Request for Applications_Farm to School Implementation Grant.pdf

Information Collection: 0584-0512 Expiration date: 07/31/2025

Farm to School Implementation Grant Program

Fiscal Year 2025 Request for Applications (RFA) Assistance Listing Number: 10.575

Release Date: October 28, 2024

Application Due Date: 11:59 pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST), January 10, 2025

Anticipated Award Date: July 2025

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Form RFA 01-23

Application Checklist

This Application Checklist provides applicants with a list of the required documents. However, FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application and comply with all requirements outlined in the solicitation. The Application Checklist is for applicant use only and should not be submitted as part of the Application Package.

Complete the following at least four weeks prior to submission:

Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;

Register the UEI number in the System for Award Management (SAM); and, Register in grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section 4.1. This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section 1.5, and all necessary attachments.

You are eligible to apply for a grant as described in Section 3.0 “Eligibility Information.”

The RFA is correctly indicated on the Farm to School Coversheet.

Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section 4.1. This includes page limits, priorities, and all necessary attachments.

You include any required elements noted in the “Required Forms and Documents Checklist

Below”.

If applicable, you can complete the Optional Priority Group Declaration Checklist

(Appendix B) and include it in the project narrative (not counted towards page limit) for additional bonus points when scoring.

When preparing your budget, ensure the following are included:

The total funding amounts requested on the SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Narrative are identical and do not exceed the maximum request amount.

At least a 25 percent cash or in-kind match is provided with a detailed description and signed commitment letter for ALL matching funds. Applicants failing to provide the match contribution documentation will be deemed ineligible and removed from further consideration.

Indirect cost information (either a copy of a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or, a current NICRA is not in effect, they may charge up to 15% de minimis). If an applicant is requesting the de minimis rate or indirect costs are not required, please state this in the budget narrative.

All staff that will be paid by this grant or hired to help support project activities are listed.

The percentage of time the Project Director will devote to the project in full-time equivalents (FTEs).

Your organization’s fringe benefit rate and amount, as well as the basis for the computation.

The type of fringe benefits to be covered with Federal funds.

Itemized travel expenses (including type of travel), travel justification, and basis for lodging estimate.

Types of equipment and supplies, justifications, and estimates, ensuring that the budget is in line with the project description.

Information for all contracts and justification for any sole-source contracts Justification, description, and an itemized list of all consultant services.

REQUIRED FORMS AND DOCUMENTS CHECKLIST

When submitting your application, ensure you have submitted all of the following required forms and documents (unless specified as optional all items on the list below are required):

Federal Grant Forms Farm to School Grant Program (FSGP) Coversheet (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-424A – Budget Information and Instruction Form (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire

Project Application Checklist Project Narrative Activities/ Indicators Tracker Budget Narrative Match Letter(s) – A signed letter accounting for every source of matching funds, totaling a minimum 25 percent of the total project cost Letters of commitment from key staff and partners. Not to exceed the three-letter limit.

If your organization does not operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and/or the School Breakfast Program (SBP), you must include at least one letter of commitment from a school, child care institution, or summer sponsor operating the NSLP, CACFP, SFSP, and/or the SBP, or from a State Agency administering NSLP, CACFP, SFSP, and/or the SBP.

This letter does count towards the three-letter limit on letters of commitment.

Up to three resumes of key staff 501(c)letter, if applicable (must document current status) https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_4_0-V4.0.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424A-V1.0.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424B-V1.1.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SFLLL_2_0-V2.0.pdf

Table of Contents

1. Program Description and Objectives

1.1 Executive Summary

1.2 Legislative Authority

1.3 What is Farm to School?

1.4 Defining Local Sourcing and Local Foods

1.5 Funding Priorities (Bonus Scoring Points)

1.6 Key Objectives

2. Federal Award Information

2.1 Type of Federal Assistance

2.2 Period of Performance

2.3 Allowable Costs

2.4 Unallowable Costs

3. Eligibility Information

3.1 Eligible Applicants

3.2 Ineligible Applicants

3.3 Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

3.4 Pre-Award Screening Requirements

4. Application and Submission Information

4.1 Content and Form of Application Submission

4.2 Grant Activities

4.3 Application Content

4.4 Application Budget Narrative

4.5 Required Grant Application Forms

4.6 Submission Date

5. Application Review Information

5.1 Review Criteria

5.2 Evaluation Factors and Criteria

5.3 Review and Selection Process

6. Federal Award Administration Information

6.1 Federal Award Notice

6.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

6.3 Administrative Regulations

6.4 Code of Federal Regulations and Other Government Requirements

6.5 Reporting Requirements

7. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

8. Other Information Appendix A: Urban/Rural Classification Instructions Appendix B: Optional Priority Group Declaration Checklist (Bonus Points) Appendix C: Suggested Budget Narrative Template and Checklist Appendix D: Template CNP Operator Letter of Commitment Appendix E: Match Letter Template

