Before FY2027: the continuing resolution, and what the SAMHSA award data is telling us
Top Of Mind This Week
The federal fiscal year has turned over today; the government is now operating under a continuing resolution that funds agencies at FY2026 levels through December 11.
Two things we recommend doing now:
🔷 Check your payment account: Draw down allowable expenses incurred through September 30 and confirm your available balances, so you aren't waiting on reimbursement if federal timing tightens. |
🔷 Ask your federal contacts directly: Consider emailing the program officer and grants management specialist named on your NOFO or Notice of Award and ask how the continuing resolution affects your continuation award, its timing and amount, and any pending applications. |
The resolution also delays OMB's overhaul of the Uniform Guidance, the rules governing federal grant administration, until December 11.
Looking Ahead to FY 2027
We've just come through one of the biggest SAMHSA award cycles in years. After new competitive awards nearly stopped in FY2025 (114 nationwide), FY2026 brought back more than 1,060, and many of you were in the thick of it with us.
Historically, a natural instinct after a cycle like this is to rest, rinse and repeat by pulling last year's application, updating the numbers, & resubmitting, but we don't think that approach can hold up in FY2027, so we went back through SAMHSA's new-award data (every new competitive award) from 2023-2026 with the exceptions of this year's CCBHCs which aren't out yet, to see what the trends say about risk and competitiveness for the year ahead.
Our FY2027 Funding Outlook summarizes what we found.
A few points really jump out:
🔷 Expect smaller competitions: Several programs that surged in FY2026 were likely catching up on FY2025 funds. MHAT and MAT-PDOA, for example, funded about 4.5 times their last competition.
🔷 The portfolio of focus has shifted: Serious mental illness, crisis and first-responder programs are growing; ACT, AOT, Early Diversion and mobile crisis awards now run $650K to $1.6M. Meanwhile, several homelessness, HIV, reentry and Healthy Transitions programs haven't been competed since FY2024. If your work lands in a paused program, there is often a path to the same people through a growing application and through partnership opportunities, and we'd like to help you identify that.
🔷 The CCBHC cliff is September 29, 2027: While most agencies know this, we're finding ourselves pointing out that for those approximately 128 CCBHC expansion grants from FY2023 ending that day, your Medicaid transition, certification and cost reporting need to be in place before then. Ultimately, sustainability planning has to start now, while you're also preparing your case for a continuing grant application.
We'd like to support you in advance as you plan for this to help lighten the load, punch up your data, and depressurize a seriously-compressed drop window for these larger funding opportunities.
Once you have a chance to review our FY2027 Funding Outlook we'd be happy to set up a call for an in-depth discussion and to co-create a FY2027 Opportunity Map with you. Reach us at ask@HiQuitySolutions.com or 612-488-7337.
© 2026 HiQuity Solutions. All Rights Reserved. Are you preparing for good outcomes? If not, let us know. | www.hiquitysolutions.com | ask@hiquitysolutions.com
Comments