Deadline: 1-Feb-23
Applications are now open for the Development and Implementation of Healthy Meals Incentives School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants Program.
Under this RFA, the School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grant Cooperative Agreement will reflect FNS’ commitment to encourage the offering of healthier food products in the marketplace for school meals through engagement with the food industry and incentivizing innovation and partnerships. Increasing access to nutritious and appealing foods for kids is critical to the success of strong school meal standards. The selected Cooperator(s) will collaborate with food industry partners to support school districts, food producers, suppliers, distributors, and community partners.
The goal of this RFA is to select a Cooperator or Cooperators who will implement and manage the School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants. The School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants will support collaborative projects between school districts, food producers, suppliers, distributors, and/or community partners to stimulate innovation in strengthening the availability of and access to nutritious food products in the K-12 school food marketplace.
Objectives
- Finalize the proposed plan for structuring the sub-grants and the process for selecting subgrantees that will demonstrate innovative solutions for improvement of the K-12 food system.
- Ensure SFAs, non-governmental entities, non-profit organizations, and food industry representatives are aware of the opportunity to receive challenge sub-grant funding to improve the K-12 food system.
- Award sub-grants and track and monitor sub-grantee progress toward grant activities and performance measures via an online system.
- Provide training and technical assistance (TA) to sub-grantees to ensure successful completion of funded activities.
- Develop a plan to ensure activities and/or products are sustainable beyond the grant performance period.
- Collect process and outcome data from sub-grantees and provide status reports to FNS on subgrantee progress toward their goals and objectives.
- Collect and disseminate best practices and success stories regarding partnerships with food industry members, food product development, marketing to and acceptance of products among SFAs, and student satisfaction with new products.
Funding Information
- Total amount of funding expected to award: $50 million.
- Expected amounts of individual Federal awards: This amount will depend on the number of awards made. Total award amount will not exceed $50 million.
- Anticipated start date and period of performance: March 2023 – December 31, 2028.
Activities
This initiative consists of four key activities:
- The School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants will support collaborative projects between school districts, food producers, suppliers, distributors, and/or community partners to stimulate innovation in strengthening the availability of and access to nutritious food products in the K-12 school food marketplace.
- The Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards for SFAs will recognize and share best practices from SFAs that have made significant improvements to the nutritional quality of their school meals.
- The Healthy Meals Incentives Sub-Grants for Small and/or Rural SFAs will offer competitive grants of up to $150,000 per grant for small and/or rural SFAs experiencing challenges in the improvement of the nutritional quality of their school meals due to limited staffing; difficulty in accessing training; increased food costs due to limited purchasing power; lack of physical space; and outdated kitchen equipment. The grants are intended to help small and/or rural SFAs overcome these challenges, improve the nutritional quality of school meals, and meet Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award criteria.
- The Healthy Meals Summits will convene Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award recipients and School Food System Transformation Challenge sub-grantees to be recognized, share best practices, and discuss strategies for sustaining their achievements into the future.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible entities include public or private colleges and universities; non-profit or for-profit research organizations/institutions; entities with experience working with school nutrition professionals and/or the school food service industry to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. All applicants and/or its partners must have demonstrated experience in awarding and managing grants or sub-grants. Schools and school districts are not eligible entities for this award.
- USDA FNS will only accept one application for this RFA from each applicant. Suspended or debarred entities are ineligible to submit applications in response to this solicitation.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=344433