FY26-GusNIP-PPR-NOFO-P.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program

Produce Prescription Program

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year (FY) 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 16, 2026

ANTICIPATED PROGRAM FUNDING: $5,280,800

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-FINI-011907

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.331

ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) is listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.331.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Task Description Deadline

Application: FY 2026: 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time, July 16, 2026 Applicants Comments: Within six months from the issuance of this notice

(NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), to the extent permitted by law, will no longer make grants or otherwise fund programs or activities that improperly discriminate on the basis of race or sex, including discrimination in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. Instead, USDA will prioritize merit and efficiency. USDA recognizes programs and initiatives will have the greatest impact when these programs and initiatives put American farmers, ranchers, and foresters first by:

• solving the most pressing challenges they face;

• protecting America’s food, fuel, and fiber supply to enhance national security;

• supporting production of healthy and safe food for consumers;

• expanding and developing domestic markets;

• training the next generation of agriculturalists; and

• fueling innovation to keep American farmers at the forefront of productivity.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to advancing these principles and encourages applicants to actively engage farmers, ranchers, and foresters when applying for funding opportunities to ensure relevancy and adherence to them. NIFA also encourages agricultural leaders to engage in the peer review panel process to ensure American producers are better served through research, education, and extension activities.

Projects submitted under this NOFO should align with USDA Secretary’s Memorandum 1078- 020 Directive on Departmental Research and Development Priorities:

1. Increasing Profitability of Farmers and Ranchers

2. Expanding Markets and Creating New Uses of U.S. Agricultural Products

3. Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species

4. Promoting Soil Health to Regenerate Long-Term Productivity of Land

5. Improving Human Health through Precision Nutrition and Food Quality

Stakeholder Input. NIFA seeks comments on all Notice of Funding Opportunity(NOFO) 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 NOFOs, and uses 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 https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sm-1078-020.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sm-1078-020.pdf 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 written comments to Policy@usda.gov. Please use the following subject line: Response to the GusNIP - Produce Prescription NOFO.

mailto:Policy@usda.gov

WHAT’S NEW FOR FY 2026?

1. Clarifies that eligible entities are governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations.

2. The Office of Management and Budget Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost

Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards has changed the de minimis rate (indirect cost) to 15 percent of modified total direct costs (2 CFR 200.414(f)).

3. Further clarifies that applicants and their project partner organizations must ensure that no state, territory, or local tax is collected when produce prescriptions are redeemed. This must be documented in the grant application in the project narrative and/or letter of support from the appropriate partner organization(s).

4. Awardees will implement updated core metrics. The revised metrics will maintain rigor while promoting ease of reporting to better support individual project success and comprehensive program evaluation.

5. Consultation with the GusNIP National Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center prior to applying is now optional.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-E#p-200.414(f)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This notice identifies the objectives for GusNIP - Produce Prescription Program (PPR) 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. The amount available for grants in FY 2026 is approximately $5,280,800.

The GusNIP-PPR supports projects that aim to demonstrate and evaluate the impact of prescribing freshfruits 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.

The GusNIP - Nutrition Incentive Program National Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center’s (NTAE) Nutrition Incentive Hub provides free group sessions, 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.

https://www.nutritionincentivehub.org/resources mailto:ta@nutritionincentivehub.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNOUNCEMENT

WHAT’S NEW FOR FY 2026?

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. Application Restrictions 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 C. Funding Restrictions

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process B. Evaluation Criteria C. Organizational Management Information D. Application Disposition

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements C. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

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

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 of Agriculture is authorized to administer GusNIP.

B. Purpose and Priorities The GusNIP-PPR, Assistance Listing 10.331, presents the opportunity to bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food and healthcare systems and to foster understanding of how prescribing fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables might improve the nutrition and health status of participating households. The primary goals of the GusNIP-PPR are 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.

