United states department of agriculture mcgovern-dole international food for education and child nutrition program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service is soliciting cooperative agreement applications for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program with a deadline of June 22, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. EDT. Up to $240 million in federal funding supports approximately seven new awards ranging from $10 million to $35 million per project over 60 months.

Eligible applicants include private voluntary organizations, cooperatives, intergovernmental organizations (including UNICEF), governments of developing countries and their agencies, higher education institutions, and other organizations including U.S. for-profit entities under the "Other Organizations" category. All applicants must maintain active SAM.gov registration prior to submission. Cost sharing is voluntary and may earn up to two bonus points when contributions equal at least one percent of the Total Project Budget; cost share may be provided in cash or in-kind, including host government contributions. Foreign nonprofit organizations do not require 501(c)(3) status if they obtain SAM.gov registration and a UEI number; subrecipients need not hold these registrations at application but must obtain them before award finalization.

Priority countries for FY 2026 are Bolivia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Guinea, Honduras, Liberia, and Timor-Leste. Applications for non-priority countries are accepted except those in Proclamation 10998 but receive lower priority. Applications are reviewed and scored only against other applications for the same priority country.

All projects must integrate U.S. agricultural commodities as a core component, provide school feeding through predominantly U.S.-provided and some locally and regionally procured commodities (capped at 10 percent of the total federal award), and address two mandatory strategic objectives: improved literacy of school-aged children and increased use of health, nutrition, and dietary practices. Projects may include complementary activities such as maternal, infant, and child nutrition support, teacher training, and water/sanitation services. Projects must include credible graduation strategies demonstrating sustainable impact after USDA support concludes, with sustainability efforts spanning all government levels using a multilevel, whole-system approach.

Monitoring and evaluation budgets must allocate a minimum of 3 percent of project operating costs, with 5–10 percent expected for impact evaluations. Personnel compensation cannot exceed the GS-15 equivalent ($164,301 annually) regardless of engagement method. The estimated project period is 60 months with a projected start date of October 1, 2026.

Assistance Listing 10.608.