Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments 2026-2028 – Notice of Funding Availability for Programs Serving Older Adults

Introduction

The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) is issuing a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to call for various programs and projects serving older adults in El Paso, Park, and Teller counties. Programs awarded funding from this call will be eligible to receive funds beginning on July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. PPACG receives funding for programs serving older adults through the Older Americans Act (OAA) and Older Coloradans Act (OCA). This NOFA sets forth guidelines for applicant and program/project eligibility, evaluation criteria, selection process, and schedule for this call.

Available Funding

PPACG reserves the right to award some or all the funds available in this table based on application evaluation outcomes. Funds are subject to change based on the appropriations process at the state and federal levels. Click here for a service area map.

PPACG awarded $3.4 million to contracted providers in SFY2026. PPACG will use this estimate to determine SFY2027 awards with the understanding that this funding is subject to change based on the appropriations process at the state and federal levels. Funding is available for El Paso, Park, and Teller counties.

Application Process and Deadlines

All applicants will apply through PPACG’s Request for Proposal System, OAA-SYS. PPACG will provide login access once the RFP system for the new grant cycle is launched.

  • RFP Release: Friday, September 19, 2025
  • RFP System Training: Available between September 22-26, 2025. Please contact Melody Hanna at mhanna@ppacg.org to schedule.
  • Required RFP Conference (in-person and online): Wednesday October 1, 2025. Watch the video from the conference.
  • Questions and Responses: Friday, September 19 – Friday, October 31, 2025. Proposers may submit questions to Melody Hanna at mhanna@ppacg.org.
  • Proposals Due: Friday, November 14, 2025. Proposals must be electronically signed and submitted via the RFP online system by 11:59 PM MST.

Definitions

OAA provides funding for programs that support adults aged 60 years and older, including:

  • Adult Day Care/Adult Day Health: Services or activities provided to adults who require care and supervision in a protective setting for a portion of a 24-hour day. Includes out-of-home supervision, health care, recreation, and/or independent living skills training offered in centers most commonly known as Adult Day, Adult Day Health, Senior Centers, and Disability Day Programs.
  • Assisted Transportation: assistance and transportation, including escort, to an older adult who has difficulties (physical or cognitive) using regular vehicular transportation.
  • Case Management: assistance in either the form of access or care coordination in circumstances where care recipients are experiencing diminished functioning capabilities, personal conditions, or other characteristics that require the provision of services by formal service providers. Activities of Case Management shall include assessing needs, developing care plans, authorizing services, arranging services, coordinating the provision of services among providers, follow-up, and reassessment as required.
  • Caregiver Programs: include programs to support caregivers of older adults, including Case Management, Counseling, Information and Assistance, Information Services, Respite, Screening and Evaluation, Support Groups, and Training.
  • Chore: services designed to increase the safety of older adults living at home, such as assistance with heavy housework, yard work, or sidewalk maintenance. Chore services are one-time, seasonal, or occasional in nature and are planned with input from the older adult.
  • Congregate Meals: a meal provided in a congregate or group setting.
  • Counseling: advice or support provided to assist older adults in addressing behavioral health issues and concerns. Counseling can include support groups.
  • Education: a supportive service designed to assist older adults to better cope with their economic, health, and personal needs through services such as consumer education, continuing education, health education, falls prevention education, medication management education, pre-retirement education, financial planning, and other education and training services which advance the objectives of the OAA.
  • Evidence-Based Health Promotion: a program that meets the current definition of evidence-based disease prevention and health promotion as defined by the Administration for Community Living.
  • Home Delivered Meals: a meal provided to an older adult in their place of residence.
  • Homemaker: in-home services for older adults who are unable to perform two or more Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), including preparing meals, laundry, shopping for personal items, managing money, using the telephone, or doing light housework.
  • Information and Assistance: A service that: (A) provides individuals with information on services available within the communities; (B) links individuals to the services and opportunities that are available within the communities; (C) to the maximum extent practicable, establishes adequate follow-up procedures. Internet website “hits” are to be counted only if the information is requested and supplied.
  • Legal Assistance: Legal advice and representation provided by an attorney to older individuals with economic or social needs as defined in the Older Americans Act, Sections 102(a)(23 and (24), and in the implementing regulation at 45 CFR Section 1321.71, and includes to the extent feasible, counseling or other appropriate assistance by a paralegal or law student under the direct supervision of a lawyer and counseling or representation by a non-lawyer where permitted by law.
  • Material Aid: aid in the form of goods or food such as direct distribution of commodities, surplus food, and distribution of clothing, smoke detectors, eyeglasses, hearing aids, oral health, or security devices, etc.
  • Nutrition Counseling: a standardized service as defined by the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics that provides individualized guidance by a registered dietician to older adults and their caregivers who are at nutritional risk because of their health or nutrition history, dietary intake, chronic illness, or medication use. Counseling addresses the options and methods for improving nutrition status with a measurable goal.
  • Nutrition Education: an intervention targeting older adults and caregivers that uses information dissemination, instruction, or training with the intent to support food, nutrition, and physical activity choices and behaviors related to nutritional status to maintain or improve health and address nutrition-related conditions. Content is consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; is accurate, culturally sensitive, regionally appropriate, and considers personal preferences; and is overseen by a registered dietician.
  • Outreach: Intervention with individuals initiated by an agency or organization for the purpose of identifying potential clients (or their caregivers) and encouraging their use of existing services and benefits.
  • On-demand Transportation Services: services that are unlike traditional demand-response. A customer does not need to reserve in advance. They can request a ride when they are ready to travel. This service is not restricted to medical transportation or traditional AAA rides.
  • Personal Care: Assistance: Personal assistance, stand-by assistance, supervision or cues with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and/or health-related tasks provided in a person’s home and possibly other community settings. Personal care may include assistance with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) for people who meet the requirements for in-home services.
  • Public Information: A service that provides the public and individuals with information on resources and services available to consumers within their communities. Service units for information services are for activities directed to large audiences of current or potential caregivers, such as disseminating publications, conducting media campaigns, and other similar activities.
  • Reassurance: the process of contacting an older adult on a regular basis to provide comfort and/or help.
  • Screening: the process of administering a standard instrument or tool to determine an older adult’s needs.
  • Transportation: travel to or from one location to another in a vehicle. Does not include any other activity.
  • Voucher Programs: enable older adults to choose their provider for Chore, Transportation, Personal Care, Homemaker, and Respite services.