1. Program Description and Objectives

1.1 Executive Summary

The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program is designed to increase the availability of local foods in schools and connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals. Grants can launch new farm to school programs or expand existing efforts. The objective of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Farm to School Implementation Grant is to improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to school programming that includes both local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. Project proposals should incorporate both elements of the required objective.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Farm to School Implementation Grant awards projects of 24 months in length for funding up to $500,000. Applicants are required to provide matching support of at least 25 percent of the total project budget in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Eligible applicants for the Implementation grant may include schools and other institutions that operate Child Nutrition Programs, Indian Tribal Organizations, agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, non-profit entities, and local agencies. Note that State agencies are not eligible for Farm to School Implementation Grants. Please see section 3 for additional details on eligibility.

This RFA is one of three funding opportunities being offered under the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program in FY 2025. Please see the RFA Grant Track Decision Document under the “Related Documents” tab for this opportunity in grants.gov for more information on the different grant types.

1.2 Legislative Authority

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) establishes a Farm to School Program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Child Nutrition Programs (CNP), including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Authorizing language in Section 18(g) of the NSLA (42 U.S.C 1769(g)) directs the Secretary of Agriculture to award competitive grants, designed to improve access to local foods in eligible schools, for activities such as:

• Training;

• Supporting operations;

• Planning;

• Purchasing equipment;

• Developing school gardens;

• Developing partnerships; and

• Implementing farm to school programs.

Each year $5 million is provided to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support grants, technical assistance, and other activities related to USDA’s Farm to School Program. Additional funding for the Farm to School Program was made available from FY 2018 through FY 2024 agriculture appropriations acts and, as a result, USDA expects to award approximately $12 million across three separate Farm to School Program grant award opportunities (Turnkey, State Agency, and Implementation). Approximately $5 million is anticipated to be awarded under this opportunity (i.e. the Farm to School Implementation Grant opportunity). The awarding of grants under this opportunity is subject to the availability of funding.

As mandated by the NSLA, grant projects selected for award are limited to no more than $100,000. However, in recent years Congress provided authority for USDA to award grant projects of up to $500,000, at their discretion. In anticipation of this authority being provided in the FY 2025, USDA will consider proposals of up to $500,000 for Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs). Other eligible entities can apply for up to $500,000 if their projects are Nationwide or Multi-State in scope, described in Section 4.2 below. All other proposals are limited to $100,000.

Geographic Diversity and Equity: The NSLA also directs the Secretary to ensure geographical diversity and equitable treatment of urban, rural, and tribal communities in the distribution of grant awards, as well as give the highest priority to funding projects as determined by the Secretary. Please refer to section 5.2 for more information on priority points.

Matching Support: The NSLA also requires each Farm to School Grant recipient to provide matching support in the form of cash or in-kind contributions and agree to cooperate in an evaluation of the program carried out using grant funds. Please refer to Section 3.3 for a discussion of matching and in-kind requirements.

1.3 What is Farm to School?

While individual farm to school programs are shaped by their unique community, geographic region, and scope, the term ‘farm to school’ is generally understood to include efforts that connect schools with local or regional farmers, food processors, and manufacturers in order to serve locally or regionally procured foods in school cafeterias. Bringing more locally sourced, fresh fruits and vegetables into school cafeterias is a foundational activity of many farm to school efforts.

Additionally, USDA considers farm to school to be inclusive of many types of producers, such as farmers, ranchers, and fishers, as well as many types of food businesses, including food processors, manufacturers, distributors, and other value-added operations. Farm to school also encompasses a variety of CNP meal-serving institutions, including schools, child care institutions, and summer sponsors and sites. These entities are broadly referred to as CNP operators or CNP sites in this RFA.

