LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government's Substance Use Disorder Intervention Program is accepting applications for a $3 million grant program that will support nonprofit organizations addressing the opioid epidemic in Fayette County.

The Opioid Abatement Community-Based Initiatives Grant Program will distribute settlement funding to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits with a physical presence in Fayette County. The program supports evidence-based and innovative initiatives targeting opioid use disorder, overdose prevention, behavioral health, treatment, recovery, and community stabilization.

Applicants can pursue two funding tracks: micro grants up to $75,000 for programs running from December 2026 through December 2027, and macro grants between $75,001 and $250,000 for longer initiatives extending through December 2028.

The Request for Proposals will be released via Ionwave at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 2. Agencies must register with Ionwave to receive notifications and download application materials. The deadline and full details will be available once proposals are published.

Lexington is slated to receive $14.3 million in opioid settlement funding over 16 years from litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors. The April 2026 Urban County Council approval of the grant program represented a significant step in deploying $5.2 million in settlement funds already received by the city.

The initiative builds on Lexington's existing substance use disorder infrastructure. Fayette County's fatal overdoses declined from 210 in 2022 to 120 in 2024, driven in part by initiatives including overdose prevention programs and naloxone distribution efforts run by the city's SUDI program.