It’s been over four years since HRSA provided a grant opportunity to fund New Access Points (NAP). We now have some written direction from feds, a forecasted release date of a December 12, 2023, for the application and a Feb 12, 2024, due date. If your health center is interested, you should start work now to be well positioned for a competitive application.
There are always many more applicants than funded grants, so being the early bird can pay off. While HRSA has provided capital funding and opportunities for school-based health centers in recent years, only the NAP grant has the potential to fund 230 new clinics with ongoing “base grant” funding of $650,000 per year. This is a great opportunity for Look-Alike clinics to become federally funded and current FQHCs to add locations with the addition of base grant dollars.
One big caveat first. Funding for these grants ($150M) is included in the president’s budget, but not yet congress. CHCs have enjoyed strong bipartisan support for many years, but one never knows what might happen with federal budgets. It would be very hard to imagine the health center program going many more years between NAPs, so if you do decide to work ahead for this opportunity, it should be an investment that pays off sooner or later.
So, how to start? While HRSA always tweaks their applications and adjusts how preferences are calculated, familiarizing yourself with the 2019 application (HRSA-19-080 (NAP)) is a good starting point. There are several aspects that can take several months to get in place:
Board support
It’s early but looping in your board about ideas for potential new services and site(s) and discussing strategic fit and implications is always good.
Meaningful collaborations
As with any HRSA grant, demonstrating collaboration is important, and even more so with NAPs. Identify potential partners, set up, and have discussions now.
If you are looking at a new area, in addition to the “usual suspects” (other healthcare providers, social service agencies, health departments) consider contacting city and county governmental leaders, fire and police departments, and local philanthropic groups who all have a vested interest in helping you come to town.
Clearly quantifiable need
We don’t know what the scoring system will look like, but HRSA is likely to again use their relatively new Unmet Needs Scoring tool which was updated in 2021. Targeting a service area with a high UNS will likely be important for success.
Specific location(s) and/or site type (fixed, mobile, school-based)
It can be hard to secure a specific site for a future clinic if you are relying on the federal funds to acquire or lease a property. Nevertheless, HRSA requires an address and at least “intent to lease” documentation that can take a long time to negotiate. It’s not too soon to start exploring real estate options.
Grant project plan
Think through your timeline, team, and approach.
Last but not least, CLC has grant management and writing experts who can help on your path to NAP success. If you would like more information, please contact us at info@communitylinkconsulting.com.