ACF-OCS-CSBG-AT-25-05 Tribal Plan Application FY26

Community Services Block Grant

Action Transmittal

AT#: ACF-OCS-CSBG-AT-25-05

DATE: July 16, 2025

TO: Community Services Block Grant Tribes

SUBJECT: Community Services Block Grant Tribal Plan Application FY26

ATTACHMENT(S): CSBG Tribal Plan Submission Groups FY26

Community Services Block Grant Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.; 45 CFR Part 96.

PURPOSE:

To inform tribes and tribal organizations of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) tribal application and plan requirements for federal Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26).

SUBMISSION AND REQUIREMENTS:

Important Updates:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is obligated to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to advance the best interests of the government. The Secretary of HHS has determined that grants supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) do not meet a public purpose to the extent they are inconsistent with the department's policy of improving the health and well-being of all Americans and may violate federal civil rights law. Therefore, all HHS offices and programs are charged, to the extent authorized under law, with taking action to avoid the expenditure of federal funds on programs and services that promote or take part in preferences on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or another protected characteristic. 

Consistent with the Secretary’s determination, the Office of Community Services (OCS) strongly encourages all recipients of block grants funded by the CSBG Act to review all plans, services, strategies, and expenditures under these programs, including those made by subrecipients or contractors, to ensure that they do not support DEI initiatives or any other initiatives that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or another protected characteristic. Recipients who are currently implementing a biannual, FY25-FY26, plan are likewise strongly encouraged to review their plans, services, strategies, and expenditures funded under CSBG and, if necessary, submit plan amendments for FY26 to remove any DEI initiatives or any other initiatives that unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or another protected characteristic.

OCS also encourages recipients to take prompt action to conduct reviews for compliance with all applicable laws. Recipients should review budgets, budget justification narratives, program goals, and other materials to ensure that federal funds are not used for unlawful DEI initiatives. Expenditures found to be out of compliance with federal law may be subject to enforcement action in accordance with an applicable law and the terms and conditions of the grant.

The tribes and tribal organizations listed in Group A will submit their FY26 plan by September 1, 2025. The tribes and tribal organizations listed in Group B will be required to revise or submit a new FY26 plan or notify OCS that no revision is necessary by November 3, 2025.

For Group B Tribes and Tribal Organizations: According to section 676(e)(2) (42 U.S.C. 9908(e)(2)), which is applied to tribes under the terms of 45 CFR § 96.42(a), CSBG grant recipients that revise their plan must make their revised plan available for public inspection to facilitate a review of, and comments on, the revised plan.

CSBG Tribal Funding Application Requirement: 

For the purposes of the CSBG, including tribes or tribal organizations that are directly funded or integrated through Pub. L. 102-477, a CSBG Tribal Plan is required every one or two years by September 1 in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 9908(b); 42 U.S.C. 9911(d); 45 CFR 96.42(e). As such, a CSBG Tribal Plan will be due for all tribes or tribal organizations in Group A on September 1, 2025. This interim process for funding in FY26 for Pub. L. 102-477 tribes will be in effect until the implementation of a new approach is reached in consultation with tribes and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

Process and Requirements

According to section 677(d) of the CSBG Act (42 U.S.C. 9911(d)), CSBG tribes and tribal organizations must prepare and submit an application and plan — hereinafter referred to as the CSBG Tribal Plan — to receive CSBG funding. OCS provides funds to CSBG tribal grant recipients based on the determination that the submitted CSBG Tribal Plan meets the requirements of the CSBG Act.

CSBG Tribal Grant Recipients in Group A: To apply for FY26 funding, CSBG tribal grant recipients must submit the completed CSBG Tribal Plan to OCS by September 1, 2025, via the Administration for Children and Families On-Line Data Collection (OLDC) available through GrantSolutions.gov .

CSBG Tribal Grant Recipients in Group B:  CSBG tribal grant recipients that are revising their existing plan must submit the revised CSBG Tribal Plan to OCS by November 3, 2025, via OLDC available through GrantSolutions.gov or inform OCS that no revision is necessary.

CSBG tribal grant recipients have the option of submitting the CSBG Tribal Plan annually (covering one federal fiscal year) or biannually (covering two federal fiscal years) as per CSBG statute. CSBG administrators are encouraged to carefully consider which option best supports their tribe or tribal organization’s administrative capacity and anti-poverty strategy.

