Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due 07/17/2026

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH BUREAU

Maternal Produce Prescription Program (MP3)

HRSA-26-103

Modified 6/22/26: added funding per year clarification, definition of domestic organization, and application page limit and format details.

Table of Contents

Before You Begin

Step 1: Review the Opportunity

Basic information

Funding details

Eligibility

Program description

All Proposals are Expected to:

Key Activities:

Performance Measurement, Evaluation, and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

Award information

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Get registered

Find the application package

Application writing help

Step 3: Build Your Application

Application checklist

Application contents and format

Step 4: Understand Review, Selection, and Award

Application review

Selection process

Award notices

Step 5: Submit Your Application

Application submission and deadlines

Other submissions

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award

Post-award requirements and administration

Reporting

Contacts and Support

Agency contacts

Help with systems

Before You Begin

Health Resources and Services Administration

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH BUREAU

Maternal Produce Prescription Program (MP3)

HRSA-26-103

All activities proposed in your application and budget narrative must align with applicable law, including but not limited to statutes, executive orders, federal regulations and applicable judicial holdings. Accordingly, discretionary awards shall not be used to fund, promote, encourage, subsidize, or facilitate: racial preferences or other forms of racial discrimination by the recipient, including activities where race or intentional proxies for race will be used as a selection criterion for employment or program participation; denial by the recipient of the sex binary in humans, or the belief that sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic; illegal immigration; or any other initiatives that compromise public safety. If an application does not align, the application will not receive funding to the extent permitted by law and applicable court orders.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity

Basic information

Tagline: Funding produce prescription programs to improve health outcomes for pregnant and post-partum women and their families.

Summary

The purpose of the Maternal Produce Prescription Program (MP3) is to support community-based organizations to develop produce prescription intervention programs that promote access to healthy foods for pregnant and post-partum women and their families in low-income and underserved areas. The program will:

• Create community-based produce prescription programs.

• Provide nutrition education to maternal populations.

• Build and strengthen community partnerships to increase access to healthy foods.

• Demonstrate improvements in fruit and vegetable intake, household food security, and health outcomes.

Projects are expected to provide produce prescription programs (which may use vouchers or physical prescriptions) as well as nutrition education for eligible participants.

Projects are expected to partner with at least one healthcare provider and at least one community-based organization.

Have questions? Go to Contacts and Support.

Key facts

Opportunity name: Maternal Produce Prescription Program (MP3)

Opportunity number: HRSA-26-103

Announcement version: initial

Federal assistance listing: 93.110

Key dates

NOFO issue date: 06/17/2026

Informational webinar: Join the webinar

Application deadline: 07/17/2026

Expected award date is by: 08/30/2026

Expected start date: 09/30/2026

See other submissions for other time frames that may apply to this NOFO.

Funding details

Application Types:

New

Expected total available funding in FY:

2026: $13,000,000

Expected number and type of awards:

26 G (Grant)

Funding range per award:

$0 - $500,000 per award

Expected total available funding in FY 2026: $13,000,000

Expected number and type of awards: up to 26 grants. Funding range per award: Up to $500,000 per year per award.

We plan to fund awards in four 12-month budget periods for a total four- year period of performance from 09/30/2026 to 09/29/2030.

The program and awards depend on the appropriation of funds and are subject to change based on the availability and amount of appropriations.

Eligibility

Types of eligible organizations

These types of *domestic organizations may apply:

State governments

County governments

City or township governments

Special district governments

Independent school districts

Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Private institutions of higher education

For profit organizations other than small businesses

Small businesses

*“Domestic” means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated

States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

Additional information on eligibility

Individuals are not eligible applicants under this NOFO.

Completeness and responsiveness criteria

We will review your application to make sure it meets these basic requirements to move forward in the competition.

We will not consider an application that:

• Is from an organization that does not meet all eligibility criteria.

• Is submitted after the deadline.

• Does not include a letter of support from both a healthcare partner and a community-based organization partner.

Application limits

You may not submit more than one application. If you submit more than one application, we will only accept the last on-time submission.

Cost sharing

This program has no cost-sharing requirement. If you choose to share in the costs of the project, we will not consider it during merit review. Recipients agree that once committed, cost sharing amounts are enforceable and subject to reporting and auditing requirements under 2 CFR 200.

Post-award requirements

Before you apply, make sure you understand the requirements that come with an award.

See Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award for information on regulations that apply, reporting, and more.