In addition to local sourcing activities, farm to school programs often include agriculture and nutrition-based educational efforts including standards-based curriculum and a whole host of hands-on experiential activities, such as school gardens, field trips to local farms, and cooking classes. To embed farm to school activities into school culture, promotion and outreach efforts often aim to keep farm to school activities front and center in both the school and broader community.

The potential impact of farm to school programs is significant. Farm to school programs are believed to strengthen children’s and communities’ knowledge about, and attitudes toward, agriculture, food, nutrition, and the environment; increase children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables; increase market opportunities for farmers, fishers, ranchers, food processors, and food manufacturers; and support economic development across numerous sectors.

1.4 Defining Local Sourcing and Local Foods

For the purposes of farm to school, USDA does not define “local.” Instead, CNP operators and applicants to this RFA may have varying definitions of “local” that align with their needs and goals. Local and regional food systems typically include the producing, processing, distributing, and marketing of foods within a specific geographic area. How a program operator defines “local” or “regional” – which are used interchangeably in this RFA – can depend on geographic, social, governmental, physical, or economic parameters, seasonality, and/or other factors. This definition is not all encompassing, as program operators may vary their definition of “local” or “regional” for specific foods or food groups to best align with what is available in their geographic area.

There are a variety of methods by which CNP operators may source local foods for service in their meal programs. The primary method is by purchasing or procuring foods from local producers, sometimes through intermediaries like distributors and food hubs, using allowable procurement methods. Program operators also source local foods by receiving donated foods from a variety of sources like school gardens, local producers, and local community organizations.

1.5 Funding Priorities (Bonus Scoring Points)

The FY 2025 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Implementation Grant Program takes a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all in farm to school programming, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. To reflect this, the FY 2025 Farm to School Implementation Grant awards have incorporated equity through its scoring incentives (bonus points). Please see section 5.2 for specific information.

1.6 Key Objectives

Below is the Program Objective for the FY 2025 Farm to School Implementation Grant. Applicants must propose activities which align with the objective below. Note that if awarded, grantees will be required to report progress on their proposed activities using the FNS-908 Performance Progress Report.

# Objectives Objective #1 Improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to school programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts.

2. Federal Award Information

2.1 Type of Federal Assistance

The following information is intended to provide applicants with information to help make informed decisions about proposal submissions.

• Total amount of funding that FNS expects to award: Approximately $5 million

• Anticipated number of awards: 75

• Minimum award amount (award floor): $50,000

• Maximum award amount (award ceiling): $500,000*

• Anticipated award announcement date: July 2025

• Anticipated period of performance (24 months): July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027

• Application due date: January 10, 2025

*USDA will consider proposals of up to $500,000 for Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs). Other eligible entities can apply for up to $500,000 if their projects are Nationwide or Multi-State in scope, described in Section 4.2 below. All other proposals are limited to $100,000.

Please note:

• Grant awards are subject to the availability of funding and/or appropriations of funds.

• FNS reserves the right to use this the results of this funding opportunity and competition to award additional grants this year or the subsequent fiscal year, should additional funds become available.

2.2 Period of Performance

The period of performance for the FY 2025 USDA Farm to School Implementation Grant will be 24 months and the start date for project activities cannot begin prior to July 1, 2025 and must end by June 30th, 2027. However, a grantee might not need the entire 24 month grant period to complete their projects and may be allowed to close out early. All grant funds must be obligated, and all program activities under the grant (other than activities relating to the closeout of the grant) must be completed by the end of the period of performance Therefore, applicants are expected to plan accordingly to achieve project deliverables within the award period.

2.3 Allowable Costs

To accomplish Farm to School Grant Program goals, grantees must ensure that the best use of the available funding is achieved. Expenditures and purchases need to contribute to an approved project activity. In approving grant or subgrant expenditures, a positive answer should always be sought to the following questions:

• Is the cost applicable to my grant and/or the subgrant’s objectives?

• Is the cost allowable according to program cost principles?

• Is the cost reasonable, appropriate, and necessary?

Budgets may also include expenses related to personnel, contractors, equipment and supplies, meeting expenses (other than meals), travel, and trainings.

