Information Collection: 0584-0512 Expiration date: 03/31/2029

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) Innovative Nutrition Education Cooperative Agreement Project

Fiscal Year 2026 Request for Applications (RFA) Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 10.594

Release Date: June 22, 2026

Application Due Date: July 31, 2026; 11:59 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

(EDT)

Anticipated Award Date: September 2026

This information is being collected to assist the Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) in collecting information from applicants needed to evaluate and rank applicants and protect the integrity of the cooperative agreement selection process. This is a voluntary collection and FNA will use the information received to evaluate proposed innovative nutrition education projects for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). This collection does not request any 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 Office of Management and Budget (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 10 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 Administration, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-0512). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Form RFA 01-2026

Application Checklist

This Application Checklist provides applicants with a list of the required actions and documents that must be completed. However, FNA 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:

Grant application narrative and format meet the requirements included in Section 4 –

Application Content Information. This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section 5 – Application Review Information, and all necessary attachments.

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

Budget narrative with key details outlined in Section 4 – Application Content Information.

This includes page limits and priorities outlined in Section 5 – Application Review Information, and all necessary attachments.

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 aligns 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. Provide 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.

NICRA (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item).

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 FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (fillable

PDF in Grants.gov) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement 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

Nonprofit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If any other nonprofit status applies, i.e., 501(c)(4) please describe and document your current status (upload if applicable)

Application Project Summary Program Narrative-including Cover sheet as first page Budget Narrative and Line-item budget Documentation demonstrating experience in providing FDPIR-related nutrition education, food safety education/training, or food service-related training to ITOs and State agencies that administer FDPIR (see section 3 – Eligibility Information) Cover letter and work product (1 required) Letters of Support (2 required) Resumes of Key Project Staff

Additional attachments as required.

Table of Contents

1. Program Description and Objectives

Key Objectives Cooperative Agreement Terms

2. Federal Award Information Allowable Costs Unallowable Costs

3. Eligibility Information Eligible Applicants Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations Pre-Award Screening Requirements Acknowledgment of USDA Support

4. Application Content Information Content and Form of Application Submission

Special Instructions:

Cover Page Table of Contents Application Project Summary Project Narrative Activities/Indicators Tracker Application Budget Narrative Indirect Cost Rate Required Grant Application Forms

5. Application Review Information Review Criteria

Project Design and Implementation (25 points) Evaluation Component (10 points) Staff Experience, Management, and Partner Capability (25 points) Organizational Experience and Past Performance (25 points) Budget Appropriateness (15 points) Bonus Points (up to 20 points)

Review and Selection Process

6. Application Submission Information

Submission Date Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov

How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission Intergovernmental Review Funding Restrictions

7. Federal Award Administration Information Federal Award Notice Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Confidentiality of an Application Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality of the Review Process Administrative Regulations Code of Federal Regulations and Other Government Requirements

Reporting Requirements Financial Reports Performance Progress Reports (PPR)

8. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

9. Other Information

Debriefing Requests Appendix

RFA Budget Narrative Checklist FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR)

1. Program Description and Objectives Legislative Authority The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, is authorized under Section 4(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (as amended in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115- 334). Through the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-37), Congress provided FNA with $998,000 for nutrition education in FDPIR. FNA will award this cooperative agreement under USDA’s general authority to enter into contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements in accordance with section 1472 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3318). 7 CFR 2.19(a)(3) delegates this authority to the Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services for purposes of activities related to human nutrition information.

Executive Summary The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA)1 works to nourish those in need through financially sound programs that promote health and work, as well as champion the productivity of American agriculture. USDA FNA seeks to enter into a cooperative agreement(s) with an organization(s)/agency(ies) with expertise in working with Tribal communities who can develop, design, and implement an innovative nutrition education project for participants and program staff of the FDPIR. A maximum of $500,000 will be made available for this opportunity for the period of performance from September 2026 to September 2028. The goal for this project is to develop and deliver an innovative nutrition education project. This project will provide participants receiving benefits and services from Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and State agencies that administer FDPIR with culturally appropriate nutrition education activities and programming that promote USDA Foods and support Secretary Brooke Rollins’ priority to strengthen strategies that encourage healthy choices, healthy outcomes, and healthy families. The tools and resources developed under this cooperative agreement must align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025 – 2030 (Dietary Guidelines) and support the efforts of FDPIR program staff in conducting nutrition education activities for FDPIR participants who receive USDA Foods.

