National Information and Referral Support Center
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations that provide information and referral services for older adults and people with disabilities. Applicants must have the capacity to serve as a national center providing training, technical assistance, and resource development to the aging and disability I&R/A workforce. Eligible recipients typically include universities, national organizations, or established nonprofits with expertise in aging services, information and referral systems, and workforce development.
The award supports a national leadership role coordinating the Eldercare Locator system and setting professional standards for I&R/A services. Applicants must demonstrate ability to train, certify, and support a nationwide workforce and promote evidence-informed, culturally responsive practices.
This is a cooperative agreement requiring active collaboration with the Administration for Community Living throughout the project period.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
Key dates
- Jun 11, 2026 Applications open
- Jul 1, 2026 Application deadline in 18 days
- Aug 1, 2026 Award announced
- Aug 1, 2026 Project start
Program description
Overview
The National Information and Referral Support Center will advance ACL’s strategic priority by increasing the quality and professionalism of the Older American’s Act (OAA) aging and disability information and referral field through national leadership, training, technical assistance, resource development, peer learning opportunities, promoting standards and certification, coordinating with information, referral, and assistance systems, defining OAA information, referral, and assistance as a system, service, and process, and disseminating evidence-informed and culturally responsive practices throughout the nation’s information, referral, and assistance ecosystem.
Summary
Fundamental to its role and purpose, the National I&R Support Center ensures that the aging and disability I&R/A workforce are trained, certified, and grounded in nationally standardized benchmarks that govern quality and professional service delivery.
The National I&R Support Center advances ACL’s strategic priority of Connecting People to Services by providing support to streamlined access to information, services, and support for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families and caregivers. The National I&R Support Center achieves this priority by supporting the ongoing implementation, operation, and enhancement of the Eldercare Locator, through technical assistance. As a trusted, nationwide entry point, the Eldercare Locator strengthens the aging and disability networks by promoting consistency, quality, and accessibility through information and referral services contained in the Eldercare Locator database. The Eldercare Locator serves as the national gateway that connects individuals, regardless of where they are located geographically, to essential state and community-based resources closest to where they live, thereby supporting ACL’s commitment to a consumer-driven access system. The Support Center advances the HHS strategic goal of Improving the Well-Being of Americans by ensuring older adults and their family caregivers have an informed I&R/A workforce to help them or their loved ones stay in their homes and communities longer.
Challenges and Trends
Trends continue to make I&R/A increasingly important to older adult and family caregivers. Today, a myriad of choices and decisions about health care, housing, transportation, food, caregiving, and long-term services and support (LTSS) challenge connections to services. Too often, a quest for information and services requires engaging a number of information providers, which results in frustration and confusion for consumers. Severe weather, natural disasters and the COVID pandemic highlight the critical need for timely, informed, and accurate information and assistance. I&R/A must also address the burgeoning and increasingly more complex aging and family caregiver populations. Caregivers are emerging in rapidly growing numbers who need access to I&R/A through a range of telephone, computer, and social media approaches. Older adults and family caregivers are increasingly relying on technology to live safely and independently in their own homes. Advances in smartphones, online chat, web conferencing, and assistive technology join voice assistants (Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant) and generative companions (ElliQ) as AI moves forward to redefine supports in medication management, safety and location trackers, and methods for reducing isolation and loneliness. I&R/A is far more than just telephone interaction. As a field, I&R/A seeks to invest in and utilize innovative technologies to enhance the workforce, improve access, and increase efficiencies. The quest for high-tech also highlights the indispensable continuance of the foundational practice of human touch for older adults and their caregivers who need I&R/A, but do not have access to technology and the population that prefers human conversation.
With this Notice of Funding Opportunity, ACL seeks to issue one grant award funding a cooperative agreement to operate the National Information and Referral Support Center, the purpose of which is to provide support, technical assistance, and training to the National Aging Services Network to enhance the skills, knowledge, and management capacity of aging and disability information, referral, and assistance programs. As a result of this grant, ACL expects information, referral, and assistance programs will improve their skills and ability to support older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and families connect with information, services, and supports.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public University
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Proposal
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Organizational capacity documentation
- Letters of commitment from partner organizations
- Evaluation plan
- Management plan for cooperative agreement implementation
Program contact
- 👤 Kari Benson
- 📧 aoa.oaa@acl.hhs.gov
- 📞 202-401-4634
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.048 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$74,999,835
-
$50,000,000
-
$32,636,000
-
$13,015,977
-
$12,893,893
-
$10,364,463
-
$9,949,997
-
$9,779,231
-
$9,097,121
-
$8,389,500
Top States by Funding
- DC 9 awards $167.3M
- NY 6 awards $53.7M
- MO 4 awards $28.0M
- CA 5 awards $17.8M
- VA 4 awards $15.9M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.048). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $82,804,000 | |
| 2025 | $82,804,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $82,804,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Organizations with demonstrated expertise in aging services, information and referral systems, and national workforce development. You must have capacity to serve as a national center supporting the I&R/A field.
What is the funding level?
Awards typically range from $200,000 to $225,000. Cost-sharing is required; you'll need to provide matching funds or in-kind contributions.
What activities are supported?
Training and certification of I&R/A workforce, technical assistance, resource development, peer learning, standards promotion, and dissemination of evidence-informed practices.
Is this a competitive grant?
Yes. Competition is likely significant given the national scope and specialized expertise required. A strong track record in aging services strengthens competitiveness.
What is the project duration?
Typical cooperative agreements in this program run 3-5 years. Your proposal should address both immediate and long-term strategic goals for the field.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your organization's national reach and existing relationships with the aging and disability networks. Demonstrate how you'll coordinate effectively with state and local I&R/A systems.
- Center your proposal on workforce development. Show concrete plans for training, certification standards, and ongoing professional support.
- Highlight your use of technology and innovation. Address how you'll leverage digital tools while maintaining the human connection older adults need.
- Build partnerships into your narrative. Document collaborations with Eldercare Locator, state agencies, and other key players in the aging services ecosystem.
- Connect your work to health equity and cultural responsiveness. Show how your services reach diverse older adult and caregiver populations effectively.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak demonstration of national coordination capacity. Vague plans for workforce training and professional standards without measurable milestones or certification frameworks.
Overlooking cost-share requirements or underestimating the expense of national technical assistance and training delivery across multiple states and populations.
Failing to address the dual focus: supporting the Eldercare Locator system while also advancing broader I&R/A field development and standards.
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