Please refer to the general guidance under the Cost Principles found in 2 CFR 200, Equipment and Supplies Expenditures for both equipment (i.e., items of personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a cost of $10,000 or more, such as walk-in freezers, coolers, processing equipment, hoop houses, salad bars, and ovens) and supplies (e.g., knives, cutting boards, gardening or farming implements, and food processors) are allowable expenses. Note that all equipment purchases require prior approval. FNS reserves the right to approve/disapprove these expenditures based upon the needs of the Agency and the proposed project.

Equipment and supplies purchased using Farm to School Grant Program funds must be used during the grant period for the sole purpose of accomplishing the stated project objective. If purchased equipment or supplies are not fully dedicated to the grant project objective, including beyond the grant period end date, the applicant must allocate the cost accordingly, i.e. determine https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 what percentage of the good’s time or space will be dedicated to project activities. This percentage must then be applied to the value of the good to determine the amount of Federal funds that can be used to purchase said good. All equipment over $10,000 have specific reporting and disposition requirements outlined at 2 CFR 200.313.

For example: Purchase of a large walk-in freezer that will store local foods for CNP site(s) but will also store food for the community food pantry.

• Walk-in freezer total cost: $8,000

• 25 percent of freezer space used to store food that will be served in CNP site(s)

• $8,000 x 25 percent = $2,000 (amount of Federal funds that can be used to make this purchase)

Greenhouses Building a greenhouse may be an allowable use of Farm to School Grant funds. However, the grant funds cannot be not placed in the school food service account at any time. As with the Equipment and Supplies subcategory the applicant must determine what percentage of the greenhouse’s time or space will be dedicated to project activities. This percentage must then be applied to the value of the good to determine the amount of Federal funds that can be used to purchase said good. All equipment over $10,000 has additional reporting and disposition requirements. Awarded applicants must adhere to the requirements contained at 2 CFR 200.313.

Food Expenses No more than 10 percent of the federal share of grant funds may be used for food purchases, and the use must be clearly delineated in the grant budget. The goal of funded projects should be to make local food products available on menus long-term. Food purchases should be limited to educational purposes only, such as farm to school sample tables, taste tests, or promotional use.

Food costs related to conducting a test offering of a new local or regional product are also deemed an appropriate use of funds. Any food purchase, as well as any expenditures associated with food purchases, must be clearly identified within the submitted budget narrative.

Partnerships Partners essential to the proposed project and partners contributing to project activities may require funding from USDA to participate in the proposed project. These funds may be included in applicant budgets as subgrantees or line-item contractors. Describe the specific services provided by the partner and provide a rationale for the partner(s) services and how these costs were calculated in both the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative.

Evaluation As proposals should include an evaluation component, costs associated with evaluation activities are allowed. The evaluation methods and measurement tools in the proposal must be appropriate for the grant objective.

Promotional Items The purchase of promotional items is allowed if they are directly related to the grant proposal’s objective, and the need must be clearly described in the application. Any cost associated with such promotions must be reasonable in comparison to the grant funding. Individual items may not total more than $5 dollars each. Promotional costs associated with advertising and public relations are unallowable. The term “advertising costs” means the costs of advertising media and corollary administrative costs. Advertising media include magazines, newspapers, radio and https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR8feb98c2e3e5ad2/section-200.313 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR8feb98c2e3e5ad2/section-200.313 television, direct mail, exhibits, and electronic or computer transmittals (2 CFR 200.421 Advertising and Public Relations).

Staff Development and/or Substitute Pay Farm to School Implementation Grant funds may be used to hire substitute food service staff while school food service staff attend workshops and training related to the activities of the awarded grant. For accounting purposes, a record of who attended the session, how long it lasted, and the purpose of the session is required.

Stipends Stipends may be an allowable expense, but the applicant should describe how they will be used and how the amount was determined. Please refer to 2 CFR 200.1 and 2 CFR 200.456, Participant Support Costs, for further information.

Subgrants Applicants that award subgrants are expected to:

• Provide oversight to these subgrant recipients to ensure that expenditures authorized under the subgrants are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.

• Ensure that all expenditures are consistent with all local, State, and Federal policies, regulations, and procedures.

• Ensure that the expenditure does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under similar circumstances and would qualify as a sound business practice.

• Ensure that funds support the grant objective.

• Clearly describe their process for awarding subgrants in the project narrative, to include sub-grant objectives, allowable costs, and plans for management and oversight of sub-grants.

Please refer to 2 CFR 200 for complete information on requirements for subgrants, primarily 2 CFR

200.331 and 2 CFR 200.332.