Program description

Purpose

The purpose of the Maternal Produce Prescription Program (MP3) is to support community-based organizations to develop produce prescription intervention programs and related nutrition education for maternal populations at risk of poor health outcomes due to nutrition insecurity and other health-related factors. These nutrition interventions will serve pregnant and post-partum women and their families in low-income and underserved rural and urban areas. The MP3 program advances the Make America Healthy Again priorities to improve the American diet and reduce related chronic conditions.

The program objectives to be accomplished during the period of performance include:

• Increase the number of pregnant and post-partum women enrolled in MP3 and receiving nutrition education.

• Increase the number of enrolled pregnant women receiving produce prescription interventions (which may include vouchers).

• Increase the self-reported fruit and vegetable intake among enrolled women and their families.

• Build and strengthen community partnerships to increase access to healthy foods.

Funding Opportunity Goals

• Increase fruit and vegetable intake by pregnant and post-partum women and their families.

• Increase household food security.

• Improve maternal health outcomes.

• Improve birth outcomes.

Background

Pregnancy and the postpartum period represent critical windows when access to nutrient-dense foods, including fruits and vegetables, supports maternal health, healthy fetal development, and recovery after birth. Higher diet quality during pregnancy is associated with appropriate gestational weight gain and reduced risk of hypertensive disorders and preterm birth.1

Conversely, food insecurity during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and neonatal intensive care unit admission.2 It has also been linked to gestational weight gain outside recommended ranges3 and to economic and psychosocial stressors, including depressive symptoms that contribute to adverse maternal and infant outcomes.4

Over the past decade, Produce Prescription Programs (PPPs) have emerged as an effective strategy to integrate nutrition access into healthcare delivery to improve diet quality, reduce food insecurity, and support maternal and infant health outcomes5. PPPs delivered in clinical settings integrate nutrition guidance into medical care, serving both as a direct resource to help patients access healthy foods and as a prompt for providers to reinforce dietary recommendations during prenatal and postpartum visits.6

Over time, PPPs have helped communities7:

• Strengthen partnerships between healthcare providers and local food systems.

• Integrate nutrition screening and referral into clinical workflows.

• Improve participant engagement through flexible redemption models and approaches.

• Establish shared evaluation frameworks to measure food security, utilization, and health outcomes.

Implementation research from other federally funded programs highlights that participant redemption and engagement are strongest when programs address transportation barriers, offer flexible redemption options (retail, delivery, hybrid), incorporate navigation and nutrition education, and build strong partnerships and communication systems.8 These findings underscore that produce prescription programs function most effectively when embedded within coordinated systems of care rather than operating as stand-alone food distribution efforts.

This approach aligns with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Make America

Healthy Again priorities9, which emphasizes that nutrition is vital to healthy development across the life course and that strengthening access to nutrition services supports chronic disease prevention and whole-family well-being.10

Program requirements and expectations

All Proposals are Expected to:

1. Include a letter of support from one or more community-based organization partner(s) that serve maternal populations in low-income and underserved urban and rural areas in the grant application and specify their role in implementing and evaluating the project.

The community-based organization may apply as the primary applicant, but a letter of support will still be required to indicate support from the applicant organization executive leadership.

2. Include a letter of support from one or more healthcare partner(s) that serve maternal populations in low-income and underserved urban and rural areas in the grant application and specify their role in implementing and evaluating the project. The healthcare partner may apply as the primary applicant, but a letter of support will still be required to indicate support from the applicant organization.

• 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, (4) healthcare provider group, or (5) Rural Health Clinics or urban health clinics.

Qualifications for the Project Director:

• Be an employee of the applicant organization.

• Have expertise in designing and implementing produce prescription programs and similar community-based nutrition projects.

• Expected to commit at least 10 percent of their time to the project, which may be a combination of grant and in-kind support. The 10 percent effort cannot be shared by two employees.

Key Activities:

1. Create a Produce Prescription Program

• Design and implement a produce prescription project that:

o Reaches low-income and underserved pregnant women and their families.

o Provides prescriptions or vouchers for fruits and vegetables. The definition of fruits and vegetables includes any variety of fresh, frozen, canned, or dried whole or cut fruits and vegetables without added sugars, fats, or oils.

o Creates or uses existing infrastructure to connect participants with food access points, such as markets, grocery stores, farmers, or mobile food services.

o Is evidence-informed or evidence-based.

o To the extent practical, engages community members in the planning process.

• Your proposed project may be a new community-based produce prescription program or may build on, expand, or enhance an existing community-based produce prescription program.