First-time Applicants or Prospective Grant Recipients — Any federally or state-recognized Indian tribe or tribal organization that is interested in receiving CSBG funds directly must first contact OCS at csbgtribes@acf.hhs.gov to receive specific instructions. First-time applicants or prospective grant recipients will then submit the following before completing a CSBG Tribal Plan:

• Employer Identification Number
• A signed statement of agreement between the tribe or tribal organization and the state confirming the tribal population and the percentage of tribal poverty in the state

CSBG TRIBAL PLAN CONTENTS:

Tribes and tribal organizations should use the CSBG Tribal Plan & Application Fillable-PDF Tool  (PDF)as the CSBG Tribal Plan. Using this tool should reduce errors, ensure the CSBG Tribal Plan meets submission requirements, and expedite review and acceptance.  

GRANT RECIPIENTS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT:

Based on FY25 CSBG Tribal Plan submissions, CSBG tribal grant recipients fall under one of the following submission groups, which are further defined in the attachment titled “CSBG Tribal Plan Submission Groups FY26.”

• Group A: There are 41 CSBG tribal grant recipients with accepted one- or two-year plans ending September 30, 2025. For the FY26 CSBG Tribal Plan cycle, these 41 grant recipients must complete a full submission as defined above. The CSBG Tribal Plan will be subject to all requirements of the CSBG Act, including the public hearing requirement.
• Group B: There are 10 CSBG tribal grant recipients with accepted two-year plans ending September 30, 2026. CSBG tribal grant recipients within this group must review their existing plan and, if necessary, revise and resubmit their CSBG Tribal Plan by November 3, 2025. These revisions are subject to the requirements of submitting a full plan as detailed above, including having a public review and the authorized official certifying the report.^[1] CSBG tribal grant recipients that are not revising their plans should notify OCS that their review is complete, and no changes were necessary by November 3, 2025.

TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND SUPPORT:

To assist with the CSBG Tribal Plan submission, OCS’ Division of Community Assistance (DCA) created the CSBG Tribal Plan Toolkit. The CSBG Tribal Plan Toolkit includes the most recent communications and guidance, the current version of OMB-approved forms and fillable forms, webinars, and training demos.

Additionally, OCS Division of Community Assistance (DCA) will host a tribal application and plan webinar on July 30, 2025, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Click the link to register.

DCA will host CSBG Tribal Plan office hours (consultations) on August 5, 2025, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.  Notification for registration will be shared closer to the date.

Applicants who require additional support may contact our tribal support contractor, Lux Consulting, at TribalTA@luxcg.com.

Access to GrantSolutions:

DCA encourages all CSBG tribal grant recipients to review their GrantSolutions access and ensure that staff are registered in the correct roles for the CSBG Tribal Plan submission process. Please keep in mind:

• CSBG tribal grant recipients should have at least one individual assigned as the Grant Administrator. This is usually the CSBG point of contact. Individuals assigned to this role can submit, un-submit, and enter data into all CSBG forms within OLDC.
• CSBG tribal grant recipients should have at least one individual assigned as the Authorized Official. This must be the individual (e.g., CEO, chairperson, or president) designated in the CSBG tribal designation letter or that person’s official designee. DCA will not accept any CSBG tribal plans that do not include a designation letter that clearly specifies the designated lead agency and the title of the official who is authorized to certify the CSBG Tribal Plan.

Note: The Office of Grants Management will issue the Notice of Grant Award electronically to the authorized official noted on the SF-424M. Therefore, all CSBG grant recipients must ensure the authorized official email contact information is accurate. 

Requesting new accounts:

To receive proper access to GrantSolutions and the OLDC module, complete the Grant Recipient User Account Request Form  (PDF). The Notice of Grant Award will also be available via the Grants Management Module (GMM) within GrantSolutions. For additional information about using the new GMM, please see this video .

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT:

For questions regarding the content of the CSBG Tribal Plan, email your assigned CSBG Program Specialist and copy CSBGTribes@acf.hhs.gov. Email questions regarding GrantSolutions to CSBGData@acf.hhs.gov.

Thank you for your attention to these matters.

/s/
Cheryl Zuni
Interim Director, Division of Community Assistance
Office of Community Services