USDA-FNS-F2S-2020 | USDA FNS F2S 2020

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS F2S 2020

USDA-FNS-F2S-2020 is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), through the Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS). It supports the USDA Farm to School Grant Program, which was created under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA). The central purpose of the program is to help eligible schools and community partners expand and strengthen farm to school efforts that improve student access to locally produced foods. Alongside funding, the program also advances technical assistance so grantees can build practical capacity to source, prepare, and serve local foods in school settings.

The NSLA provides USDA with $5 million each year to carry out farm to school grants, technical assistance, and related federal administrative costs. For this particular solicitation, additional appropriations from FY 2018 and FY 2019 increased available resources, allowing USDA to award up to $10 million under the 2020 competition. Grants are awarded competitively, meaning applicants are evaluated against one another based on the program criteria, and the funding is intended to move projects from idea to implementation or from early-stage work to stronger, more sustainable operations.

Activities supported by the grant are tied directly to common farm to school needs and barriers. The opportunity explicitly highlights eligible work such as planning and launching farm to school programs, training and professional development, supporting operational improvements, purchasing equipment that helps schools handle or prepare local foods, developing school gardens, forming or strengthening partnerships between schools and producers, and implementing broader farm to school programming. In practice, this can include efforts that improve procurement processes, increase local purchasing, strengthen menu integration, build food safety and handling capacity, and create hands-on learning connections between students and local agriculture.

Eligibility is broad and includes public entities and nonprofit organizations that commonly lead school food and community food initiatives. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; independent school districts; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are not institutions of higher education. The listing also notes that additional eligible entities may be included as described in the full eligibility section of the solicitation.

Key administrative details in the posted opportunity include a funding opportunity number of USDA FNS F2S 2020, a CFDA number of 10.575, and a grant funding instrument type. The opportunity was created on October 8, 2019, with an original application closing date of December 13, 2019. The award ceiling is listed as $100,000 per award, and USDA anticipated making roughly 275 awards, reflecting an intent to distribute funds widely across many communities and project types rather than concentrating funding into a small number of large grants.

Overall, USDA-FNS-F2S-2020 is designed to expand the reach and effectiveness of farm to school efforts nationwide by helping schools and their partners overcome practical barriers to local purchasing and agricultural education. By funding planning, training, equipment, garden development, partnerships, and direct implementation, the program aims to make local food access in schools more routine, workable, and lasting.

• The Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USDA-FNS-F2S-2020" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.575.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 13, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 275 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Independent school districts, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA FNS F2S 2020

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