GusNIP-PPR project proposals must:

1. Include a letter of support from one or more healthcare partners – a hospital, a Federally-qualified health center (42 USC 1396d(1)), a hospital or clinic operated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or a healthcare provider group;

2. Prescribe fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables to eligible individuals; and

3. At least one of the following:

a. Provide financial or non-financial incentives for eligible individuals to purchase or procure fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables;

b. Provide nutrition education resources to eligible individuals; and/or

c. Establish additional accessible locations for eligible individuals to procure fresh

(ONLY)fruits and vegetables.

Applicants are encouraged to highlight proposed project plans that strengthen strategies to encourage healthy choices, healthy families, and healthy outcomes and take innovative approaches to connect America’s farmers to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/NAP participants.

Applicants are also encouraged to highlight proposed project plans that emphasize food and nutrition security, nutritional quality, stewardship, and connect America’s farmers to produce prescription projects, and encourage healthy choices, healthy outcomes, and healthy families.

In carrying out a project using a GusNIP-PPR, an eligible entity shall partner with one or more healthcare partners (7 USC 7517 (a) (4). Healthcare Partners are defined in Part III.A.2. 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 NOFO.

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://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-2012-title42-section1396d&num=0&edition=2012 https://www.fns.usda.gov/rollins-statement-nutrition-programs https://www.fns.usda.gov/rollins-statement-nutrition-programs https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/19/secretary-rollins-announces-farmers-first-small-family-farms-policy-agenda https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/19/secretary-rollins-announces-farmers-first-small-family-farms-policy-agenda https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/19/secretary-rollins-announces-farmers-first-small-family-farms-policy-agenda

NIFA reserves the right to evaluate the peer review panel recommendations to ensure balance of award recommendations across lead organization, project director, and geographical distribution.

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

C. Program Area Description GusNIP-PPR supports the development and evaluation of Tribal, county, district, multi-county, territory, or statewide projects that prescribe fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables to eligible individuals; and at least one of the following 1) provide financial or nonfinancial incentives for eligible individuals to purchase or procure fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables; 2) provide educational resources on nutrition to eligible individuals; and/or 3) establish additional accessible locations for eligible individuals to procure fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables.

Table 2: Produce Prescription Program (PPR) Key Information

Title Description Program Code: PPR

Program Code Name: Produce Prescription Program

ALN: 10.331

Project Type: Standard Projects Application Deadline 5:00 P.M. Eastern, July16, 2026

Grant Duration: Up to 3 years Anticipated # of Awards: 11

Maximum Award Amount: $500,000

Applicants must identify one or more healthcare partners with which the applicant is partnering.

Applicant organizations that meet the definition of eligible entity (see Part III. A. 1) and healthcare partner (see Part III A. 2) may fulfill both roles (eligible entity and healthcare partner) in the grant application. The required letter of support from a healthcare partner must be provided in the grant application and specify the role in implementing and evaluating the project.

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 screening and referring potential participants, verifying potential participants are eligible individuals who may participate in a produce prescription project, 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 project.

5. With regards to nutrition educational resources, GusNIP applicants are welcome to consider resources that inform and connect communities with other programs that support food and nutrition security, such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, SNAP, and GusNIP. This includes information informing eligible individuals of the availability of a produce prescription project, including locations at which produce prescriptions may be redeemed.

6. Describe any additional nonprofit 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 associated 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 NTAE evaluation report; and

9. Attest that your organization agrees to share information and core data with the NTAE.

Budgets for Standard Projects should 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. GusNIP-PPR grant proposals will be evaluated based on community needs, objectives, activities, and outcomes that are in alignment with the GusNIP-PPR primary purpose and priorities as described in Part I. B.

D. Program Policy This section deals with certain aspects of GusNIP policy as it pertains to the GusNIP-PPR.

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 (ONLY) fruits and vegetables. The cost of incentives must be allowable under the applicable cost principles in 2 CFR part 200, Subpart E.

