Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs for Disabled Veterans and Disabled Members of the Armed Forces (Equine Assisted Therapy)

Eligible applicants must qualify as a non-Federal Government entity with significant experience in managing a large-scale adaptive sports program for persons with disabilities if those disabilities are those that disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces may have.

The Adaptive Sports Grant Program provides grants to eligible adaptive sports entities to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs to provide adaptive sports activities for Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities. For the purpose of this program, adaptive sports activities include: (1)  instruction, participation, and competition in adaptive sports; (2)  training and technical assistance to program administrators, coaches, recreation therapists, instructors, VA employees, and other appropriate individuals; (3)  coordination, Paralympic classification of athletes, athlete assessment, sport-specific training techniques, program development (including programs at the local level), sports equipment, supplies, program evaluation, and other activities related to the implementation and operation of the program.

The primary goal for this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) is to ensure that appropriate levels of resources are provided to eligible adaptive sports entities with capabilities that are well-suited to meet the needs and priorities for Veterans with disabilities and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities.

This NOFA announces the availability of $1,500,000 to be awarded for proposals providing equine therapy targeted for Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities related to mental health issues. Adaptive Sports proposals not focused on equine therapy should apply to VA-SPORTS-24.