_Request for Applications_FY 2026 Farm to School Grant Program.pdf

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

Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program

Fiscal Year 2026 Request for Applications (RFA) Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 10.575

Release Date: September 10, 2025

Application Due Date: December 5, 2025; 11:59 pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Anticipated Award Date: June 2026

This information is being collected to assist the Food and Nutrition Service in collecting information from grant applicants that is needed to evaluate and rank applicants and protect the integrity of the grantee selection process. This is a voluntary collection and FNS will use the information to solicit applications to the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. This collection does request personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act of 1974. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Evidence, Analysis, and Regulatory Affairs, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-0512). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Form RFA 04-10-2025

Application Checklist

This Application Checklist provides applicants with a list of the required actions and documents that must be completed. 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 4.0 – Application

Content Information. This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section 5.0 – Application Review Information, and all necessary attachments.

When preparing your budget, ensure the following information is included:

All key staff proposed to be paid by this grant.

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.

Indirect cost information (either a copy of a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or if no agreement exists the applicant 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.

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.

When submitting your application, ensure you have submitted the following:

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 AD-3030 – Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for

Corporate Applicants (fillable PDF in Grants.gov). This document is only required if your organization is a corporation. The form is located in the optional tab of the Grants.gov application package.

http://www.grants.gov/ 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

FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement Application Project Summary Project Narrative – including Cover Sheet as first page 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 Partnership letter(s), if applicable Up to three resumes of key staff 501(c) letter, if applicable (must document current status)

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1.0 Program Description and Objectives

1.1 Executive Summary

1.2 Program Description

1.3 Key Objective

2.0 Federal Award Information

2.1 Allowable Costs

2.2 Funding Restrictions

3.0 Eligibility Information

3.1 Eligible Applicants

3.2 Partnerships

3.3 Geographic Location

3.4 Failure to Submit Required Documents or Forms

3.5 Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

3.6 Pre-Award Screening Requirements

3.7 Acknowledgement of USDA Support

3.8 Current and Former Farm to School Grantee Eligibility

4.0 Application Content Information

4.1 Special Instructions

4.2 Application Project Summary

4.3 Cover Sheet

4.4 Project Narrative

4.5 Application Budget Narrative

4.6 Match Letters

4.7 Partnership Letters

4.8 Key Staff Resumes

4.9 501(c) Documentation

4.10 Required Grant Application Forms

5.0 Application Review Information

5.1 Review Criteria

5.2 Review and Selection Process

6.0 Application Submission Information

6.1 Submission Date

6.2 Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov

6.3 How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov

6.4 Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

7.0 Federal Award Administration Information

7.1 Federal Award Notice

7.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

7.3 Reporting Requirements

8.0 Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

9.0 Other Information

9.1 Debriefing Requests

Appendix A: Project Narrative Template Appendix B: Budget Narrative Template and Instructions Appendix C: Budget Narrative Checklist Appendix D: Match Letter Template Appendix E: Partnership Letter Template Appendix F: SF-424 and SF-424A Instructions Appendix G: FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR)

1.0 Program Description and Objectives

1.1 Executive Summary

The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, authorized in the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), is designed to increase the availability of local foods in Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operations and connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for CNP meals. Grants can be used to launch new farm to CNP1 programs or expand existing efforts. The objective of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Farm to School Grant is to improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to CNP programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. These grants are expected to improve child health and nutrition and reinvigorate American agriculture by better connecting American farmers and producers with USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs.

This Request for Application (RFA) differs significantly in several important ways from past Farm to School Grant Program solicitations, including eligibility, funding amounts available, and project scope. Please read the RFA thoroughly for complete information.

1.2 Program Description

Section 18 of the NSLA (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to “carry out a program to assist eligible schools, State and local agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers, and non-profit entities through grants and technical assistance to implement farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.”

The FY 2026 Farm to School Grant program will fund projects of 24 months in length for requests ranging from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $500,000. As mandated by the NSLA, grant projects selected for an 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 FY 2026, USDA will consider proposals for up to $500,000 pending FY 2026 appropriations. 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 are State agencies, ITOs, CNP operators, local agencies, agricultural producers and groups of agricultural producers, and non-profit organizations. While State agencies and ITOs may apply as a single entity, please note that in FY 2026, in a change from previous Farm to School Grants all other eligible entities are required to apply as a part of a partnership. One partner must serve as the coordinating entity for the purposes of this grant program. Partnerships must be composed of no fewer than three confirmed partners (including the coordinating entity), at least one of which must be an eligible CNP operator. Please read the RFA thoroughly for full eligibility requirements, available in Section 3.0.

