Healthcare organisations serving medically underserved communities in the United States can currently apply for the FY2027 Health Center Program Service Area Competition, officially listed as HRSA-27-005.

The Health Resources and Services Administration expects to award approximately $267.8 million across 63 awards through the current competition.

Individual award amounts depend heavily on the service area being competed. The current federal listing shows an overall award range from approximately $650,000 to $10.1 million.

Applications close on October 19, 2026 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

What Is the Service Area Competition?

The Service Area Competition, commonly called SAC, supports the continued delivery of comprehensive primary healthcare services in communities already served through the federal Health Center Program.

Unlike a general healthcare grant where organisations can choose any underserved location, SAC is tied to specific geographic service areas announced by HRSA.

Those areas appear in the Service Area Announcement Table.

Applicants compete to provide Health Center Program services within one of those announced areas.

What Does the Funding Support?

The objective is to provide comprehensive, high-quality preventive and primary healthcare to medically underserved communities and populations.

Health centers can provide services such as:

• Primary medical care;
• Preventive healthcare;
• Chronic disease management;
• Behavioral health;
• Oral health;
• Substance-use services;
• Enabling and support services;
• Care coordination.

Successful applicants are expected to maintain continuity of care for the people already depending on Health Center Program services within the relevant service area.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants generally include:

• Private nonprofit organisations;
• Public agencies;
• Faith-based organisations;
• Community-based organisations;
• Federally recognised Native American tribes;
• Tribal organisations.

The applicant must be based in the United States or its territories and propose to serve an area listed in the current FY2027 Service Area Announcement Table.

This is not a general international healthcare grant.

Foreign organisations cannot apply simply because they provide healthcare services to underserved populations.

Your Location Must Be in the Current Service Area Table

This is one of the most important eligibility requirements.

If the community you want to serve is not included in HRSA’s current Service Area Announcement Table, you cannot simply select that location and apply under HRSA-27-005.

Applicants should confirm:

• State;
• City or geographic area;
• ZIP codes;
• Required patient population;
• Available funding;
• Required service-area conditions.

before beginning the full application.

How Much Funding Is Available?

HRSA expects approximately: $267,773,700 in total FY2027 competition funding

across roughly: 63 awards

The federal synopsis currently lists:

Award floor: $650,000

Award ceiling: $10,116,100

However, organisations should not interpret the $10.1 million ceiling as an amount every applicant can request.

The appropriate funding level is linked to the individual service area.

Is Cost Sharing Required?

No.

The current federal listing states that there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

Applicants should still provide a realistic operating budget showing how federal Health Center funding will support the proposed service-delivery model.

What Makes a Strong Application?

Continuity of care is central.

Applicants should demonstrate that they can serve the existing patient population without disruption.

A strong application should address:

• Community healthcare needs;
• Current gaps in access;
• Staffing;
• Clinical capacity;
• Governance;
• Quality improvement;
• Patient access;
• Financial sustainability;
• Service locations;
• Relevant partnerships.

The proposal should show not only that the organisation wants to operate a health center, but that it has the systems required to provide reliable care at scale.

Two Important Submission Dates

The Grants.gov application deadline is: October 19, 2026

HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks also lists a supplemental application deadline of November 18, 2026.

Applicants should not confuse these two stages.

The federal application must first be submitted through Grants.gov by the October deadline.

Expected Project Period

HRSA currently lists an estimated project start date of April 1, 2027, with the project period extending through March 31, 2031.

Current Status

Status: Open

Funding opportunity number: HRSA-27-005

Grants.gov deadline: October 19, 2026

Apply Here: Apply on Grants.gov: HRSA-27-005
After the Grants.gov submission, applicants complete the supplemental portion through HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks. HRSA EHBs funding cycle page
Healthcare organisations considering the competition should begin by reviewing the current Service Area Announcement Table. That step determines whether there is actually an eligible geographic opportunity for the organisation to pursue.