FY26_TNTG_RFA_Appendix_C_State_Partnership_Letter.docx

This document is a template for a State Partnership Letter required as part of FY 2026 Team Nutrition Training Grant applications. The partnership letter must be submitted by applicants seeking to collaborate with another State agency and should include a clear plan demonstrating mutual benefits for child nutrition professionals in both States, defined roles and responsibilities of each partnering agency, and justification for the partnership. The justification should reference at least one of the following: partnership with a State that has implemented food systems improvement initiatives (such as SNAP waivers), collaboration with a State that has established activities supporting Eat Real Food initiatives and existing infrastructure, or engagement with a State piloting innovative Eat Real Food strategies that generate lessons learned for future policy advancement.

The template provides a standardized format for the partnering State agency director to confirm commitment to the project for the entire period of performance and to explain how the partnership will achieve project objectives. The letter should be addressed to Erica Antonson, Branch Chief, Grants Management Operations Branch, and must include the partner's background, relevant connections, explanation of mutual benefits, and specific details about the partner's commitment and involvement throughout the grant period. This partnership requirement aligns with the FY 2026 Team Nutrition Training Grant program's emphasis on inter-state collaboration to enhance training for child nutrition professionals across School Meals Programs (NSLP, SBP, SFSP) or CACFP providers, with awards typically ranging from $676,000 to $1,000,000 over three-year performance periods.