Tribal Self-Governance Planning Cooperative Agreement Program | HHS 2025 IHS TSGP 0001

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2025 IHS TSGP 0001

The Tribal Self-Governance Planning Cooperative Agreement Program is an Indian Health Service (IHS) funding opportunity designed to help Tribes prepare to take on greater control over IHS health-related programs through the Tribal Self-Governance Program (TSGP). The core goal is to fund the required planning work that Tribes must complete under Title V of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act before entering self-governance or before expanding what they already operate under self-governance. In practical terms, the program supports Tribes that are either new to TSGP and want to enter the program, or current Self-Governance Tribes that want to assume additional or expanded Programs, Services, Functions, and Activities (PSFAs) from IHS.

The planning phase funded by this cooperative agreement is not a quick administrative step; it is meant to be a detailed readiness process led by the Tribe and completed to the Tribe's satisfaction, as described in 25 U.S.C. 5383(d). The required planning activities include legal research, budget and financial analysis, and internal government planning and organizational preparation related to administering health care programs. This planning is positioned as essential for successful negotiations with IHS because it helps a Tribe decide which PSFAs it wants to assume, understand the funding and operational implications of taking them on, and identify what internal changes may be needed to manage those responsibilities. The opportunity emphasizes that stronger planning tends to lead to faster, more efficient negotiations and helps ensure the Tribe is genuinely prepared for the transfer of IHS PSFAs into a Tribal health program.

This is a discretionary grant opportunity using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, which usually means IHS expects to have substantial involvement during the project compared to a standard grant. The activity area is health, and the listing is under CFDA (Assistance Listing) 93.444. The opportunity is run by the Indian Health Service under Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2025 IHS TSGP 0001, with an original application closing date of February 19, 2025. IHS anticipates making about three awards, and the maximum award amount is $180,000 per award (award ceiling).

Eligibility is limited to specific Tribal entities recognized in federal law and regulations. Applicants must be an Indian Tribe as defined at 25 U.S.C. 5304(e), a Tribal Organization as defined at 25 U.S.C. 5304(l), or an Inter-Tribal Consortium as defined at 42 CFR 137.10 (and as referenced under 25 U.S.C. 1603). The notice also flags that some Tribes are prohibited from contracting under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act due to restrictions enacted in appropriations laws (including provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Acts cited in the announcement), and those prohibited entities are not eligible for this opportunity.

Beyond fitting an eligible applicant category, applicants must meet key statutory participation requirements tied to self-governance. First, under 25 U.S.C. 5383(c)(1)(B), the applicant must formally request participation in self-governance through a Tribal resolution or another official action taken by the governing body of each Indian Tribe to be served. Second, under 25 U.S.C. 5383(c)(1)(C), the applicant must demonstrate financial stability and financial management capability for three consecutive fiscal years. Together, these requirements aim to show that the Tribe has both the official governmental commitment and the financial management track record needed to responsibly plan for and potentially assume administration of federal health care PSFAs.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as capacity-building support for Tribes considering self-governance in health or preparing to broaden their existing self-governance footprint. It funds the front-end work that helps Tribal leadership, administrators, and legal and financial staff map out what taking on specific health programs would mean operationally, financially, and organizationally, so that any move toward assuming IHS PSFAs is deliberate, informed, and sustainable.

• The Indian Health Service in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tribal Self-Governance Planning Cooperative Agreement Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.444.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-19. (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 $180,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Others.

Apply for HHS 2025 IHS TSGP 0001

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