Eligible applicants are ITOs and State agencies that administer FDPIR, nonprofit or private organizations, accredited public or private academic institution of higher education including Tribal colleges and universities, and eligible Tribal entities as defined in 25 U.S.C. § 5304 or a national Tribal organization. Please read the RFA thoroughly for full eligibility requirements, available in Section 3.

The FY 2026 FDPIR Nutrition Education Cooperative Agreement opportunity will fund up to two projects for 24 months (2 years). Award amounts will range from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $500,000.

Background FDPIR is one of the 16 nutrition assistance programs administered by USDA FNA. FDPIR provides 100% American grown and produced foods, called USDA Foods, to eligible households (participants) living on Indian reservations, and to American Indian households residing in

1 Please note that this document refers to FNS forms instead of FNA temporarily, as the agency works towards an official process to update reporting form names.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title7/pdf/USCODE-2024-title7-chap64-subchapX-sec3318.pdf https://www.fns.usda.gov/fdpir/food-distribution-program-indian-reservations-fdpir approved areas near reservations or in Oklahoma. USDA Foods support American farmers and provides safe, high quality, real food, to Tribal communities.

Many households participate in FDPIR as an alternative to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), because they do not have easy access to SNAP offices or authorized food stores.

The program is administered locally by either ITOs or a State agency. Currently, there are approximately 280 tribes administering FDPIR and providing USDA Foods and nutrition education to participants through 107 ITOs and three State agencies. FDPIR provides nutritious, 100% American grown, real food, to around 68,000 participants in Federal Fiscal Year 2026.

FNA selects USDA Foods for the FDPIR food package based on their alignment with recommendations in the latest Dietary Guidelines and in consultation with the FDPIR Food Package Review Workgroup (Workgroup). FNA convenes the Workgroup, which includes experts on American Indian/Alaskan Native health and nutrition issues, FDPIR participant food preferences, and the Federal procurement and delivery process of USDA Foods. These experts include Federal and Tribal health professionals, National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservation (NAFDPIR) officials, and other representatives from ITOs and State agencies that administer FDPIR. The Workgroup meets regularly to review the FDPIR food package and consider revisions that help the food package better meet the nutritional needs and food preferences of program participants.

Nutrition education is a key component and requirement for ITOs and State agencies administering FDPIR. The goal is to improve the likelihood that households eligible for FDPIR will make healthy food choices consistent with the Dietary Guidelines. Nutrition education services are a combination of educational strategies and learning experiences, accompanied by supporting policy, systems, and environmental interventions, designed to facilitate the voluntary adoption of food choices and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to the health and well-being of participants. FNA currently offers nutrition education opportunities for FDPIR program participants and program operators/staff:

• FDPIR Sharing Gallery – A repository of resources and materials to assist ITOs and State agencies who administer FDPIR in providing food and nutrition information to program participants. Resources include recipes, cookbooks, handouts, photos, and toolkits. Most resources were developed by Tribal communities. For more information about the FDPIR Sharing Gallery, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/fdpir/sharing-gallery.

• USDA Foods Nutrition Education Resource Library – A digital library of program specific, nutrition education resources for ITOs and State agencies administering FDPIR.

Administering agencies can order a variety of resources for free that are shipped directly to them. Resources include posters, recipe cards, magnets, shelf-talkers, stickers, and brochures. For more information about the USDA Foods Nutrition Education Resource Library, visit https://orders.gpo.gov/USDAFSND/Pubs.aspx.

• Community Nutrition Champion Training (CNCT) – A nutrition paraprofessional training program for FDPIR program operators and staff. CNCT is a multicomponent training initiative aimed at empowering FDPIR staff to be nutrition champions in their communities. CNCT 1.0 is a two-day, interactive in-person training that teaches non-nutrition professionals basic nutrition information about USDA Foods through written https://www.fns.usda.gov/fdpir/sharing-gallery https://orders.gpo.gov/USDAFSND/Pubs.aspx coursework, storytelling, cooking demonstrations, and facilitated discussion. CNCT 2.0 is a three-day immersive nutrition education training program that builds on nutrition knowledge gained in CNCT 1.0 and highlights local engagement and nutrition outreach opportunities that help build community partnerships and strengthen healthy outcomes.

• FDPIR Produce Training – A two-day training designed to teach FDPIR program operators and staff how to properly and safely receive and distribute fresh produce to program participants.

