U.S. Department of Agriculture: Community Food Project

The purpose of the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) is to support the development of projects with a one-time infusion of federal dollars to make such projects self-sustaining. Community Food Projects (CFPs) are designed to create community-based food projects with objectives, activities, and outcomes that are in alignment with CFPCGP primary goals. The purpose of a Planning Project (PP) is to complete a plan toward the improvement of community food security in keeping with the primary goals of the CFPCGP. PPs are to focus on a defined community and describe in detail the activities and outcomes of the planning project.

Preference will be given to CFPs and PPs designed to:

• Develop linkages between two or more sectors of the food system
• Support the development of entrepreneurial projects
• Develop innovative connections between the for-profit and nonprofit food sectors
• Encourage long-term planning activities and multi-system, interagency approaches with collaborations from multiple stakeholders 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 insecurity in the community and prevent food insecurity in the future by 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

Examples of CFP Projects include, but are not limited to, community gardens with market stands, value chain projects, food hubs, farmers’ markets, farm-to-institutions projects, and marketing and consumer cooperatives. All projects must involve low-income participants.

Examples of PPs include, but are not limited to, community food assessments’ coordination of collaboration development plan, Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis, food sovereignty study, and farm-to-institution exploration. All projects must involve low-income participants.

Amount: Approximately $4,800,000 is available. Awards are dependent upon project type:

1. Community Food Projects (CFP): CFP awards will not exceed $125,000 in any single year or $400,000 over four years.
2. Planning Projects (PP): PP awards will exceed $35,000 for the total project period. The maximum PP award period cannot exceed three years.

Eligibility: Public food program service providers, tribal organizations, or private nonprofit entities, including gleaners, meeting the following four requirements are eligible to receive a CFP or PP award:

1. Applicants must have experience in the area of: community food work, particularly concerning small and medium-size farms, including the provision of food to people in low-income communities and the development of new markets in low-income communities for agricultural producers; job training and business development activities for food-related activities in low-income communities; or efforts to reduce food insecurity in the community, including food distribution, improving access to services, or coordinating services and programs
2. Demonstrate competency to implement a project, provide fiscal accountability, collect data, and prepare reports and other necessary documentation
3. Demonstrate a willingness to share information with researches, evaluators, practitioners, and other interested parties, including a plan for dissemination of results
4. Collaborate with one or more local partner organizations to achieve at least the hunger-free communities goal

Link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=315121

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