Rural Health Network Development Planning Program

For program and eligibility questions:
Claire Darnell
301.945.5176
cdarnell@hrsa.gov

For financial and budget questions:
Eric Brown
301.945.9844
ebrown@hrsa.gov

Grants.gov contact center:
800.518.4726
support@grants.gov
Self-service knowledge base

HRSA contact center:
877.464.4772
TTY: 877.897.9910
HRSA contact page

SAM.gov:
866.606.8220
Federal service desk

The Rural Health Network Development Planning Program provides grants to promote the planning and development of integrated rural healthcare networks.

The major focus of the Network Planning Grant is to support multiple (at least 3) rural healthcare entities that have not previously collaborated in a formal manner, but want to work together and form a healthcare network. The grant program supports one year of planning to develop and assist healthcare networks in becoming operational.

Grantees may use funds to conduct planning activities that support at least one of the following:

• Achieve efficiencies - Focus on identifying ways to achieve better system efficiencies and improve regional and/or local rural healthcare services through collaboration, access to additional services, and quality improvement
• Expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of essential healthcare services - Focus on ways to build capacity and a network infrastructure that enables entities to coordinate care and increase access to care for rural communities both locally and regionally
• Strengthen the rural healthcare system as a whole - Focus on ways to enhance community and partner relationships to promote involvement and participation in network planning activities aiming to strengthen the regional healthcare system

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Domestic public, private, nonprofit, or for-profit entity with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations
• Represent a network composed of participants that (1) includes at least 3 healthcare provider organizations and (2) may be rural, urban, nonprofit or for-profit entities, with at least 66% (two-thirds) of network members located in a HRSA-designated rural area
• Has not previously received a grant under this program for the same or similar project, unless proposing to expand the scope of the project or the area that will be served through the project

Types of eligible organizations:

• Public institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits with or without a 501(c)(3) IRS status
• For-profit organizations, including small businesses
• State, county, city, township, and special district governments, including the District of Columbia, domestic territories, and the freely associated states
• Independent school districts
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
• Community health centers
• Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)
• Hospitals
• Rural Emergency Hospitals
• Native American Tribal governments
• Native American Tribal organizations

Award Ceiling: $100,000
Project period: 1 year
Estimated Number of Awards: 35
Estimated Total Program Funding: $3,500,000

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and the online application process are available through grants.gov.

Applicants are required to notify the appropriate State Office of Rural Health (SORH) of an intent to apply to this program. A copy of the letter of intent sent to the SORH and any response received must be included as an attachment to the application.