The cooperator(s) under this project will develop and deliver an innovative nutrition education project that advances the promotion of USDA Foods and supports healthy choices and positive nutrition outcomes. All tools, materials, and resources produced under this cooperative agreement must align with the Dietary Guidelines and enhance, rather than duplicate, existing FDPIR nutrition education offerings.

The cooperator is required to design a new, distinct, and original nutrition education project that supplements current FDPIR resources and can be readily integrated into existing nutrition education programming. The proposed project must address identified gaps in current nutrition education activities and provide meaningful added value to FDPIR participants.

The project may include the development and dissemination of culturally relevant nutrition education and training materials such as posters, pamphlets, calendars, newsletters, signage, curriculum, webinars, recipe cards, window clings, other point-of-decision signage and behavioral cues, etc.) that support USDA Foods available in the FDPIR food package including fresh produce available through the USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (USDA DoD Fresh).

Key Objectives

Below is a list of the Program Objectives. As noted in Section 4, within the “Activities/Indicators Tracker,” proposed activities should be clearly aligned to these objectives and their associated activities and indicators.

Application proposals must include both required objectives (1 & 2) identified in the chart below.

Funding requested should align with the scope of the project and must support nutrition education for all ITOs and State agencies administering FDPIR. Applications that only support nutrition education activities for a specific region or for a limited number of ITOs or State agencies will not be considered.

Note that if awarded, cooperators will be required to report on progress toward activities aligned with the required objectives and must use the FNS-908 Performance Progress Report. Carefully considering proposed activities and indicators will prepare cooperators for their progress reporting requirements if awarded.

# Objective 1 (REQUIRED) Develop, implement, and promote culturally appropriate food and nutrition programming and/or resources directly to FDPIR participants that encourage consumption of USDA Foods and align with the latest Dietary Guidelines.

(REQUIRED) Facilitate and strengthen partnerships to provide sustainable nutrition education, food safety, and wellness promotion programs in Tribal communities.

Cooperative Agreement Terms

In the context of this cooperative agreement, nutrition education should focus on how USDA Foods in the FDPIR food package may be used to contribute to a healthy diet and support healthy outcomes. The cooperator(s) shall work with appropriate organizations and partners as needed, such as extension agents, Tribal colleges and universities, registered dietitians, diabetes educators, and public health nutrition professionals with experience working with Tribal communities in FDPIR.

Required deliverables for this cooperative agreement include:

• Comprehensive report for FNA that will inform development of the required deliverables carried out through the project workplan.

o To inform this report, the cooperator must collect and analyze information on the nutrition education needs of FDPIR participants and identify opportunities to better support FDPIR program operators and staff in delivering nutrition education.

• Culturally relevant nutrition education resources for FDPIR participants that promote USDA Foods and the Dietary Guidelines.

o Materials must align with identified needs and promote practical, sustainable, application within the FDPIR setting.

• Comprehensive evaluation report that describes the reach and implementation of nutrition education resources and training opportunities.

o If training opportunities are implemented, outcome measures of trainee’s knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors pre and post exposure to initial training are required in the report.

• At least one (1) coordinated nutrition education engagement that convenes Tribal nutrition professionals and paraprofessionals supporting nutrition education efforts in FDPIR.

• Culturally relevant nutrition education training curriculum or ‘turnkey’ resources for FDPIR program operators that enhance knowledge, skill, and capacity to conduct nutrition education activities.

o Materials must align with identified needs and promote practical, sustainable, application within the FDPIR setting.

Cooperator Responsibilities: The recipient of this cooperative agreement is expected to work collaboratively with FNA through the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation phases of this innovative nutrition education initiative. Specifically, the cooperator will be required to:

• Develop and implement all applicable tools, resources, materials, and programs that will address the specific needs of FDPIR participants, program operators, and/or staff, with input from FNA.

• Support nutrition education efforts across all participating ITOs and State agencies that administer FDPIR.

• Determine project and/or training initiative implementation (format/delivery mechanism) to address the specific needs of the audience, with input from FNA.

• Execute the nutrition initiative as specified in the project requirements with input from

FNA.

• Promote the project to the intended audience and/or to help recruit and identify trainees.

• Manage and monitor the progress of the cooperative agreement project activities and report on progress to FNA using an agreed upon timeframe.

