Replicating Effective Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Programs – AH-TP1-26-001: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Applications are due on Thursday, July 23, 2026, by 6 p.m. ET.

No. Since this is a competitive funding announcement, OPA cannot provide input regarding the content of individual grant applications and is therefore unable to answer questions specific to the content of an application.  

Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the NOFO and should put forward the best proposal the organization can create based on application and evaluation criteria published in the announcement.

Any amendments, updates, or Q&A documents will be posted on Grants.gov for this opportunity. Applicants are strongly encouraged to subscribe to this opportunity on Grants.gov to receive automatic notifications of any updates. The opportunity can be found on Grants.gov.

Yes, the Authorized Official and Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) may be the same person. The NOFO does not indicate otherwise. As a reminder, only one PD/PI will be named on any resulting award. You should clearly identify the individual in that role in your application. You must also register an authorizing official for your organization.

Any public or private entity is eligible to apply.

Additional examples of eligible organizations include:

• Any public or private entity located in a State (which includes one of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Marshall Islands, the Federated State of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau (hereafter, States)) is eligible to apply for a grant under this announcement. Faith-based organizations and American Indian/Alaska Native/Native American (AI/AN/NA) organizations are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible Organizations can be found on pages 2-3 of the NOFO.

Grants are awarded to organizations rather than individuals. An application may be submitted by an individual authorized to act/sign for an organization and to assume the obligations imposed by the grant and any additional conditions of the grant. However, the award will not go directly to an individual but to the organization which the individual represents. 

Yes. Groups may form a consortium, partnership, or other legally recognized entity for the purpose of applying for this opportunity and carrying out any awarded project. The resulting entity must exist and be legally recognized when it applies and must have an active registration in SAM.gov. We will conduct a risk assessment on the applying entity (Section G.4) prior to making any award.

Yes, an organization can submit an application to more than one NOFO. Each NOFO is different, and organizations should check the eligibility and expectations of each individual NOFO to determine whether or not to apply. HHS/OASH/GAM will deem each application submitted by an entity eligible according to the eligibility information included in the specific NOFO.

You may submit more than one application, but each application must be for a distinctly different project.

If you submit multiple applications for the same project, we will accept only the last application submitted a Grants.gov timestamp that is before the due date and time. We will disqualify all other versions of the application. See Section G.1.b for all disqualification factors.

Your total application (i.e., the Project Narrative plus Appendices) must not exceed 100 pages. The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables).

Your Project Narrative must not exceed 50 pages. The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables).

No, but the Appendices do count toward the page limit for your total application. Your total application (i.e., the Project Narrative plus Appendices) must not exceed 100 pages. The following items do not count toward the Project Narrative page limit: all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget Narrative (including budget tables).

No. The budget package — including the SF-424A and the budget narrative with tables — does not count toward the 50-page Project Narrative limit or the 100-page combined Project Narrative + Appendices limit.

No. Required standard forms and the Project Abstract Summary are excluded from the page limits.

Yes. Tables within the project narrative may be single-spaced, but the text of the project narrative itself must be double-spaced. Tables must still be easy to read.

Yes. Documents such as resumes, CVs, organizational charts, and MOUs/MOAs/LOCs may use formatting common to those document types, including single-spacing, as long as the pages are easy to read.

Do not add your own page numbers. The grants management system will automatically generate page numbers after submission.

Do not include a table of contents in your project narrative or appendices.

Acceptable formats include Adobe PDF (.pdf), Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), and image files (.jpg, .gif, .tif, .bmp). Excel files, compressed files (e.g., .zip, .rar), and password-protected files are not acceptable. OPA strongly recommends converting all files to PDF before submission.

No. Reviewers are not permitted to follow external links during their assessment of your application. All information relevant to the review must be contained within the page limits of the application. The only exception is a link to internal controls within the budget package.

