Deadline: 28-Jul-21
The Department of Agriculture, and Food and Nutrition Service is inviting applications for the Farm to School Institute Grant Program to provide and conduct regular, ongoing trainings and technical assistance to schools, school districts, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers, and/or non-profit organizations.
Objectives
- Develop a framework to replicate the farm to school institute model: Funding may be used to adapt existing materials and resources or to create new materials to develop a framework for replicating the farm to school institute model. Content created and disseminated under this cooperative agreement must be designed with the intent to replicate the farm to institute model more widely across the county.
- Recruit and form state/regional/sector teams: Funding may be used to adapt existing materials and resources or to create new materials and conduct activities for the purpose of recruiting and forming state/regional/sector teams to create a farm to school institute for the communities that they serve. Applicants must include a comprehensive description of the proposed process for recruiting and forming teams. Application should specify each step involved in the process, such as the recruitment plan, the strategy development, and the evaluation plan.
- Provide education and training on the model to state/regional/sector teams: Applicants must include a comprehensive description of the proposed education and training, including content, format(s), and materials used to deliver proposed training to the intended state/regional/sector teams. Grantees may use the grant funds to develop and deliver the training themselves or collaborate with other partnering organization/affiliate for training development and/or delivery. Each partnering organization/affiliate must be identified in the grant application and submit a letter of commitment with the application.
- Provide ongoing technical assistance to state/regional/sector teams on implementation and evaluation: Applicants must provide technical assistance to teams as they implement the model and evaluate the project. The applicant must provide ongoing coaching and technical assistance at least once during the program operational period; however, the applicant may determine such factors as the frequency, scope, and intensity of any proposed coaching and/or technical assistance sessions within the operational period. Applicants must include a comprehensive description of the proposed ongoing technical assistance and the strategies employed to identify and respond to technical assistance needs and evaluate the effectiveness of the technical assistance.
Funding Information
- Total amount of funding expected to award: $500,000.00
- Expected amount of funding per individual Federal award: up to $500,000.00
- Estimated funding per award: Up to $500,000
- Anticipated award announcement date: September 15, 2021
- Anticipated period of performance: September 30, 2021 – September 30, 2023/2024 (projects may be 2-3 years in duration)
Eligibility Criteria
- This is a competitive, limited solicitation. The cooperative agreement is only open to non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. Special consideration will be given to applicants with established relationships and experience with farm to school stakeholders and farm to school activities. The selected applicant will also have experience in operating a farm to school institute, including the creation and dissemination of information on farm to school program development, providing practitioner education, training, and ongoing coaching, and technical assistance.
- This cooperative agreement will be made on a competitive basis. An award may be made to more than one entity. The applicants may sub award, by contract or sub-grant, tasks to other organizations to complete or provide aspects of training and technical assistance.
- Applicants must provide a 501(c)(3) Determination Letter to indicate nonprofit status, as well as a current copy of the organization’s bylaws that details, at a minimum, the organization’s official name, mission, and purpose
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333802