• Manage the cooperative agreement budget.

• Manage cooperative agreement staff and/or consultants.

• Develop and implement easy to use evaluation methods that participants will use to assess the project/initiative and its intended objectives and outcomes. FNA expects to collect this evaluation data in the comprehensive evaluation report.

• Evaluate participant and/or trainee knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors before and after exposure to project/initiative activities.

o Non-traditional evaluation methods may be recommended by the cooperator. It is important to use methods that are appropriate and culturally relevant to American Indian and Alaskan Native audiences.

• Share evaluation results with FNA using an agreed upon timeframe and determine what improvements can be made.

• Coordinate outreach and disseminate information to ITOs and State agencies that promote the innovative nutrition education project.

• Perform occasional travel as related to specific meetings and nutrition programming-related activities needed to execute the project.

• Meet with FNA staff by participating in monthly conference calls or more frequently as needed during the duration of the performance period to provide project updates.

Additional conference calls may be scheduled as needed.

FNA Responsibilities: Substantive involvement by FNA is inherent in the cooperative agreement award. At a minimum, FNA will provide oversight in developing applicable tools, resources, materials, and programs for the innovative nutrition education initiative.

Specifically, FNA will:

• Provide oversight of the planning, implementation, and monitoring process proposed by the cooperator.

• Review and approve deliverables of the innovative nutrition education project through the duration of the project.

• Review and approve curricula, resources, evaluations, reports, and the format/delivery mechanisms of the nutrition education initiative.

• Initiate progress meetings to discuss accomplishments, difficulties, assistance needed from FNA on technical issues, and major planned activities.

• Approve implementation strategies and consult with the cooperator to finalize the process.

• Amplify the nutrition education resources and training opportunities the cooperator develops.

• Discuss evaluation results with the cooperator at the conclusion of each implemented activity/project.

2. 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 to award: $500,000

• Anticipated number of awards: up to 2

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

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

• Anticipated award announcement date: September 2026

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

September 2028

• Application due date: July 31, 2026

Please note:

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

• FNA 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.

• Applications, and all proposed activities, must comply with applicable laws, regulations, and executive orders. FNA reserves the right to exclude from consideration any applications proposing activities in contradiction of these requirements.

• The submission of an application does not guarantee funding. Applications will be scored and selections will be made based on the competitive evaluation criteria in Section 5 – Application Review Information.

Allowable Costs

Personnel Costs and Fringe Benefits Salaries and fringe benefits of personnel involved in nutrition education resource development, training, and administrative support of activities under this cooperative agreement, including contracted employee salaries.

• All staff wages, salaries, and fringe benefits must be computed on a reasonable hourly basis commensurate with duties being performed.

• The wages and salaries must be commensurate to the task an individual is performing under this cooperative agreement, as opposed to reflecting other positions for which they are credentialed (i.e., if a physician leads a nutrition education training for teachers, pay must be commensurate with the activity of nutrition education training rather than that of a physician).

Evaluation All 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 and associated activities.

Subcontracts Recipients must obtain written approval from the USDA awarding agency prior to issuing subawards or contracts (including any similar forms of agreement) regarding any segment of a funded award. Requests for prior approval must be in writing and identify the subrecipient or contractor, authorized activities, and all anticipated costs. If all such elements are identified in a budget or budget narrative at time of application, approval of the award constitutes prior written approval of the subaward or contract.

Travel

Reimbursement for travel and lodging costs for key project staff 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.

Travel expenses may only be incurred for activities which directly support the implementation of this cooperative agreement. Examples of potential travel include travel costs to and from proposed training activities or planned meetings/conferences for FDPIR nutrition professionals and paraprofessionals.

Equipment and Supplies Expenditures for equipment (i.e., items of personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a cost of $10,000 or more) are allowable expenses with prior approval by FNA. FNA reserves the right to approve/disapprove these expenditures based on needs as expressed by the proposed project. Supplies do not require a separate specific prior approval outside of the budget/proposal approval process, but they must be included in the budget narrative and support the creation and dissemination of culturally relevant nutrition education materials.

Nutrition Education Reinforcement Materials Nutrition education reinforcement materials refer to any material distributed for involvement/ participation in a nutrition education activity such as stickers, buttons, or refrigerator magnets.

