FY22-GusNIP-PPP-RFA-508-FF.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program Produce Prescription Program

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year 2022 Fiscal Year 2023

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FY 2022 June 30, 2022 FY 2023 March 15, 2023

ANTICIPATED FUNDING: FY 2022 $4,900,000

FY 2023 $5,200,000

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-FINI-009061

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.331

LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE: Not Required

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing: The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program is listed in the Assistance Listings under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 10.331.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Task Description Deadline

Application: FY 2022 5:00 P.M. Eastern, June 30, 2022 FY 2023 5:00 P.M. Eastern, March 15, 2023

Letter of Intent: Not Required

Applicants Comments: Within six months from the issuance of this notice (NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)

Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. NIFA recognizes research, education, and extension efforts will have the greatest impacts when equity is grounded in the programs. NIFA is committed to enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility of programs and encourages individuals, institutions, and organizations from underserved communities to apply to funding opportunities as lead, co-lead, or subaward recipient(s), and to engage as leaders in the peer panel review process to support the development of strong networks and collaborations. NIFA encourages applications that engage diverse communities and have broad impacts through research, education, extension, and integrated activities to address current and future challenges.

Stakeholder Input. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks comments on all request for applications (RFAs) so it can deliver programs efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer service. NIFA considers comments, to the extent possible when developing RFAs and use comments to help meet the requirements of Section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)).

Applicants may submit written comments to Policy@usda.gov (email is for comments only).

Please use the following subject line: Response to The GusNIP Produce Prescription Program

RFA.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/agricultural-research-extension-and-education-reform-act-1998 https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/agricultural-research-extension-and-education-reform-act-1998 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:7613%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section7613)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true

WHAT’S NEW FOR FY 2022?

1. Beginning in FY 2022, the GusNIP Nutrition Incentive Program Areas and GusNIP Produce Prescription Program Area are published in separate RFAs. Please visit Grants.gov or the NIFA’s RFA list for the GusNIP Nutrition Incentive Program request for applications.

2. Requires all applicants to have a consultation session of approximately 1 hour with the GusNIP Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center’s (GusNIP NTAE Center’s) Nutrition Incentive Hub for free one-on-one support and review general pitfalls. Free one-on-one support includes templates, checklists, webinars, and other resources.

3. Requires all applicants to include a letter of support from the GusNIP NTAE Center in their proposal.

4. Removes funding allocation guidance.

https://nifa.usda.gov/rfa-list

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This notice identifies the objectives for GusNIP Produce Prescription Program projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions.

The amount available for grants in FY 2022 is approximately $4,900,000 and in FY2023 is approximately $5,200,000. Additional projects submitted under this RFA will be considered should additional funding become available beyond the approximated amounts listed above.

NIFA requests applications for the GusNIP Produce Prescription Program for fiscal years (FY) 2022 and 2023 to support projects that aim to demonstrate and evaluate the impact of prescribing fresh fruits and vegetables on (1) the improvement of dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; (2) the reduction of individual and household food insecurity; and (3) the reduction in healthcare use and associated costs.

1. The amount available for NIFA to support this program in FY2022 is approximately $4.9 million.

2. The amount available for NIFA to support this program in FY2023 is approximately $5.2 million.

This RFA solicits applications for two review cycles (2022 and 2023). Applicants considering applying to the 2023 review cycle should check the GusNIP Produce Prescription Program RFA webpage and www.grants.gov after January 15, 2023 for the 2023 Funding Opportunity Number and Application Kit, as well as for any other changes.

The GusNIP Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center’s (GusNIP NTAE Center’s) Nutrition Incentive Hub provides free one-on-one support, as well as templates, checklists, webinars, and other resources, to all applicants.

These resources are available at: https://www.nutritionincentivehub.org/resources and the GusNIP NTAE technical assistance team may be reached at: ta@nutritionincentivehub.org.

When preparing an application all applicants are required to have a consultation session of approximately 1 hour with the GusNIP NTAE Center’s Nutrition Incentive Hub for free one-on-one support and review general pitfalls.