A letter of commitment specifies the named organization's role, the resources it will provide, and the activities it will undertake in support of the project. It also describes the organization's expertise, experience, and access to the target population. A letter of support is general in nature — it expresses belief in the applicant's capability and may indicate interest in future collaboration but lacks specificity. Letters of support will not be considered during review.

Submit only letters of commitment for organizations that will play a specific role in the project.

If available at the time of submission, you should submit formal, written agreements such as MOUs, MOAs, contract, etc. for each partner (or one signed agreement with all partners) and include specific roles, responsibilities, resources, and contributions of partner(s) to the project.

If applicable and available at the time of application, include in your appendices any formal, written agreements (e.g., MOUs) from the developer/purveyor/copyright holder of the intervention indicating that you have permission to use and to make any changes to materials. (Changes may include those to ensure medical accuracy, age-appropriateness, and alignment with OASH priorities.)

Formal agreements should detail the specific role and resources that the partner will provide, or activities that the partner will assume, in support of the project. It should also describe the organization’s expertise, experience, and access to the targeted population(s).

Fully executed formal agreements will be required within 30 days following the issuance of any award made under this announcement.

No, unless a written exemption has been granted by the Grants Management Officer. To obtain an exemption, you must request one via email from GAM point of contact Eric West at Eric.West@hhs.gov. Your request must provide details as to why you are technologically unable to submit electronically through Grants.gov. You should submit your request at least 4 business days prior to the application deadline to ensure we can review your request at least 2 business days before the deadline. See page 32 of the NOFO for more information.

SAM.gov registration can take 2–3 weeks or longer during periods of high volume, plus an additional 24–72 hours to synchronize with Grants.gov. OPA strongly recommends beginning registration immediately and no later than 30 days before the deadline, with a target of completion at least 15 days before the deadline.

No. All award decisions, including the level of funding, if an award is made, are final and you may not appeal.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

No. OPA expects to fund awards in 12-month budget periods for a total period of performance up to 24 month(s) with an optional competitive third year. However, we may approve shorter periods of performance. Budget periods may vary from the estimated 12 months because of the timing of award issuance or other administrative factors.

For multi-year projects, recipients must submit a non-competing continuation (NCC) application for each budget period after the first. We anticipate offering a competing continuation for a third year for the purpose of providing funding to support selected recipients as they transition projects to sustainability. Continuation funding is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, appropriate stewardship of federal funds, and the best interests of the government.

Yes. Small businesses are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.

For the funding priorities in Section G.4, "your organization" refers to the applicant organization. The NOFO does not specify contractors, subrecipients, consultants, or other collaborating organizations.

The Technical Assistance Webinar for this funding opportunity is available on OPA’s website.

Yes. As described in Section A.1 (Eligible Applicants), for a given project, only one eligible entity may submit the application. If awarded, that entity will be the recipient and responsible for conducting the project. Other organizations may participate in the project and would be responsible to the recipient for their respective roles, typically as subrecipients.

Applicants may also identify implementation partners and describe their roles in implementing the proposed project, as described in Section E.2.a (Organizational Capacity, Partnerships, and Expertise).

The NOFO does not require a reference list or bibliography and does not specify where one should be included. Applicants may include citations, as appropriate, to support the information presented in their application, provided the application complies with the NOFO's formatting and page limit requirements. For example, applicants proposing an effective program are instructed to "include a citation and abstract for each study" supporting the program's eligibility.

Yes, the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form is a required component of the application package for all applicants, regardless of whether they participate in lobbying activities. The NOFO states that missing or incomplete required forms, including the SF-LLL, will result in disqualification of the application. (p. 35)
The NOFO's Application Checklist in Section K.1 confirms that the "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)" is a required form that must be submitted as part of every application. (p. 53)
Applicants who do not participate in lobbying activities should complete the form by entering their organization's name, indicating "N/A" where applicable, and signing and submitting the form as part of their application package.