Any cost associated with nutrition education reinforcement materials must be reasonable in comparison to the grant funding. Nutrition education reinforcement materials should:

• Be included in the budget narrative and have a clear, relevant, and useful connection to the nutrition education or training activity they are intending to reinforce.

• Contain a nutrition education message that is directly related to the FDPIR food package and consistent with the Dietary Guidelines.

• Be offered only after weighing and assessing other relative needs and cost effectiveness.

• Be reasonable, necessary, and non-food items.

• Cost $7.00 or less per unit.

• Not exceed 10 percent of the budget.

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 grant application and budget narrative.

Any costs associated with such promotions must be reasonable in comparison to the grant funding. Individual items may not exceed a per unit cost of $5.00 and in total, promotional items may not exceed more than 10 percent of the budget.

Food No more than 10 percent of the funds may be used for food purchases, and the use must be clearly delineated in the grant budget. Allowable expenses of food include food and ingredients which may be purchased to develop, evaluate, and disseminate recipes utilizing USDA Foods found in the FDPIR food package. Food purchases must be limited to educational and training purposes only, such as taste tests. Food costs related to offering a sample of a nutritious recipe developed through this cooperative agreement are deemed an appropriate use of funds. Food purchases must be clearly identified within the submitted budget narrative.

Unallowable Costs

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

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).

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. A complete listing of selected items of costs is located at 2 CFR 200.420 – 200.476. The provisions of 2 CFR 200 Subpart E allow FNA to make reasonable judgments as to what is necessary and reasonable to be approved for funding in a project proposal.

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Entities that do not meet the eligibility definitions will be deemed ineligible and removed from competition without further consideration. In order to be eligible for this grant, applicants must be one of the eligible entities listed below and must demonstrate experience in providing FDPIR-related nutrition education, food safety education/training, or food service-related training to ITOs and State agencies who administer FDPIR during the three-year period preceding the submission of a proposal for this cooperative agreement. Applicants are required to submit documentary evidence of work detailed in the Demonstrated Experience section below or they will be deemed ineligible.

The following are eligible entities:

1. An ITO or State agency that administers FDPIR.

2. A nonprofit or private organization:

a. All nonprofit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the IRS. If any other nonprofit status applies, i.e., 501(c)(4), please describe here.

3. An accredited public or private academic institution of higher education including Tribal colleges and universities (as defined in 20 U.S.C. §1001).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E

4. An Eligible Tribal entity as defined in 25 U.S.C. § 5304 or a national Tribal organization.

Eligible applicants may apply individually or as a consortium (i.e., coalition of community-based organizations or a regional nutrition advisory council). However, if one or more eligible applicants wish to apply as a consortium, one organization/agency must be designated as the lead agency and apply on behalf of the other organization(s)/agency(ies). The lead agency is fiscally and operationally responsible for the project, providing oversight and fulfilling all reporting requirements for its overall administration as detailed in Cooperators Responsibilities in Section 1

– Program Description and Objectives – Cooperative Agreement Terms on pages 9 - 10. FNA will accept only one application from each organization/agency or consortium in response to this solicitation.

Demonstrated Experience Documentation (required) Documentation demonstrating experience in providing FDPIR-related nutrition education, food safety education/training, or food service-related training to ITOs and State agencies that administer FDPIR (see section X) during the three-year period (no later than August 2023) preceding the submission of a proposal for this cooperative agreement. Applicants are required to submit all of the following documentary evidence of work (1 – 3) or they will be deemed ineligible:

1. Applicant’s experience described in a detailed cover letter:

a. Describe related experience captured on no more than two (2) pages.

b. Include at least one (1) work product from past projects within the last three years. An example of a work product is a project the applicant successfully completed with similar deliverables. Be sure to use the term “work product” in your cover letter.

2. Two (2) letters of support from clients with experience working directly with the applicant. Each letter of support must detail the nutrition-related project/service the applicant completed for them, the associated outcomes, and a formal endorsement of the applicant’s capability to successfully implement the proposed project in Tribal communities.

3. Key Project Staff Experience:

a. A curriculum vitae (resume) for all key project staff individuals, for the proposed project.

Note: Failure to submit items 1, 2, and 3 (under Demonstrated Experience Documentation) will eliminate an applicant from consideration of this RFA. All demonstrated experience must be submitted with your application on grants.gov. No documentary evidence of work will be accepted outside of grants.gov.