This notice identifies the objectives for GusNIP Produce Prescription Program projects, deadline dates, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a GusNIP Produce Prescription Program grant.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.nutritionincentivehub.org/resources mailto:ta@nutritionincentivehub.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

WHAT’S NEW FOR FY 2022?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority B. Purpose and Priorities C. Program Area Description D. Program Policy

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Types of Application C. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements B. Cost Sharing or Matching

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application B. Content and Form of the Application

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process B. Evaluation Criteria C. Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality D. Organizational Management Information E. Application Disposition

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds and Changes in Budget B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards C. Regulatory Information

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

TABLE OF TABLES

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Table 2: Produce Prescription (PPR) Key Information Table 3: Steps to Obtain Application Materials Table 4: Help and Resources Table 5: Key Application Instructions

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority In accordance with 7 U.S.C. 7517(c), the Secretary is authorized to administer The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) Produce Prescription Program. This authority is delegated to the Director of NIFA through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics (REE) (see 79 FR 44101 (July 30, 2014).

B. Purpose and Priorities The GusNIP Produce Prescription Program, Assistance Listing 10.331, is aligned with Strategic Goal 4 of the USDA Strategic Plan: Make Safe, Nutritious Food Available to All Americans. The program presents the opportunity to bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food and healthcare systems and to foster understanding of how they might improve the nutrition and health status of participating households prescribed fresh fruits and vegetables.

In addition, it presents educational opportunities relating to nutrition to participants. The primary goal and objective of the GusNIP Produce Prescription Program is to demonstrate and evaluate the impact of projects on (1) the improvement of dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; (2) the reduction of individual and household food insecurity; and (3) the reduction in healthcare use and associated costs.

All GusNIP produce prescription project proposals must:

1. include a letter of support from 1 or more healthcare partners;

2. prescribe fresh fruits and vegetables to eligible individuals;

All GusNIP produce prescription project proposals may:

1. provide financial or non-financial incentives for eligible individuals to purchase or procure fresh fruits and vegetables;

2. provide educational resources on nutrition to eligible individuals; and establish additional accessible locations for eligible individuals to procure fresh fruits and vegetables.

In carrying out a project using a produce prescription grant an eligible entity shall partner with one or more healthcare partners. Full application requirements for the Produce Prescription Program can be found in Part I.C Program Area Description. Handling of baseline data and data collection will be addressed in the Data Management Plan (DMP) in accordance with the Part IV.B of this RFA.

NIFA encourages pursuing these priorities through traditional ecological knowledge if consistent with the above goals and priorities. Furthermore, NIFA also encourages applicants to highlight proposed project plans that emphasize food security, nutritional quality, environmental stewardship (e.g., food loss and waste, climate), and economic and social equity.

Additionally, NIFA will prioritize the following types of projects for award in accordance with the program area evaluation criteria in Sec. V.B: (1) serve underrepresented communities, such as tribal communities and/or (2) serve underrepresented geographies, such as Alabama, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Delaware, Federated States of Micronesia, Florida, Guam, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:7517%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section7517)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-07-30/pdf/2014-17352.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-fy-2022-2026-strategic-plan.pdf

Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, US Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Additional requirements on expected performance goals, indicators and targets may be required as a condition of award.

C. Program Area Description The Produce Prescription Program will only support standard grants of up to $500,000 budget and a duration of up to three (3) years.

Produce Prescription (PPR)

Table 2: Produce Prescription (PPR) Key Information

Title Description Program Code: PPR

Program Code Name: Produce Prescription (PPR) CFDA Number 10.331

Project Type: Standard Projects Application Deadline FY 2022 5:00 P.M. Eastern, June 30, 2022

FY 2023 5:00 P.M. Eastern, March 15, 2023 Grant Duration: Up to 3 years

Anticipated # of Awards:

Maximum Award Amount: $500,000

Produce Prescription Standard Projects (PPR) support the development and evaluation of tribal, county, district, multi-county, territory, or state-wide projects that: 1) prescribe fresh fruits and vegetables to eligible individuals; 2) either provide financial or non-financial incentives for eligible individuals to purchase or procure fresh fruits and vegetables; 3) provide educational resources on nutrition to eligible individuals. Applicants may propose projects that also 4) establish additional accessible locations for eligible individuals to procure fresh fruits and vegetables.