2. Build Community Partnerships

• Establish new and/or foster ongoing collaborations with local partners (for example, community-based organizations) and regional food systems to ensure participants can easily redeem their produce prescriptions and vouchers. This may include food retailers and suppliers, produce distributors and growers, food pantries, and health care providers.

• Engage the communities being served (particularly the participants, residents, and organizations) in the design and implementation of the project.

• Engage new or leverage existing cross-sector partners as appropriate for your project.

• Ideal state and local partners include but are not limited to:

o HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Nutrition Training Program o HRSA’s Healthy Start Program o HRSA’s Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program o HRSA’s Title V MCH Services Block Grant Program o USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and

Children (WIC) o USDA’s Cooperative Extension Program o Local and regional transportation partners

3. Identify, Enroll, and Retain Eligible Participants

• Identify eligible pregnant women and their families in low-income or underserved urban and rural areas. Partner with or leverage existing community programs and/or federal programs to support recruitment and enrollment of eligible participants. Design a plan to enroll and retain such women as participants through the duration of the project period.

o Pregnant women are eligible to enroll if they 1) participate in USDA’s

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Special Supplemental

Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), or 2) have Medicaid and/or CHIP, or 3) screen as food insecure.

• Ideally, pregnant women should be enrolled prior to 16 weeks gestation to obtain the maximum benefit of the program and have their pregnancy-related outcome data included in the impact evaluation. Pregnant women who are more than 16 weeks pregnant may participate in the program but their outcome data related to gestational weight gain and birth outcomes should not be included in program impact evaluation.

• Program benefits are available to eligible participants during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and throughout the entire project period.

4. Provide Nutrition Education

• Provide nutrition education on healthy eating habits for pregnant and postpartum women and their families. Nutrition education topics may include, but are not limited to, benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption, chronic disease prevention, and healthy food preparation.

• Use evidence-informed formats—such as in-person, virtual, or hybrid sessions, delivered individually or in groups—to effectively engage pregnant and postpartum women and improve health outcomes for families.

5. Participate in Training and Technical Support (TA) Activities

A HRSA-supported Coordinating Center (CC) will provide training, technical assistance, evaluation tools, data collection tools, and informational support services to MP3 grantees.

Awardees will participate in CC-led activities as well as HRSA-led activities, including but not limited to:

• Recipient calls, which will take place at least quarterly.

• A technical assistance visit during the period of performance.

• Trainings from the Coordinating Center, as available.

These activities facilitate peer-to-peer learning and help build capacity in program management, data reporting, and implementation strategies.

Performance Measurement, Evaluation, and Continuous Quality

Improvement (CQI)

We expect you to measure your performance, evaluate your program, and conduct CQI activities.

You are expected to:

• Report performance measures and evaluate the program to determine how well the program was implemented as designed, and the impact of your project on (1) consumption of fruits and vegetables by pregnant women and their families; (2) household food security; and (3) overall health and wellbeing.

• Grantees are responsible for gathering baseline data at recruitment and follow-up data at multiple points for each participant.

Performance Measurement

You are expected to:

• Measure performance on key activities and program objectives.

• Report on Discretionary Grants Information System (DGIS) measures noted in the

Reporting section.

• Report on measures and project activities that align with program goals and objectives in the annual noncompeting continuation progress report. This will include how your project goals, objectives, and activities are leading to increased fruit and vegetable consumption, reduced household food insecurity, and improvements in maternal health and wellbeing.

• Report monthly redemption rates for prescriptions and vouchers.

• Report on the number of participants and reach of the program.

• Collect or establish a partnership and Data Use Agreement (DUA) to securely obtain participant-level data. You are expected to collect core metric data at the following time points for each participant, including:

file:///H:/OFAM/General/DGP/FAP%20Branch/Equity%20in%20Grants/NOFO%20100%20Simplification%20Pilot%20Prototypes/Prototypes/HRSA%20NOFO%20100%20Content%20Guide%20for%20MCHB.docx%23_Reporting

Metric Enrollment* 3rd

Trimester**

6-12 Weeks

Postpartum

6 months postpartum

Every 6 months thereafter during the project period

Self-reported fruit and vegetable intake

X X X X X

Household food security X X X X X

Gestational weight gain category

X

Overall Health

Status X X X X X

Mental Health

Status X X X X X

Infant birthweight X

Infant gestational age at birth

X

Adverse birth outcome(s) X

*Ideally, pregnant women should be enrolled prior to 16 weeks gestation to obtain the maximum benefit of the program and have their pregnancy-related outcome data included in the impact evaluation. Pregnant women who are more than 16 weeks pregnant may also participate in the program, but their outcome data related to gestational weight gain and birth outcomes should not be included in program impact evaluation.

