Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses two primary funding mechanisms: acquisition and assistance. Acquisition refers to contracts, purchase orders, and Inter-Agency Agreements used to procure supplies and services directly for CDC’s benefit. These are often called contracts.
Assistance mainly involves grants and cooperative agreements. These financial assistance methods transfer federal funds, resources, technical assistance, or expertise to public health stakeholders, such as state and local governments, to support public health objectives aligned with CDC’s mission.
The key distinction between grants and cooperative agreements is the level of CDC's involvement. Grants are used when CDC does not require substantial involvement in the recipient’s activities, whereas cooperative agreements are used when CDC has significant participation.
Contracts require specific deliverables and directly benefit the federal government. In contrast, grants and cooperative agreements do not demand specific deliverables but do require progress and final reports from grantees. The primary beneficiary of assistance funding is the public purpose supported by recipient organizations.