Individuals are eligible to participate in a PPR project if they are eligible for the following: (1) benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); or (2) medical assistance under a State plan or a waiver of such a plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and enrolled under such plan or waiver; and (3) a member of a low-income household that suffers from, or is at risk of developing, a diet-related health condition.

Amounts requested under PPR must be less than $500,000. The expectations for standard projects, however, will be commensurate with their size, and provide an opportunity for smaller or less experienced organizations to propose projects that have smaller budgets and less complex administration. PPR grant proposals will be evaluated based on community needs, objectives, activities, and outcomes that are in alignment with the Produce Prescription Program’s primary purpose and priorities as described in Part I.B.

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Project Evaluation. Applicants must identify one or more healthcare partners with which the applicant is partnering. Applicants must also include a description of the methods by which they will:

1. Screen and verify eligibility for individuals to participate in a produce prescription project. This may be a one- or two-part verification process.

2. Implement an effective produce prescription project, including the role of each healthcare partner in implementing the project, such as referring eligible individuals, tracking health outcomes, and/or reporting healthcare utilization and healthcare costs.

3. Evaluate individuals participating in a produce prescription project with respect to the impact of the project participation on (1) the improvement of dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; (2) the reduction of individual and household food insecurity; and (3) the reduction in healthcare use and associated costs.

4. Provide educational opportunities relating to nutrition to eligible individuals participating in a produce prescription program.

5. Inform eligible individuals of the availability of produce prescription program, including locations at which produce prescriptions may be redeemed.

6. Describe any additional non-profit or emergency feeding organizations that shall be involved in the project and the role of each in implementing and evaluating an effective PPR project.

7. Include a letter of support as documentation of a partnership agreement to evaluate the effectiveness of the produce prescription project in reducing healthcare use and associate costs. Appropriate partners include State Medicaid agency, hospital, hospital or clinic operated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Federally-qualified health center, or healthcare provider group.

8. Collect core participant-level and firm-level metrics, cooperate with and contribute core participant-level and firm-level data to the Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Centers (NTAE) evaluation report;

and

9. Attest that your organization agrees to share information and core data with the Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Centers (NTAE).

D. Program Policy This section deals with certain aspects of GusNIP policy as it pertains to the GusNIP Produce Prescription program. Questions regarding the policies discussed below may be directed to sm.fn.GusNIP@usda.gov.

1. Definition of Incentive.

The term “incentive” means any financial or non-financial encouragement for eligible individuals to purchase or procure fresh fruits and vegetables.

a. Examples of allowable financial incentives include prescriptions redeemable for fresh fruits and vegetables.

b. Examples of unallowable incentives include, but are not limited to, giveaways of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and lottery tickets.

The cost of incentives must be allowable under the applicable cost principles in 2 CFR part 200, Subpart E.

mailto:sm.fn.GusNIP@usda.gov https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-E https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-E

2. Treatment of Incentives The value of any benefit provided to a participant will be treated as supplemental nutrition benefits under section 8(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2017 (b)).

Each State must ensure that no State or local tax is collected on a purchase of food with assistance provided under Produce Prescription grants.

Produce Prescription grants cannot be used to carry out any project that limits the use of benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) or any other Federal nutrition law.

Assistance provided under Produce Prescription grants to households receiving benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program must not:

a. be considered part of the supplemental nutrition benefits of the household; or

b. be used in the collection or disposition of claims under section 13 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2022).

3. Definition of fresh fruits and vegetables The definition of fresh fruits and vegetables includes any variety of fresh whole or cut fruits and vegetables without added sugars, fats, or oils, and salt (i.e. sodium).

4. Grantee Noncompliance with Program Policy Grantees and their participating firms are expected to comply with all policies and requirements laid out in this RFA document as well as any GusNIP policies or requirements further clarified in Q&As, memoranda, or other relevant USDA documents.

