Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2025 ACF OFA ZD 0013
The Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life) opportunity is a competitive federal grant program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA). It is issued as a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 93.086 (Income Security and Social Services) and is authorized by Section 403(a)(2) of the Social Security Act. The overall purpose is to fund community-based projects that help young people build skills for healthy relationships and family life while also strengthening their readiness for employment and longer-term economic stability.
READY4Life is focused specifically on serving youth who are either high school aged (grades 9-12) or in late adolescence and early adulthood, defined here as ages 14 to 24. The program explicitly includes youth who are pregnant and/or already parenting. Funded projects are expected to deliver healthy marriage and relationship education (often referred to as marriage and relationship education/skills, or MRES), along with parenting supports where applicable for young mothers and fathers. In addition to relationship and parenting content, the program emphasizes practical life and economic mobility components, including financial management education and job and career advancement activities. In other words, the grant is designed to combine relationship skill-building with concrete supports that can help young people navigate school-to-work transitions, make informed financial choices, and plan for stable futures.
A major expectation for applicants is the ability to demonstrate real organizational capacity to carry out the proposed work in the specific community they intend to serve. This typically means showing that the organization has the staffing, partnerships, experience, and operational infrastructure needed to implement programming at scale and with consistency, rather than offering only a loosely defined set of activities. Because this is a cooperative agreement, recipients should also be prepared for a more engaged relationship with the federal funder than in a standard grant model, which can include closer federal involvement in certain aspects of project oversight, performance expectations, and coordination.
Eligibility is broad and includes most types of domestic public and private organizations. Eligible applicants include state, territorial, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other eligible entities listed in the announcement. Two groups are clearly excluded: individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities. Applications from those ineligible categories will be disqualified from merit review and cannot be funded.
Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly eligible as long as they meet the standard requirements that apply to all applicants. The notice also states that ACF will not discriminate in selecting recipients based on an organization’s religious character or affiliation, consistent with applicable federal protections and rules (including 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.). This means faith-based organizations may compete on equal footing with other applicants, while still needing to follow the same programmatic and administrative expectations tied to federal funding.
Key administrative details in the source information include the funding opportunity number (HHS 2025 ACF OFA ZD 0013), an original application closing date of July 29, 2025, an award ceiling of $1,250,000, and an expected 26 awards. The opportunity was created on July 15, 2025. Overall, READY4Life is positioned as a sizeable investment in integrated youth programming that blends relationship education, parenting support for young families, financial capability, and workforce or career advancement, with the goal of strengthening healthy family formation and long-term stability for participating young people.Apply for HHS 2025 ACF OFA ZD 0013
- The Administration for Children and Families - OFA in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.086.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2025-07-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-07-29. (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 $1,250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 26 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, 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), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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READY4Life Grant Program FAQs
What is the READY4Life grant opportunity?
The Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life) opportunity is a competitive federal grant program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA). It supports community-based projects that help young people build skills for healthy relationships and family life while also strengthening readiness for employment and longer-term economic stability.
Which federal agency is offering READY4Life?
READY4Life is offered by HHS through ACF, specifically the Office of Family Assistance (OFA).
Is READY4Life a grant or a cooperative agreement?
It is issued as a discretionary cooperative agreement. This generally means recipients should expect a more engaged relationship with the federal funder than under a standard grant, including closer federal involvement in certain aspects of oversight, performance expectations, and coordination.
What is the CFDA/assistance listing number for READY4Life?
The opportunity is under CFDA 93.086 (Income Security and Social Services).
What is the legal authority for READY4Life?
READY4Life is authorized by Section 403(a)(2) of the Social Security Act.
What is the main purpose of the READY4Life program?
The overall purpose is to fund community-based projects that integrate healthy relationship education with practical supports that promote school-to-work transitions, informed financial decisions, job and career advancement, and longer-term economic stability for young people.
Who is the intended population for READY4Life-funded projects?
The program focuses on youth who are either high school aged (grades 9-12) or in late adolescence and early adulthood, defined here as ages 14 to 24.
Are pregnant and parenting youth included in the target population?
Yes. READY4Life explicitly includes youth who are pregnant and/or already parenting.
What types of services or activities are projects expected to deliver?
Funded projects are expected to deliver healthy marriage and relationship education (often referred to as marriage and relationship education/skills, or MRES). Where applicable, projects are also expected to provide parenting supports for young mothers and fathers. In addition, the program emphasizes financial management education and job and career advancement activities.
What is MRES in the READY4Life context?
MRES refers to marriage and relationship education/skills, described in the opportunity as healthy marriage and relationship education components aimed at building skills for healthy relationships and family life.
Does READY4Life include workforce or career readiness components?
Yes. The program emphasizes job and career advancement activities as part of improving readiness for employment and longer-term economic stability.
Does READY4Life include financial capability or financial education?
Yes. Financial management education is specifically highlighted as a key practical life and economic mobility component.
Are applicants expected to demonstrate capacity to implement the project?
Yes. A major expectation is that applicants can demonstrate real organizational capacity to carry out the proposed work in the specific community they intend to serve. This typically includes showing sufficient staffing, partnerships, experience, and operational infrastructure to implement programming at scale and with consistency.
What does it mean that READY4Life is "community-based"?
Based on the information provided, READY4Life funds projects intended to operate in and serve specific communities, and applicants are expected to show they have the capacity and infrastructure to implement programming effectively in the community they propose to serve.
Who is eligible to apply for READY4Life?
Eligibility is broad and includes most types of domestic public and private organizations. Examples listed as eligible include state, territorial, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and other eligible entities listed in the announcement.
Are nonprofit organizations required to have 501(c)(3) status to apply?
No. The eligibility information explicitly includes nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status.
Can for-profit organizations apply?
Yes. For-profit organizations, including small businesses, are included in the eligible applicant types.
Can public schools or school districts apply?
Independent school districts are listed among eligible applicants. Public entities such as city, county, and special district governments are also included among eligible applicant types.
Can colleges and universities apply?
Yes. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.
Are faith-based organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly eligible as long as they meet the standard requirements that apply to all applicants. The notice also states that ACF will not discriminate in selecting recipients based on an organization’s religious character or affiliation, consistent with applicable federal protections and rules (including 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.).
Who is not eligible to apply?
Two groups are clearly excluded: individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities. Applications from those ineligible categories will be disqualified from merit review and cannot be funded.
What happens if an ineligible applicant applies?
Applications from ineligible categories (individuals, including sole proprietorships, and foreign entities) will be disqualified from merit review and cannot be funded.
What is the funding opportunity number for READY4Life?
The funding opportunity number is HHS 2025 ACF OFA ZD 0013.
What was the original application closing date for READY4Life?
The original application closing date listed is July 29, 2025.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $1,250,000.
How many awards are expected to be made?
The opportunity indicates an expected 26 awards.
When was this funding opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on July 15, 2025.
What is the overall approach READY4Life is designed to support?
READY4Life is designed as an integrated youth programming approach that blends relationship education (MRES), parenting supports for young families where applicable, financial capability/financial management education, and workforce or career advancement activities.
Does READY4Life focus only on relationships and marriage education?
No. Relationship education is a core component, but the opportunity also emphasizes financial management education and job/career advancement activities to support employment readiness and long-term economic stability.
What should applicants be prepared for because this is a cooperative agreement?
Recipients should be prepared for a more engaged relationship with the federal funder than in a standard grant model, which can include closer federal involvement in certain aspects of project oversight, performance expectations, and coordination.
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