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

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

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/territory must ensure that no state, territory, or local tax is collected on a purchase of food with assistance provided under Produce Prescription Program grants.

GusNIP-PPR projects 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.

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

Assistance provided under GusNIP-PPR 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 partners are expected to comply with all policies and requirements laid out in this NOFO 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 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. Optional Consultation with the GusNIP NTAE A consultation session of approximately one hour with the NTAE for free group sessions or one-on-one support to review common mistakes is optional. If applicants complete a consultation session, documentation of this consultation will be used to plan for expertise required for the review process. Documentation will not be used to screen for project appropriateness, applicant eligibility or be used as a part of the evaluation criteria. Applicants may upload their optional verification letter from the NTAE to Field 12 of their proposal. See Part IV. B for more information.

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 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 of four components: a process analysis to describe how project implementation and support future replication of successful approaches; an outcome analysis to assess the effectiveness of each GusNIP-PPR 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 GusNIP-PPR grantees will be required to cooperate with the NTAE by:

1. Supporting implementation of evaluation requirements;

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

Grantees are required to periodically provide the NTAE a core program data set to ensure common program tracking and enable meaningful comparisons across all projects. At a minimum, this dataset will include participant-level and firm-level metrics as well as an evaluation of the impact of a grantee’s project on healthcare use and associated costs. For additional information on the core program data set for firm-level and participant-level metrics, visit the GusNIP Application Resources page. See Part IV.B.2. of this NOFO for details regarding project evaluation. GusNIP-PPR grantees are required to collect data from a subsample of their participants during each active grantee year of their project. Revised options for participant-level data collection (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, etc.) will be established by the NTAE in Fall 2026. Applicants should indicate willingness to collaborate with the NTAE in collecting and contributing to core participant-level metrics.

To provide data for the firm-level metrics, 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.

9. Adherence to SNAP/NAP Program Rules and Regulations All GusNIP-PPR projects with a project design that involves SNAP/NAP transactions must submit a SNAP/NAP Implementing Agency letter of support, work through SNAP/NAP authorized firms, and follow the SNAP/NAP firm MOU process. The information submitted will be reviewed by a USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) SNAP/NAP Policy Analyst for adherence to SNAP/NAP program rules and regulations. Final award determination is subject to FNS approval of a grant application’s adherence to SNAP/NAP program rules and regulations. More information about SNAP/NAP policy as it relates to GusNIP can be found on the GusNIP SNAP/NAP Frequently Asked Questions page.

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/gusnip-request-applications-resources-ppr https://www.nifa.usda.gov/gus-schumacher-nutrition-incentive-program-gusnip-snapnap-policy

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding The amount available for GusNIP-PPR is approximately $5,280,800. 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

NOFO.

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

Applications for FY2026 are limited to the following application types:

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

2. Resubmitted application: Resubmitted applications must include a one-page 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 and tribal Institutional Review Board (IRB) rules; and local, tribal, 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.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 - Produce Prescription Program must meet all eligibility requirements outlined in 7 U.S.C. 7517 and as discussed in this NOFO. 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 About Grants provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the federal awards process.

1. Eligible Entity Eligibility to receive a GusNIP-PPR grant is limited to governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. Veterans’ Health Administration and various components of its healthcare system, such as hospitals or clinics are eligible governmental 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.

Organizations that meet the definitions of eligible entity and healthcare partner may fulfill both roles in the grant application. The required letter of support from a healthcare partner must be provided in the grant application and specify the role in implementing and evaluating the project. If the lead applicant will also be the healthcare partner, the letter of support from a healthcare partner is still required. The purpose of the GusNIP- PPR is to bring together stakeholders from various parts of the food and healthcare systems. GusNIP projects help foster understanding to improve the health and nutrition status of participating households prescribed fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables.

Applicants for GusNIP-PPR may seek and create partnerships with public or private, nonprofit or for-profit entities, including links with academic institutions 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..