**Specific timing of this may be standardized after program award in consultation with the Coordinating Center.

Evaluation Plan

• Develop and carry out a plan to obtain, collect, analyze, and track data to measure impact and outcomes of your project.

• Evaluate your program including both process/implementation outcomes as well as impact outcomes.

• You are required to utilize the RE-AIM framework for your evaluations to support comparative analyses across programs.

https://re-aim.org/

• Evaluations should cover all aspects of the produce prescription program including the nutrition education component. Example outcomes to assess may include, but are not limited to, food literacy, cooking skills, program engagement, and program satisfaction.

• You are expected to participate in HRSA-supported overall process and outcome evaluations of MP3 programs. This includes:

o Meeting periodically with staff from HRSA/MCHB, the Coordinating Center, and other MP3 grantees to review project plans, evaluation objectives and methods, data collection and reporting requirements, and analysis and reporting of results.

o Providing the Coordinating Center core program data sets to ensure common program tracking. This will include, but is not limited to, the metrics listed in the table above. Prior to program implementation, the Coordinating Center can provide standardized surveys, instruments, and other tools to help collect this data.

o Obtaining necessary approvals from an Institutional Review Board (IRB).

• You are expected to have a documented data agreement or similar documented agreement with each partner, under which each partner will provide information required for the core program data set to share that data with the Coordinating Center, and to complete any evaluation measurement tools/surveys to be conducted by the Coordinating Center.

• 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 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.

• 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.

Continuous Quality Improvement

• Conduct CQI. You are expected to use data and findings from your performance measurement and evaluation work to inform and improve processes and outcomes.

• Describe actions you will take to disseminate information about your project to help other groups replicate your project in other settings.

Business Plan

• Develop a Business Plan. The purpose of this plan is to provide evidence – such as a market analysis or management strategy – demonstrating the project’s sustainability and outline anticipated benefits for potential partners in program engagement.

Statutory authority

42 U.S.C. § 701(a)(2) (Title V, § 501(a)(2) of the Social Security Act)

Award information

Funding policies and limitations

Changes in HHS regulations As of October 1, 2025, HHS has adopted 2 CFR Part 200, with some modifications included in 2

CFR Part 300. These regulations replace those in 45 CFR Part 75.

Policies

• To make an award, funding must be available and allocated for this program and purpose, at which point we will move forward with the review and award process.

• Have clear policies and good financial practices to avoid spending HRSA funds on unallowable activities. Like other award rules, we may audit your policies, procedures, and controls.

• Support beyond the first budget year will depend on:

o Appropriation of funds.

o Your satisfactory progress in meeting the project’s objectives.

o A decision that continued funding is in the government’s best interest.

• If we receive more funding for this program, we may:

o Fund more applicants from the rank order list.

o Extend the period of performance.

o Award supplemental funding.

General limitations

• For guidance on some types of costs we do not allow or restrict, see o 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E - General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.

o Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities in the HHS Grants Policy

Statement.

o All costs must be reasonable, necessary, allocable to the award, and adequately documented (2 CFR 200.403).

o You cannot earn profit from the federal award. See 2 CFR § 200.400(g).

Current appropriations law includes a salary limit of $228,000 as of January 2026 that applies to this program. You may pay salaries at a higher rate if the rate beyond the salary rate limit

(Executive Level II) is paid with non-HHS funds. For help calculating salaries under this limit, read more at “salary rate limitation” in the Application Guide.

Indirect costs Indirect costs are costs you charge across more than one project that cannot be easily separated by project. For example, this could include utilities for a building that supports multiple projects.

To incur indirect costs, you can select one of two methods:

Method 1 – Approved rate. You currently have an indirect cost rate approved by your cognizant federal agency at the time of award.

Method 2 – De minimis rate. Per 2 CFR § 200.414(f), if you do not have a current negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to charge a de minimis rate. If you choose this method, costs included in the indirect cost pool must not be charged as direct costs.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72 https://www.hhs.gov/grants-contracts/grants/grants-policies-regulations/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/grants-contracts/grants/grants-policies-regulations/index.html https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.404 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.405 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.403 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.400(g) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.414

This rate is up to 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). See 2 CFR § 200.1 for the definition of MTDC. You can use this rate indefinitely for all your federal awards or until you choose to receive a negotiated rate.

Consider your indirect costs when developing your budget.

Program income Program income is money earned as a result of your award-supported project activities. You must use any program income you generate from awarded funds for approved project-related activities. Find more about program income at 2 CFR 200.307.