Travel Reimbursement for travel and hotel costs for project staff or participants to attend trainings and activities related to the grant is allowable. A clear oversight process must be in place to ensure the appropriate use of funds according to established travel allowances.

2.4 Unallowable Costs

All costs proposed in the budget and detailed in the budget narrative must be allowable, reasonable, necessary, and allocable. Refer to 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles for a detailed description of all allowable and unallowable costs.

Entertainment Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any associated costs are unallowable (such as mascot costumes, etc.) unless there is a programmatic purpose and prior approval is granted by FNS.

Meals or Snacks for Training or Meeting Attendees Meals and snacks for training or meeting attendees are not an allowable expense under this grant opportunity.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.421 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.421 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.421 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XI/subchapter-A/part-1108/subpart-B/section-1108.280 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.331 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.331 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.332 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.421

AmeriCorps and FoodCorps Because AmeriCorps and FoodCorps programs are federally funded programs, Farm to School Grant funds may not be used to pay for AmeriCorps/FoodCorps service member stipends or benefits, either directly or as matching funds. Additionally, service member time may not be used as match for a Farm to School Grant. However, service site fees that do not support service member stipends or benefits, or project activities conducted by AmeriCorps/FoodCorps programs, sites, and/or service members may be allowable grant costs. Applicants must confirm in their narrative that they are not requesting Farm to School grant funds for items or activities that are already funded with federal dollars.

Gift Cards Gift cards are not an allowable expense under this grant opportunity. For the purposes of this grant opportunity, “gift cards” refers to any token, voucher, ticket, certificate, or other item with cash value that serves as a substitute for cash.

Vehicles Purchasing a vehicle with grant funds is not an allowable cost. Applicants can consider leasing a vehicle or purchasing a trailer/attachment if there is a clear need for delivery of the grant project.

Trailers and/or attachments are not permitted to be self-propelling (i.e., have an engine).

3. Eligibility Information

3.1 Eligible Applicants

Entities not meeting the eligibility definitions will be deemed ineligible and removed from competition without further consideration. The following are eligible entities for the FY 2025 Farm to School Implementation Grant, which are described in more detail below.

• Eligible schools, including non-profit private and charter schools, which operate the NSLP and/or SBP;

• Eligible child care institutions, including non-school based institutions that have an agreement with the State agency to operate CACFP;

• Eligible SFSP sponsors, including non-school based institutions that have an agreement with the State agency to operate SFSP;

• Local agencies;

• Indian Tribal Organizations and Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs);

• Agricultural producers; and

• Non-profit entities.

Entity type must be clearly indicated and unambiguous in all application materials. Applicants can only apply as one entity type. If an applicant can meet the criteria for more than one eligibility type, they should choose the entity type that best aligns with their organization. If USDA cannot determine the applicant to be an eligible entity based on information contained within the application, the applicant will be deemed ineligible and removed from competition without further consideration.

Additionally, applicants can only submit one application across the three FY 2025 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant solicitations (i.e. Implementation, Turnkey or State Agency). If multiple packages are submitted through Grants.gov by the same applicant to more than one FY 2025

Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant solicitations ALL submissions will be removed from further consideration.

Finally, multiple applications from within the same entity will not be considered. For example, if both a school district and an individual school within the district apply, BOTH submissions will be removed from further consideration.

Note: In cases where an applicant is deemed nonresponsive for failing to submit required elements or documents associated with this RFA they will be considered ineligible and removed from consideration. Those applicants who fail to submit any required documents or forms will be deemed NONRESPONSIVE and therefore will be INELIGIBLE to participate in the competition and removed from further consideration.

Eligible schools are defined as schools (including private schools and charter schools) that participate in the NSLP, CACFP, or SFSP as authorized under the NSLA or the SBP established under Section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. The applicant school and any other school(s) that comprise the primary focus of the grant project must have an agreement with the appropriate administering State agency to participate in the NSLP, CACFP, SFSP, and/or SBP, and must be in good standing. Where a school food authority (SFA) exists, the application must come from the SFA, and only one application per SFA is allowed. School districts should select “Eligible school” when completing the Farm to School Coversheet. FNS will not choose between different applications from the same entity to determine which should be forwarded for consideration.

Schools that are NOT CNP operators are ineligible, even if supplying a CNP operator/administrator letter from a partnering entity.

