Emergency Food Assistance Program (Administrative Costs)

Provide funding to State agencies and local organizations for storage and distribution costs incurred to issues The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) USDA Foods.

Funding is used for storage and distribution costs incurred by The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

State agencies that are designated as distributing agencies by the Governor or other appropriate State executive authority may receive these administrative funds to support the distribution of USDA Foods to low-income persons.

Public or private non-profit organizations, such as food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens, which provide food assistance to low-income persons.

Administrative funds are provided to State agencies to cover administrative costs incurred at the State and local level in the operation of the program. Funds may only be used for approved administrative expenses, and the State agency is required to pass through at least 40 percent of the funds to emergency feeding organizations or expend such funds on their behalf. In addition, the States must match, either in cash or in-kind, the amount of administrative funds not passed through to emergency feeding organizations. States may choose sites that distribute to low-income households and/or congregate sites that provide prepared meals to the needy. Allowable costs include nutrition education, warehousing, food delivery, participant certification, and other administrative costs.

All costs must be allowed for per regulation and be reasonable, necessary and allocable.

Funds are provided through the electronic transfer system as they are needed for actual expenditures on a fiscal year basis. Any funds which are made available through the initial allocation or a subsequent reallocation that are not used are turned back to the Federal government, and reallocated according to the legislatively mandated formula.

An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

All participating agencies do so via a federal/state agreement.

TEFAP administrative funds provided through regular appropriations and supplemental appropriations are allocated among TEFAP State agencies on the basis of a legislatively-mandated formula that takes into account each State's relative share of the National number of persons with income below the poverty level (60 percent) and of unemployed persons (40 percent). At a minimum, States must make at least 40 percent of the administrative grant available to emergency feeding organizations, or expend such funds on their behalf. Farm to Food Bank Project funds are allocated among TEFAP State agencies who opt in by submitting a project plan through a State Plan amendment. These funds are allocated to those States according to the same formula as regularly appropriated funds but are not subject to a 40 percent pass through requirement. TEFAP State agencies were eligible to apply to TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grants FY 2022 and 2023. The grant awards allocated were outlined in the Request for Application. These grants are not subject to a 40 percent pass through requirement. In total, $98 million in funding was awarded to States through the TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant initiative.

All participating agencies do so via a federal/state agreement.

Federal/State agreements are ongoing and amended as necessary. Local organizations receiving administrative funds must have an agreement with the State agency or with another local organization participating in the program. Such agreements are ongoing and amended as necessary.