The NTAE technical assistance team, program advisors, and reporting advisers are available to guide applicants and grantees in addition to NIFA program staff and grants management staff to avoid instances of noncompliance. Grantees will be notified in writing of instances of noncompliance and will face serious repercussions for repeated instances of noncompliance.

Examples of such noncompliance include, but are not limited to, failure to provide required evaluation data to Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center (NTAE), incentivizing ineligible products, or exchanging produce prescriptions for cash.

5. Considering a History of Noncompliance during Application Evaluation A history of noncompliance with GusNIP or any other USDA grant policies and requirements will be considered during the grant application evaluation process as detailed in Part V.B: Evaluation Criteria.

6. Allowable Forms of Project Outreach and Promotion Grantees may promote or advertise their produce prescription projects using Federal funds using any mass media (e.g., television, radio, billboards, and geographically targeted online social media advertisements). Such mass media advertisement will only be allowable as described under 2 CFR 200.421.

7. Required Consultation with the GusNIP Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center (GusNIP NTAE Center).

All applicants are required to have a consultation session of approximately 1 hour with the GusNIP NTAE Center for free one-on-one support and review general pitfalls. To https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:2017%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section2017)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:2011%20et%20seq%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section2011%20et%20seq)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:2022%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section2022)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.421 document completion of this consultation, all applicants must include a letter of support from the GusNIP NTAE Center in their proposal.

8. Required Comprehensive GusNIP Program Evaluation and Evaluation Reporting.

The evaluation is based on a cluster evaluation model that builds on the collaboration and coordination of individual project assessments and an overall program evaluation. It consists of four components: a process analysis to describe project implementation and support future replication of successful approaches, an outcome analysis to assess the effectiveness of each PPR grantee project, a comparative analysis to integrate results across sites and approaches, attempting to answer the question of what works best (and when or where), and technical assistance to support consistent implementation of evaluation protocols used by grantees/researchers/evaluators.

All PPR grantees will be required to cooperate with the NTAE center by:

1. Supporting implementation of evaluation requirements;

2. Meeting periodically with staff from NIFA, FNS, the NTAE centers, and other

GusNIP grantees to review project plans, evaluation objectives and methods, data collection and reporting requirements, and analysis and reporting of results;

3. Facilitating access to or providing documentation of project implementation, operations, costs, and outcomes; and

4. Facilitating site visits and interviews with project staff, partners, and program participants if necessary.

PPR grantees will be required to periodically provide the NTAE centers a core program data set to ensure common program tracking and enable meaningful comparisons across all projects. A defined number of cohort based pre and post-surveys are required to be collected from this subsample for each active grant year of a grantee’s project. The NTAE will work with each grantee on an individual basis to determine the sample size and sampling plan. For additional information on the core program data set firm-level and participant-level metrics, visit the GusNIP Application Resources page.

Grantees are required to have a Data Use Agreement or a MOU with each firm or sub-grantee that guarantees each firm will provide information required for the core program data set and to complete an outlet survey of firms to be conducted by the NTAE center.

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding The anticipated amount available for NIFA to support this program is approximately $4.9 million in FY 2022; and approximately $5.2 million in FY 2023. Additional projects submitted under this RFA will be considered should additional funding become available beyond the approximated amounts listed above.

The funds will be awarded through grants. USDA is not committed to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards. The Automated Standard Application for Payments, operated by the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this RFA.

B. Types of Application NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA.

In FY 2022, applicants may submit the following types of applications:

1. New application: New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA and are subject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III for definition).

2. Resubmitted application: Resubmitted applications must include the response to the previous review panel summary and are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein.

Resubmitted applicants must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously submitted application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (see Appendix III for definition).

C. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through acceptance of the award that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients must, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training. See Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for further information.

NIFA recognizes that data sharing may be complicated or limited, in some cases, by organizational policies; local Institutional Review Board (IRB) rules; and local, state, and Federal laws, and regulations. The rights and privacy of individuals who participate in NIFA-sponsored research must be protected at all times. This includes annual human subject’s assurance statements that the project has been reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or determined exempt from review.

