Delta Health Care Services Grant

What does this program do?

The primary objective of the DHCS program is to provide financial assistance to address the continued unmet health needs in the Delta Region through cooperation among health care professionals, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and other entities in the Delta Region. Grants are awarded through a national competition. Each fiscal year, applications are requested through a Notice published in the Federal Register and through an announcement posted on Grants.gov.

What Do I Need to Do Before I Apply?

• Request a Data Universal Number System (D-U-N-S) number if your organization doesn’t already have one.  It should not take more than a few business days to get your number.  However, you should plan on requesting it at least a month before the application deadline because you’ll need that number for the next pre-application step (see below).
• Register your organization with the System for Award Management (SAM) if you aren’t already registered.  The registration is free, but you need to complete several steps.  It’s a good idea to start the registration process at least a month before any application deadline.  Before you start the registration process, we suggest reading through the HELP materials available on the SAM website.  Then, you’ll need to create an account.  After you create your account by setting up a user id and password, you can register your organization.  Remember, you’ll need your DUNS number to complete your registration.  Also, make a note of your CAGE code and expiration date because you’ll need those for your application.

What Do I Need for the Application?

You need to read the Federal Register notice for the details on what is needed for an application.  Make sure you start putting together the required information at least a month before the application deadline because you may need to provide letters of commitment or support from other organizations, a work plan and budget, and other information that will take you some time to look up or write.  You may also need to fill out required forms.  You can get copies of those forms from your nearest Rural Development Office. Select the forms and resources tab to find links to optional forms that may assist you in developing your application.

Where Can I Get Help with My Application?

If you have questions, you can contact your nearest Rural Development Office.

Will I Need to Send Any Reports if I Receive a Grant?

If you receive a grant, you will need to send regular financial and performance reports.  Your grant agreement will tell you how often you need to send the reports, what forms you need to use, and what information you need to put in the reports.

Where Can I Get More Information about the Program?

This program does not have its own regulation, so all of the details about the program are published in a Federal Register notice each year.  If the notice has not been published yet for this year, you can contact your nearest Rural Development office to get a copy of last year’s notice to get an idea of how the application process works.  However, there may be changes each year to the application process, so make sure you read the most current notice before you apply.