Ineligible Applicants Entities not meeting the eligibility requirements listed above are not eligible to apply and include:

1. International (non-U.S. or non-U.S. territories) entities.

2. Child care facilities, K-12 schools and school districts.

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.

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.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

• There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for this award.

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 200.206, are required to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of governmentwide 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 FNA 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 Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS).

• FNA Risk Assessment Questionnaire (FNS-906).

o Applicants must complete the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial

Capability Questionnaire that allows FNA 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 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 FNA imposing special conditions or additional oversight requirements that correspond to the degree of risk assessed.

Acknowledgment of USDA Support

• As required in 2 CFR 415.2, the recipient must have an acknowledgment of the USDA awarding agency support placed on any information dissemination products with any Federal financial assistance support, including those which report the results of, or describe, a Federal financial assistance-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.

4. Application Content Information

Content and Form of Application Submission

FNA strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following applicant format. The proposed project plan should be presented on 8 ½” x 11” white paper with at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced in 12-point font. The project description with relevant information should be captured on no more than 15 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of content, resumes, letter(s) of support, endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendixes, and required forms. All pages, excluding form pages, must be numbered.

Special Instructions:

• Late application submission will not be considered in this competition. FNA 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.

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

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

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

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

Cover Page The cover page should include, at a minimum:

• Applicant’s name (must match the Legal name in the SF-424, Box 8a.) and mailing address

• Primary contact’s name, job title, mailing address, phone number, and email address

• Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable)

• Indicate the applicant’s eligibility category their organization represents (i.e. Indian Tribal

Organization, nonprofit). See eligible entities list for reference.

Table of Contents The Table of Contents should include relevant sections, subsections, and associated page numbers.

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.

Project Narrative

NOTE: Nutrition education is a key component and requirement for ITOs and State agencies administering FDPIR. The goal is to improve the likelihood that households eligible for FDPIR will make healthy food choices consistent with the Dietary Guidelines.

The project narrative should clearly identify what the applicant is proposing, including a detailed narrative that presents a clear plan outlining the specific activities that will be completed. It should explain how the proposed project addresses a solution, the expected results and/or benefits once the solution is achieved, and how it will meet the RFA program scope and required objectives. The proposed project methodology should describe the project design, address program specific methodology needs, procedures, timetables, monitoring/oversight, and the organization’s project staffing.

The project narrative should serve as a comprehensive and well-defined project plan that clearly outlines how the proposed activities will address nutrition education needs in FDPIR, demonstrating how the approach aligns with program objectives and supports meaningful, measurable outcomes.

Applicants must submit a project narrative that includes the sections in the order they appear below. The project narrative must not exceed 15 pages in total. The project narrative must be formatted to fit on an 8.5 x 11-inch page, may be 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 save their 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.

Activities/Indicators Tracker Proposed activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to both required program objectives (as described in Section 1 – Program Description and Objectives). Use the chart format below to describe the activities and indicators that will be used to measure success. Include additional activities and indicators based on the proposed project.

Note: Indicators are defined as any metric that can be tracked during the grant’s period of performance. Common examples include Number of People Attended, Number of People Impacted, Number of Conferences Delivered, Number of Materials Created, Number of Trainings, and Number of People Trained.

The Activities/Indicators Tracker must contain the following columns, clearly labeled in the following order:

• Objective

• Activity

• Indicators and Target Number

• Anticipated Start Date and End date (Month, Year)

The chart below is an example of how this information should be presented. Applicants must use this chart format to detail their proposed activities, indicators, targets, and timeline. Applicants should not just copy the example below and submit it as their proposal. The information in the example below that should be the same in the applicant’s Activities/Indicator chart are the headers and the required objectives. The activities, indicators, targets, and timeline should reflect the applicant’s proposed project.

Objective

(REQUIRED)

Activity Indicators and Targets

Anticipated Start and End Dates

OBJ #1: Develop, implement, and promote culturally appropriate

Create and disseminate culturally relevant nutrition education resources (e.g., posters, handouts, videos, Indicators: October 2026 through June food and nutrition programming and/or resources directly to FDPIR participants that encourage consumption of USDA Foods and align with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

cookbooks, recipe cards) that support participants in applying recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines, including:

• Prioritize high quality, nutrient-dense protein from both animal and plant sources.

• Select a wide variety of whole, colorful, nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits in their original form.

Prioritize freshness and minimal processing.

• Avoid highly processed packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat foods.