1 Note that “Farm to School” is used to refer to the “Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program” while “farm to CNP” is used to refer to the kinds of activities that applicants may propose under this solicitation, to reflect the pursuit of “farm to” activities in all CNPs, not only those operating at schools.

The FY 2026 Farm to School Grant Program takes multiple steps in support of USDA’s initiatives to put farmers first and promote healthy choices, healthy families, and healthy outcomes. This year’s opportunity streamlines the application process by requiring less paperwork and providing additional instructions for forms that are required. The Grant Program supports expanding access for small family farms to markets and infrastructure by facilitating connections to the child nutrition marketplace, particularly through the new partnership model. Furthermore, the Grant Program’s commitment to educating children about the source of their food and support for agricultural education helps prepare the next generation of farmers. USDA’s commitment to serving farmers through the Farm to School Grant Program will help farmers start and stay in business for generations to come.

1.3 Key Objective

The program objective for the FY 2026 Farm to School Grant Program is below:

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

As noted in Section 4.4, within the “Activities/Indicators Tracker,” proposed activities should clearly align with the objective and their associated activities and indicators. Note that if awarded, grantees will be required to report on the progress of activities aligned with the required objective and must use the FNS-908 Performance Progress Report. Careful consideration of proposed activities and indicators will prepare grantees for their progress reporting requirements if awarded.

Examples of project activities that could be supported by FY 2026 Farm to School grants and support the required objective include, but are not limited to:

• Launching a pilot program that creates opportunities for eligible entities to create farm to CNP initiatives;

• Incorporating more unprocessed and value-added, minimally processed, locally or regionally sourced meal components into the CNP meals;

• Readying producers to participate in the CNP food marketplace by providing training on procurement regulations, Good Agricultural Practices, and other food safety-related topics;

• Improving infrastructure to accommodate new local ingredients or local menu items in CNP meals;

• Solving distribution bottlenecks that limit the feasibility of sourcing more locally or regionally produced items by working closely with intermediaries (e.g., distributors, food hubs);

• Integrating agricultural education with career and technical preparation programs to encourage the next generation of agricultural producers;

• Expanding experiential learning opportunities at CNP sites, such as creating school gardens, developing school-based farmers markets, providing support to agriculture/food clubs, and/or increasing exposure to local farms and on-farm activities;

• Encouraging increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in CNP sites through promotional activities, taste tests, and other activities featuring local products;

• Adopting agricultural education curricula that encourage the sharing of Indigenous traditional knowledge between generations, such as native plant varieties and planting practices; and https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/05/19/secretary-rollins-announces-farmers-first-small-family-farms-policy-agenda

• Developing and implementing integrated curriculum to reinforce food and nutrition-based learning throughout the school environment or on a local farm(s).

2.0 Federal Award Information

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

• Total amount of funding expected: $18 million

• Anticipated number of awards: 50

• Minimum award amount (award floor): $100,000

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

• Anticipated award announcement date: June 2026

• Anticipated period of performance (start and end date of the award): July 2026 – June

• Application due date: December 5, 2025

Please note:

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

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

2.1 Allowable Costs

To accomplish Farm to School Grant Program goals, grantees (including sub-awardees) 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 subaward expenditures, a positive answer should always be sought to the following questions:

• Is the cost applicable to my grant and/or the subaward’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 of performance 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 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 accordingly, i.e., determine 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: $12,000

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

• $12,000 x 25 percent = $3,000 (amount of Federal funds that can be used to make this purchase)

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.

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 must be limited to educational purposes only, such as at farm to CNP 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 must be clearly identified within the submitted budget narrative.

Greenhouses A greenhouse may be an allowable use of Farm to School Grant funds when supported by the scope of the project. However, the grant funds cannot be 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. Federal funds may be used for all costs associated with the greenhouse including labor, irrigation, electricity, building, and maintenance supplies. All equipment over $10,000 has additional reporting and disposition requirements.

Awarded applicants must adhere to the requirements contained at 2 CFR 200.313.

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 exceed a per unit cost of $5.

Staff Development and/or Substitute Pay Farm to School Grant funds may be used to hire substitute school staff while school 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.

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

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.

Subawards Applicants that provide subawards are expected to:

• Ensure that funds support the grant objective.

• Clearly describe their process for awarding subawards in the project narrative, to include subaward objectives, allowable costs, and plans for management and oversight of subawards.

• Provide oversight to subaward recipients to ensure that expenditures authorized under the subawards are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.