Eligible child care institutions are defined as non-school based institutions that have an agreement with the State agency to operate CACFP. The applicant and any other institutions and site(s) that comprise the primary focus of the grant project must have an agreement with the appropriate administering State agency to participate in CACFP and must be in good standing.

Note that individual day care homes are not eligible as lead applicants, based on the definition of “day care home” in 7 CFR 226.2, but a sponsoring organization may apply as the lead applicant for a project serving one or more day care homes it sponsors.

Eligible summer sponsors are defined as non-school based institutions that have an agreement with the State agency to operate SFSP. The applicant and any other sponsors and site(s) that comprise the primary focus of the grant project must have an agreement with the appropriate administering State agency to participate in SFSP and must be in good standing.

Local agencies are any unit of government within a State, including but not limited to a county, borough, municipality, city, town, township, parish, special district, or council of governments.

Note: For the purposes of this RFA, school districts, SFAs, and other institutions operating CNPs are not considered local agencies and should select “eligible school,” “eligible child care institution,” or “eligible summer institution” on the Farm to School coversheet, as appropriate.

Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) include:

• An Indian tribe, band, or group recognized by the Department of the Interior; an intertribal council or group which is an authorized representative of Indian tribes, bands, or groups recognized by the Department of the Interior and which has an ongoing relationship with such tribes, bands, or groups for other purposes and has contracted with them to administer a Federal CNP located in an eligible school; and tribal entities recognized as charitable under Section 7871 of the Internal Revenue Code (https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/indian-tribal-governments/irc-section- 7871treatment-of-indian-tribes-as-states).

• Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) means any Regional Corporation, Village Corporation, Urban Corporation, or Group Corporation organized under the laws of the State of Alaska in accordance with the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1601, et seq.) and which is considered a minority and economically disadvantaged concern under the criteria at 43 U.S.C. 1626(e)(1). This definition also includes ANC direct and indirect subsidiary corporations, joint ventures, and partnerships that meet the requirements of 43 U.S.C. 1626(e)(2).

Agricultural producers are defined as any individual or entity that produces an agricultural commodity or agricultural food product. Please note that agricultural producers are not limited to those producing fruits, vegetables, or grains, but also include fishers, ranchers, and those raising other livestock for consumption. For the purposes of this Grant Program, an eligible agricultural producer is any individual or entity who operates a small-to medium-sized farm. A small-to medium-sized farm is any place from which up to $1 million (gross) of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the previous calendar year.

Alternatively, a small-to medium-sized farm is any place with land acreage measuring less than 1,582 acres that produced and sold, or normally would have sold agricultural products.

Groups of agricultural producers are defined as cooperatives, food hubs, or non-profit membership organizations that represent independent producers whose mission includes working on behalf of independent producers and the majority of whose membership and board of directors is comprised of independent producers representing eligible agricultural producers. Groups of agricultural producers must represent small-to medium-sized agricultural producers as their primary stakeholders.

Non-profit entities are defined as any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization which: (1) is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest; (2) is not organized primarily for profit; and (3) uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its operations. For the purposes of this Grant Program, non-profit entities are required to have 501(c) status. If a non-profit entity operates a CNP, they should select “eligible school,” “eligible child care institution,” or “eligible summer institution,” as appropriate, on the application coversheet rather than selecting “non-profit entity.” For the purposes of this Farm to School Grant Program, the term “non-profit entity” excludes colleges and universities, college and university foundations, cooperative extension services, hospitals, hospital foundations, and State, local, and Federally recognized Indian tribal governments. Applicants applying under this entity type must provide documentation of their 501(c) status. Note that schools are not eligible to apply as non-profit entities.

3.1.1 Eligible Child Nutrition Programs

If a proposal seeks to target a specific school(s) or site(s), the school(s) or site(s) must participate in one or more of the CNPs (e.g., NSLP, CACFP, SFSP, and/or SBP).

https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/indian-tribal-governments/irc-section-7871treatment-of-indian-tribes-as-states https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/indian-tribal-governments/irc-section-7871treatment-of-indian-tribes-as-states

3.1.2 Current and Former Farm to School Grantee Eligibility

Organizations which received Implementation grants through the USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program in the last three funding cycles (FY 2022 – FY 2024) are ineligible to apply for an FY 2025 Farm to School Implementation grant.