• Number of resources developed

• Number of different types of resources developed

• Method(s) of dissemination

Target:

• Develop 5 types of resources

• Use three unique methods to disseminate resources

OBJ #1: Develop, implement, and promote culturally appropriate food and nutrition programming and/or resources directly to FDPIR participants that encourage consumption of USDA Foods and align with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Provide sustainable nutrition education and wellness promotion programs by developing easily adoptable (“turnkey”) lesson materials, videos, cookbooks, and/or training curriculum, which are readily available for FDPIR operators and staff to use as a form of nutrition education for FDPIR participants.

Indicators:

• Number of training resources developed

• Number of FDPIR staff trained or provided with resources

• Number of sites distributing resources

• Develop 5 training resources

• Train 20 FDPIR staff with resources at 10 program sites

October 2026 through June

OBJ #2: Facilitate and strengthen partnerships to provide sustainable nutrition education, food safety, and wellness promotion programs in Tribal communities.

Convene Tribal nutrition professionals, paraprofessionals, and individuals engaged or interested in FDPIR nutrition education to share existing tools, resources, and innovative approaches for developing and delivering culturally appropriate nutrition education to eligible FDPIR participants.

Indicators:

• Number of events held

• Number of partners engaged in FDPIR nutrition education

• Convene 10 events

• Engage five new partners

September 2026 to March

Key Project Staff List key project staff, including applicant personnel and external partners that comprise the project team. Include sufficient information to demonstrate the key staff have the ability to complete the project and the relevant experience in developing and implementing the proposed project. Include a brief description (approximately three sentences each) of the role, relevant experience, and past successes of key project staff. If a key project staff position has not been filled, include the position title and briefly describe the desired knowledge, skills, and education required to fulfill this position.

Provide this information in a table with the following column headings:

• Name and Title

• Organization

• FTE Dedicated to the Project

• Role

• Relevant Experience

Project Management Describe how the key project staff will ensure the project is successful and complies with requirements. Include quality assurance planning, tracking timelines, progress monitoring, and management approach for staffing and procurement of contractors (if applicable).

If an applicant proposes to use grant funding to award subgrants, the applicant must include a description of the process for making and managing subgrant awards, including reporting and compliance. The recommended length of this response is 125 words.

Evaluation Evaluation Description Describe how the overall impact of the project will be evaluated and the evaluation activities you will conduct to meaningfully measure your program. Describe how the indicators will be collected to ensure successful measurement and reporting. All indicators included in the Activities/Indicator chart must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound, and are associated with a specific activity. The recommended length of this response is 125 words.

Evaluation Roles Describe roles and responsibilities for monitoring and evaluation activities. Detail any relevant experience your organization and project partners have conducting evaluations. The recommended length of this response is 125 words.

Demonstrated Experience Cover Letter The cover letter must describe the applicant’s related experience providing nutrition education in Tribal communities on no more than two (2) pages. The applicant must reference and include at least one (1) work product from past projects within the last three years in the cover letter. An example of a work product is a project with similar deliverables the applicant has successfully completed. Be sure to use the term “work product” when explaining how it demonstrates your experience in the cover letter. The cover letter and example of at least one work product are required and must be submitted as an attachment. The attached work product is not subject to the cover letter’s two-page limit.

Letters of Support At least two (2) letters of support are required from clients with experience working directly with the applicant. Each letter of support must detail:

• A nutrition-related project/service the applicant completed for the client.

• Associated outcomes of the nutrition-related project.

• A formal endorsement of the applicant’s capability to successfully implement the proposed nutrition education related project in Tribal communities.

Each letter of support must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Any additional letters over the two-letter limit will not be considered.

Letters of support are a separate and distinct requirement from the cover letter. FNA does not require Congressional letters of support, and such letters do not carry additional weight during the evaluation process. Congressional letters of support submitted outside of Grants.gov will not be included as a component of the applicant’s official submission and will not be considered during the panel review.

Key Project Staff Curriculum Vitae (Resumes) Applicants must submit resumes for key project staff noted in the Project Staff section of the project narrative. Any additional resumes will not be considered. Resumes should be no longer than two (2) pages each. Any additional pages after the second page will not be reviewed. If a key project staff position has not been filled, include the position title and job description, which includes a brief description of the desired knowledge, skills, and education required, on no more than one (1) page in the application in lieu of a resume.

The (1) cover letter and sample work product (2), letters of…