Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 21 136
The Community-Based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach grant opportunity (HRSA 21-136) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Its central aim is to build, grow, and maintain a public health workforce that can prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19, with a strong emphasis on increasing access to COVID-19 vaccinations through trusted, community-rooted outreach. Rather than focusing only on clinical delivery, the program is designed to strengthen the on-the-ground support systems that help people move from having questions or concerns about the vaccine to actually getting vaccinated.
A core feature of the program is the mobilization of community outreach workers, including community health workers, patient navigators, and social support specialists. These workers are expected to meet people where they are, using direct and practical engagement methods that remove barriers to vaccination. Supported activities include face-to-face outreach and proactive communication with community members to share accurate vaccine information, address hesitancy, and provide culturally and linguistically appropriate education. The program also covers hands-on navigation help, such as assisting individuals in scheduling vaccine appointments, identifying convenient vaccination locations, and troubleshooting common access problems. In addition, it recognizes that misinformation is only one obstacle; many people face logistical barriers, so the outreach workforce may also help connect individuals with transportation options or other supports needed to physically get to a vaccination site.
The opportunity is explicitly framed around health equity. HRSA intends for these efforts to reduce persistent health disparities by directing resources toward vulnerable and medically underserved communities nationwide. Target populations include racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in areas with high social vulnerability. Applicants are expected to show how their proposed outreach strategy will meaningfully reach these groups, and how funded activities will translate into direct, measurable impact in communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 or historically underserved by public health systems.
Because HRSA is seeking broad national reach, the program prioritizes recipients with demonstrated experience implementing public health programs across large geographic areas. Applicants are expected to propose a multi-state or multi-regional approach that matches their operational capacity, rather than a single local project. HRSA is looking for organizations that can scale quickly, manage a program of significant size, and coordinate work across different jurisdictions and community contexts. This includes having the infrastructure already in place (or ready to deploy rapidly) to hire, train, supervise, and support an outreach workforce, while also ensuring accountability and effective program administration under a cooperative agreement structure.
Partnership development is another major expectation. Recipients must be able to engage at multiple levels, including national, regional, state, and local organizations, and should already have relationships in place or be able to form new ones quickly. The opportunity anticipates collaboration with a wide range of partners that can extend trust and access into underserved communities. Examples include community-based organizations and faith-based groups; social service organizations; regional, state, and local chapters of national associations; regional commissions; public health departments; health centers and other community-based providers; minority-serving institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving institutions; Tribes and Tribal Organizations; philanthropic organizations; local government entities like fire and EMS departments; and social support providers such as food banks, transportation services, and childcare resources. It also includes community coalitions, chambers of commerce, health equity councils, and similar local networks that can help outreach teams connect with residents in practical and credible ways.
The grant also places emphasis on community-based hiring as part of its equity strategy. Applicants are expected to describe how they will prioritize hiring individuals from the communities being served, reinforcing trust and improving the cultural relevance of outreach and education. In practice, this means building a workforce that reflects the neighborhoods and populations most affected, and ensuring those workers are positioned to provide accurate information, appointment support, and navigation assistance in a way that resonates locally.
Key administrative details from the posting include the funding opportunity number HRSA 21-136 and CFDA number 93.011. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, and HRSA anticipated making around 10 awards. The posting lists an award ceiling of 0, which typically signals that the ceiling may vary or be defined elsewhere in the full funding announcement rather than capped at a single fixed amount in the summary field. The opportunity was created on May 4, 2021, with an original closing date of May 18, 2021. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with clarification provided in the full announcement under the additional eligibility information section, signaling that eligibility may extend beyond standard categories but must be verified in the full notice.
Overall, this opportunity is structured to quickly scale a community-facing outreach and navigation workforce that can boost vaccine uptake by pairing public health messaging with real-world assistance, and by doing so in a way that directly targets medically underserved areas and communities experiencing the greatest inequities.Apply for HRSA 21 136
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community-Based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.011.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 04, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 18, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Community-Based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach (HRSA 21-136)
What is the Community-Based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach grant (HRSA 21-136)?
This opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It focuses on building, growing, and maintaining a public health workforce to help prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19, with a strong emphasis on increasing access to COVID-19 vaccinations through trusted, community-rooted outreach.
What is the main goal of this grant?
The central goal is to strengthen community-based outreach and support systems that help people move from having questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine to actually getting vaccinated. The program emphasizes practical, on-the-ground engagement rather than focusing only on clinical vaccine delivery.
What type of funding instrument is this?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This means the award is structured for significant involvement by the federal agency compared with a standard grant.
Who is the federal sponsor for this program?
The sponsor is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), administered through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA number?
The funding opportunity number is HRSA 21-136. The CFDA number listed is 93.011.
