Since 1996, the USDA’s Community Food Project Grant Program (CFP) has been supporting the alleviation of food insecurity in low-income communities through projects which:
Promote community self-reliance in meeting their own food needs;
Encourage comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues;
Meet food needs through food distribution, community outreach to assist in participation in Federally assisted nutrition programs, or improving access to food as part of a comprehensive service; and
Meet specific state, local or neighborhood food and agricultural needs including needs relating to equipment necessary for the efficient operation of a project, planning for long-term solutions, or the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers.
Last week, the USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) posted a Request for Applications (RFA) for the next round of CFP funding. $8.64 million dollars of funds are available. The turnaround time to submit an application is very tight, with applications due no later than 5:00 pm EST on November 30, 2016.
The application process often takes more than two weeks to complete, which is why we need your help spreading the word to organizations in your community with experience in:
Community food work, particularly concerning small and mid-sized farms, including the provision of food to low-income communities and the development of new markets in low income communities for agricultural producers;
Job training and business development for food related activities in low-income communities or;
Efforts to reduce food insecurity in the their community, including food distribution, improving access to services, or coordinating services and programs?
Please forward this post and make them aware of this great opportunity!
For this round of funding, three types of grants are available:
Community Food Projects, examples of which include 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. The maximum Community Food Project award in a single year is $125,000 and the maximum award over four years is $400,000.
Planning Projects, examples of which include community food assessments’ coordination of collaboration development, GIS analysis, food sovereignty study, and farm-to-institution exploration. All projects must involve low-income participants. The maximum Planning Project award is $35,000 for the total project period. The maximum grant period is three years.
Farm Aid is collaborating with New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and additional partners to provide free one-on-one technical assistance and resources to CFP Grant Program applicants and grantees. Support services include building capacity, developing resources, and providing support through our technical assistance referral network. Visit New Entry’s website to view resources or past webinars or submit a request for assistance form.
There is also an upcoming webinar to help prepare applicants:
Webinar – CFP Application Process (Hosted by New Entry): Thursday, October 20 at 1pm EST Join us for a free webinar to learn about the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Community Food Projects (CFP) grant application process and Grants.gov submission. Register Here
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