WIC Food Packages Resarch Grants and Symposium Final RFA.pdf

Form RFA 04-2023

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

WIC Food Packages Research Grants and Symposium

Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications (RFA) Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 10.540

Release Date: July 14, 2023

Application Due Date: 11:59 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), August 30, 2023

Anticipated Award Date:

September 30, 2023

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are 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 estimated average time required to complete this information collection is 40 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Form RFA 01-23

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 –

Application and Submission 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:

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 and the applicant has never been approved for a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis). If an applicant is requesting the de minimis rate or indirect costs are not required, please state this in the budget narrative.

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

FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15) Resumes of key staff Letters of support/commitment from key staff and partners http://www.grants.gov/

Table of Contents

1. Program Description and Objectives

Executive Summary

Key Objectives

2. Federal Award Information Allowable Costs

Unallowable Costs

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants Ineligible Applicants

Pre-Award Screening Requirements

Acknowledgement of USDA Support

4. Application and Submission Information Content and Form of Application Submission

Special Instructions:

Cover Sheet

Table of Contents Application Project Summary

Project Narrative

Activities/Indicators Tracker

Application Budget Narrative Indirect Cost Rate

Required Grant Application Forms

Letter of Intent

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

5. Application Review Information Review Criteria

Selection Criteria 1: Key Personnel/ Staffing (20 points)

Selection Criteria 2: Budget Appropriateness and Efficiency (10 points)

Selection Criteria 3: Management Plan (15 points) Selection Criteria 4: Subgrant Competition and Collaboration (25 points)

Selection Criteria 5: Technical Assistance (20 points)

Selection Criteria 6: Execution of Symposium (10 points)

Review and Selection Process

6. 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)

7. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

8. Other Information

Debriefing Requests Appendix

RFA Budget Narrative Checklist

FNS-906 Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR)

1. Program Description and Objectives

Executive Summary

In November 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published proposed changes to the food packages provided by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).1 These changes are intended to better align the WIC food packages with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA, 2020-2025) and reflect recommendations made by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in its 2017 report. FNS is currently reviewing public comments on the proposed rule and plans to publish a final rule that incorporates that information.2

This request for applications (RFA) will provide $1,500,000 in Federal funding, through a one-time cooperative agreement, to one external entity (institute of higher education or other non-profit research organization) that will ultimately provide grants to researchers to conduct pre- and post-implementation research around changes to the WIC food packages. Eligible external entities include accredited institutions of higher education (colleges/universities), nonprofit research organizations, and other nonprofit organizations. The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to better understand facilitators and barriers to implementation encountered by State/local programs, participants, and vendors and to generate evidence around implementation of the final changes to the WIC food packages rule. The goal of this work will be to assess the impacts of the recommended revisions to the WIC food packages on program satisfaction, program participation, availability and redemption of WIC foods, and participants’ diets and health. Furthermore, this research will help FNS and the broader research and public health community understand how changes to the WIC food packages impact WIC participants, vendors, State and local agencies operating the program, and unique and underserved populations.

By the end of the cooperative agreement, the successful recipient of this RFA will accomplish the following three main activities:

1. Conduct a competitive subgrant award program, making funding available to academic institutions and other non-profit research organizations for the purposes of WIC food packages research

2. Provide technical assistance and guidance to subgrantees for the duration of all subgrant research

3. Convene a research symposium at the conclusion of the subgrant award program to share key findings from the WIC food packages research with FNS and other WIC stakeholders

Program Description

USDA FNS works to end hunger and promote nutrition security3 through the administration of Federal nutrition assistance programs, including WIC. WIC was authorized by the Child Nutrition

1 Federal Register. (2022). Available at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-11-21/pdf/2022- 24705.pdf. Accessed on April 4, 2023.

2 The exact date of publication of the final rule is unavailable; for planning purposes applicants should estimate the final rule would be published within the next two years.

