USDA Farm to School Grant Program Overview + How to Apply

Mieka Sanderson Grant Program Manager

October 18, 2017

Anna Arrowsmith Grant Officer

» Background Info » Overview of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program » How to Apply - Registration Process, Forms and Format » Scoring » Budget & Match » Resources » Questions?

Agenda

Housekeeping • To make a comment or ask a question use the chat

function.

• Audio is through computer.

• This webinar is being recorded. Both a PDF of the slides and a link to the recording will be available.

What is farm to school?

Local Food

Healthy Kids

Key Concepts Vision School children have regular access to regionally sourced foods. School cafeterias champion local agriculture and proudly promote regionally sourced foods that meet or exceed school nutrition standards. Integrated Best when cafeteria changes are supported and reinforced throughout the school learning environment. Inclusive Include many types of food producers, such as farmers, ranchers, and fishermen, as well as many types of food businesses, including food processors, manufacturers, distributors, and other value-added operations.

Meat,PoultryandFish

Beans, Grain, andFlourVegetables

Dairy Eggs

Fruit

Local foods can span the meal tray!

call out box

Why does farm to school matter?

» Kids are more willing to try new foods.

» Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables

» Improved knowledge and awareness regarding gardening, agriculture and healthy eating.

» Positive economic impacts on local economy.

Overview of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program

History and Purpose Authority Authority for this grant program comes from the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), which amended Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to establish a farm to school program. Purpose To improve access to local foods in eligible schools through grants and technical assistance. Agency The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is charged with implementing the farm to school program.

Grants support:

» Training; » Supporting operations; » Planning; » Purchasing equipment; » Developing partnerships; and » Implementing farm to school programs.

Celebrating Five Years of Farm to School Grants!

Farm to School Grant Awards To Date FY 2013 - FY 2017 » 365 projects » 50 states, DC, Virgin Islands,

Puerto Rico » ~$25 M » Requests from 1,600+

projects seeking ~$120 M

General Eligibility Requirements

Who can apply? • Eligible schools (preK-12 School Food Authorities (SFA’s)

that participate in the National School Lunch or Breakfast program);

» 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.

What’s a “small-” or “medium-sized” agricultural producer?

Your farm must fulfill ONE of the two criteria to be eligible: • Income: A small- to medium-sized farm is any place from

which up to $1 million (gross) of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the previous calendar year.

• Acreage: Or a small to medium farm is any place with land acreage measuring less than 1,582 acres that produced and sold, or normally would have sold agricultural products.

NOT eligible as lead entity » Institutions of higher learning; » Cooperative extension service;

» My university is a non profit 501.c.3 – still not eligible » My extension program is a state agency – still not eligible

» Individual parents, individual teachers; and, » Hospitals

Don’t forget that these entities (except individual parents and

teacher) can still be key project partners!

» Participate in an orientation webinar and periodic webinars throughout the course of the grant.

» Attend one face-to-face meeting, possibly timed to coincide with a national conference that provides exposure to farm to school best practices and networking opportunities. » Applicants must include travel costs for at least one project

representative, preferably the project director, in their grant budgets to attend this meeting.

» Complete reporting and evaluation activities as determined • by USDA.

Grant recipients will be required to:

Grant Tracks

» Planning » Implementation » Training

» 50% of awards will go to schools or school districts » USDA will seek to ensure geographical diversity to the extent possible

Distribution of awards

» You can serve as the lead on only one application. You must choose between submitting a planning grant, implementation grant, or training grant. You may only submit one application.

» You may be listed as a collaborator or key partner on more than one application.

How many projects can I apply for?

Planning Grants » Funding range = $20,000 - $50,00 » Must be completed in 12 or 24 months » No more than 10% of the budget can go toward food

costs (and only educational uses of food) » 25% match is required » Equipment is NOT an allowable expense » 3 letters of support

Intended to Help groups organize and structure their farm to school efforts for maximum impact by embedding known best practices into early design considerations. Intended for Interested groups that are just getting started in farm to school activities. Who can apply? School districts/schools PreK-12 SFAs operating the National School Lunch Program (or School Breakfast Program), State and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, small- and medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of small- and medium-sized producers, and non-profit entities that have evidence of strong community support and partnerships.

