Cold Chain Grants for Emergency Food Assistance

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is awarding approximately $7.5 million competitively to one to four eligible nonprofit organizations to establish and manage subaward programs providing cold chain equipment to emergency food assistance entities, with applications due October 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Eligible applicants are domestic 501(c)(3) nonprofits with facilities physically located in the fifty states, U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands), and the District of Columbia. AMS prioritizes organizations demonstrating capacity to design, manage, and oversee competitive subaward solicitation, review, award, oversight, and reporting. Awards range from $2 million to $7.5 million per recipient over a 24-month performance period from September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2028. Recipients must allocate at least 80 percent of total award amounts to subawards ranging from $10,000 to $200,000 each, with each subaward limited to a 12-month performance period. Administrative costs at the recipient level are capped at 20 percent of total federal funds. Subaward recipients—including food banks, food pantries, faith-based organizations, and nonprofit nutrition assistance providers—must provide 10 percent cash cost share and have operated for at least two years with existing facilities capable of installing equipment.

Eligible subaward activities include purchasing, delivery, and installation of cold storage equipment, refrigerated vehicles, and essential ancillary equipment to enable distribution of fresh and minimally processed foods. Recipients must conduct competitive subaward solicitations within the first year, establish conflict-of-interest procedures, and report progress semi-annually. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using SF-424 and SF-424A forms, a project narrative using the required CCG template (not exceeding 15 additional pages), and a current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement if applicable. Evaluation occurs through three-step peer review: Initial Qualification Screening, consensus scoring by a panel of subject matter experts, and final administrative review by AMS staff assessing alignment with program scope, budget allowability, geographic diversity, and USDA priorities. CFDA number is 10.197.