• If we receive more funding for this program, we may:

o Fund more applicants from the rank order list.

o Extend the period of performance.

o Award supplemental funding.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.307

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Get registered

SAM.gov

You must have an active account with SAM.gov to apply. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process today.

To register:

• Go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and select Get Started. From the same page, you can also select the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register.

• You must agree to the financial assistance general certifications and representations specifically. Those for contracts are different.

When you register, you will also receive your required Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

Once you register:

• You will have to maintain your registration throughout the life of any award.

• If your organization has multiple UEIs, use the one associated with your physical location.

Grants.gov

You must also have an active account with Grants.gov. You can see step-by-step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants and How to Apply for Grants.

Find the application package

The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it online. Go to Grants

Search at Grants.gov and search for opportunity number HRSA-26-103.

After you select the opportunity, we recommend that you click the Subscribe button to get updates.

Application writing help

Visit HHS Tips for Preparing Grant Proposals.

Visit HRSA’s How to Prepare Your Application page for more guidance.

See Apply for a Grant for other help and resources.

FAQs will be posted on Grants.gov Related Documents tab.

Join the webinar

For more information about this opportunity, join the webinar. More information on the HRSA-

26-103 webinar will be posted at a later date to the documents tab in Grants.gov.

We recommend that you “Subscribe” to the NOFO on Grants.gov to receive updates when we post documents. We will record the webinar.

Have questions? Go to Contacts and Support.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/financial-assistance-general-certification-representations.pdf https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants https://www.grants.gov/search-grants https://www.grants.gov/search-grants https://www.hhs.gov/grants-contracts/grants/get-ready-for-grants-management/tips-for-preparing-grant-proposals/index.html https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply-for-a-grant/prepare-your-application https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply-for-a-grant

Step 3: Build Your Application

Application checklist

There are two types of forms in Grants.gov.

• Some forms allow you to upload components of your application to the form. These include components like your project narrative, budget and budget narrative, and attachments, as applicable.

• Other forms are more typical, fill-in-the-blank forms.

Make sure that you have everything you need to apply.

Narratives

Component Grants.gov form Included in page limit*?

◻ Project narrative

Use the Project Narrative Attachment form.

Project Narrative Attachment form.

Yes

◻ Budget narrative

Use the Budget Narrative Attachment form.

Budget Narrative Attachment form.

Yes

Attachments

Insert each in the Attachments Form in this order.

Component Included in page limit*?

◻ 1. Letter of support from healthcare partner(s) Yes

◻ 2. Letter of support from community-based organization(s) Yes

◻ 3. Agreements with other entities No

◻ 4. Work Plan Yes

◻ 5. Preliminary Evaluation Plan Yes

◻ 6. Project organizational chart Yes

◻ 7. Staffing plan and job descriptions Yes

◻ 8. Biographical sketches* Yes

◻ 9. Business Plan Yes

◻ 10. Data Management No

◻ 11. Other relevant document Yes

◻ 12. Other relevant document Yes

◻ 13. Other relevant document Yes

◻ 14. Other relevant document Yes

◻ 15. Other relevant document Yes

Other required forms

Upload using each required form in Grants.gov.

Forms Submission requirement

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) With application.

Project Abstract Summary Form With application.

Grants.gov Lobbying Form With application.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL), optional With application.

Project/Performance Site Location(s) With application.

Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424A) With application.

Key Contacts With application.

*Only what you attach in these forms counts toward the page limit. The forms themselves do not count.

Application contents and format

This section includes guidance on each component found in the application checklist.

Application page limit: 50.

Submit your information in English and express whole number budget figures using U.S. dollars.

Required format

Required format for project summary, project narrative, budget narrative, and attachments.

Font: A readable font like Arial, Courier, CG Times, or Times New Roman

File format: We only accept the following document formats:

• .PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

• .DOC/.DOCX - Microsoft Word

• .RTF - Rich Text Format o .TXT - Text

• .WPD - Word Perfect Document

• .XLS/.XLSX - Microsoft Excel

• .VSD - Microsoft Visio

Size: 12-point font

Footnotes, charts, graphics, and budget tables may be 10-point or higher.

Ink color: Black

Spacing: Single-spaced, including all text and tables

Alignment: Left

Headings: Bold all headings and align left.

Size: 8.5 x 11 (Make sure the print area is set and allows printing to 8.5 x 11.)

Margins: 1-inch on all sides

Footer: On each page as the footer, include your organization’s name and page numbers. If a competing continuation or competing supplement, also include your 10-digit award number.

