Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Program

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL) to fund one-year grant awards to support Assistive Technology (AT) Alternative Financing Programs (AFPs) that assist individuals with disabilities of any age to obtain services, financial assistance, and additional activities for the acquisition of AT devices and services.Under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), applicants must establish or expand one or more of the following types of AFPs:(1) A low-interest loan fund.(2) An interest buy-down program.(3) A revolving loan fund.(4) A loan guarantee or insurance program.(5) A program operated for the purchase, lease, or other acquisition of assistive technology devices or assistive technology services.(6) Another mechanism that provides financing and is approved by the Secretary.To be considered for funding, an applicant must identify the type or types of AFP to be supported by the grant and submit the following:(1) Administrative Policies and Procedures. An assurance that the applicant receiving a grant under this priority will submit to ACL for review and approval within the first 3 months of the project period policies and procedures for administration of the AFP as follows:(a) A policy and/or procedure to review and process in a timely manner requests for financial assistance for assistive technology needs, including consideration of methods to reduce paperwork and duplication of effort particularly relating to need, eligibility and determination of the specific AT device or service to be financed through the program.(b) A policy and/or procedure to ensure that individuals are allowed to apply for financing for a full array of AT devices and services regardless of type of disability or health condition, age, income level, location of residence, or type of AT device or service for which financing is requested through the program. It is permissible for programs to target individuals with disabilities who would have been denied conventional financing as a priority for AFP funding.(c) A policy and/or procedure to expand and emphasize consumer choice and control.(d) A policy and/or procedure for sustainability of the AFP including information on the amount of federal grant award expected to be used for operating expenses versus loan capital. Grantees must provide a sustainability plan that identifies the amount of funding that is expected to be needed on an ongoing basis for program administration and loan capital and how such funding will be secured absent the federal grant award.(e) A policy and/or procedure for incorporating credit-building activities into the AFP, including financial education and information about other possible funding sources.(2) Fiscal and Reporting Assurances. An applicant must provide the following assurances:(a) The grantee will draw down and place all federal grant funds in a restricted account with the use of such funds limited to implementation of the AFP. The grantee is permitted to draw down the entire award in advance to capitalize a loan fund so long as the funds are placed in a restricted account.(b) The grantee will expend funds in the restricted account solely for the purpose originally designated for implementation of the AFP and the restricted fund will continue until all federal and any other dollars placed into the restricted fund are expended for that purpose. As a reminder, 45 CFR 75.307(f) states, “There are no Federal requirements governing the disposition of income earned after the end of the period of performance for the Federal award, unless the HHS awarding agency regulations or terms and conditions of the award provide otherwise. The HHS awarding agency may negotiate agreements with recipients regarding appropriate use of income earned after the period of performance as part of the grant closeout process.” Consistent with 45 CFR 75.307(e)(2), “The program income must be used for the purposes and under the conditions of the Federal award.” In the event program income earned after the period of performance is used for other purposes, in noncompliance with the terms and conditions of award, or if a grantee decides to terminate its AFP while there are still funds available to operate the program, the grantee must return the funds remaining in the restricted account to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.(c) The grantee will complete federal cash transaction reports, as appropriate, and will submit a final federal financial report as prescribed by ACL.(d) The grantee will provide a final program progress report within 90 days after the end of the grant award period, which along with the final fiscal report will close-out the grant award.(3) Previous Grant Recipients. If an applicant has previously received an AFP grant award from ACL under a prior year funding opportunity, then information must be provided on the year(s), funding amount(s), the remaining balance(s) in the restricted account(s) for acquisition of AT devices and how the prior funding has been used, including the services implemented for acquisition of AT, number of devices provided, financial loans extended, individuals served, funding leveraged, and credit-building activities developed.