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

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

Please note that all costs allowed for subawards must be allowable costs per this RFA. For example, if a cost is unallowable per this RFA and associated regulations, it is also unallowable for subawards. The applicant must perform a substantive portion of the project, and no more than 49 percent (Federal and matching funds) as determined by budget expenditures, may be subawarded.

Please refer to 2 CFR 200 for complete information on requirements for subawards, 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.

2.2 Funding Restrictions

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 allowable and unallowable costs. This section is not intended to serve as a comprehensive reference for all unallowable costs; it is provided to support applicants in navigating some common scenarios for the Farm to School Grant Program.

Pre-award Costs Pre-award costs will not be permitted for this grant project.

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 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 narrative that they are not requesting Farm to School Grant funds for items or activities that are already funded with Federal dollars.

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.

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.

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.

Advertising and Public Relations Advertising costs and other 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 television, direct mail, exhibits, and electronic or computer transmittals (2 CFR 200.421 Advertising and Public Relations).

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).

3.0 Eligibility Information

3.1 Eligible Applicants

The following are eligible entities, which are described in more detail below.

Note: Under this RFA, all entities marked with an asterisk (*) must be part of a Partnership to be eligible to apply:

• State agencies

• Indian Tribal organizations

• Child Nutrition Program operators*

• Local agencies*

• Agricultural producers*

• Groups of agricultural producers*

• Non-profit organizations* o All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Organizations applying as any of the entities specified above, but which do not meet the eligibility definitions will be deemed ineligible and removed from competition without further consideration.

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

State Agencies 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.). Eligibility is not restricted to the State agency that administers the CNP(s).

ITOs 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-7871-treatment-of-indian-tribes-as-states). For the purposes of this grant program, Alaska Native Corporations are considered ITOs.

Child Nutrition Program Operators Schools and school districts, childcare institutions, and summer sponsors 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 and any other institution(s) 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 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. Schools that are not CNP operators are ineligible, even if they supply a partnership letter from a CNP operator. Individual day care homes are not eligible entities, based on the definition of “day care home” in 7 CFR 226.2, but a sponsoring organization may apply as the applicant for a project serving one or more day care homes it sponsors. CNP operators must be part of a partnership to apply.

Local Agencies 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 apply as a CNP operator. Local agencies must be part of a partnership to apply.

Agricultural Producers Agricultural producers include 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 RFA, 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. Agricultural producers must be part of a partnership to apply.

https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/indian-tribal-governments/irc-section-7871-treatment-of-indian-tribes-as-states https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/indian-tribal-governments/irc-section-7871-treatment-of-indian-tribes-as-states https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-226.2

Groups of Agricultural Producers 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 comprised of independent producers representing eligible agricultural producers. Groups of agricultural producers must represent small-to medium-sized agricultural producers as their primary stakeholders. Groups of agricultural producers must be part of a partnership to apply.

Non-profit Entities 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 and must include a 501(c) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with their application. For the purposes of this Farm to School Grant Program, the term “non-profit entity” excludes private schools, colleges and universities, college and university foundations, cooperative extension services, hospitals, hospital foundations, and State, local, and Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments. Non-profit entities must be part of a partnership to apply.

3.2 Partnerships

For the purposes of the FY 2026 Farm to School Grant Program, a partnership is a group of three or more entities, including a coordinating entity, that will participate in the Farm to School Grant projects. Partnerships must identify a coordinating entity to lead the project and to serve as the applicant and grantee (if selected). A partnership applicant must list at least two partners in the project narrative in addition to the coordinating entity and must submit two partnership letters (one page maximum in length) to be eligible for this funding opportunity. Each partnership letter must indicate the partner’s full commitment to the proposal and articulate their contribution to the project’s overarching objective. The coordinating entity is understood to be a member of the partnership; therefore, the partnership letters cannot be from the coordinating entity. Although partnerships may include three or more entities, only two partnership letters are required;

additional letters will not be considered. For more information regarding partnership letters please see Section 4.7 of the RFA.

Coordinating entities must be an eligible entity. The following eligible entities must apply via a partnership, or their application will be removed from consideration:

• Child Nutrition Program operators

• Local agencies

• Agricultural producers

• Groups of agricultural producers

• Non-profit organizations

The coordinating entity will submit the proposal in Grants.gov and be responsible for the grant administration in the post-award period. Note that ineligible entities may serve as partners;

however, if the coordinating entity is NOT a CNP operator/administrator, then at least one of their partners must be a CNP operator/administrator. For definitions of eligible entities, including those pertaining to CNP operators and administrators, please see Section 3.1.