Thus, data intended for broader use should be free of identifiers that would permit linkages to individual research participants and variables that could lead to deductive disclosure of the identity of individual subjects.

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=605b03c6e3d8b98a6b6c12e7245429c3&mc=true&node=pt2.1.422&rgn=div5 https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research https://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements Applicants for the GusNIP must meet all eligibility requirements outlined in 7 U.S.C. 7517 and as discussed in this RFA. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

1. Eligible Entity Eligibility to receive a Produce Prescription grant is limited to government agencies and non-profit organizations. Institutions of higher education that are local, county, tribal, territory, or state government agencies must provide documentation in support of eligibility as a government agency. Veterans Health Administration and various components of its healthcare system, such as hospitals or clinics are eligible government agencies.

2. Partners and Collaborators The required healthcare partner(s) may include (1) a hospital, (2) Federally-qualified health center, (3) hospital or clinic operated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or (4) a healthcare provider group. Applicants must include a statement specifying the eligibility of the healthcare partner(s) under one of the four categories.

Applicants for Produce Prescription grants are encouraged to seek and create partnerships with public or private, non-profit or for-profit entities, including links with academic institutions (including minority-serving colleges and universities) and/or other appropriate professionals; community-based organizations; tribal nations and local government entities; Tribal health centers, public health departments, pharmacies, school nurses, or private and public health insurance agencies and/or partnering entities for the purposes of providing additional resources and strengthening historical failure in underserved communities.

Produce Prescription Program applicants may partner with or make subgrants to, public, private, nonprofit, or for-profit entities, including an emergency feeding organization; an agricultural cooperative; a producer network or association; a community health organization; a public benefit corporation; an economic development corporation; a farmers market; a community-supported agriculture program; a buying club; retail food store participating in SNAP/NAP; and a Tribal, State, Territory, or local agency.

Only the applicant must meet the requirements specified above for grant eligibility.

Project partners and collaborators need not meet the eligibility requirements. When planning collaborations award recipients may sub-award to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the successful completion of the project. See Part IV.D., Funding Restrictions.

3. Fiscal Agent If a non-profit organization cannot accept Federal funds directly, a letter must be included in the application stating that in the event the application results in an award, the award https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:7517%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section7517)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/grants-overview funds must be administered through a fiscal agent organization on their behalf. This agent must be identified in the letter from the applicant and the letter must be countersigned by an authorized representative of the fiscal agent organization. The letter must include the fiscal agent’s point of contact, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address. This letter is to be included as an attachment to Field 12, Other Attachments (Part IV.B.3.c.) of the application. In the event an application is recommended for funding, NIFA will request that both the applicant institution/organization and the fiscal agent organization submit complete management information (see Part V.D). Include documents showing the organization’s non-profit status when responding to this request.

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – duplicate or multiple submissions is not allowed.

NIFA will accept the last application received and disqualify previously submitted applications if an applicant organization submits duplicate or multiple submissions meeting the application deadline. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

No Match Required - The Produce Prescription Program has NO matching requirements.

NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/grants-overview

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application Applicants must apply to this RFA electronically; no other method or response is accepted. The electronic application for this RFA and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and Grants 101. Table 3 provides instructions on how to obtain an electronic application. Part II § 1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide (Application Guide) contains detailed information regarding the Grants.gov registration process.

Table 3: Steps to Obtain Application Materials

Steps Action

Step One: Register New Users to Grants.gov must register early with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application (Register Here).

Step Two:

Download Adobe

Download and Install Adobe Reader (see Adobe Software Compatibility for basic system requirements).

Step Three: Find Application

Using this funding opportunity number USDA-NIFA-FINI-009061, search for application here: Opportunity Package.

Step Four: Assess Readiness

Contact an AR prior to starting an application to assess the organization’s readiness to submit an electronic application.

FY2023: Applicants considering applying to the third year should check Grants.gov after January 15, 2023 for the FY2023 funding opportunity number and application kit, as well as for any program changes.