How many awards did HRSA anticipate making?
HRSA anticipated making around 10 awards.
Is there an award ceiling (maximum award amount) listed?
The posting lists an award ceiling of 0. In practice, this typically indicates the ceiling may vary or may be defined elsewhere in the full funding announcement rather than being capped at a single fixed amount in the summary field.
When was the opportunity posted, and what was the closing date?
The opportunity was created on May 4, 2021, with an original closing date of May 18, 2021.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "Others," with clarification provided in the full announcement under the additional eligibility information section. This suggests eligibility may extend beyond standard categories, but applicants must verify eligibility requirements in the full notice.
What kinds of workers does the program support?
The program centers on mobilizing community outreach workers, including community health workers, patient navigators, and social support specialists, to deliver trusted outreach and practical navigation support related to COVID-19 vaccination.
What does the outreach workforce actually do under this grant?
Supported activities include face-to-face outreach and proactive communication with community members to share accurate vaccine information, address vaccine hesitancy, and provide culturally and linguistically appropriate education. Workers also provide hands-on help such as scheduling vaccine appointments, identifying convenient vaccination locations, troubleshooting access issues, and connecting people to supports like transportation that can help them reach vaccination sites.
Does the program focus only on clinical vaccination services?
No. The program is designed to strengthen community-based outreach, education, and navigation supports that help people access vaccines. It emphasizes trusted engagement and barrier reduction rather than focusing only on clinical delivery.
How does the program address misinformation and vaccine hesitancy?
The grant supports direct community engagement to share accurate vaccine information, address concerns, and deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate education. Outreach workers are expected to meet people where they are and engage in practical, trust-based communication.
What kinds of access barriers can the outreach workforce help with?
The program recognizes that barriers are often logistical as well as informational. Supported assistance includes help scheduling appointments, finding convenient locations, troubleshooting common access problems, and connecting individuals to transportation or other supports needed to physically get to a vaccination site.
What is meant by "health equity" in this opportunity?
Health equity is a central framing of the program. HRSA intends for resources to be directed toward vulnerable and medically underserved communities to reduce persistent health disparities, especially in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 or historically underserved by public health systems.
Which populations are specifically highlighted as priorities?
Target populations include racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in areas with high social vulnerability, along with vulnerable and medically underserved communities nationwide.
Do applicants need to show measurable community impact?
Yes. Applicants are expected to describe how funded outreach strategies will meaningfully reach priority populations and translate into direct, measurable impact in communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 or historically underserved.
Is this intended for local projects, or does it require a broader geographic approach?
The opportunity prioritizes recipients with demonstrated experience implementing public health programs across large geographic areas. Applicants are expected to propose a multi-state or multi-regional approach that matches their operational capacity, rather than a single local project.
What kind of organizational capacity does HRSA appear to prioritize?
HRSA is looking for organizations that can scale quickly, manage a significant program size, and coordinate work across different jurisdictions and community contexts. This includes having infrastructure in place (or ready to deploy rapidly) to hire, train, supervise, and support an outreach workforce, while ensuring accountability and effective administration under a cooperative agreement structure.
Are partnerships required or expected?
Partnership development is a major expectation. Recipients must be able to engage partners at national, regional, state, and local levels, and should already have relationships in place or be able to form new ones quickly to extend trust and access into underserved communities.
What types of partners are mentioned as examples?
The opportunity anticipates collaboration with a broad range of partners, including community-based organizations and faith-based groups; social service organizations; regional, state, and local chapters of national associations; regional commissions; public health departments; health centers and other community-based providers; minority-serving institutions (including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, and AAPI-serving institutions); Tribes and Tribal Organizations; philanthropic organizations; local government entities such as fire and EMS departments; and social support providers such as food banks, transportation services, and childcare resources. It also includes community coalitions, chambers of commerce, health equity councils, and similar local networks.
What is "community-based hiring" and why is it emphasized?
Community-based hiring is emphasized as part of the equity strategy. Applicants are expected to describe how they will prioritize hiring individuals from the communities being served. The intent is to reinforce trust, improve cultural relevance, and build a workforce that reflects the neighborhoods and populations most affected.
What are the expected benefits of hiring from within the community?
The program description suggests that hiring locally helps outreach workers deliver accurate information and navigation assistance in ways that resonate with residents, strengthening trust and improving the cultural and linguistic fit of outreach activities.
What is the program trying to build beyond a short-term campaign?
The aim is to build, grow, and maintain a public health workforce that can support prevention, preparedness, and response related to COVID-19, using community-rooted outreach and navigation to increase vaccine access and uptake.
Where can applicants find the details that are not fully defined in the summary?
Several items in the summary point back to the full funding announcement for details, including additional eligibility information and award ceiling specifics. Applicants should rely on the full notice for those requirements.
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