3 USDA Food and Nutrition Service. (2022). USDA Actions on Nutrition Security. Available at: https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/usda-actions-nutrition-security.pdf. Accessed on April 1, 2022.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-11-21/pdf/2022-24705.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-11-21/pdf/2022-24705.pdf https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/usda-actions-nutrition-security.pdf https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/usda-actions-nutrition-security.pdf

Act of 1966 Section 17 (g)(5)5 and serves low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding individuals; infants; and children up to five years old who are at nutrition risk. WIC provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health and social services to participants in all states, the District of Columbia, Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In fiscal year (FY) 2022, roughly 6.2 million participants across the U.S. received WIC benefits.4 These benefits are intended to provide nutritious foods to supplement the diets of eligible participants. WIC participants can redeem their benefits for WIC approved foods at any WIC authorized vendor (e.g., supermarket, grocery store). Participants can select from a variety of food items on their State’s approved food list based on their food prescription.5 WIC offers seven distinct food packages that differ in the types and amounts of foods, then tailored to meet the specific needs of each participant.

In November 2022, FNS published a proposed rule to revise regulations governing the WIC food packages. The proposed revisions were guided by the 2020-2025 DGA and recommendations published in NASEM’s 2017 report, “Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice.” 6 The DGA provided information specific to key groups of WIC participants, including pregnant and lactating individuals, infants, and children under two years of age. The proposed changes to the food packages take these recommendations into account by adjusting the amounts of certain WIC foods, depending on what was defined as a “supplemental amount.” The proposed changes are intended to provide WIC participants with a wider variety of foods that align with the latest nutritional science; provide WIC State agencies with greater flexibility to prescribe and tailor food packages that accommodate participants' special dietary needs and personal and cultural food preferences; provide more equitable access to supplemental foods; and better promote and support individual breastfeeding goals of participants to help establish successful long-term breastfeeding. Public input on the proposed rule was solicited from November 21, 2022, through February 21, 2023. These comments are currently being analyzed for input into the final rule changes. The proposed changes are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1. Summary of the 2022 Proposed Changes to the WIC Food Packages by Food Category Food Category Summary of Proposed Changes Fruits and Vegetables • Increase CVV maximum monthly allowances for child, pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum participants

• Require one other form of fruits and vegetables in addition to fresh

• Require vendors to stock at least three varieties of vegetables

• Expand what can be purchased with the CVV

4 USDA Food and Nutrition Service (2023). National Level Annual Summary. Available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program. Accessed May 4, 2023.

5 USDA Food and Nutrition Service. (2022). WIC Food Packages. Available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-food-packages. Accessed April 19, 2023.

6 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) (2017). Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice: Final Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

https://doi.org/10.17226/23655.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-food-packages

Juice • Reduce or remove maximum monthly allowance for juice

• Allow CVV as a substitute for juice

Milk and Milk Substitutions

• Reduce maximum monthly allowances of milk

• Require authorization of lactose-free milk

• Permit only unflavored milk and reduce total sugars allowed in yogurt and soy-based beverages

• Add a calcium specification for tofu and a vitamin D specification for yogurt

• Increase yogurt substitution amounts for milk

• Add soy-based yogurts and soy-based cheeses as substitution options for milk

• Update Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard of identity citations for yogurt

• Allow reduced-fat yogurts for 1-year-old children without restrictions

• Remove cheese from the fully breastfeeding food package

Infant Foods • Reduce infant cereal, infant fruits and vegetables, and infant meat

• Increase CVV substitution amounts for infant fruits and vegetables, allow forms other than fresh, and lower the minimum age for infants to receive a CVV

• Prohibit added fats in infant foods Infant Formula • Increase formula amounts in the first month for partially (mostly) breastfed infants

• Allow all prescribed infant formula quantities to be considered

“up to” amounts

• Create a separate and enhanced food package for partially

(mostly) breastfeeding participants Breakfast Cereals • Change whole grain criteria for breakfast cereals

• Require all breakfast cereals meet whole grain criteria

Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Grain Bread, and other Whole Grain Options

