Deadline: 07-Nov-24
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is accepting applications for the Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program.
Purpose and Priorities
- The CFPCGP projects are to be designed to require a one-time contribution of Federal assistance to become self-sustaining and meet short- and long-term goals.
- Applicants are required to address two or more of the CFPCGP goals that best fit the plan or project being proposed to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable approach to resolving food and nutrition security and hunger.
- Short term goals: (Select at least one)
- Meet the food needs of food-insecure individuals through food distribution.
- Develop community outreach to assist in participation in Federal nutrition assistance programs.
- Improve access to nutrient dense food as part of a comprehensive service
- Long term goals: (Select at least one)
- Develop long-term sustainable projects that increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for the food needs of the community.
- Develop long-term projects that promote comprehensive responses to local food, food access, farm, and nutrition issues.
- Meet specific State, local, Tribal, Territory, or neighborhood food and agricultural long term needs including needs for equipment necessary for the efficient operation of a CFPCGP project.
- Develop a comprehensive plan for long-term solutions to food and nutrition security.
- Develop long term projects that lead to the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and income-eligible consumers
Elements
- In addition to meeting the Purpose and Priorities of the program, in selecting projects to receive federal assistance for this program, NIFA shall give preference to Planning Projects (PP) and Community Food Projects (CFP) designed to include these elements:
- Develop linkages between two or more sectors of the food system.
- Support the development of entrepreneurial projects.
- Develop innovative linkages between the for-profit and nonprofit food sectors.
- Encourage long-term planning activities, and multisystem, interagency approaches with multistakeholder collaborations, that build the long-term capacity of communities to address the food and agricultural problems of the communities, such as food policy councils and food planning associations.
- Develop new resources and strategies to help reduce food and nutrition insecurity in the community and prevent food and nutrition insecurity in the future by either:
- Developing creative food resources.
- Coordinating food services with park and recreation programs and other community-based outlets to reduce barriers to access; or
- Creating nutrition education programs for at-risk populations to enhance food purchasing and food-preparation skills and to heighten awareness of the connection between diet and health.
- Integrate actionable plans or activities that would reduce food loss and waste within the local food system by keeping food in the human food supply chain and ensuring that such actions are directly tied to reducing community food insecurity.
Funding Information
- The estimated amount available for the CFPCGP in FY 2025 and FY 2026 is approximately $4,800,000 for each year.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for a grant under 7 USC 2034, CFPCGP, a public food program service provider, a tribal organization, or a private nonprofit entity, including gleaners, must
- have experience in the area of a. community food work, particularly concerning small and medium-sized farms, including the provision of food to people in communities with low incomes and the development of new markets in communities with low incomes for agricultural producers;
- job training and business development activities for food-related activities in communities with low incomes; or
- efforts to reduce food and nutrition insecurity in the community, including food distribution, improving access to services, or coordinating services and programs;
- demonstrate competency to implement a project, provide fiscal accountability, collect data, and prepare reports and other necessary documentation;
- demonstrate a willingness to share information with researchers, practitioners, and other interested parties.
For more information, visit Grant.gov.