Table 4: Help and Resources

Grants.gov Support NIFA Support Grants.gov Online Support Telephone support: 800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035 Email support: support@grants.gov Self-service customer-based support:

Grants.gov iPortalgrantapplicationquestions@usda.gov Key Information: Customer service business Hours 24/7, except federal holidays.

Email: grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov

Key Information: Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 7a.m. – 5p.m. ET, except federal holidays

B. Content and Form of the Application The Application Guide is part of the corresponding application package for this RFA. The RFA overrides the Application Guide if there is a discrepancy between the two documents. NIFA will accept subsequent submissions to an application until the application deadline. However, https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html/ https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://get.adobe.com/reader/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/search-opportunity-package.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants mailto:grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ mailto:grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf applicants that do not meet the application requirements, to include partial applications, risk being excluded from NIFA’s review. NIFA will assign a proposal number to all applications that meet the requirements of this RFA. Applicants must refer to the proposal number when corresponding with NIFA. Table 5 outlines other key instructions for applicants.

Table 5: Key Application Instructions

Instruction References (All references are to the

Application Guide)

Attachments must be in a portable document format (PDF) format.

Part IV

Check the manifest of submitted files to verify attachments are in the correct format.

Part IV

Conduct an administrative review of the application before submission.

Part IV

Follow the submission instructions. Part V

Provide an accurate email address, where designated, on the SF-424 R&R.

Part V

Contact the Grants.gov helpdesk for technical support and keep a record of the correspondence.

N/A

Attachments must be in a portable document format (PDF) format.

Part IV

SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet. See Part V of the Application Guide for the required certifications and assurances.

SF 424 R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s). See Part V of the Application Guide.

R&R Other Project Information Form. See Part V § 4 of the Application Guide.

Field 7. Project Summary (PS)/Abstract. The PS must show how the project goals align with the project goals of the GusNIP Produce Prescription Program. See Part V § 4.7 of the Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates.

Field 8. Project Narrative (PN). The PN must not exceed 15 pages, 1.5 spaced including written text, figures, and tables with 1-inch margins. The font size for text and tables should be no smaller than 12 points, Times New Roman. We have established this maximum (15 pages) to ensure fair and equitable competition. The page limits outlined here ensure fair and equitable competition. Organizing your proposal, clearly labeling each section and sequencing them as indicated below, will help reviewers find the information to evaluate your proposal. Applications exceeding these limits may be administratively declined without review.

The Project Narrative (PN)_must include all the following clearly defined sections:

1. Introduction to Community(ies) to be involved in the Project and the Benefit to the Community(ies);

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf

2. Personnel and Resources of the Organizations and Communities Involved in the Project;

3. Project Goals, Intended Outcomes, and Relationship to GusNIP Produce Prescription

Program Purpose and Priorities;

4. Activities to Achieve the Goals;

5. Evaluation;

6. Sustainability;

7. Non-supplantation

8. (If applicable) Response to Previous Review

1. Introduction to the Community(ies) involved in the Project and the Benefit to the

Community(ies). Identify and succinctly describe the critical elements and needs of the local food and healthcare economy or food and healthcare system, including demographics, income, and geographic characteristics of the area or community(ies) to be served. Beyond a recitation of statistics, applications should describe local capabilities and assets, such as those identified in a community needs assessment, and the involvement of historically underserved communities in the context of project activities and operations.

Address how the project team will verify participants in the produce prescription program according to eligibility and the primary health issues of the target audience to be served, and how these relate to project goals and objectives. Note the eligible individuals or beneficiaries of the project and the community/health needs and opportunities being addressed should directly relate to project goals and the objectives. Describe how the community(ies) will benefit from a Produce Prescription project.

2. Personnel and Resources of the Organizations and Communities Involved in the Project. List the organizations and communities to be involved in carrying out the proposed project. Include a summary description of the relevant previous work and experience of each community group, organization, or healthcare entity, including the applicant organization that will be involved, and any related project history. For historically underserved communities it is very important to have partner(s) who have knowledge and experience working with such audiences, are members of the community(ies) the project serves, and that such partner(s) be involved in the leadership of the project. Proposals should demonstrate community linkages and coalitions as appropriate.

