FY 18 Farm to School Grant RFA is closing soon!
Time is winding down and
there are only three days left
before the FY 18 Farm to School Grant Request for Applications closes! The
purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist
eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access
to local foods in eligible schools. On an annual basis, USDA awards up to $5
million in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning,
purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and
implementing farm to school programs.
For FY 2018, we offer the
following grants:
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Implementation grants are intended to help schools, school
districts, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, small-
and medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small- and
medium-sized agricultural producers, and non-profit entities working with
schools or school districts to scale or further develop existing farm to
school initiatives. Implementation awards range from $50,000 - $100,000.
-
Planning grants are for schools or school
districts, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, small-
and medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small- and
medium-sized agricultural producers, and non-profit entities working with
schools or school districts that are just getting started on farm to
school activities. These funds are intended to help entities
organize and structure their efforts for maximum impact by embedding known
best practices into early design considerations. Planning awards range
from $20,000 - $50,000.
-
Training grants are intended for state
and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, small- and medium-sized
agricultural producers or groups of small- and medium-sized agricultural
producers, and non-profit entities to support training that strengthens
farm to school supply chains, or training that provides technical
assistance in the area of local procurement, food safety, culinary
education, and/or integration of agriculture‐based
curriculum. Training awards range from $20,000 - $50,000.
Putting the final touches on your
application? Here are four tips to take your
application to the next level!
1. Leverage
the application checklist
- Review the
Application Checklist found on page four of the RFA
to ensure that all necessary documents are included in your grant
application.
Please note:
FY 18 Farm to School applicants do not have to submit signed
letter(s) Stating Evidence of Critical Resources and Infrastructure.
- Use the
correct version of the farm
to school coversheet! The correct version requests school enrollment
data as of the 2016-2017 school year on the third page.
2. Incorporate
the FY 18 Farm to School funding priorities
- The Farm to
School Grant Program is a competitive funding stream. Last grant cycle, only 1 in 5 applications were selected for funding!
- Enhance your
proposal’s competitive edge by incorporating the FY 18 Farm to School
Grant funding priorities (found in section 1.4 of the RFA)
as much as possible.
3. Put
your application to the test with our scoresheet
- Have a friend
or colleague score your proposal using the scoresheets found in section
5.2 of the RFA.
(Pro tip: Try to find someone who has not been involved with preparing the
proposal.)
- Strengthen
your application by addressing any issues, missing information, or gaps in
logic highlighted by the review.
- Remember,
strong applications answer required questions, provide proper
justification, use appropriate grammar, and incorporate relevant data to
present a compelling narrative.
4. Visit
the Farm to School Applicant Resource webpage
Complete applications must
be submitted on grants.gov by 11:59 pm ET on December 8, 2017.
Late and/or applications submitted outside of grants.gov will not be accepted.
Questions or concerns? Contact us at farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov.
USDA Farm to School Program FY 13 - 17 Summary of Grant Awards
The results are in! We have updated our annual Summary of Grant
Awards report which provides a cumulative snapshot of demand for the Farm to
School Grant Program, distribution of awards, and funded project activities. We
are proud to share that the Farm to School Grant Program has funded at least one
project in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands! The Farm to School Grant
Program also reaches high need communities. Nearly 80 percent of grant awards
were given to schools in which 50 percent or more of the student population
qualify for free or reduced price meals.
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