GusNIP-PPR 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 subaward to organizations not eligible to 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.nifa.usda.gov/grants apply provided such organizations are necessary for the successful completion of the project. See Part IV.C Funding Restrictions of this NOFO.

3. Fiscal Agent If a nonprofit 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 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 nonprofit status when responding to this request.

4. Program Participation Individuals are eligible to participate in a GusNIP-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.

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – Limit one submission per eligible entity. An entity is an autonomous organization. Organizations with a hierarchical structure of multiple locations/offices grouped under the authority of a larger system/main office may submit one application from the autonomous system/main office. For academic institutions, this is defined as the Higher Education Directory System Office, published by Higher Education Publications, Inc., 6400 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 648, Falls Church, Virginia 22042 (703-532-2300).

Applicants seeking to increase reach and scale should consider partnering and collaborating on a single multi-county, territory, statewide, Tribal Nation, or regional grant application.

Duplicate or multiple submissions are 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.

USDA will not accept applications for grants and cooperative agreements submitted dangerous gain-of-function research, as defined in Section 8 of E.O. 14292.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching No Match Required - The GusNIP-PPR has NO matching requirements. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion. While not required, cost share is encouraged.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:7%20section:2011%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section2011)&f=treesort&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:1396%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section1396)&f=treesort&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/05/08/2025-08266/improving-the-safety-and-security-of-biological-research

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application Applicants must apply to this NOFO electronically; no other method or response is accepted.

The electronic application for this NOFO and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and Grants 101. Table 3 provides instructions on how to obtain an electronic application. Part III of the NIFA Grants Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the Grants.gov registration process. The NIFA Grants Application Guide is contained in the specific funding opportunity package or a sample of the guide can be found here. When applying for a NIFA award, it is important to reference the version of the guide that is included in the specific funding opportunity application package.

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-011907, 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.

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 iPortal Customer service business hours 24/7, except federal holidays.

Email:

grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov

Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 7a.m.

– 5p.m. ET, except federal holidays

B. Content and Form of the Application The NIFA Grants Application Guide is part of the corresponding application package for this NOFO. The NOFO overrides the NIFA Grants Application Guide if there is a discrepancy between the two documents. 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 NOFO. Applicants must refer to the proposal number when corresponding with NIFA. Table 5 outlines other key instructions for applicants.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grants-101/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/register https://get.adobe.com/reader/ https://grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility https://grants.gov/applicants/search-for-opportunity-package https://apply07.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm#t=GetStarted%2FGetStarted.htm mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ mailto:grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/

Table 5: Key Application Instructions Instruction References

(All references are to the NIFA Grants 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 IV 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

Contact NIFA if applicant does not receive correspondence from NIFA regarding an application within 30 days of the application deadline.

N/A

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

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

R&R Other Project Information Form. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

1. 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. Basic project components should be included in the PS, such as the number of participants to be served;

produce prescription amount and duration; and the educational opportunity/ies related to nutrition. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates.

2. 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. The page limits outlined here ensure fair 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 PN must include all the following:

a. 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 https://www.grants.gov/support the involvement of community members in the context of project activities and operations, such as human centered design or community advisory board.

Address how the project team will verify participants in the produce prescription program according to eligibility and the primary health issues of the 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 objectives.

Describe how the community(ies) will benefit from a GusNIP-PPR project.

b. Personnel and Resources of the Organizations and Communities Involved in the

Project. List the organizations and communities 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. It is very important to have partner(s) who have knowledge and experience working with the intended audience(s), 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.

c. Project Goals, Intended Outcomes, and Relationship to GusNIP-PPR Purpose and

Priorities. 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., behavior change, improved HbA1c, BP, etc.). Educational opportunity/ies related to nutrition, such as nutrition counselling or nutrition education curriculum/intervention and their evidence-base should be described in this section.

