across government, education, nonprofit, and private sectors. Eligible entities include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. Regardless of applicant type, proposals must demonstrate organizational capacity to carry out the proposed project, which typically implies having appropriate staffing, relevant experience, partnerships (if needed), management systems, and the ability to implement and oversee curriculum-based or structured service delivery.
From a funding perspective, the grant has an award ceiling of $1,500,000, and the agency anticipated making about 41 awards under this solicitation. The opportunity record shows a creation date of June 1, 2020, with an original closing date of July 1, 2020, and it specifies that electronic submissions were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the application due date. Overall, FRAMEWorks is designed for organizations that can deliver evidence-informed, adult-centered relationship and marriage education services, potentially paired with employment and advancement supports, while keeping the project model focused and demonstrating strong readiness to implement at the proposed scale.Apply for HHS 2020 ACF OFA ZB 1817
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - OFA in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Family, Relationship, and Marriage Education Works - Adults (FRAMEWorks)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.086.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 01, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 01, 2020 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 41 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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FRAMEWorks (Adults) Grant Opportunity FAQs
1) What is the FRAMEWorks - Adults grant?
The Family, Relationship, and Marriage Education Works - Adults (FRAMEWorks) grant is a competitive discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), and supports "healthy marriage promotion" efforts authorized under Section 403(a)(2) of the Social Security Act.
2) What is the main purpose of this funding?
The overall purpose is to strengthen families by improving relationship and marriage outcomes through structured, education-oriented services. The emphasis is on curriculum-based skills development and other structured interventions that build relationship competencies.
3) Who is the program designed to serve?
This opportunity is specifically limited to adult-focused projects. People served must be age 18 or older, and proposals must be designed for either adult individuals or adult couples.
4) Can an application serve both adult individuals and adult couples?
The solicitation strongly encourages applicants to propose one specific program model aimed at one clearly defined service population (for example, adult individuals or adult couples), rather than bundling multiple models for different groups into a single application.
5) What types of activities can be funded under FRAMEWorks?
Applicants are expected to align services with one or more of seven activity categories listed in the authorizing statute. These categories include:
- Marriage and relationship education and skills (MRES)
- Premarital education
- Marriage enhancement activities
- Divorce reduction activities
- Marriage mentoring
- Public advertising campaigns related to healthy marriage promotion
- Efforts that reduce disincentives to marriage
6) Is marriage and relationship education (MRES) required?
The opportunity emphasizes curriculum-based skills development and structured interventions, and applicants are expected to align with one or more of the seven authorized activity categories, which include MRES. The information provided does not state that MRES is mandatory in every application, but it is clearly a central, emphasized strategy.
7) Are employment and economic supports allowed or encouraged?
Yes. In addition to relationship-focused work, applicants are encouraged to incorporate supports that promote employment, job readiness, and career advancement. This reflects an interest in addressing economic stability alongside relationship stability.
8) What does the funder mean by "program focus and clarity"?
OFA signals a preference for coherent, well-scoped projects that present one clear model with a defined target audience and implementation plan. The guidance suggests avoiding an application that combines multiple distinct models for multiple different groups within one proposal.
9) Does the opportunity support only large projects?
No. ACF indicates interest in a range of project sizes and intensity levels, including high-impact projects, moderate-scope projects, and smaller-scope efforts. Applicants can be competitive at different scales as long as the design is strong and feasible.
10) Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity is open to a wide range of applicant types across government, education, nonprofit, and private sectors. Eligible entities include:
- State, county, and local governments
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations
- Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories)
- For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
11) Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to apply?
No. The eligibility list includes nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, with the noted exception that institutions of higher education are handled under their own eligibility category rather than the nonprofit categories.
12) Are for-profit organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations are listed as eligible applicants (other than small businesses), and small businesses are also listed as eligible.
13) Are tribal entities eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations are included in the eligibility list.
14) Are housing authorities eligible to apply?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are listed as eligible applicants.
15) What level of organizational capability is expected?
Regardless of applicant type, proposals must demonstrate organizational capacity to carry out the project. The description indicates this typically includes having appropriate staffing, relevant experience, partnerships if needed, management systems, and the ability to implement and oversee curriculum-based or otherwise structured service delivery.
16) What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling for this opportunity is $1,500,000.
17) How many awards were anticipated?
The agency anticipated making about 41 awards under this solicitation.
18) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS 2020 ACF OFA ZB 1817, and the CFDA number is 93.086.
19) When was the opportunity posted and when was it due?
The opportunity record shows a creation date of June 1, 2020, with an original closing date of July 1, 2020.
20) What time were applications due on the closing date?
Electronic submissions were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the application due date.
21) Is the program limited to education-oriented services?
The opportunity is described as education-oriented and emphasizes structured, curriculum-based skills development and other structured interventions to build relationship competencies.
22) Is this opportunity focused on adults only?
Yes. The solicitation is specifically limited to adult-focused projects, and participants must be 18 or older.
23) What is meant by "healthy marriage promotion" in this context?
Based on the information provided, "healthy marriage promotion" refers to structured, education-oriented services intended to strengthen families by improving relationship and marriage outcomes, aligned with one or more of the seven authorized activity categories (such as relationship education, marriage mentoring, or divorce reduction activities).
24) What kind of application strategy appears to be favored?
The information suggests that OFA favors applications that are evidence-informed, adult-centered, focused on a single program model for a clearly defined adult population, and supported by a realistic implementation plan demonstrating readiness and capacity at the proposed scale.
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