By submitting an application in Grants.gov, the coordinating entity agrees to bear responsibility for overseeing the project throughout the entire period of performance and ensuring that all partners comply with applicable Federal grant requirements. All partners must actively engage in the project implementation and work collaboratively to optimize the use of project funds.

Awards will be issued solely to coordinating entities, which will serve as the primary recipients of the funds. Coordinating entities may elect to issue subawards to partner organizations or directly cover project related costs on their behalf.

If awarded the grant, the coordinating entity will be expected to:

• Request and gain access to the Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS) and the

Automated Standard Applications for Payments (ASAP), the two systems used by the farm to school recipients to submit progress reports and request grant payments, respectively.

• Coordinate all grant activities and serve as lead for all reporting and evaluation. Submit all Program Reports and Financial Reports on behalf of the partnership as described in the grant contract agreement.

• Communicate regularly with their partners to ensure the project stays on track.

• Confirm partner activities and spending have concluded by the period of performance end date.

• Identify a Project Coordinator (either full or part-time) for the grant who has experience with skills that will ensure overall project success (e.g., grant management, strong communication skills, experience in leading/overseeing collaborations).

• Sign and maintain responsibility for the award documents.

Entities can only serve as the coordinating entity for one application. If the same entity is the coordinating entity in multiple applications, all applications submitted by that organization will be removed from consideration. For example, if a CNP operator submits one application as the coordinating entity with two non-profits and then the same CNP operator submits a second application as the coordinating entity with a local agency and an agricultural producer, BOTH applications will be removed from consideration.

Note that coordinating entities may serve as partners on other applications but must not contribute or receive grant funds from one project to support another. Projects must be clearly segregated to ensure that multiple grant awards are not used to fund activities awarded under another FY 2026 Farm to School Grant.

3.3 Geographic Location

There are no geographic restrictions on the location of the partner entities in relation to the applicant; partners may be based in any U.S State, District of Columbia, or U.S territory that operates the Federal CNPs. International (non-U.S. or non-U.S. territories) entities are NOT eligible to apply. Entities located in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam are eligible to apply, given their participation in NSLP and SBP. Entities located in Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the Freely Associated States (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and Republic of Marshall Islands) are ineligible for this funding opportunity because they receive a Nutrition Assistance Program block grant.

3.4 Failure to Submit Required Documents or Forms

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. IN ADDITION: 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.

3.5 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 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 in Section 4.6.

Calculating Required Match You must calculate match as a percentage of the total project cost. For example:

Federal 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)

If you know how much Federal funding you would like to request, you can identify how much non- Federal match you must provide by dividing your grant request by 0.75 to find the total project cost (since the Federal request will be 75 percent of the total project cost), then subtracting your Federal grant request. For example:

($100,000 Federal Request ÷ 0.75) - $100,000 Federal Request = $33,334 Match Contribution. In this example, the total project cost would be $133,334

Note that the match contribution in the example above is rounded up from the actual amount of $33,333.33. All request amounts must be in whole dollars and you must round up. In this example, if you rounded down to $33,333, the match contribution would be 24.99 percent, would not meet the 25 percent requirement, and your application would be removed. Rounding up to calculate the match contribution percentage is prohibited.

Please note, the Farm to School Grant Program has received applications requesting $100,000 in Federal funds with a proposed $25,000 match. The total project cost in this case is $125,000, so $25,000 would be a 20 percent match and the application would be removed from consideration.

If you request $100,000 with a $25,000 match, your application will be removed as $25,000 is not sufficient match for that request amount.

Total Project Cost Federal Grant Request (i.e. Federal Share)

Match Amount (i.e. Grantee Share)

$133,334 $100,000 $33,334

$300,000 $225,000 $75,000

$666,667 $500,000 $166,667

Allowable and Unallowable Non-Federal Match 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 food service funds, as a match for this grant program.

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. Additional information about allowable and unallowable costs is available in Sections 2.1 and 2.2, respectively. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with 2 CFR 200.306.

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.

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 in the post-award period, 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.

3.6 Pre-Award Screening Requirements

In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, prior to making a Federal award, Federal awarding agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.205, are required to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualifications or financial integrity information. Additionally, Federal awarding agencies are required to have a framework in place for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. 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, EPLS, and FAPIIS.

• FNS Risk Assessment Questionnaire (FNS-906) o Applicants must complete the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial

Capability Questionnaire that allows FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.205 reports, and findings from audits. The questionnaire contains a number of 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.

3.7 Acknowledgement of USDA Support

As outlined in 2 CFR 415.2, grant recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA FNS support on any publications written or published with grant support and, if feasible, on any publication reporting the results of, or describing, a grant-supported activity. Grant recipients may be asked to host USDA officials for a site visit during the course of their grant award. All costs associated with the site visit will be paid for by USDA and are not expected to be included in grant budgets.

