HRSA previews RCORP Impact NOFO offering roughly 80 rural SUD awards at up to $750,000 per year

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on the webinar previewed the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Impact Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), saying the program will make approximately 80 awards of up to $750,000 per year for a four-year period beginning Sept. 1, 2026. The presenter noted the NOFO, application package, and instructions are available on grants.gov.

The webinar presenter summarized who may apply, what services must be provided, and how applications will be reviewed. HRSA emphasized that core project activities must occur in HRSA-designated rural counties or rural census tracts, that applicants must propose prevention, treatment and recovery services across the selected service area, and that at least one physical treatment or recovery site must be located in each county served. "This webinar is being prerecorded," the presenter said while outlining application logistics.

Why this matters: the RCORP Impact awards are designed to expand integrated, sustainable services for people affected by substance use disorder in rural communities, including expanded access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), workforce development and multisector partnerships. Awardees will also receive technical assistance and evaluation support during the performance period.

Key facts and requirements: applicants must be domestic entities (individuals are ineligible); the application must be submitted electronically via grants.gov; the requested budget may not exceed $750,000 per year; no cost share is required. Proposals must document evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery services, include plans to increase the number of people served over the award period, and incorporate a continuum of care that allows tracking from screening to ongoing support.

Service-area and network rules: applicants may be based outside a rural area but must propose HRSA-designated rural service areas and include Attachment 1 with addresses that demonstrate eligibility; applications that include non-designated service areas risk being deemed ineligible. Each applicant must list a network of at least four separately owned entities (applicant + 3 others), with at least half of those partners physically located inside the target service area, and provide letters of support from three proposed partners. HRSA said a formal shared agreement among partners will be completed within 120 days after award.

Clinical and recovery expectations: treatment services must include medications for opioid use disorder; the presenter stated that applications that do not include MOUD access will not be reviewed or scored. HRSA encouraged access to every FDA-approved MOUD option where reasonable, combined MOUD and psychosocial treatments, and the inclusion of peer providers and recovery supports where possible. Recovery services may cover housing, employment supports, navigation to benefits, and peer-led services.

Application components and review: the application includes a project abstract (publicly posted), a project narrative with needs assessment and approach, a work plan (Attachment 2), organizational chart (Attachment 3), staffing plan (Attachment 4), biographical sketches (Attachment 5), partner letters (Attachment 6), and service-site details (Attachment 7). The page limit is 60 pages for narrative and attachments (standard OMB forms excluded). Applications will undergo an eligibility/completeness review and then an objective merit review scored on need, response, performance reporting and evaluation, impact, resources and capabilities, and budget/support requested (100 possible points). HRSA also applies two funding priorities—new service areas and applicants new to RCOR Impact—that can add priority points after merit review if eligible.

Post-award expectations: awardees must submit annual progress reports that release each year of funding and annual performance data (examples: number of sites established/expanded, individuals served, providers hired/supported, trainings completed). Recipients will provide a financial and sustainability plan before the award ends and will be expected to participate in regular technical assistance (monthly calls and a bimonthly learning collaborative) and as-needed site visits.

Next steps and contacts: applicants must register in SAM and grants.gov and should use the grants.gov package preview to assemble materials. For program questions, the presenter directed applicants to email ruralopioidresponse@hrsa.gov and listed Mabrat Tekle as the program contact; Lisa Young in the Division of Grants Management Operations was named for budget and grants policy questions. HRSA also pointed to its website and email newsletters for updates and related RCOR opportunities, including planning grants.

The webinar closed with a reminder that applicants should rely on the NOFO and HRSA application guide as the authoritative instructions and that HRSA cannot edit application drafts or provide application-specific feedback prior to award. The presenter reiterated deadlines and the importance of complete Attachment 1 information to establish eligibility.