Pandemic Relief Activities: Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 10.181
- Agency
-
Agricultural Marketing Service
Department of Agriculture
- Grant awards
- 6,048 $763,523,157 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Block Grant
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 12-0115-0-1-352
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) ceased accepting applications under CFDA 10.181, the Pandemic Relief Activities: Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program, as of October 4, 2022, with no new awards being issued; funded recipients are completing performance periods through 2024.
The program distributed one-time $600 payments to eligible front-line farm workers, meatpacking workers, and grocery store workers for pandemic-related expenses incurred between January 20, 2020, and May 11, 2023, including costs for personal protective equipment, testing, quarantine, and dependent care. AMS awarded a total of $763.5 million in federal dollars across 6,048 grants in 2022, predominantly through 41 Block Grants to state agencies and tribal entities (99 percent Project Grants, 1 percent Block Grants by count). All funding flowed from a single federal source: AMS itself.
The portfolio shows award concentrations tilted toward major regional and national distribution networks. Representative 2022 awards include the UFCW Foundation's Block Grant for $131.66 million to process 539,977 relief applications for 500,000 meatpacking workers and 39,977 farmworkers across all 50 states; the UFW Foundation's Block Grant for $97.8 million to distribute $600 payments to 144,943 farmworkers nationwide; Cherokee Nation's Block Grant for $45.9 million serving 81,748 citizens and meatpacking employees across 14 states; and United Ways of California's Block Grant for $41.9 million providing relief to 61,560 food and farm workers across 23 California counties.
The program is no longer accepting applications. Funded projects were issued 24-month performance periods with the option to request a one-year extension to complete activities. Recipients must retain all records for three years after submission of the final Federal Financial Report.
Objective and description
- Objective
In 2022 USDA awarded grants to 14 non-profit organizations and 1 tribal entity to provide pandemic relief to farm and food workers through October 2024. This Program is no longer making new awards, but funded projects may still actively report expend
- Description
The purpose of this program was to defray worker expenses incurred preparing for, preventing exposure to, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers could receive a one-time $600 payment if they were hired for and worked in an eligible front-line job in the U.S. during the public health emergency, which officially started on January 20, 2020, and ended on May 11, 2023.
Eligibility
- Beneficiary eligibility
Farmworkers and/or Meatpacking Workers as defined by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and employed as such during the COVID eligibility window. SOC Codes include: Field Workers, 45-2099, Ag Workers 45-2091, Packers and Packagers Livestock Workers, 45-2041, Graders and Sorters 53-7064, Packers and Packagers Meatpacking Workers, 51-3099, Food Processing Workers 51,3023, Slaughterers and Meat Packers
- Uses of assistance
Workplace Safety Measures: Workplace safety measures, including, but not limited to, personal protective equipment, sanitizer, hand washing stations, air filters, thermometers, cleaning supplies, etc. Market Pivots: Market pivots such as transition to virtual/online sales costs (online platform development and fees, online marketing, credit card processing fees), supplies, new signage.
- Use restrictions
80% of funds awarded to each grantee had to be used for worker payments. The requirements of 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applied to this program.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Length of time of the assistance is provided in the request for applications.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Applications were evaluated based on the criteria established for the program and described in the RFA.
- Award procedure
This was a competitive application program. Applicants were reviewed for eligibility, evaluated by outside expert panel reviewers against selection criteria published in the RFA (technical review) and finally subject to a full administrative review by federal staff prior to final award recommendations and selection.
- Deadlines
Program no longer accepting applications.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Eligible applicants were to review the RFA for the application deadline and estimated timeframes for review and award.
- Renewals
Awards were issued with performance periods of 24 months. There will be no renewals for this program. A one- year extension to complete approved project activities may be requested, subject to AMS approval.
- Appeals
Applicants and recipients could appeal certain decisions in accordance with AMS appeal policies. Please refer to AMS appeal policies at https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/policies-procedures.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program | Closed | ||
| Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant Program | Closed | ||
| Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program | Closed | ||
| Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program | Closed |
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 6,048 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ufcw Charity Foundation, Inc. | $146,660,000 | 19% |
| 2 | UFW Foundation | $97,836,296 | 13% |
| 3 | National Agfamilies Head Start Association | $57,374,540 | 8% |
| 4 | Alianza Nacional De Campesinas Inc. | $48,247,076 | 6% |
| 5 | Cherokee Nation | $45,948,000 | 6% |
| 6 | Hispanic Federation Inc. | $44,299,584 | 6% |
| 7 | United Ways Of California | $41,965,536 | 5% |
| 8 | La Cooperativa Campesina De California | $36,000,000 | 5% |
| 9 | National Center For Farmworker Health, Inc. | $36,000,000 | 5% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania Association For Sustainable Agriculture | $34,637,240 | 5% |
10 of 6,040 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2023 | $625,021,985 |
| FY2022 | $138,501,172 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 10.181?
Assistance Listing 10.181 is Pandemic Relief Activities: Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program, a federal grant program run by Agricultural Marketing Service (Department of Agriculture).
What is the CFDA number for Pandemic Relief Activities: Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program?
Its CFDA number is 10.181: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 10.181 awarded?
6,048 grant awards under 10.181 have obligated $763,523,157 in federal funds to 6,040 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 10.181?
The recipients obligated the most under Pandemic Relief Activities: Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program are Ufcw Charity Foundation, Inc. ($146,660,000), UFW Foundation ($97,836,296) and National Agfamilies Head Start Association ($57,374,540).
Are there open grant opportunities under 10.181?
No opportunity listed under 10.181 is open now. The latest, Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program, was posted on November 23, 2021.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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