The NOFO does not prescribe or restrict the narrative voice or point of view applicants must use when writing their project narrative. The NOFO states only that "the project narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project" and that it will be used as "the primary basis to determine whether your project merits an award." (p. 18)

Applicants should focus on ensuring their narrative meets all content and formatting requirements outlined in the NOFO, regardless of the narrative voice used. For formatting requirements, please refer to Section E.1 (p. 15), and for project narrative content requirements, please refer to Section E.2.a (p. 18).

For purposes of this NOFO, “replication” refers to the implementation of an evidence-based program in a new setting or population while maintaining fidelity to its core components. It also refers to duplicating or repeating an effective program.

Eligible programs are those that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors. Programs selected for replication must deliver medically accurate, age-appropriate education and counseling and be implemented with fidelity to their evidence-based design. All programs must meet the criteria outlined in Appendix A – Criteria for Eligible TPP Effective Programs (p.65), which specifies the level of evidence and evaluation quality required for eligibility and aligns with the Department’s commitment to gold standard science.

The criteria described in Appendix A ensure that funded programs reflect high-quality evidence of effectiveness. For this NOFO, any program that meets these criteria and aligns with the program’s focus on body literacy, informed consent, and preventive health is eligible for replication.

Applicants may propose any program for replication, provided it meets the eligibility criteria outlined in Appendix A – Criteria for Eligible TPP Effective Programs (p.65).

Please note that identifying an effective program in the application does not guarantee approval. After an award is made, OPA will review the submitted information to verify the program's eligibility, and recipients may not implement any program until it has been reviewed and approved by OPA as an effective program.

Eligible programs are those that have been proven effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors. Programs selected for replication must deliver medically accurate, age-appropriate education and counseling and be implemented with fidelity to their evidence-based design. All programs must meet the criteria outlined in Appendix A – Criteria for Eligible TPP Effective Programs (p.65), which specifies the level of evidence and evaluation quality required for eligibility and aligns with the Department’s commitment to gold standard science.

The criteria described in Appendix A ensure that funded programs reflect high-quality evidence of effectiveness. For this NOFO, any program that meets these criteria and aligns with the program’s focus on body literacy, informed consent, and preventive health is eligible for replication.

Please note that identifying an effective program in the application does not guarantee approval. After an award is made, OPA will review the submitted information to verify the program's eligibility, and recipients may not implement any program until it has been reviewed and approved by OPA as an effective program.

Recipients must coordinate with the TPP Training Center to access up-to-date guidance, curricula, and training resources to support effective implementation of body literacy education.

The program must already have a qualifying impact study that meets the criteria outlines in Appendix A – Criteria for Eligible TPP Effective Programs (p.65).

"To be eligible, programs must have at least one impact study with evidence of effectiveness from a follow-up data collection conducted within the last 15 years, calculated from the date the new findings are released." (p.65) The 15 years is in reference to the follow up data collection which has to have been conducted within the last 15 years (calculated from the date the new findings are released) in order to qualify as an effective program under this NOFO.

The following deliverables apply after receiving an award:

• Within 1 month of funding:
  • Submit to OPA fully executed formal agreements of any formal partner identified in your application.
• Within 3 months of funding:
  • Develop a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Improvement (MEI) Plan.
  • Develop a professional development plan for staff that is revisited annually.
  • Establish and execute a communication and dissemination strategy.
• Within 5 months of funding:
  • Submit to OPA for approval the proposed effective program that incorporates body literacy.
• Within 6 months of funding:
  • Pilot the approved effective program that incorporates body literacy.
  • Finalize formal written agreements (MOUs, MOAs, contracts, etc.) with all key partners and subrecipients.
• Within 12 months of funding:
  • Begin fully implementing effective programs that incorporate body literacy, including obtaining approval for any proposed adaptations and establishing formal agreements and implementation plans for each site.
• Semi-annually:
  • Collect and report all required performance measures to OPA.
• Quarterly:
  • Submit Federal Financial Reports (FFR) (SF-425).
• By Year 3:
  • Establish and begin executing a plan to sustain the project in the community.