Page numbering:

• Do not number the standard OMB-approved forms.

• Number each attachment page sequentially (that is, 1, 2, 3).

• Reset the numbering for each attachment.

• Treat each attachment as a separate section.

File names: You can find guidance for naming your files in the Application Guide.

Project narrative

Introduction See merit review criterion 1: Need

Briefly describe the purpose of your project. Include the number of participants to be served, produce prescription (and voucher, if applicable) amount and duration, and the educational opportunities related to nutrition.

Need See merit review criterion 1: Need

• Describe the need for your produce prescription program in the community you plan to serve. Include local capabilities and assets and how the community will benefit from a produce prescription project.

• Describe how and why your community is underserved in terms of access to maternal health services and healthy food.

• Describe the conditions that lead to food insecurity for the maternal population in your community.

• Provide references for all data sources.

Approach See merit review criterion 2: Response

Goals and Objectives

• List your goals and objectives, which should respond to the need and purpose of the project.

• For each goal, provide objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/application-guide.pdf#page=26

Creating a Produce Prescription Program

• Describe how you will design and implement a produce prescription program as described in the Program Requirements and Expectations section.

• If you are building on, expanding, or enhancing an existing community-based produce prescription program, describe how you will build on, expand or enhance the existing program.

• Describe any additional formative research you plan to conduct to inform your project design such as 1) how you plan to tailor an existing produce prescription program to a maternal population or 2) how you plan to develop a new produce prescription program for maternal populations. You may conduct this additional formative research for the first

6-12 months of the project period.

• Describe your plan to reach low-income or underserved pregnant and post-partum women and their families in urban and rural areas through this produce prescription program.

• Describe the role of each healthcare partner in designing and implementing the project.

Include letter(s) of support as Attachment 1.

• Describe the role of each community-based organization partner in designing and implementing the project. Include letter(s) of support as Attachment 2.

• Describe how the communities being served (particularly the participants, residents, and organizations) will be involved in designing and implementing the project.

• Explain how your project aligns with and does not duplicate existing federal programs that may be operating in your service area, like those proposed or currently funded by MAHA ELEVATE, National Diabetes Prevention Program, IHS Produce Prescription Pilot Program, USDA Food and

Nutrition Service Programs, Healthy Start, Maternal Child Health Nutrition Training Program, or

Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). If there are no other federal programs operating in your service area, state this in your narrative.

Building Partnerships

• Describe how you will build or strengthen existing collaborations with local partners and regional food systems, as described in the Program Requirements and Expectations.

Describe how these partnerships will help ensure participants can easily use their prescriptions and vouchers.

• Describe how communities will be engaged with the design and implementation of your project.

• Describe how you will strengthen collaborations with MCH partners, such as community health workers, Title V, MCHB-funded training programs and other state and local partners.

• Describe how you will engage new or leverage existing cross-sector partners, as appropriate.

• Include any letters of support as Attachment 3.

https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/maha-elevate https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention/index.html https://www.ihs.gov/nutrition/produce-prescription-programs/ https://www.fns.usda.gov/ https://www.fns.usda.gov/ https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/healthy-start https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/focus-areas/mch-workforce-development/awards#mch-nutrition-training-program https://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs-impact/focus-areas/mch-workforce-development/awards#mch-nutrition-training-program https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/gus-schumacher-nutrition-incentive-program-gusnip https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/gus-schumacher-nutrition-incentive-program-gusnip

Identifying, Enrolling, and Retaining Eligible Participants

• Describe your plan for identifying eligible participants as described in the Program

Requirements and Expectations section.

• Discuss your plan to enroll and retain participants.

Providing Nutrition Education

• Describe your plan for integrating nutrition education as described in the Program

Requirements and Expectations section.

Participating in Training and TA Activities

• As described in the Program Requirements and Expectations section, state your willingness to participate in:

o Recipient calls, which will take place at least quarterly.

o A TA visit during the period of performance.

o Trainings from the Coordinating Center, as available.

High-level work plan See merit review criteria 2: Response and 4: Impact

• Describe how you will achieve each of the objectives during the period of performance you outline in the Approach section.

• Provide a more detailed work plan and timeline that includes each activity and identifies who is responsible for each. Include this as Attachment 4.

Resolving challenges See merit review criterion 2: Response

• Discuss common challenges related to designing and implementing produce prescription programs and how you plan to resolve them.

• Describe any anticipated challenges specific to your community and how you plan to resolve them.