• Revise maximum monthly allowances for whole wheat and whole grain bread and other whole grain options

• Change criteria for whole grain breads

• Expand whole grain options

Canned Fish • Add canned fish to food packages for children (2 through 4 years) and specify WIC-eligible varieties for children

• Add canned fish in food packages for pregnant, partially breastfeeding, and postpartum participants not currently receiving canned fish; revise amounts for fully breastfeeding participants, and revise WIC-eligible varieties

Legumes and Eggs • Require both dried and canned legumes

• Require authorization of legumes and peanut butter as substitutes for eggs and allow State agencies to choose to authorize tofu to substitute for eggs

Maximum Monthly Allowances

• Allow State agencies to authorize a greater variety of package sizes, while still ensuring that participants can receive the full benefit amount (i.e., at least one package size, or a combination of sizes, must add up to the full maximum monthly allowance)

In compliance with legislative requirements to conduct a scientific review of the WIC food packages every ten years, USDA worked with the NASEM to review the WIC food packages in 2014. Prior revisions to the WIC food packages were implemented under an interim rule in 2009 and this rule was made final, with changes, in 2014.7 These changes were also informed by a prior NASEM review (known at that time as the Institute of Medicine) and aligned with the DGA (at the time). Following publication of the final rule, NASEM conducted a scientific review of the literature and evidence derived, in part, from prior WIC food packages research conducted around the 2009 changes to the WIC food packages. In their review, the committee highlighted several challenges that continue to affect participant redemption of WIC foods and critical research gaps that need to be addressed going forward. One of their key recommendations to FNS was to “fund research to evaluate the effects of the recommended revisions to the WIC food packages on participant satisfaction, participation in the program, redemption of WIC foods, and participants’ diets and health.” In response to these recommendations, FNS seeks to fund a grant program to support WIC food packages research, examining the food packages prior to and after implementation of the upcoming final rule.

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 all six objectives identified below. Note that if awarded, grantees will be required to report on progress towards activities aligned with the required objective(s) and must use the FNS-908 Performance Progress Report. Carefully considering proposed activities and indicators will prepare grantees for their progress reporting requirements if awarded.

# Objective 1 Develop, promote, and administer a competitive subgrant program to fund researchers to conduct pre- and post-implementation research on changes to the WIC food packages.

2 Provide management and robust technical assistance to potential subgrant applicants throughout the application and award process, and to subgrantees throughout the life of the project.

3 Provide evaluation technical assistance to subgrantees as they implement their respective WIC food packages research.

4 Provide a platform for subgrantees to share the results of their research by hosting a WIC food packages research symposium at the conclusion of the grant period.

5 Develop a research brief suggesting potential future research directions based on the results of the WIC food packages research and symposium.

6 Submit all deliverables and reports produced from this grant to FNS.

7 Federal Register (2014). Available at: Federal Register: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages. Accessed May 24, 2023.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/03/04/2014-04105/special-supplemental-nutrition-program-for-women-infants-and-children-wic-revisions-in-the-wic-food https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/03/04/2014-04105/special-supplemental-nutrition-program-for-women-infants-and-children-wic-revisions-in-the-wic-food

The following paragraphs expand upon the above objectives and link the following activities to the Program Objectives.

Activity 1: Conduct a competitive subgrant award program

Following award of the cooperative agreement, the Grantee shall conduct a competitive subgrant process for researchers from academic institutions (including graduate and postdoctoral students), non-profits, and/or other research organizations to submit proposals for funding of pre-and post-WIC food packages implementation research. No later than September 30, 2024, the Grantee shall make awards to successful applicants. All subgrant research must be completed in time to present results at a research symposium to be held at the conclusion of the subgrant award program.