Cooperative agreements are a form of assistance that allows for substantial involvement between federal program office and the recipient during the project period.

The NOFO further specifies what that that substantial programmatic involvement from OPA may include which can be found on pages 13-14 of the NOFO.

“Age-appropriate” content assures that topics and themes are appropriate for the age group and other specific characteristics of the target audience. All program content must be suitable for the developmental stage of the intended audience and support healthy, informed decision-making, including promoting delayed sexual initiation as a behavior associated with reduced teen pregnancy.

Medically accurate materials and instruction are expected to be grounded in current, evidence-based scientific and clinical knowledge, and be within the scope of TPP statutory requirements to prevent teenage pregnancy. When materials provide information on widely prescribed medications for sexual and reproductive health, for example, the information should reference potential health risks to support minors and their parents or guardians in informed decision-making, which may include a desire to consult with their healthcare provider.

It is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that all project materials—including curricula and any supplemental materials (e.g., facilitator and participant manuals, videos, podcasts, posters, scripts, participant booklets, and handouts)—are medically accurate and age-appropriate.

Recipients will have to submit all program materials to OPA for medical accuracy review prior to implementation and may be required to provide materials for review prior to award. All materials must align with applicable OASH priorities.

Recipients are expected to provide parents or guardians with advance notice that includes sufficient detail about program content, materials, and activities, and to offer a meaningful opportunity to review such materials upon request. Recipients should also provide a clear and accessible process for parents to opt their children out of any specific content or activities, particularly those related to sexuality, that may burden their religious exercise or conflict with sincerely held beliefs. These three main elements of providing advance notice of materials to parents and guardians; offering meaningful opportunity for parents and guardians to review first; and having in place a clear process for parents and guardians to opt their child out of content or activities should also be implemented for funded projects that occur outside school hours or in a non-school setting.

Body literacy education should equip young people with a clear understanding of how their bodies function in a state of health, enabling them to interpret biological signals, recognize deviations from normal function, and make informed decisions about their well-being.

Programs must include two distinct educational modules: one focused on female reproductive health and one focused on male reproductive health. Page 10 of the NOFO details what should be included in each module.

Across both modules, body literacy education must emphasize the connection between hormonal health and overall health, including the role of sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and stress in shaping endocrine function, mental well-being, and long-term reproductive health. Instruction should support adolescents in developing self-awareness, recognizing patterns in their physical and emotional health, and engaging more effectively with healthcare providers.

Recipients are expected to ensure that body literacy content is medically accurate, age-appropriate, and aligned with current standards.

Recipients must coordinate with the TPP Training Center to access up-to-date guidance, curricula, and training resources to support effective implementation of body literacy education.

The NOFO identifies the following additional components to incorporate into the effective program and project:

• Reproductive Goals Counseling: Recipients must incorporate reproductive goals counseling as a core component of program implementation. Counseling should be developmentally appropriate and designed to help adolescents reflect on their future aspirations related to relationships, childbearing, and family formation. (p. 11)
• Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) Education: Recipients are expected to incorporate sexual risk avoidance (SRA) education as a component of program delivery, providing adolescents with clear, evidence-informed information about the health and social benefits of avoiding sexual activity during adolescence. (p. 12)
• Transparency and Protection of Parental Rights: Recipients must ensure transparency and respect for parental rights by providing parents or guardians advance notice of program content, materials, and activities; offering a meaningful opportunity to review such materials; and providing a clear and accessible process for parents to opt their children out of any specific content or activities, particularly those related to sexuality. (p. 11)

Information on the expectation regarding reproductive goals counseling can be found on page 11 of the NOFO. There is no direction provided on whether this needs to be provided as group education or individual counseling. Under Section E.2 – Content, Technical Approach, applicants are asked to “Describe how body literacy education, reproductive goals counseling, and sexual risk avoidance (SRA) education will be integrated into program implementation.” (p.19) And, as part of Section G.2 - Merit Review Criteria, your application will be assessed based on the extent to which you “Clearly describes how body literacy education and reproductive goals counseling will be integrated into program implementation to support informed consent, strengthen adolescents’ understanding of reproductive health, and promote optimal health and future-oriented decision-making.” (p.37)

There are no other technical requirements in preparing your logic model.