• Describe types of delivery options you will use to overcome transportation barriers for participants.

• Discuss any anticipated challenges with IRB review and approval.

Performance Reporting and Evaluation See merit review criteria 3: Performance reporting and evaluation and 5: Resources and capabilities

Monitoring

• Describe how you will track project activities over the period of performance.

• Describe your capacity to collect and manage data in a way that allows for accurate and timely monitoring, performance measurement, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.

Performance Measurement

• Provide your plan for measuring and tracking the project goals and objectives outlined in the purpose section. The plan should include required and proposed measures outlined in the performance measurement, evaluation, and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) section and describe plans for the timely collection and reporting of all measures. This includes both process/implementation outcomes as well as impact outcomes.

• State your willingness to partner with MCHB, the Coordinating Center, and other MP3 recipients after award to identify or develop additional measures that demonstrate the impact of your project.

• Explain how you will use data to inform project implementation and CQI.

• Describe your plan to collect, or establish a partnership, to securely obtain participant-level data. Detail the data agreements you will establish with partners to obtain such data.

Data agreements and your data management plan should be included in Attachment 10.

Evaluation Plan

• State your willingness to participate in HRSA-supported impact and outcomes evaluations as described in the Program Requirements and Expectations section and

Performance Measurement, Evaluation, and Continuous Quality Improvement.

• State your willingness to meet periodically with staff from HRSA/MCHB, the

Coordinating Center, and other MP3 grantees to review project plans, evaluation objectives and methods, data collection and reporting requirements, and analysis and reporting of results.

• State your willingness to provide the Coordinating Center core program data sets to ensure common program tracking. This will include many of the metrics listed in the table above. Prior to program implementation, the Coordinating Center can provide standardized surveys, instruments, and other tools to help collect this data.

• State your willingness to utilize the RE-AIM framework for your evaluations to support comparative analyses across programs.

• Describe any previous process, outcome, and impact evaluation experience with the participants to be served or other related food programs.

• Submit a preliminary project evaluation plan as Attachment 5 that includes:

o A process evaluation plan for documenting the process, challenges, and success of implementation and operations.

o An impact/outcome evaluation plan to document the project’s effectiveness in (a) improving consumption of fruits and vegetables; (b) reducing food insecurity; (c) promoting healthy pregnancy weight gain; (d) overall physical and mental health;

(e) positive birth outcomes; and (f) other program specific outcomes.

o Describe how the communities being served (particularly the participants, residents, and organizations) will be engaged in its evaluation.

Continuous Quality Improvement

• Conduct CQI. You are expected to use data and findings from your performance measurement and evaluation work to inform and improve processes and outcomes.

See the reporting section for more information.

https://re-aim.org/

Sustainability See merit review criterion 4: Impact

We expect you to sustain project elements that improve practices and outcomes for the target population. Projects may identify actual or potential funding sources for continuation of the project.

• Describe which aspects or components of the project will continue beyond the end of the project period.

• Include a Business Plan which will provide evidence, such as a market analysis or management plan, to demonstrate how sustainability of the project will be achieved.

Include your Business Plan in Attachment 9.

• Describe actions you will take to disseminate information about your project to help other groups replicate your project in other settings.

• Discuss challenges that you’ll likely encounter in sustaining the program. Include how you will resolve these challenges.

Successful awardees must submit a long-term plan outlining how the pilot program will continue

(or be responsibly phased out) after federal funding ends, including any leveraging of non‑federal resources. This plan will be evaluated during the Year 1 review.

Organizational information See merit review criterion 5: Resources and capabilities

• Briefly describe your organization’s mission, structure, and the scope of your current activities. Include a one-page project organizational chart in Attachment 6.

o If your organization is not a community-based organization (CBO), demonstrate your substantive partnership with a CBO to carry out this program.

• Describe your organization’s experience with and capacity to implement and evaluate a produce prescription program.

• Describe your organization's experience providing services to maternal populations in low-income and underserved urban and rural areas.

• Describe how the qualifications of staff involved with the proposed project reflect the expertise necessary to carry out the proposed project.

• Describe the proposed project director’s experiences and expertise.

• State how much time the project director will commit to the proposed project, and how they will meet the minimum 10% time and effort.

• Include a staffing plan and job descriptions in Attachment 7.

• Include biographical sketches or resumes for key staff in Attachment 8.

• List the organizations and communities to be involved in carrying out the proposed project. Include a summary description of relevant previous work and experience of each community group, organization, or healthcare entity that will be involved, and any related project history.

