Assistance Listings Farm to School Grant Program
Overview
Objectives
The Farm to School program exists in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Child Nutrition Programs. The program objectives for the implementation and State agency track grants include improve access to local foods in eligible Child Nutrition Program sites through comprehensive farm to school programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. Objectives for the turnkey track grants include: development of an action plan to facilitate launching or scaling farm to school activities; plan, implement, and evaluate a food production operation (e.g., school garden) that produces food for Child Nutrition operator activities; plan, implement, and evaluate the integration of farm to school topics into Child Nutrition program sites' curriculum.
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2024: Examples of projects include: aggregating local food supply to more effectively meet the needs of school districts; testing products or conducting school food market feasibility analyses; training agricultural producers on how to access the school food market; organizing field trips to agricultural operations; developing new local food products or formulations to meet the needs of schools; improving infrastructure to accommodate new ingredients or menu items; forming statewide or regional networks or coalitions of varying kinds; and more.
Assistance Listing Description
Financial Information
| Obligation(s) | FY 23 | FY 24 (est.) | FY 25 (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants) Total | $10,763,093 | $14,264,908 | $12,000,000 |
| This obligation represents the Implementation, State Agency, and Turnkey grants. FY 2023: Implementation - $6.7 million; State Agency - $1.9 million; Turnkey - $2.1 million FY2024: Implementation - $ 9.2.7 million; State Agency- $1.9 million; Turnkey $3.2 million | $10,763,093 | $14,264,908 | $12,000,000 |
| Totals | $10,763,093 | $14,264,908 | $12,000,000 |
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Implementation grants will range from $50,000 - $500,000; State Agency grants range $50,000 - $500,000, and Turnkey grants can be up to $50,000 with no minimum amount. FY24 average awards: Implementation grants - $117 thousand; State Agency grants - $234 thousand; Turnkey grants - $41 thousand
Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2024: Grants will serve more than 1.9 million students across 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Account Identification
12-3539-0-1-605
Criteria for Applying
Types of Assistance
B - Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)
Credentials and Documentation
For the Farm to School Grant, non profit organizations will be required to submit proof of 501(c) 3 non profit status and an AD 3030. SF-424, SF-424A, SF 424B, SF-LLL, and the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire and the farm to school grant application coversheet. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.
Applicant Eligibility
Designations
Public nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Federally Recognized lndian Tribal Governments, Non-Government - General, State, Native American Organizations (includes lndian groups, cooperatives, corporations, partnerships, associations), Local (includes State-designated lndian Tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitalsState Agencies, local agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations, small- and medium-sized agricultural/groups of agricultural producers, schools/school districts, Institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and/or Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and non-profit entities (excluding institutions of higher education and hospitals) may apply for the Farm to School Grant.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Designations
Farmer/Rancher/Agriculture Producer, State, Local, School, Public nonprofit institution/organization, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, Private nonprofit institution/organizationEligible entities, and therefore beneficiaries, include schools/school districts, institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and/or Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), Indian Tribal Organizations, non-profit organizations, producer and producer groups and State and local agencies.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Implementation grants will be awarded for 24-month period with an expected start date at/or near early July. Method of awarding/releasing assistance is by letter of credit. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: letter
Use of Assistance
Designations
Economic Development, Food and Nutrition, Agriculture/Forestry/Fish and GameAssistance in improving access to local foods in eligible schools can take the form of: (i) Training; (ii) Supporting operations; (iii) Planning; (iv) Purchasing equipment; (v) Developing school gardens; (vi) Developing partnerships; and (vii) Implementing farm to school programs.No more than 10 percent of the grant funds may be used for food purchases in the grant budget. Food purchases are limited to food for educational or development purposes, such as taste tests or the development of new recipes.
Applying for Assistance
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedures
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for this listing will be posted on Grants.gov (opens in new window) (opens in new window). Please see the RFA for more information.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Criteria for selecting Farm to School Grant proposals is detailed in the RFA and includes degree to which the project serves a school or school district with a high percentage of free and reduced price meal enrollment; need, readiness and likelihood of success; alignment with farm to school program goals; project design and management; sustainability and transferability; and appropriateness of budget plan.
Award Procedure
All applications that are submitted by the published deadline will be screened for completeness and conformity to the requirements as announced in the RFA package. Grants are awarded by a competitive process via a review panel composed of trained external, FNS, and other Federal staff that will determine the technical merit of each grant application, provide a numerical score, and make recommendations to the selecting official.
Date Range for Approval/Disapproval
From 120 to 180 days.
Renewals
From 120 to 180 days. A grantee (awarded applicant) may apply for a one time six month no cost extension should they have a bonafide need.
Appeals
From 30 to 60 days. Applicants can submit appeals directly to the Grant Officer using the contact information provided in the request for application.
Compliance Requirements
Policy Requirements
Subpart B, General provisions
Subpart C, Pre-Federal Award Requirements and Contents of Federal Awards
Subpart D, Post Federal; Award Requirements
Subpart E, Cost Principles
Subpart F, Audit Requirements
Not Applicable
Additional Information:
Reports
Progress Reports: Grant recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring the progress of the grant project activities and performance. Grantees will submit progress reports on a semi-annual basis throughout the grant term and a final report 120 days after the close of the project period. The award document will indicate the reporting format and schedule for submitting project performance/progress reports to FNS. Expenditure Reports: Grant recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring the financial status of the grant project. All grant types will submit financial reports on a quarterly basis throughout the grant term and a final report 120 days after the close of the project period. The award document will indicate the reporting format and schedule for submitting project performance/progress reports to FNS. Performance Reports: As a condition of receiving a grant, grant recipients shall agree to cooperate in an evaluation of the program carried out using grant funds. Upon selection of grant awardees, USDA will provide further guidance and direction regarding evaluation protocols and common indicators. Applicants should expect that evaluation protocols will include both process evaluations (qualitative and quantitative indicators of progress toward the objectives, accomplishment of activities) and outcome evaluations (to determine whether the objectives were met and what impact they had).
Audits
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F
Additional audit requirements:
The single Audit process and compliance supplement.
Records
The grantee must maintain records in accordance with the grant agreement. Such records must be retained for a period of three years after the date of submission of the final report for the fiscal year to which the records pertain.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
Not Applicable.
Formula and Matching Requirements
Matching requirements are mandatory.