ForecastedOpportunity HHS-2027-ACF-OHS-CH-0112

Head Start/Early Head Grants in Multiple States

Administration for Children and Families - OHS · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

Head Start/Early Head Grants in Multiple States is a forecasted federal grant opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families - OHS (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of December 15, 2026; forecast dates can change. Individual awards are listed as $1.01M – $79.7M, with about 255 awards expected and $824M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, independent school districts, public colleges & universities and 8 more. Cost sharing or matching is required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 93.600 (Head Start).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Sep 2, 2026Forecast posted
Oct 14, 2026 (est.)Full notice expectednext date
Dec 15, 2026 (est.)Application deadline
Jul 30, 2027 (est.)Est. award date

Posted: Sep 2, 2026
Est. close date: Dec 15, 2026
Est. award date: Jul 30, 2027
Award floor: $1,005,287
Award ceiling: $79,657,340
Est. total funding: $824,047,328
Expected awards: 255
Cost sharing: Required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Fiscal year: FY2027

Who can apply

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Independent school districts
Public colleges & universities
Federally recognized tribal governments
Public & Indian housing authorities
501(c)(3) nonprofits
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
Private colleges & universities
For-profit organizations (not small businesses)
Small businesses
Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

It is important to note that the eligibility requirements are different for Head Start Preschool and Early Head Start. More information will be provided in the notice of funding opportunity. Individuals, sole proprietorships, and foreign entities are not eligible to apply Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible for awards under this funding opportunity.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

This forecast has been modified to update the Estimated Total Funding.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start (OHS), announces a competitive notice of funding opportunity to provide high-quality Head Start Preschool (HSP) and Early Head Start (EHS) services for low-income children and families. This funding opportunity advances ACF's mission to promote the economic and social well-being of children, families, and communities, and reflects OHS's commitment to expanding access to high-quality, comprehensive early childhood services that strengthen family stability and community prosperity. Approximately $824 million in federal funding will be awarded in multiple communities in AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, VI, VT, WA, and WI.

These service areas are subject to change until a Notice of Funding Opportunity is published.

Applicants may also email the OHS Operations Center at OHSgrants@koniag-gs.com for additional information.

Additional information from the agency ↗

How to apply

0 of 8 done · progress saved in this browser

Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above, and plan for the required cost sharing/match.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Watch for the full noticeThe agency estimates posting it around October 14, 2026. Save this grant to track changes.
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyNicole Stoakley · OHSgrants@koniag-gs.com Open ↗
Submit before December 15, 2026Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the listed application due date. Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

93.600Head StartProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 93.600

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$12.1B

FY25

$12B

FY26

$12B est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.600. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Nicole Stoakley
OHSgrants@koniag-gs.com
(888) 242-0684

Quick answers

Is “Head Start/Early Head Grants in Multiple States” open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. The agency estimates posting the full notice around October 14, 2026. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “Head Start/Early Head Grants in Multiple States”?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Independent school districts, Public colleges & universities, Federally recognized tribal governments, Public & Indian housing authorities, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, Private colleges & universities, For-profit organizations (not small businesses), Small businesses and 1 more. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “Head Start/Early Head Grants in Multiple States”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $1.01m – $79.7m, total estimated program funding is $824,047,328 and the agency expects to make about 255 awards.

How do I apply for “Head Start/Early Head Grants in Multiple States”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity HHS-2027-ACF-OHS-CH-0112), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

ForecastedALN 93.600