3.8 Current and Former Farm to School Grantee Eligibility

To be considered for this Grant Program, all entities in receipt of any existing or prior year Farm to School grant must be in good standing and current on required deliverables by the application deadline. 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 2026 Farm to School Grant Program, regardless of the year of the prior award. FNS strongly advises past grantees interested in applying for the FY 2026 Farm to School grant to contact FNS well in advance of the application deadline to ensure they have completed or are current on all grant requirements for their past grant. See Section 8.0 for the appropriate point of contact for questions about this solicitation.

4.0 Application Content Information

4.1 Special Instructions

• 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.

• Applications submitted without the required supporting documents, forms, certification will not be considered.

• Applications missing a written project or budget narrative will not be considered and deemed nonresponsive and removed from further consideration.

• 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 solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-415.2

• Documents should be formatted to fit on an 8.5 x 11-inch page, with a clearly legible font no smaller than 11-point. Using 10-point font in tables is acceptable.

4.2 Application Project Summary

The application should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal were to be funded.

Clearly summarize, in the third person, the work your organization will do as a result of receiving funding, who it will impact, and which key partners will be involved. If awarded funding, this description will be used in publicly available documents. Submit the project summary using the Project Abstract Summary form in Grants.gov.

4.3 Cover Sheet

As demonstrated in Appendix A: Project Narrative Template, the applicant must include a cover sheet with the following information as the first page of the project narrative. Do not include other project narrative sections on the cover sheet.

Indicate the applicant name. This must match the Legal Name in the SF-424, Box 8a.

Indicate the type of application they are submitting from one of three options:

• State Agency

• ITO

• Partnership

Indicate the applicant’s entity type from one of the entity types listed below. Only select one entity type. See Section 3.1 for definitions and entity eligibility criteria. Enter this entity type exactly as it appears in the list below on the SF-424 in Type of Applicant (Box 9) by selecting “X:

Other (specify)” then entering the selected type. You may copy and paste from this list.

• Non-profit entity

• CNP: NSLP or SBP Operator

• CNP: CACFP Institution

• CNP: SFSP Sponsor

• Indian Tribal Organization

• State agency

• Local agency

• Agricultural producer or group

4.4 Project Narrative

Applicants MUST submit a project narrative that includes the sections in the order they appear below. Applicants should also carefully reference the Evaluation Factors and Criteria in Section 5.1 when writing the project narrative. Using the provided project narrative template (Appendix A) is strongly recommended as it provides the necessary prompts in order. The project narrative must not exceed 14 pages in total if using the provided project narrative template or 10 pages in total if not using the template. The recommended lengths provided for each of the project narrative’s subsections are intended to provide a guide for the desired length of the responses. Do not modify the margins of the project narrative template or delete or change any text in it. The project narrative must be formatted to fit on an 8.5 x 11-inch page, may be in landscape or portrait orientation, using a clearly legible font no smaller than 11-point. Using 10-point font in tables is acceptable.

The applicant should complete the project narrative as one document, save it as a PDF, and attach it to the Grants.gov application package using the “Add Attachments” button under SF- 424 item #15.

Project Description

Project Overview Describe the project’s purpose, activities planned, deliverables, and expected outcomes. The recommended length of this response is 225 words.

Project Need Describe the need for the project and explain how the specific proposed project is designed to address or meet the need. Include relevant data describing how the need was identified and the status of farm to CNP initiatives within the participant population, partners, and/or organization.

The recommended length of this response is 125 words.

Objective Alignment Describe how your project will improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to CNP programming that includes local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. The recommended length of this response is 125 words.

Priority Alignment Projects must meet three (3) of the following priorities. As shown in Appendix A: Project Narrative Template, please indicate and describe which of the listed priorities the project addresses. Include relevant data to demonstrate how you plan to meet the priorities. The recommended length of this response is 225 words.

• Projects that use strategies that scale up and expand the reach of farm to CNP efforts.

• Projects that focus on partnership building through such strategies as collaboration, network building, and peer learning.

• Projects that demonstrate innovative methods to ensure lasting success and impact beyond the immediate target audience, project partners, and period of performance.

• Projects that create new or expand existing opportunities to connect America’s farmers to

CNPs.

• Projects that enhance innovation and capacity for States providing Farm to School support.

Activities/Indicators Tracker Applicants are required to complete the Activities/Indicators Tracker (included in the project narrative template) that identifies specific activities…