Under Section E.2 – Content, Technical Approach (p. 19) of the NOFO states, “For each effective program proposed for replication, provide a summary confirming that at least one research study of the program meets the criterion outlined in Appendix A – Criteria for Eligible TPP Effective Programs of the NOFO. Include a citation and abstract for each study.” This information should be included in your project narrative. As a reminder, your project narrative must not exceed 50 pages.

The NOFO requests that applicants "Provide a geographic map of the service area" as part of the Project Significance section of the Project Narrative. The NOFO does not instruct applicants to include the map as an appendix. Therefore, applicants should include the map within the Project Narrative.

The NOFO refers to the logic model in the Technical Approach section of the Project Narrative, stating that applicants should "refer to your logic model and work plan throughout your narrative, as needed." The NOFO does not specify where the logic model must be placed within the application. Applicants may determine the placement of the logic model, provided the application complies with the NOFO's formatting and page limit requirements.

OPA does not pre-review programs prior to award. Applicants are responsible for documenting in their application how the supporting study meets the criteria outlined in Appendix A. Specifically, applicants must "provide a summary confirming that at least one research study of the program meets the criterion outlined in Appendix A – Criteria for Eligible TPP Effective Programs of the NOFO" and must "include a citation and abstract for each study." (p. 19)

The NOFO defines replication as "the implementation of an evidence-based program in a new setting or population while maintaining fidelity to its core components." (p. 8) The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate that the program they are proposing for replication is evidence-based and meets the criteria outlined in Appendix A – Criteria for Eligible TPP Effective Programs. Applicants must "provide a summary confirming that at least one research study of the program meets the criterion outlined in Appendix A" and must "include a citation and abstract for each study." (p. 19). Funded recipients are expected to "implement selected programs with fidelity and quality." (p. 8)

Applicants should note that as this is a cooperative agreement, OPA maintains substantial programmatic involvement, which includes "review and approval of effective programs selected for replication, implementation plans, and proposed adaptations to effective programs." (p. 13)

The NOFO does not specify a minimum number of youth that must be served. However, applicants are required to "quantify the number of adolescents and young adults you will reach annually through program implementation" and to "describe the total population in the service area and estimate the proportion you intend to reach." (p. 20)

Applicants should also be aware that during merit review, the budget will be assessed based on the extent to which "the total funding requested is reasonable and proportionate to the number of adolescents the applicant proposes to serve and the intensity of services to be delivered." (p. 39) The primary participants to receive programming under an award should be "adolescents and youth (children ages 10-13, 13-18, etc.)." (p. 18)

The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support "medically accurate and age-appropriate programs that reduce teen pregnancy and advance adolescent health by strengthening body literacy, informed consent, and optimal health through the replication of effective teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs." (p. 1) All funded activities must remain within the scope of the approved project.

Since this is a competitive funding announcement, OPA cannot provide input regarding the content of individual grant applications and is therefore unable to answer questions specific to the content of an application.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the NOFO and should put forward the best proposal the organization can create based on the application and evaluation criteria published in the announcement.