• Describe how the qualifications of staff involved with the proposed project and/or organizational leadership reflect the expertise necessary to carry out the proposed project.

• Discuss how you will follow the HRSA-approved work plan, account for federal funds, and record all costs to avoid audit findings.

Budget and budget narrative

See merit review criterion 6: Support requested

Your budget should follow the instructions in budget narrative: detailed instructions section of the Application Guide and the instructions listed in this section. Your budget should show a well-organized plan.

HHS now uses the definitions for equipment and supply in 2 CFR 200.1. The new definitions change the threshold for equipment to the lesser of the recipient’s capitalization level or $10,000 and the threshold for supplies to below that amount.

The total project or program costs are all allowable (direct and indirect) costs used for the HRSA award activity or project. This includes costs charged to the award and non-federal funds used to satisfy a matching or cost-sharing requirement (which may include maintenance of effort, if applicable).

The budget narrative supports the information you provide in Standard Form 424-A. It includes an itemized breakdown and a clear justification of the costs you request. The merit review committee reviews both.

As you develop your budget, consider:

• If the costs are reasonable, allowable and allocable, and consistent with your project’s purpose and activities.

• The restrictions on spending funds. See funding policies and limitations.

A line-item budget and budget justification should be included for all partner organizations that will be supported with project funds. If the applicant is not a community-based organization

(CBO), the applicant is expected to include a detailed work plan and budget/budget justification that demonstrates how the CBO will be substantively involved in the administration of this program.

To create your budget narrative, see budget narrative detailed instructions in the Application

Guide.

Attachments

Place your attachments in this order in the Attachments Form. See application checklist to determine if they count toward the page limit.

Unless the instructions below require it, do not submit organizational brochures or other promotional materials (for example, slides, films, clips).

Attachment 1: Letter of support from healthcare partner(s) Include a letter of support from one or more healthcare partner(s) in the grant application specifying their role in implementing and evaluating the project. The healthcare partner may apply as the primary applicant, but a letter of support is still required.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.1(Equipment) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Supply)

Attachment 2: Letter of support from community-based organization(s) Include a letter of support from one or more community-based organization partner(s) in the grant application specifying their role in implementing and evaluating the project. The community-based organization may apply as the primary applicant, but a letter of support from the organization's executive leadership is still expected, to ensure their engagement and partnership in the program.

Attachment 3: Agreements with other entities Provide any documents that describe working relationships between your organization and others you refer to in the proposal. Documents that confirm actual or pending contracts or agreements should clearly describe the roles of subrecipients and contractors and any deliverables. Make sure you sign and date any letters of agreement.

Attachment 4: Work Plan See Section 3.1.7 of the Application Guide.

Attach the project’s work plan, making sure it includes everything required in the project narrative section.

Your work plan should be presented in a table format and should:

• Include the timeline for each activity.

• Identify staff who are responsible for each activity.

• Identify the key partners who will help you achieve each activity (as applicable).

Attachment 5: Preliminary Evaluation Plan Attach the project’s preliminary project evaluation plan. Your plan should:

• Describe your plan to obtain, collect, analyze, and track data to measure outputs and outcomes.

• Include an initial list of measures (such as indicators and metrics) that shows how you will evaluate and monitor the success of the project (for example outputs and outcomes).

• Include a timeline for implementing evaluation activities.

Attachment 6: Project organizational chart Provide a one-page diagram that shows the full project’s organizational structure.

Attachment 7: Staffing plan and job descriptions See Section 3.1.7 of the Application Guide.

Include a staffing plan that shows the staff positions that will support the project, and key information about each. Justify your staffing choices, including their education and experience.

Explain your reasons for the amount of time you request for each staff position.

For each key staff member, include a job description, their role, responsibilities, and qualifications.

Attachment 8: Biographical sketches Include biographical sketches for people who will hold the key positions you describe in attachment 7.

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide.pdf

Each biographical sketch should be one (1) page or less. Do not include non-public, personally identifiable information. If you include someone you have not hired yet, provide a letter of commitment from that person along with the biographical sketch.

Attachment 9: Business Plan 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.

Attachment 10: Data Management Plan A Data Management Plan (DMP) of no more than two pages is expected for this program.

Applicants should clearly articulate how the project director (PD) and co-PDs plan to manage the data generated by the project. Applicants should include copies of the data agreement(s) established with partner entities that detail how the data will be collected, stored, and protected.

Attachments 11-15: Other Relevant Documents

You may use attachments 11 through 15 to add any other relevant documents.

Other required forms

You will need to complete some other forms.