Evaluator for SAMHSA grant applications and funded projects

SAMHSA scores your data collection and performance measurement plan, and it expects a named evaluator on the project team. It does not require that person to be on your payroll. We write the plan with you before the deadline and serve as the evaluator after the award. SAMHSA is one of the agencies we have worked with, and our experience is extensive in suicide prevention, post-traumatic stress and depression, and veteran support services.

We have worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Movember, among many others.

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What SAMHSA’s announcements require

A scored section. In the FY2026 announcements we reviewed, “Data collection and performance measurement” carries 15 to 20 of the 100 points (TI-26-016, 15 points; SM-26-014, 20 points).
A named evaluator as key personnel. TI-26-016 sets a minimum 10 percent level of effort for the Lead Evaluator; SM-26-014 expects a Program Evaluator at a minimum of 50 percent of a full-time position. Neither says the evaluator must be an employee, which is why many applicants contract the role.
Client-level reporting. Funded projects enter data in SPARS within 30 days of collection, at intake, six months, twelve months and closeout, under the GPRA Modernization Act (SAMHSA performance measures).
Budget. FY2022 and FY2023 announcements capped data collection, performance measurement and performance assessment at 20 percent of the award (example). The FY2026 announcements we read state no such cap. Check the funding restrictions in your own announcement.

Facts on this page were checked against the official sources on September 20, 2026. Rules change; rely on the official announcement or regulation linked here, not on this summary.

Where we fit

Everything SAMHSA asks for in that section is work we do every day.

The evaluation plan and logic model, written to the announcement’s scoring language
Measurable objectives and a performance measures table with data sources and timing
Data management for SPARS: collection workflows, follow-up tracking, quality checks
Qualitative work the numbers cannot do: focus groups, interviews and observations with clients, staff and partners
Quantitative analysis and expert data visualization for quarterly and annual reports
Final reporting in multiple formats: full report, executive summary, slide deck, one-page brief or dashboard

Mixed methods is our default design: qualitative and quantitative data, collected together and reported as one story.

Timing: prepare before the announcements post

As of September 20, 2026, SAMHSA has no open announcements. Its FY2027 forecast lists eight, with an estimated posting date of December 15, 2026:

SM-27-001 GLS Campus Suicide Prevention (about 5 awards)
SM-27-002 Assisted Outpatient Treatment (about 9 awards)
SM-27-003 Children’s Mental Health Initiative
TI-27-001 Providers Clinical Support System, Universities (about 17 awards)
TI-27-002 Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women (about 23 awards)
TI-27-003 State Pilot Program for Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women (about 3 awards)
TI-27-004 Building Communities of Recovery (about 18 awards)
TI-27-005 Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids (about 9 awards)

One FY2026 announcement (SP-26-002) closed early once 60 applications had arrived. The applicants who had their evaluation plan ready were the ones who got in. Our free evaluation plan exists for exactly this.

Planning a SAMHSA application?

Tell us which program you are watching and when you expect to apply. You will hear back within one business day.

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