When determining the amount of funding to be made available for the subgrant award program, applicants for this RFA are encouraged to maximize the amount of the funding that will be made available through subgrants. In doing so, the Grantee shall award the majority of the funding (i.e., at least 51% of total award amount) to research institutions through one subgrant program administered by the Grantee. In their applications, applicants for this RFA should explicitly state:

1) The total amount of funding they will make available for subgrantees (i.e., academic institutions, non-profits, or other research organizations) through the subgrant award program

2) The range amount of funding they will make available for each subgrantee (i.e., how much money each entity can apply for)

3) The number of anticipated subgrant awardees

4) The period of performance for the subgrant award program

5) A detailed description of how the Grantee will administer the subgrant award program, including a description of the subgrant application process, suggested reviewers for subgrant applications, and subgrant application evaluation criteria, and how they will monitor and provide technical assistance to the subgrantees over the course of the cooperative agreement

Special considerations for the subgrant program(s) RFA:

1) When describing how they will administer the subgrant program, the Grantee should consider that FNS intends for the subgrant application process to be as simple as possible.

As such, the Grantee shall describe how they will provide application technical assistance to the research entities that wish to apply for subgrant funding.

2) The Grantee shall also describe how they will publicize this opportunity to the research community.

3) Before the subgrant RFA is published, FNS must approve of all subgrant RFA content.

Grantee applicants should build a 6-week review timeline into their overall project timeline.

4) The subgrant RFA shall consist of two primary activities: (1) conducting pre- and post-implementation research on changes to the WIC food packages, and (2) participating in a research symposium to highlight key findings from subgrantee evaluation activities.

In response to this RFA, the Grantee shall articulate the various research focus areas and methods that will be considered for subgrantee research on the changes to the WIC food packages. The Grantee shall work with FNS to finalize these focus areas and methods for inclusion in the subgrant RFA. In addition to the focus areas the Grantee may propose, they must include assessment of the preliminary impact of the changes to the WIC food packages on:

1) Participants (e.g., satisfaction, customer experience, redemption, and consumption of WIC foods, and intention to enroll or remain enrolled in WIC)

2) Vendors and the retail/food environment (e.g., availability of WIC foods)

3) State and local agency program operations and policies

4) Underserved and unique populations (e.g., Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and U.S.

Territories) especially as it pertains to populations that may have had cultural or other challenges with the previous food packages.

To successfully accomplish project-related activities and achieve the Program Objectives outlined in this RFA, the Grantee must possess a wide variety of skills and expertise in research design, quantitative and/or qualitative methodology, and the WIC program and food packages.

Specifically, to achieve Program Objective 1 (i.e., develop, promote, and administer a competitive subgrant program to fund researchers to conduct pre- and post-implementation research of changes to the WIC food packages), the applicant must demonstrate it possesses the ability to conduct a subgrant program to research changes to the WIC food packages. Grantee applicants must also demonstrate a commitment to equity and cultural sensitivity and the role this will play in their research, particularly when assessing the impact of the WIC food package changes on underserved and unique populations.

In their proposals, Grantee applicants must propose an appropriate, theory-driven framework that covers the four research focus areas identified above. This framework will serve as a guide for the Grantee and subgrantee research and must include a logic model that can be attached as an appendix to subgrantee applicants’ proposals. All research methods should align with the standards and use definitions consistent with those expressed in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-20-12 (whitehouse.gov). Key performance indicators (KPIs) must be measured throughout the project life cycle and reported to FNS via regular reporting (i.e., progress reports and final report). KPIs for this grant program must be clearly articulated in Grantee applicants’ proposals.

Activity 2: Provide research and evaluation technical assistance and guidance to subgrantees

To accomplish this activity and achieve the associated Program Objectives, the Grantee must possess a deep expertise in research design, quantitative and/or qualitative methodology and the WIC program and food packages. As such, applicants for this RFA shall include detailed examples of previous work demonstrating these skills in this application, including references to reports, manuscripts, and other related artifacts available in the public domain. The Grantee must also demonstrate the ability to draft and establish partnership agreements and/or comprehensive data sharing agreements between researchers and WIC entities. The Grantee must be able to assist subgrantees in resolving legal, compliance, and technical barriers that may arise when developing agreements between subgrantees and WIC entities to obtain data needed for research and evaluation.