Yes, applicants may implement an evidence-based program earlier if they are able to complete all required pre-implementation activities. As outlined in the NOFO, recipients must complete all applicable requirements prior to implementation, including but not limited to:

• "Submit all program materials to OPA for medical accuracy review prior to implementation." (p. 10)
• Obtaining OPA approval of the selected effective program(s). "Identifying an effective program in the application does not guarantee approval. After an award is made, OPA will review the submitted information to verify the program's eligibility. Recipients may not implement any program until it has been reviewed and approved by OPA as an effective program." (p. 19)
• Obtaining "approval for any proposed adaptations to effective programs." (p. 13)
• "Establishing formal agreements (e.g., contracts or memoranda of understanding) and implementation plans for each site." (p. 10)

The expectation for recipients funded under this NOFO is that outlined on page 12 of the NOFO, which states that the MEI Plan should determine "if effective teen pregnancy prevention programs are being implemented with high fidelity and quality to include collecting data on fidelity and quality from program facilitators as well as from observations of at least 10% of all program sessions and 100% of all program facilitators." (p. 12)

The 5% observation requirement referenced in Appendix B reflects performance measures from a previous cohort of TPP recipients. The NOFO notes that the performance measures in Appendix B are currently pending renewal (OMB #0937-0213, Expiration July 31, 2026, renewal in progress). While Appendix B provides guidance on the kinds of performance measures recipients will be expected to collect, OPA will be working to update the performance measures to ensure alignment with this NOFO. Awarded recipients can expect to receive updated performance measures following the issuance of awards.

In the meantime, applicants should use the 10% session observation and 100% facilitator observation requirements outlined on page 12 of the NOFO as the standard when developing their Monitoring, Evaluation, and Improvement (MEI) Plans and work plans.

The TPP Training Center is referenced in the NOFO as a post-award expectation for recipients. Specifically, the NOFO states that "recipients must coordinate with the TPP Training Center to access up-to-date guidance, curricula, and training resources to support effective implementation of body literacy education" (p. 10) and that "recipients are expected to coordinate with the TPP Training Center to identify appropriate SRA resources and ensure alignment with program goals and current guidance." (p. 12)

These are obligations that will apply to awarded recipients following the issuance of awards, and are not requirements of the application itself. The NOFO does not ask applicants to demonstrate prior or planned work with the TPP Training Center as part of their application, nor is it included in the merit review criteria.

Regarding the current availability of the TPP Training Center, the current training center for TPP grant programs has ended and a funding opportunity to recompete the award recently closed. OPA anticipates making an award for the new TPP Training Center by September 30, 2026. More information on the expectations of the future Training Center can be found at Simpler.Grants.gov.

Since this is a competitive funding announcement, OPA cannot provide input regarding the content of individual grant applications and is therefore unable to answer questions specific to the content of an application.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the NOFO and should put forward the best proposal the organization can create based on the application and evaluation criteria published in the announcement.

Funding levels for all approved budget periods after the first are generally the same as the initial award amount and may be subject to an offset with funds unused in the previous budget period.

As of January 2026, the Executive Level II salary cap is $228,000. No award funds may be used to pay an individual's salary at a rate exceeding this amount. This applies to the recipient and all subrecipients.

Yes. Subrecipient costs are included under the Contractual object class category. You must provide a detailed budget and narrative for each named subrecipient. If subrecipients will be selected post-award, describe the nature of the work to be transferred, estimated costs, and your selection process.

Applicants must provide a detailed budget for Year 1. For subsequent budget years, applicants should provide a summary narrative and line-item budget for each year beyond the first. For categories or items that differ significantly from the first budget period, a detailed justification explaining these changes should be provided.

As described in Section D (Award Information), funding for approved budget periods after the first is generally the same as the initial award amount and is contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory project progress, appropriate stewardship of federal funds, and the best interests of the government. The NOFO also states in Section E.2.c (Budget Narrative with Justification) that applicants must provide a detailed budget for the first budget period and a summary narrative and line-item budget for subsequent budget periods, explaining any significant differences from the first budget period.

Yes. Applicants with a current, federally negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (IDCRA) may use their negotiated indirect cost rate in their budget proposal, provided the agreement is current and officially approved. Applicants eligible to use the de minimis indirect cost rate may also use that rate, as appropriate.

The 8% indirect cost limitation referenced in the NOFO applies specifically to training-related activities. For replication and implementation activities that do not fall under the training category, applicants may use their negotiated indirect cost rate or the de minimis rate, as applicable.