Program Descriptions

The OAA supports a wide range of services for individuals aged 60 years or older and their caregivers. These include supportive services, congregate nutrition services, home-delivered meals, family caregiver support, homemaker assistance, and additional programs to make independent living a viable option. OAA programs address the needs and concerns of all older adults at the regional and local levels. Directed by the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging (PPAAA) for El Paso, Park, and Teller counties, OAA programs make it possible for older adults to choose the services and living arrangements that suit them best. Each program includes policies and procedures to ensure service delivery is appropriate for the best possible physical and mental health outcomes and comprehensive long-term care services, among other objectives.

Subrecipient Eligibility and Allowable Expenses

The following organizations are eligible for funding:

  • A private nonprofit organization
  • A state or local governmental authority

Allowable expenses include:

  • Direct costs (those costs that may be computed and identified directly with a particular program/project)
  • Indirect costs (only through OAA eligible programs)
  • For transportation programs:
    • Depreciation (for vehicles purchased through state, federal, local, or OAA funds depreciation is not an allowable expense)
    • Fuel and oil expenses
    • Vehicle maintenance activities
    • Vehicle insurance
    • Driver, supervisor, and dispatcher salaries and fringe benefits
    • Purchased transit services

Local Match

Approved applicants are required to provide a local match. The local match requirement depends on program type and ranges from 10-25 percent. Local match can come from many sources, including state or local appropriations, tax revenues, private donations, revenue from service contracts, income generated from advertising and concession, and volunteer hours – provided its use as match is not prohibited or disallowed by that funding source. Local match may only be used once; e.g., the same OAA funds may not be used for two different grant applications.

Local match may include local cash or in-kind match. In-kind match may consist of non-cash contributions of time, equipment, space, and other items committed to the goals of the program. In-kind matching may involve the use of items or personnel time donated by a third party, i.e., volunteer labor. Local cash match is cash to cover program costs not already covered by PPACG. The difference between the program’s actual cost and PPACG reimbursements may also be considered a cash match. It may include the grantee organization’s own funds or cash donations from non-federal third parties.

Selection Process

The selection process is a public process involving external stakeholders and committee members comprised of community members, programmatic experts, and representatives from regional municipalities.

PPACG staff do not expect applicants to know which of the funding parts might be the most appropriate for them. Therefore, PPACG will use the following applicant eligibility guidelines to determine the appropriate funding part for each applicant. PPACG will largely determine the eligibility of each applicant project based on the agency profile and staff knowledge of each applicant’s operation, along with the information provided in the application. Staff and the selection committees will consider funding projects from each of the programs for which an applicant and each project is eligible, subject to availability and scoring of the project.

Proposal Review Process

  1. Staff screen applications to ensure eligibility.
  2. Applications are reviewed and scored by the Technical Review Subcommittee (TRS).
  3. TRS will present funding recommendations to the Regional Advisory Council (RAC) at a monthly public meeting. A public comment period for recommendations begins.
  4. Applicants can contest recommendations in writing to the PPAAA Director.
  5. The RAC and TRS will submit final funding recommendations to PPACG’s Board of Directors.
  6. PPACG’s Board of Directors will review funding recommendations from the review committees and any contests or public comments that were relevant to the selection of projects and funding allocations.
  7. PPACG Board of Directors, after review, approves the distribution of funds or requests further review from committees.

All projects will be evaluated based on the criteria listed below. Applications are given a score of 0 to 3.0 in ¼ point increments for each element. The element score is then weighted based on the below criteria and added together to derive the total merit score.

  1. Financial Need- Weight 10%
  2. Service Justification- Weight 15%
  3. Coordination and Effectiveness- Weight 20%
  4. Alignment with PPACG’s Strategic Plan, Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging (PPAAA)  Four Year Plan, and Coordinated Human Service Plan – Weight 20%
  5. Budget Review and Financial Management Capacity – Weight 20%
  6. Past performance managing PPACG grants – Weight 15%

Any applicant not meeting the criteria will be contacted by PPACG and given the opportunity to respond to any finding of ineligibility. Applicants must be prepared to take full responsibility for carrying out the proposed project. Projects cannot later be transferred or reassigned to another agency. PPACG encourages agencies to collaborate on projects.

Recipients of funding will be assessed annually for programmatic and fiscal compliance. Recipients must verify expenses and tie them to the program outcomes listed in their proposal. Once an agency’s budget is approved by PPACG staff, a recipient cannot change or add a line-item expense to their budget to help prove cost. Additionally, during the contract period, recipients of OAA funds must participate in a community satisfaction survey and program-based survey performed by the State Unit on Aging (SUA).