Other current or former Farm to School grantees (which meet the eligibility requirements of this opportunity) may apply for a FY 2025 Farm to School Implementation Grant provided that they will have passed the performance period end date of the earlier grant (as documented on their most recent fully executed FNS-529) by the close date (i.e. January 10, 2025).

To be considered for a FY 2025 Farm to School Implementation grant, all entities in receipt of any existing or prior year Farm to School grant must have submitted all required deliverables by January 10, 2025. Grant deliverables include all progress and financial status reports and an Action Plan, if applicable.

No statement in this RFA supersedes the terms and conditions of a previously awarded grant with respect to the final due date of any deliverables. Submitting all required deliverables, including reports and, if applicable, an Action Plan, is an independent requirement for applicants to the FY 2025 Farm to School Grant Program, regardless of the year of the prior award. FNS strongly advises past grantees interested in applying for the FY 2025 Farm to School Implementation grant to contact FNS well in advance of the application deadline to ensure they have completed all grant requirements for their past grant. See Section 7.0 for the appropriate point of contact for questions about this solicitation.

3.2 Ineligible Applicants

Any entities that do not fall into one of the categories described in Section 3.1 are ineligible for this grant. However, the following additional details are included to address ineligible entity types that have applied for this grant in prior cycles.

Applicants identified as any of the entity types described below will have their application removed from competition without further consideration. Please note that the list below is not a comprehensive list of all ineligible entity types. This section is provided as a resource to address frequently asked questions which FNS often receives from one or more of the entity types described below.

Individuals, such as individual parents or teachers, are ineligible for the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program.

Institutions of higher education, including colleges and universities, are ineligible for the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. Note that for the purposes of this RFA, Indian Tribal Colleges and university foundations are considered institutions of higher education and are not eligible as the lead applicant. Institutions of higher education are ineligible regardless of 501(c) status. Institutions of higher education can be key partners.

Hospitals, as defined by 2 CFR 200.1 "Hospital" are ineligible for the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. Note that for the purposes of this RFA, hospital foundations are considered ineligible entities and are not eligible as the lead applicant. Hospitals and hospital foundations are ineligible regardless of 501(c) status. Hospitals and hospital foundations can be key partners.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1

Cooperative extension services are ineligible for a Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant.

Cooperative extension service is defined by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture as “a nationwide, non‐credit educational network that addresses public needs by providing non‐formal higher education and learning activities to farmers, ranchers, communities, youth and families throughout the nation.” Cooperative extension services are ineligible regardless of 501(c) status.

Cooperative extension services can be key partners.

State agencies are ineligible for the FY 2025 Farm to School Implementation grant. State agencies are eligible for the FY 2025 Farm to School State Agency grant, which is captured under a separate funding opportunity. State agencies are any statewide government agency that administers or works in partnership with the agency that administers the Federal CNPs (e.g., Office of Public Instruction, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, etc.).

3.3 Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

Federal funds must constitute no more than 75 percent of the total project budget. Applicants may not use any federal funds as the source of any part of their match. The grant recipient must show evidence of matching support of at least 25 percent of the total budget in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, including facilities, equipment, or services provided by State and local governments, non-profit organizations, and private sources as defined in The Richard B. Russell NSLA (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.). Applications that fail to provide evidence of matching support of at least 25 percent of the total budget will result in a nonresponsive determination and be removed from consideration for award. This evidence must be in the form of a match letter, described below. Please note that FNS will not round up to 25% if the applicant proposes a match percentage below 25%. For example, applicants proposing a 24.99% match will be deemed ineligible and removed from consideration

Federal Funds (no more than 75 percent of total) + Match funds (no less than 25 percent of total) = Project total. For a $100,000 grant, the minimum match required is $33,334. The below examples show the breakdown of two example match calculations.

Sample Match A Amount Grant Request: $100,000 Match Amount: $33,334 Total Project Cost: $133,334 Match Percent: 25 percent (match ÷ total project cost) USDA Percent: 75 percent (grant request ÷ total project cost)

Sample Match B Amount Grant Request: $50,000 Match Amount: $16,667 Total Project Cost: $66,667 Match Percent: 25 percent (match ÷ total project cost) USDA Percent: 75 percent (grant request ÷ total project cost)

In-kind contributions are generally defined as the value of goods or services provided by a third-party for the benefit of the Grant Program, where no funds transferred hands. Applicants may not use Federal funds of any kind, including Federal non-profit school food service account funds, as a match for this Grant Program. The host agency contribution to support AmeriCorps and FoodCorps service member stipends is unallowable as a match because both AmeriCorps and FoodCorps are federally funded programs. The match contributions reflected in the submitted grant proposal must be documented, including the basis for the value determination, as well as be reasonable, allocable, and allowable under the criteria for this grant award.