Applicants need to describe the range of fruits and vegetables to be offered to project participants as well as how the project team will ensure no tax is collected on the fruit and vegetable prescription. Applicants must clearly present the rationale for the amount and duration of the produce prescription. NIFA recognizes that food supply and food system disruptions may hinder the ability to access fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables.

If this impacts the range of fresh (ONLY) fruits and vegetables that will be prescribed, or the educational opportunity/ies related to nutrition, provide 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.

Concisely present how the proposed project and its intended outcomes will address the primary goals of the GusNIP-PPR as described in Part I. B of the NOFO. Discuss the specific changes in knowledge, action, or condition.

d. Activities to Achieve the Goals. The activities proposed to achieve each objective must be clearly stated and cover items 1-9 described in Part I.C. 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 that the description of all required items includes an explanation of why the applicant and its partners selected the activities proposed in the application.

e. Project Evaluation. Describe the method(s) of evaluating success developing a viable produce prescription project. Clearly describe the metrics that will be used to evaluate the impact of the proposed project 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 (e.g., hospital admissions, emergency room/emergency department visits, regular office visits, urgent care visits, etc.) and associated costs. The description of evaluation methods 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. A menu of potential healthcare utilization and healthcare cost metrics can be found via the GusNIP Produce Prescription Notice of Funding Opportunity’s resource page. Outcome assessment requires IRB review. Project process assessment results must be provided to the NTAE annually. At a minimum, the outcome assessment must include collecting core firm-level and participant-level metrics, measures of healthcare use and associated costs, cooperating with, and contributing core data to the NTAE. Applicants should collaborate with the NTAE upon award to identify and execute a participant-level data collection strategy that meets NTAE requirements, grantee project objectives, and grantee capacity. Post-award, the NTAE will work with each grantee on an individual basis to determine the sample size and sampling plan. Beyond the minimum evaluation requirements, applicants are encouraged to design evaluation plans that advance our understanding of the most effective dosage, duration, and complementary supports (e.g., nutrition education) of produce prescription projects.

Applicants should discuss any opportunities and challenges with IRB review and the GusNIP Comprehensive Program Evaluation requirements described in Part I.D.8 of the NOFO and how they will be addressed to meet the minimum evaluation 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.

f. Project 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 sustainable service to community members. Applicants should differentiate between how the basic elements of the project will be continued versus the community will be changed and its capacity advanced. Projects may identify actual or potential funding sources for financial sustainability of the project in the Business Plan.

g. Non-supplantation. Proposals must be for projects that will supplement, not replace, nonfederal 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. In the case of applications that will expand or enhance existing projects, this section must clearly describe lessons learned, what can be improved, and how those lessons and improvements are being incorporated into the current application to ensure an effective and successful project.

h. 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 toward the page limit for the Project Narrative.

3. Field 12, Add Other Attachments. See Part V Section 120 of the NIFA Grants Application

Guide for instructions for this field. All attachments must be in PDF format. The formatting requirements are a font no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, single spaced, and all attachments must be in PDF. Adhere to the page limits for each document below:

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

a. Logic Model. Title the attachment as ‘Logic Model’ in the document header and save file as ‘LogicModel’. The Logic Model is limited to one page. See Logic Model Planning Process.

b. Business Plan. A Business Plan is required and limited to five pages. Title the attachment as ‘Business Plan’ in the document header and save file as ‘BusinessPlan’. The Business Plan should provide evidence (e.g., a market analysis, an endowment plan, or the outline of a management business plan) to demonstrate how financial sustainability of the project will be achieved. Business plan outlines or any other documentation of evidence for financial sustainability is limited to five pages.

c. 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. Applicants should clearly articulate how the project director (PD) and co-PDs plan to manage and disseminate project data. The DMP will be considered during the merit review process (see Part V, B of this NOFO, 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 NOFO.

d.Key Organization Support. Title signed letter(s) of support from healthcare partner(s) ‘HealthcarePartnerSupport’ and attach.