Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) | CDC RFA CE 26 0110

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA CE 26 0110

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) Community-based Coalition Enhancement Grants to Address Local Drug Crises (often referred to as the CARA Local Drug Crises Grants) is a FY 2026 discretionary grant opportunity designed to strengthen and expand the work of community coalitions that are already connected to the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. The DFC Support Program itself was established under the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-20), and this CARA funding operates as an enhancement layer for communities facing especially serious drug-use challenges. The program is jointly situated within the federal drug control and public health landscape, with the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), accepting and administering applications.

At its core, the goal is targeted prevention for young people ages 12 to 18. The grant is meant to help communities prevent and reduce opioid use, reduce methamphetamine use, and curb the misuse of prescription drugs among local youth. Rather than funding treatment services broadly, the emphasis is on coalition-driven, community-level prevention approaches that respond to specific local drug crises. In practice, this typically means using local data to identify key drivers of youth substance use, coordinating multi-sector partners, and implementing evidence-informed strategies that can shift community norms, reduce access, improve protective factors, and ultimately lower youth use and misuse rates for the drugs named in the opportunity.

Eligibility is intentionally narrow because it is authorized under Section 103 of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (Public Law 114-198). To apply, an organization must be a domestic public or private nonprofit entity and must be a current or former recipient of the DFC Support Program. The applicant is expected to be a community-based coalition (or an eligible organization applying on behalf of a coalition) that is actively addressing opioid, methamphetamine, and/or prescription drug misuse among youth in its area. The opportunity allows a wide range of organizational types to serve as the legal applicant, as long as they fit the nonprofit/public eligibility requirements and are tied to an established, legally recognized entity. Examples listed include state and local governments, federally recognized tribes, state-recognized tribes, urban Indian organizations (as defined in Public Law 94-437), colleges and universities, professional associations, voluntary organizations, self-help groups, consumer and provider constituency groups, community- and faith-based organizations, and tribal organizations. Nonprofits may include 501(c)(3) organizations as well as other 501(c) entities, consistent with the eligibility categories shown in the source data.

A key additional eligibility requirement is that applicants must be able to document that their community has experienced opioid misuse and/or methamphetamine use at rates higher than the national average over a sustained period. This requirement signals that the grants are meant for places where the data show an elevated, persistent burden, and where additional resources are justified to address an acute local drug crisis affecting youth. The program also makes clear that it is intended to fund coalition activities within the United States and does not authorize funding for work outside the U.S.; therefore, the applicant organization must reside in the United States and/or U.S. territories, and proposed activities are expected to occur domestically.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as CDC RFA CE 26 0110 under CFDA (Assistance Listing) 93.799, with CDC NCIPC as the issuing agency. The application deadline provided is January 21, 2026. The award ceiling is $75,000 per award, and the opportunity anticipates making about 45 awards. As an enhancement grant, the funding level and structure suggest it is meant to supplement and sharpen coalition work already underway through (or connected to) the DFC framework, rather than build brand-new coalitions from scratch.

The notice also states that, in alignment with the Administration's Statement of Drug Policy Priorities, applicants should be prepared to support applicable Executive Orders referenced in the announcement. The text specifically mentions Executive Order 14168 (Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government), Executive Order 14159 (Protecting the American People from Invasion), Executive Order 14173 (Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity), Executive Order 13768 (Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States), and Executive Order 14182 (Enforcing the Hyde Amendment). The practical implication for applicants is that program planning, policies, and implementation may be expected to align with these federal directives where applicable, and applicants should read the full funding announcement carefully to understand any compliance, certification, or assurance requirements that may be tied to those orders.

In summary, this CARA funding opportunity is a focused prevention grant for established DFC-connected community coalitions working with youth ages 12-18, specifically targeting opioids, methamphetamines, and prescription drug misuse in communities with documented, above-average and sustained burden. It offers up to $75,000 to support coalition enhancement activities within the United States, with applications submitted to CDC NCIPC under a competitive process and an expected total of 45 awards for FY 2026.

• The Centers for Disease Control - NCIPC in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.799.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-21. (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 $75,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 45 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: 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), 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, Others.

Apply for CDC RFA CE 26 0110

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