Matching funds may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For example, the value of buildings and/or property are unallowable costs for the Farm to School Grant, and therefore unallowable as a source of matching funds. The property values associated with land or buildings are not permitted as match.

Additional information about allowable and unallowable costs is available in Sections 2.3 and Section 2.4. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with 2 CFR 200.306.

Match Letters: All applicants are required to submit signed letters verifying matching funds for each and every cash and/or in-kind resource including applicants whose budgets indicate a match from their own organization. Match letters are considered separate from letters of commitment described in Section 3.3, and match letters are not subject to the three-document limit that applies to letters of commitment. An applicant must include a signed letter verifying matching funds for every cash and/or in-kind match source included in the budget.

• What to include: Each match letter must include the source, exact dollar amount, and description of how the match was calculated. The match letter must include the source of matching funds, even if the match is cash supplied from within the applicant’s own organization.

o Match letters that do not include the specific dollar amount, how the calculation was derived, and the source of funds will be deemed insufficient and removed from consideration.

o Match letters may be addressed to “Erica Antonson, Acting Branch Chief, Grants Management Operations Branch.”

Insufficient match documentation is a frequent reason for removal from the competition (e.g.

amounts in match letters do not align with the amounts in the SF-424 and budget narrative).

Please ensure all match documentation provided carefully follows the instructions.

Maintaining Written Records: If awarded, the grantee must maintain written records to support all allowable costs claimed as being a match contribution, as well as costs paid by the Federal Government. In the event the grantee does not provide the minimum amount of cost share, as described in the budget and budget narrative, the Government’s contribution will be reduced in proportion to the grantee’s contribution. These requirements will be described in more detail in the Terms and Conditions provided upon award.

3.4 Pre-Award Screening Requirements

In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the FNS review of risk posed by applicants will be based on the following:

• SAM.gov, the System for Award Management, the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306

• FAPIIS, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance

• FNS Risk Assessment Questionnaire.

Applicants must complete the FNS-906 Grant Program Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire that allows FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports, and findings from audits.

The questionnaire contains questions that may be an indicator of potential risk.

The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated systems and the risk assessment questionnaire may result in FNS imposing special conditions or additional oversight requirements that correspond to the degree of risk assessed. If you have an audit in the past five years, please include your audit report as an attachment.

4. Application and Submission Information

4.1 Content and Form of Application Submission

4.1.1 Special Instructions

• Letters of commitment must be submitted with the application through Grants.gov. Letters submitted via email will not be considered.

• FNS reserves the right to request clarification on any application submitted in response to this solicitation.

• Applications not submitted via Grants.gov will not be considered.

• If multiple application packages are submitted through Grants.gov by the same applicant in response to this opportunity, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

• If multiple packages are submitted through Grants.gov by the same applicant to multiple FY 2025 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant opportunities (i.e. Implementation, Turnkey, or State Agency) ALL submissions will be removed from consideration.

• Late application submissions will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

4.1.2 Required Elements and Formatting

FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following application format. The proposed project narrative, budget narrative, and supporting documents should be presented on 8 ½-inch x 11-inch white pages with at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced in Times New Roman 12-point font, except for the budget narrative and Activities/Indicators Tracker, which may be no smaller than 10-point. All pages, excluding form pages, must be numbered.

All applications, unless otherwise noted, should meet the following formatting guidelines:

• Table of contents: (not counted towards page limit) The Table of Contents should include relevant sections, subsections, and associated page numbers.

• Project Narrative: Five-page maximum length project narrative in total, which includes the following three sections:

Project Description

Organizational Experience and Management Evaluation and Sustainability o The Project Narrative page restrictions apply only to the content of the narrative proposals and do not apply to other required forms/attachments, nor to the budget-related documents. Pages exceeding the stated page limits will be omitted during the review process. Applications that do not include required narratives will be removed from consideration.

• Activities/Indicators Tracker:…