Background

As an Area Agency on Aging established and funded through the Federal Older Americans Act, the Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA) is mandated to establish a comprehensive, coordinated system of services for persons aged 60 and older in its planning and service area. This service area encompasses York and Cumberland Counties, except for the towns of Brunswick and Harpswell. The primary goal of the Older Americans Act is to empower older adults to remain in their home and community environment and to avoid premature or unnecessary institutionalization through the provision of cost-effective, high-quality services.

Objective

The Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging is seeking letters of intent from qualified, established service providers to act as subcontractors to deliver the following Older Americans Act services:

  • Caregiver Support Groups, funded through Title IIIE funds
  • Congregate Meals, funded through Title IIIC Federal funds
  • Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs, funded through Title IIID Federal funds
  • Home Delivered Meals, funded through Title IIIC Federal funds
  • In-home supportive services (Chore, Homemaker, Personal Care), funded through Title IIIB Federal funds

For more details about these services, please reference the Older Americans Act service definitions and reporting requirements linked below.

Commitment to Equity

For 50 years, Southern Maine Agency on Aging has been a focal point in Cumberland and York counties for resources, services, and information to empower older adults, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers to live to their fullest potential. Southern Maine Agency on Aging is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and encourages small, minority, and/or women owned businesses to submit an LOI. These businesses will be prioritized in the review and selection process. If you have any questions about SMAA and our commitment to DEI, please see read SMAA’s Equity Statement and 2024 Area Plan.

Award Information

Award Period
Single-year grant agreements will cover a period of one fiscal year (FY 2025), beginning October 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2025.

Budget Period
Agreements will have one 12-month budget period (FY 2025) beginning October 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2025.

Funds Available
Individual grant funding for Fiscal Year 2025 is estimated at up to $2,500 for Evidence-Based Health Promotion programs and Caregiver Support Groups and between $2,500 and $10,000 for all other program opportunities. Any awards granted for Fiscal Year 2025 as well as any renewals for subsequent years, will be contingent upon receipt of funds from Maine DHHS Office of Aging and Disability Services. SMAA reserves the right to revise any or all projections and awards based upon the actual award and receipt of sufficient funds, and to meet legislative, administrative, or judicial rule/order or regulation requiring and/or necessitating a revision or reconsideration of funding decisions.

The funding will be granted for provision of the following services:

  • Caregiver Support Groups – up to $2,500
  • Congregate Meals - between $2,500 and $10,000
  • Evidence-Based Health Promotion - up to $2,500
  • Home Delivered Meals - between $2,500 and $10,000
  • In-Home services - between $2,500 and $10,000

Guidelines

Any services provided by a subcontractor must fall within SMAA’s planning and service area listed above, though they need not cover the entire area. Subcontractors are expected to be familiar with and able to be fully compliant with applicable rules and policies listed below:

Please be sure to thoroughly review the links included above to ensure eligibility. Examples of ineligibility:

  • Not offering services in either Cumberland or York County
  • Not offering services to older adults or caregivers
  • Not offering services directly, i.e., using a subcontractor to provide any of the services listed in this posting
  • Fee-for-service programs, unless applicant can switch to voluntary contributions for services delivered under this contract
  • Means-tested programs
  • Not able to meet reporting requirements and data standards as required by the Office of Aging and Disability Services

Providers must also demonstrate the capacity to continue quality services in the case of delayed state payments or state contractual amendments. For example, Federal Funds through the Older Americans Act are often not received until January for contracts starting in October.

Letter of Intent Submission

Interested organizations are required to submit a Letter of Intent by April 26th, 2024, and be no longer than two pages. Ensure that the following data is included your Letter of Intent:

  • Agency name, address, and contact person
  • Within Project Activity, include the Geographic service area(s) of interest and service(s) you will provide.
  • Within Credentials, include
    • Information on the type(s) of experience your organization has in provision of service(s) to older adults, as well as the length of time (in years) it has worked to meet the needs of older adults in Maine.
    • Your organization’s technical and resource capacity for meeting reporting requirements.

Letters of Intent will be accepted starting the date of this posting (April 8, 2024) and will close on April 26, 2024. Submissions will not be accepted after the close date.

Submissions should be emailed to Quinn Lawrence at qlawrence@smaaa.org no later than April 26, 2024.

If you or someone at your organization should need assistance in accessing any of the above information, please contact Quinn Lawrence at qlawrence@smaaa.org.