Hospital Associations COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Activities | EP U3R 20 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for EP U3R 20 001

The Hospital Associations COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Activities opportunity is a federal cooperative agreement run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). ASPR is the part of HHS that focuses on helping the country get ready for health emergencies, respond effectively when they happen, and recover afterward. This funding sits within ASPR's Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), which is described as the only federal funding stream dedicated specifically to health care delivery system readiness. In practical terms, the program is meant to quickly strengthen hospitals and health systems during the COVID-19 crisis by supporting the people and infrastructure needed to safely identify, isolate, assess, transport, and treat patients who are confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 (or other high-risk infectious diseases).

Rather than funding individual hospitals directly from the federal level, this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is designed to make targeted awards to hospital associations across U.S. jurisdictions. The opportunity anticipates 53 awards total, covering all states plus the District of Columbia, New York City, and Puerto Rico. The hospital associations that receive awards are then responsible for distributing funds onward to hospitals and related health care entities within their state or jurisdiction. The intent is to move resources rapidly through organizations that already have statewide relationships and can coordinate a broad response across many facilities, rather than having each hospital navigate a separate federal application and award process.

The distribution of funds to hospital associations is based on a COVID-19-specific formula that considers factors tied to pandemic risk and strain on the health system. The description highlights criteria such as at-risk populations and vulnerabilities associated with COVID-19, including population density, the size of populations with higher mortality risk (for example older adults and people with underlying health conditions), and health care capacity. That structure signals that jurisdictions facing greater exposure or greater potential for severe outcomes and system overload are expected to receive proportionally more support, aligning funding with anticipated need during the pandemic.

Allowable uses of funds focus on urgent preparedness and response actions that hospitals can implement quickly. Examples listed in the opportunity include training staff to carry out pandemic preparedness plans specific to COVID-19; purchasing supplies and equipment with explicit attention to supply chain shortages; rapidly expanding infection control and triage training for health care professionals; modifying or retrofitting spaces to create separate areas for screening and treating large numbers of people with suspected infections; expanding telemedicine and telehealth capabilities to reduce unnecessary exposure while maintaining care access; and increasing surge bed capacity. Surge expansion can include temporary structures, such as deploying temporary hospitals during a pandemic, which reflects the program's emphasis on scalability when existing facilities are overwhelmed.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, meaning the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the funded activities compared to a standard grant. The funding activity categories are listed as Disaster Prevention and Relief, Health, and Other (as further clarified in the full announcement). The CFDA number associated with the program is 93.889. Eligibility is framed broadly enough to cover key hospital association structures, including certain nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations (excluding institutions of higher education) and for-profit organizations other than small businesses, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full NOFO.

Key dates in the posting indicate the opportunity was created March 24, 2020, with the full NOFO planned for release on Grants.gov on Thursday, March 26, 2020. The original closing date is March 30, 2020, and applications are to be reviewed on a rolling basis, which reinforces the emergency nature of the funding and the goal of getting resources out quickly. The listing also shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically indicates the ceiling is not specified in the summary field and that applicants need to consult the full NOFO for award sizing and jurisdictional allocations. Overall, the opportunity is structured as an emergency pass-through investment to hospital associations to rapidly build and sustain frontline readiness, expand capacity, and improve safe clinical operations during the COVID-19 response.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the disaster prevention and relief, health, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Hospital Associations COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Activities" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.889.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 24, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 30, 2020 All applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.. (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 53 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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