The qualifications of staff involved with the proposed project and/or organizational leadership should reflect the expertise necessary to carry out the proposed project activities or similar types of activities. Specify the degree to which paid, and volunteer staff will be utilized. Experience in and connections with the community will be considered as important as academic or professional credentials in this regard.

To the extent practicable, ensure that residents are involved in planning; in particular, describe how the communities being served (particularly the participants, residents, and organizations) have been or will be involved in planning the project and will be engaged in its implementation and evaluation processes. Please reference planning activities, assessments, meetings, or other activities that demonstrate community and healthcare entity input into key decision-making.

3. Project Goals and Intended Outcomes. Concisely present the goals, associated objectives and expected outputs and outcomes of the project in relation to the needs identified in the introduction, such as the numbers served, anticipated knowledge gains, change in action or change in condition (e.g., improved HbA1C, BP, etc.). Applicants need to describe the range of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to educational opportunities relating to nutrition to be offered to project participants. NIFA recognizes that food supply and food system disruptions may hinder the ability to access fresh fruits and vegetables. If the community involved in the proposed project continues to face such disruptions as a result of the public health emergency include a thorough description and justification.

Outcomes should describe specific changes in knowledge, action, or condition that will occur because of the project and that will constitute “success” for the initiative. Outcomes should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.

4. Activities to Achieve the Goals. The activities proposed to achieve each objective must be clearly stated. Discuss how the proposed project outcomes will be realized by providing a systematic description of how the most important steps or milestones will be accomplished. Particular attention should be given to existing technical capabilities and any technical solutions that must be developed for project goals and intended outcomes to be achieved.

In addition to these descriptions, it is recommended that a table be provided with implementation details for these activities, including: (a) specific steps and achievements in planning, implementing, and evaluating; (b) timetables for milestones, and, as relevant;

(c) expected numbers of participants involved in each step of the process. Most relevant is an explanation of why the applicant and its partners selected the activities proposed in the application.

5. Relationship to GusNIP Produce Prescription Program Goals and Priorities.

Concisely present how the proposed project and its intended outcomes will address the primary goals of the GusNIP produce prescription program as described in Part I.B of the RFA. Discuss the specific changes intended among participants or in the communities served.

6. Evaluation. Describe the method(s) of evaluating success developing a viable produce prescription project. The evaluation must include (1) a process assessment that documents the process, challenges, and success of implementation and operations and (2) an outcome assessment that documents the project’s effectiveness in (a) improving dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; (b) reducing individual and household food insecurity; and (c) reducing healthcare use and associated costs among eligible participants. Outcome assessment requires Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. Project process assessment results must be provided to the NTAE center annually. At a minimum, the outcome assessment must include collecting core firm-level and participant-level metrics, cooperating with, and contributing core data to the NTAE center. The core participant-level data collection is an annual pre and post-survey.

Applicants should discuss any opportunities and challenges with IRB review and the GusNIP Comprehensive Program Evaluation requirements described in Part I.D.6 of the RFA and how they will be addressed to meet requirements. Proposals should also describe any previous process, outcome, and impact evaluation experience with the participants to be served or other related food programs. The proposal should demonstrate the capacity and willingness to comply with the evaluation requirements.

7. Sustainability. Describe which aspects or components of the project will continue beyond the end of the project period, discuss how an infusion of Federal funds will advance local capacity-building and achieve sustainability. Projects may identify actual or potential funding sources for continuation of the project. Applicants should differentiate between how the basic elements of the project will be continued versus how the historically underserved community will be changed and its capacity advanced.

8. Non-supplantation. Proposals must be for projects that will supplement, not replace, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be available for expenditure on produce prescription project activities. Applications must be for 1) new projects, 2) expanding existing projects, or 3) enhancing existing projects. They may not be used to replace State/Territory or local funds that would, in the absence of Federal aid, be available or forthcoming for produce prescription projects.

