Tribal Self-Governance Negotiation Cooperative Agreement | HHS 2022 IHS TSGN 0001

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2022 IHS TSGN 0001

The Tribal Self-Governance Negotiation Cooperative Agreement is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Indian Health Service (IHS), designed to help Tribes cover the practical costs of getting ready for and participating in Tribal Self-Governance Program (TSGP) negotiations. The central idea is straightforward: negotiations take time, staff effort, coordination, and accurate information sharing, and this cooperative agreement provides targeted resources so Tribes are better positioned to plan, prepare, and engage effectively in that process. Because negotiations are described as dynamic, evolving, and tribally driven, the funding is meant to support the real-world work that happens before and during discussions with IHS and the Office of Tribal Self-Governance (OTSG), rather than to fund ongoing service delivery itself.

This opportunity is tightly connected to a Tribe entering the TSGP for the first time or expanding an existing self-governance arrangement. Each Tribe's circumstances, health care priorities, and readiness differ, so the negotiation process is intentionally built around focused, Tribe-specific discussions between Federal and Tribal negotiation teams. A key feature emphasized in the description is collaboration: negotiations are structured to let Tribes set their own priorities when they assume responsibility for IHS programs, services, functions, and activities (PSFAs), while also honoring the government-to-government relationship between the United States and each Tribe. The active involvement of both Tribal and IHS representatives, including OTSG, is presented as a hallmark of how TSGP negotiations are supposed to work.

Practically speaking, the negotiations funded under this cooperative agreement are aimed at reaching agreement on two core implementation documents required for participation in the TSGP: the Compact and the Funding Agreement (FA). The Compact lays out the overarching terms that frame the government-to-government relationship between the Tribe and the Secretary of HHS. The FA is the more operational document and is where the parties spell out what is being assumed and how it will be supported. Specifically, the FA addresses the duration of the agreement (annual or multi-year), identifies the PSFAs (or portions of them) that the Tribe will take on, states the amount of funding tied to that Tribal assumption, and includes any terms required by Federal law along with other negotiated provisions. Once both parties sign, the Compact and FA become legally binding and mutually enforceable, and the description also notes that either document can be renegotiated at the Tribe's request, underscoring that self-governance arrangements can be adjusted over time as Tribal needs and plans evolve.

From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2022-IHS-TSGN-0001 and falls under the Health funding activity category (CFDA 93.444). The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, which generally signals that substantial Federal involvement is expected during the period of performance compared to a standard grant. Eligible applicants include Federally recognized Native American tribal governments as well as Native American tribal organizations other than Federally recognized tribal governments. The posting indicates an award ceiling of $48,000, with an expectation of making about five awards. The opportunity was created on November 15, 2021, and the original closing date was February 10, 2022.

Overall, this cooperative agreement is best understood as negotiation support funding: it helps Tribes build the capacity and cover the costs necessary to negotiate the Compact and Funding Agreement that govern how a Tribe will assume and operate specific IHS PSFAs under the Tribal Self-Governance Program. The emphasis throughout is on supporting a careful, well-informed, Tribe-centered negotiation process that respects sovereignty and enables Tribes to align health system responsibilities with their own priorities and plans.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tribal Self-Governance Negotiation Cooperative Agreement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.444.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 15, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 10, 2022. (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 $48,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).

Apply for HHS 2022 IHS TSGN 0001

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