In their application, the Grantee shall explicitly state the strategies they will use to provide research and evaluation technical assistance and guidance to subgrantees. The description shall include, but not be limited to:

1) How the Grantee will regularly communicate with subgrantees and the frequency of this communication

2) How the Grantee will monitor progress against goals and problem-solve with subgrantees that fall behind schedule, due to unique subgrantee circumstances or timing of final rule implementation, keeping in mind FNS’s interest is timely information about the food packages provided NLT the final symposium

3) How the Grantee will resolve issues subgrantees encounter when setting up the evaluations and what tools/expertise/resources it will leverage to resolve these issues

4) What resources the Grantee will develop to provide research and evaluation technical assistance to subgrantees.

As noted in Objective 6 (i.e., submit all deliverables and reports gleaned from this grant to FNS), the Grantee shall bear responsibility for collecting and submitting to FNS all deliverables which are developed by the Grantee or by subgrantees through this project. FNS reserves the right to utilize, disseminate, and/or share these and any other deliverables produced with funding under this grant project in accordance with 2 CFR part 200 (including, but not limited to, tools developed by sub-grantees using grant funds).

Activity 3: Convene a research symposium at the conclusion of the subgrant award program

To successfully accomplish project-related activities and achieve the Key Objectives, the Grantee must conclude the grant with a WIC food packages research symposium for subgrantees to convene and share their research findings. The primary purpose of the symposium will be to share key findings with FNS and WIC stakeholders. Proposals should include a description of how they would run the event to ensure it provides a forum for dissemination of research findings and a space for promoting shared learning from this research. The symposium is designed to advance our collective knowledge, evaluation methods, and strategic planning around WIC for improved program and policy implementation. All aspects of the symposium, including locating a space and handling all logistics will be the responsibility of the grantee using grant funds.

When planning the symposium, the Grantee must address the following:

• All subgrantees participating in WIC food packages research should be required to present at the symposium.

• The symposium should be formatted for attendance both virtually and in-person.

• The Grantee must demonstrate how the symposium will be advertised to potential attendees.

• The Grantee has the option to integrate the symposium into an existing conference’s programming.

Per objective 5, following the symposium, the Grantee shall be responsible for putting forth a research brief highlighting the findings presented at the symposium as well as future research directions based on the results of the WIC Food Packages research symposium.

Related Activities:

Beyond the research activities of these subgrants and throughout the course of the grant, FNS will fund the Grantee to conduct WIC food packages research activities of their own. The research proposed may use data from FNS studies or other sources and may involve collaboration with an FNS researcher. The Grantee shall propose what WIC food packages research they plan to conduct as part of their application.

Purpose of Cooperative Agreement

This grant will be awarded in the form of a cooperative agreement. This agreement is a legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the Federal government and the Grantee.

Cooperative agreements allow more FNS involvement and collaboration in the project compared to a typical grant and provide less direction of project activities than a contract. The roles and responsibilities of both the Grantee and FNS will be stated in the Terms and Conditions of the cooperative agreement.

FNS’s involvement in this cooperative agreement will largely entail serving as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to provide key input and information to the Grantee, reviewing and providing feedback on deliverables, and providing input on the subgrantee selection and performance processes. FNS will approve subgrant RFAs, subgrantee selection criteria, and final subgrantee award decisions as well as all public-facing communications and resource materials.

To the extent practicable, FNS is available to provide policy and technical consultation to the Grantee through a series of pre-planned feedback sessions and/or standing meetings. FNS will comment on major project aspects and issues in advance of their implementation in a manner and timeframe agreed upon between the Grantee and FNS. At FNS’s discretion, FNS involvement with the Grantee may include:

1) Providing comments on and having ongoing conversations with the Grantee regarding plans to meet this RFA’s requirements

2) Reviewing plans specified in Application and Submission Information section of this RFA and plans associated with projects funded by this cooperative agreement

3) Reviewing and/or co-authoring documents

Program Specific Requirements

The Grantee shall clearly illustrate in their application materials and provide documented evidence of:

1. Organizational experience and capacity to conduct all aspects of this cooperative agreement, including but not limited to hiring appropriate staff, managing the administrative and operational aspects of the grant, implementing all required activities successfully, and cooperating fully with FNS and the Grantee's subgrantees.

