Evaluator for SAMHSA grant applications and funded projects

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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.

Does a SAMHSA grant application need an evaluator?

SAMHSA scores the data collection and performance measurement plan, 15 to 20 of 100 points in the FY2026 announcements we reviewed, and expects a named evaluator as key personnel. The evaluator does not have to be an employee. Plotline Evaluation writes that plan with applicants at no charge and serves as the evaluator after the award.

Talk to us about it

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 (then yearly) and closeout, under the GPRA Modernization Act (SM-26-014; SAMHSA performance measures).
Budget. FY2022 and FY2023 announcements capped data collection, performance measurement and performance assessment at 20 percent of the award, 10 percent for some state recipients (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 October 31, 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 October 31, 2026, SAMHSA has no open announcements. Its FY2027 forecast lists nine, 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)
TI-27-006 First Responders, Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (about 40 awards)

One FY2026 announcement (SP-26-002) closed early once 60 applications had arrived. Applicants who were not ready by then missed out. Our free evaluation plan exists for exactly this.

Questions people ask

How many points does SAMHSA give the evaluation section?

In the FY2026 announcements we reviewed, “Data collection and performance measurement” carried 15 points (TI-26-016) or 20 points (SM-26-014) of 100. The weight varies by program, so check the review criteria in your own announcement.

Does the SAMHSA evaluator have to be on our staff?

No. SAMHSA expects a named evaluator as key personnel with a minimum level of effort, but neither announcement we read requires the evaluator to be an employee. Many applicants contract the role, which is how we work.

What is SPARS?

SAMHSA’s performance reporting system. Funded projects enter client-level data within 30 days of collection, at intake, six months, twelve months and closeout, under the GPRA Modernization Act. We set up the data management so that reporting is routine.

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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