9. Response to Previous Review (if applicable). The requirement only applies to

Resubmitted Applications as described in Part II.B. The response to previous review must not exceed one-page, 1.5 spaced with 1-inch margins. The font size for text and tables should be no smaller than 12 points, Times New Roman. This does not count towards the page limit for the Project Narrative.

Field 12, Add Other Attachments. See Part V § 4.12 of the Application Guide for instructions for this field. All attachments must be in PDF format.

Key Organization Support. Attach signed letters of support from at last one healthcare partner and any other key organizations involved in the project acknowledging their support, contributions and commitment; title the attachment ‘Key Organization Support’. Provide evidence of broad community involvement in both planning and decision-making. This section is limited to two (2) page letters of support from each key organization.

The following application content must be uploaded as separate files to Field 12.

1. Logic Model. Title the attachment as ‘Logic Model’ in the document header and save file as ‘LogicModel’. It is recommended that this section be no more than one-page. See Logic Model Planning Process.

2. Business Plan. Title the attachment as ‘Sustainability Business Plan’ in the document header and save file as ‘SustainabilityPlan’BusinessPlan’. The Business Plan should provide evidence, e.g., a market analysis or the outline of a management business plan, to demonstrate how sustainability of the project will be achieved. Business plan outlines or any other documentation of evidence for sustainability should be no more than five pages.

3. Data Management Plan. Title the attachment as ‘Data Management Plan’ in the document header and save file as ‘DataManagementPlan’. A Data Management Plan (DMP) of no more than two pages is required for this program. Applicants should clearly articulate how the project director (PD) and co-PDs plan to manage and disseminate the data generated by the project. The DMP will be considered during the merit review process (see Part V § B of this RFA, NIFA’s Data Management Plan). If you need help in preparing a data management plan or have questions about what constitutes a data management plan for this role (including questions about data privacy, etc), please contact the NIFA program contacts listed at the end of this RFA.

4. Fiscal Agent Letter. See Part III.A.2 If it is necessary to include a fiscal agent letter, then title the attachment as ‘Fiscal Agent’ in the document header and save file as ‘FiscalAgent’.

Include documents showing the applicant’s non-profit status here.

5. Key Organization Support. Attach signed letter(s) of support from healthcare partner(s) and the GusNIP NTAE Center. Healthcare partner(s) letter(s) must explain the role of the organization including any activities the organization is expected to conduct in support of the project. Letters of support from any other key organizations involved in the project, acknowledging their support, contributions, and commitment should be attached here. A limited number of additional support letters – such as those from farmers or partner organizations, where appropriate, are encouraged to provide evidence of broad community involvement in both planning and future decision-making. This section is limited to two (2) page letters of support from each key organization.

R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded). See Part V § 5 of the Application Guide for profile requirements, details about the biographical sketch, and suggested support templates.

R&R Personal Data. This information is voluntary and is not a precondition of award (see Part V § 6 of the Application Guide).

R&R Budget. See Part V § 7 of the Application Guide.

Supplemental Information Form. See Part VI § 1 of the Application Guide.

Field 2. Program to which the applicant is applying. Enter the program name Produce Prescription and the program code PPR. Accurate entry is critical.

Field 8. Conflict of Interest List. See Part VI § 1.8 of the Application Guide.

Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants. This is required for corporate applicants. See Part VI § 2 of the Application Guide for a description of the term, “corporation.”

Submission Dates and Times We recommend that you conduct an administrative review of the application before submission of it via Grants.gov to ensure that it complies with all preparation instructions. An application https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/data-management-plan-nifa-funded-research-projects https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/PKG00249520-instructions.pdf checklist is included in Part VII of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide to assist with this review. While you should use the checklist to check the application for completeness, the application should be checked for the following required item(s). The list includes:

1. Project Summary/Abstract

2. Project Narrative

3. Bibliography & References Cited

4. Logic Model

5. Data Management Plan

6. Letter of Support from Healthcare Partner

7. Letter of Support from…