2. Applicable subject matter expertise, evidenced by extensive publications about WIC and/or public health

3. Applicable methodological expertise to lead this research effort

4. Experience and capacity in all three activities required by this RFA

Subgrant program administration and requirements: The Grantee and subgrantee shall consider the needs of the communities and individuals being targeted through these research efforts and tailor strategies accordingly. The Grantee shall involve subject matter experts to review project plans and documents.

The Grantee shall work cooperatively with FNS to:

1) Within 4 weeks of the start of this cooperative agreement’s period of performance, host a kick-off and project planning meeting where the Grantee will summarize the proposal for FNS staff, discuss the timeline with FNS and begin planning with FNS the subgrant requirements, timeline, and process.

2) Develop and manage a competitive subgrant award process. The Grantee, along with guidance and approval from FNS, will select, award, and monitor the subgrants through regular communication, reports, and meetings. The Grantee will work with subgrantees to evaluate their projects.

3) Develop a Subgrant Request for Application (Subgrant RFA). The RFA will describe the opportunity, explain subgrant eligibility, and establish selection criteria for the award.

Principles of diversity and equity shall be considered when selecting subgrantees. In their application, the Grantee shall describe and justify their capacity for the competitive subgrant award process, their criteria for selecting subgrantees, their plans for promoting the opportunity among all relevant stakeholders, and their plans for managing and collaborating with subgrantees upon award.

4) Lead virtual meeting(s) with FNS during which the Grantee presents and explains the subgrant RFA, including the communication plan for the RFA, to FNS.

5) Prior to selection of subgrantees, submit to FNS the proposals and summaries of all proposals submitted and discuss the proposals with FNS. At a minimum, summaries shall include the following information: the name of the research entity and point of contact for the project, the requested award amount, a brief description of the proposed project, including the research questions and methods proposed, and a subgrant timeline. FNS will approve final selection decisions for the subgrants.

6) Following award of subgrants, host a virtual post-competition project meeting with FNS and the subgrant awardees. This meeting will provide an opportunity for subgrantees to present an overview of their project plans and concepts to FNS and the Grantee, who will provide feedback during this meeting and through subsequent communications.

7) Fulfill reporting requirements:

a) Subgrantee reporting requirements: The Grantee shall require that each subgrantee submit quarterly progress reports as part of their subgrant requirements. The

Grantee shall submit these subgrantee quarterly progress reports to FNS as well.

Similarly, the Grantee shall require that each subgrantee submit a final report by the end of the subgrantee’s period of performance, and the Grantee shall also submit the subgrantees’ final report to FNS. Final reports shall describe the approach to evaluation, including methodology and any guiding theories or framework; results of the evaluations; and a discussion of strengths, limitations, lessons learned, and possible next steps in dissemination. Final reports must also include an executive summary.

b) Grantee reporting requirements: The Grantee will submit to FNS quarterly progress reports, annual progress reports, and a final report. The Grantee also must submit Subgrantee reports to FNS.

c) In addition to subgrantee progress and final reports, the Grantee shall submit its own quarterly and final report to FNS. Similar to the requirements for subgrantee reports, the Grantee’s final report shall include an executive summary; a summary of the overall project as well as the subgrant projects funded through this RFA; the approach to evaluation, including methodology and any guiding theories or framework; results of evaluations; a discussion of strengths, limitations, lessons learned, and recommendations for next steps; and next steps for dissemination of project information, results, and materials to various audiences.

8) Host an informational webinar for interested research entities within the application period of the subgrantee RFA(s) to help inform potential subgrant applicants and provide answers to questions.

