The Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program is offered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to support projects that address food insecurity. Grants will be awarded for Planning Projects and Community Food Projects.

Applications are due by November 7, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

• Private nonprofit entitities
• Tribal organizations
• Public food program service providers

Applicants must also:

• Have experience in a) community food work, b) job training and business development activities for food-related activities in communities with low incomes, or c) efforts to reduce food and nutrition insecurity in the community
• Demonstrate their ability to competently implement the project, manage the finances, collect data, and prepare relevant reports
• Demonstrate their willingness to share information with researchers, practitioners, and other interested parties
• Collaborate with one or more local partner organizations using one or more of the Steps for a Hunger-Free Community

Program Goals

Short Term

All projects must meet at least one of the following:

• Meet the needs of food-insecure individuals through food distribution. 
• Develop community outreach to assist in participation in Federal nutrition assistance programs
• Improve access to nutrient dense food as part of a comprehensive service

Long Term

All projects must meet at least one of the following:

• Develop long-term sustainable projects that increase the ability of communities to provide for their own food needs
• Develop long-term projects that promote comprehensive responses to local food, food access, farm, and nutrition issues   
• Meet specific State, local, Tribal, Territory, or neighborhood food and agricultural long term needs including needs for equipment necessary for the efficient operation of a CFPCGP project
• Develop a comprehensive plan for long-term solutions to food and nutrition security. 
• Develop long term projects that lead to the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and income-eligible consumers 

Program Preferences

Preference will be given to applications that include:

• Linkages between two or more sectors of the food system
• The development of entrepreneurial projects 
• Innovative linkages between for-profit and nonprofit food sectors
• Long-term planning activities and multisystem, interagency approaches with multi-stakeholder collaborations
• The development of new resources and strategies to help reduce food and nutrition insecurity and prevent insecurity in the future
• Actionable plans or activities to reduce food loss and waste within the local food system

Project Types

Planning Projects

Planning Project funds should be used to develop plans that can be employed to implement successful Community Food Projects. NIFA expects to award 5 Planning Projects in 2025 and 5 in 2026. Requests must be $25,000 – $50,000 over 12-36 months with a required 1:1 match of non-federal funds.

Community Food Projects

Community Food Projects should focus on long-term solutions to food and nutritional insecurity by working will all levels of food systems, from farmers to consumers. NIFA expects to award 15 Planning Projects in 2025 and 15 in 2026. The minimum request is $125,000 over 12 months; the maximum is $400,000 over 48 months. A 1:1 match of non-federal funds is required.