9) The Grantee’s proposal shall describe the project management and monitoring process it will use to provide technical assistance, identify risks related to subgrantee performance, monitor subgrantees' progress over time, and assist with corrective actions (if any); the plan should also include how they will stay in regular communication with FNS.

10) Aid subgrantee in conducting their proposed evaluation plans. Technical assistance includes, but is not limited to, providing guidance and technical support and, when needed, serving as a liaison between subgrantees and FNS.

11) Sponsor and coordinate meetings for subgrantee projects. First, a kick-off and planning orientation meeting at the beginning of the cooperative agreement. Last, a closeout session with subgrantees at the project’s completion.

12) Provide FNS with an electronic copy of all dissemination materials (for example, outreach materials and documents, PowerPoint slides, and demonstration and operational versions of applications) resulting from grant and subgrant activity at the time of submission for publication and in final form when published. FNS will provide comments and approval on documentation at FNS discretion. All materials generated by efforts funded through this cooperative agreement must be reviewed by FNS before general distribution.

Deliverables and Implementation Tools: As per Key Objective #6, the Grantee shall “Submit all deliverables and reports produced from this grant to FNS.” To meet this objective, applicants shall propose a suite of products, which it will submit to FNS at the end of the grant period, and this suite of products may include, but not be limited to, webinars, issue briefs, infographics, or other off-the-shelf products that will help FNS communicate the changes to the WIC food packages.

Meetings

In meetings with FNS, the Grantee and subgrantees shall provide an overview of the activities conducted since the last meeting, major accomplishments with completion dates and budget, deviations from the proposed plan, lessons learned, and challenges encountered, solutions developed to overcome difficulties, preliminary findings, assistance needed from FNS on technical issues, and major planned activities for the next quarter. Should a major issue arise between meetings, the Grantee shall contact the FNS Grants and Program Officers immediately. Between the start of this cooperative agreement and the awarding of the subgrants (~ the first year of this cooperative agreement), meetings with FNS shall occur at least monthly. The Grantee shall provide FNS with an agenda a minimum 3 business days prior to each call. The Grantee shall also prepare minutes for each call and distribute to FNS no later than 5 business days after the call.

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: $1,500,000

• Anticipated number of awards: 1

• Maximum award amount (award ceiling): $1,500,000

• Anticipated award announcement date: September 2023

• Anticipated period of performance (start and end date of the award): September 2023-

March 2028

• Application due date: August 30,2023

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 competition to award additional grants this year or the subsequent fiscal year, should additional funds become available.

• For this RFA, FNS will accept one application package per Principal Investigator. Among the required activities, the Grantee will be responsible for utilizing their total awarded amount (i.e., up to $1,500,000) to carry out all objectives described in this RFA. While the Grantee must reserve a portion of the total funding to administer this project and achieve all objectives outlined above, the majority (at least 51%) of the total funding must be made available for subgrants to research entities.

SAMPLE Estimated Award and Performance Timeline

Date Activity

July 14, 2023 Grant RFA release

July 28, 2023 Optional Letter of Intent due

August 30, 2023 Grant RFA applications due

No later than September 30, 2023 Grant award

No later than April 30, 2024 Subgrant RFA release

No later than July 01, 2024 Subgrant RFA applications due

No later than September 30, 2024 Subgrant grants awarded

September 30, 2024 – December 31, Subgrant period of performance; Grantee provides evaluation technical assistance and guidance

No later than March 31, 2028 Grantee convenes WIC food packages evaluation symposium

No later than May 31, 2028 Grantee submits research brief

September 30, 2028 End of Cooperative Agreement

Allowable Costs

Among other costs, budgets may include expenses related to personnel, contractors, and, whether in-person or virtual, FNS-approved meeting, conference, and training travel expenses.

Travel: To the extent possible, the Grantee should limit travel-related expenses and, instead, rely on virtual meeting platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams). When necessary, however, travel expenses are permissible.

Unallowable Costs

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

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.

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

This Request for Applications (RFA) is open to all accredited for profit or non-profit institutions of higher education (colleges/universities), nonprofit research entities, and other nonprofit https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E organizations or research institutions. All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

There shall be a single Grantee, but the Grantee may partner with other organizations through subcontracting to meet RFA requirements. Entities not meeting the eligibility definitions will be deemed ineligible and removed from competition without further consideration.

Ineligible Applicants

• Entities not meeting the eligibility requirements

• K-12 schools, school districts, and childcare facilities are not eligible to receive this award.

• International (non-U.S. or non-U.S. territories) entities are not eligible to apply.

• Suspended or debarred organizations are ineligible to submit applications in response to this grant solicitation.

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, and EPLS

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

• FNS Risk Assessment Questionnaire 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, 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.

Acknowledgement of USDA Support

As outlined in 2 CFR 415.2, grant recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service 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.

Recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any audiovisual which is produced with grant support, and which has a direct production cost of over $5,000.

• When acknowledging USDA support, use the following language: "This material is based upon work that is supported by the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.” Grantees should follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide when using the USDA logo.

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf

• 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 and Submission Information

Content and Form of Application Submission

FNS 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 20 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of content, resumes, letter(s) of commitment, endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendices, and required forms. All pages, excluding form pages must be numbered.

Special Instructions:

• Late application submission 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 proposal or budget narrative will not be considered and deemed nonresponsive.

• 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.

Cover Sheet

The cover page should include, at a minimum:

• Applicant’s name and mailing address

• Primary contact’s name, job title, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address

• Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable)

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 The project narrative should clearly identify what the applicant is proposing and how it will address a solution, the expected results and/or benefits once the solution is achieved, and how it will meet the RFA program scope and 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 also clearly identify what the applicant is proposing for the competitive RFA process and how it will solicit, evaluate, and select subgrant proposals submitted by other research entities. The applicant will also describe its capacity to provide technical assistance to subgrant recipients to initiate and build a theory-based evaluation framework, evaluate program outcomes, report on KPIs related to subgrant projects, and host a symposium on evaluations and lessons learned from the work completed under this RFA. The project narrative should also indicate plans for disseminating all project deliverables.

• Introduction: Provide background information on the proposed team’s experience and plans for administering a competitive subgrant award system for familiarity with WIC operations and food packages, lessons learned, and challenges from previous research and evaluation efforts.

• Background: Describe what is known and highlight what is not known about this project.

• Objectives, Activities, and Timeline: Clearly state project objectives, use descriptive statements that specifically discuss what the project team hopes to accomplish, and include specific activities and deadlines that accomplish all project objectives. All objectives should lead to a clearly stated goal of this RFA, and the proposal should include a logic model showing how objectives and goals will be accomplished. The project timeline should start on the award date and end no more than 48 months later. For planning purposes, use the date of award as planned and include dates for important project milestones and deadlines and include dates for items described in the Key Objectives, Purpose of Cooperative Agreement, and Program Specific Requirements sections of this

RFA.

• Management Plan: Describe activities to be undertaken to manage the project to ensure activities are completed on time, within budget, and with high-quality results, including how the grantee will manage contractors to ensure timely, high-quality results. Applicant should describe its organizational structure and identify the staff and/or contractors who will manage the project. Describe roles and responsibilities of these employees or contractors, as well as relevant qualifications and experience, and level of effort specified for each specific staff proposed. Note any relevant experience in managing similar activities. Explain contingency plans for staff turnover and include an abbreviated resume or curriculum vitae (no more than 3 pages) of the key personnel expected to work on the project. Describe how communication, quality assurance, recordkeeping, and accounting activities will be executed. Provide a clear description of how funds will be administered and distributed.

• Administration Plan: Describe the team’s plan to administer a competitive RFA process that includes an overview of the procedures for developing the solicitation, promoting the solicitation among research organizations and selection criteria for received proposals.

Planned items that will be included in the solicitation beyond those required by…