Planning Grants

» Assess the need and readiness for development of a farm to school program, and determine the tools, training, and technical assistance needed to create a farm to school program;

» Identify obstacles and begin to explore options for addressing existing barriers.

» Engage a wide variety of internal and external collaborators in the design of a Farm to School Action Plan; and,

» Develop a final Farm to School Action Plan that includes goals, specific activities, and timelines for implementation and responsible parties for each activity. » This is a required activity for all awarded planning grants, and

applicants should budget ample staff time for its completion.

Planning – Allowable Activities

Planning Proposal Narrative » Farm to School Background Information » Need » Objectives, activities and timeline » Evaluation » Sustainability » Staffing, Project Management, and Quality Assurance

Implementation Grants » Funding range = $50,000 - $100,000 » 12 or 24 months » No more than 10% of the budget can go toward food

costs (and only educational uses of food) » 25% match is required » 3 letters of support

Intended to Help scale or further develop existing farm to school efforts and provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives. Intended for Interested groups that are already operating farm to school programs where partnerships are established and early successes have accrued. Who can apply? School districts/schools PreK-12 SFAs operating the National School Lunch Program, State and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers or groups of producers, and non-profit entities that have evidence of strong community support and partnerships.

Implementation Grants

» Operating service projects (e.g. AmeriCorps, VISTA, local service corps programs, etc.) that support farm to school initiatives in schools;

» Aggregating local food supply to more effectively meet the needs of school districts; » Readying producers to participate in the school food market by disseminating Good

Agricultural Practices (GAP) and other food safety training; » Testing products or conducting school food market feasibility analyses; » Developing new local food products or formulations to meet the needs of schools; » Improving infrastructure to accommodate new ingredients or menu items; » Forming statewide or regional networks or coalitions that support farm to school

activities; » Providing technical support in the form of trainings, consultations, webinars, etc.; » Hosting networking or other meet and greet events designed to bring school food service

directors in contact with regional producers, processors, manufacturers, and distributors; » Developing promotional campaigns in support of farm to school initiatives; » Strategic planning to expand or coordinate efforts; and, » Conducting farm to school evaluation efforts and disseminating findings.

Implementation - Allowable Activities

Implementation Proposal Narrative » Farm to School Experience » Need » Project » Evaluation » Sustainability » Staffing, Project Management and Quality

Assurance

Training Grants » Funding range = $20,000 to $50,000

» State, regional or national focus

» 12 months » 25% match is required

» 1 letter of support

Intended to: Support state, regional and national trainings that provide technical assistance or other programming in the area of local procurement, food safety, school gardens, culinary education, and/or integration of agriculture-based curriculum. Intended for: Support organizations who are positioned to provide relevant farm to school trainings to schools, producers, and/or other stakeholders. Who can apply? • Non-profit organizations • State and local agencies • Indian tribal organizations • Agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers.

Training Grants

» Technical assistance trainings that address local procurement for Federal meal programs;

» Training events that bring together stakeholders from across the supply chain, (including producers, manufacturers, distributors, buyers , educators, etc.), e.g. statewide producer-buyer meetings designed to stimulate cross learning and business connections;

» Trainings on school garden development and food and agriculture curricula integration;

» Culinary training or educational activities, e.g. a “Junior Chef” competition where local products are incorporated into school meal programs; and,

» National, state, or regional trainings to support information sharing, networking, or the professional development of farm to school practitioners.

Training – Allowable Activities

Training Proposal Narrative » Farm to School Background Information » Need » Proposed Training » Relevance » Staffing, Project Management, and Quality

Assurance

Grant Track

Intended Impact

Timeline

Funding Amount

Planning

Create a framework for a successful program through your action plan

12 or 24 months

$20,000 - $50,000

Implementation

Help your farm to school program flourish; invest in long-term sustainability

12 or 24 moths

$50,000 - $100,000

Training

State, regional, national training event or conference

12 months

$20,000 - $50,000

Grant Track Overview

Updates for FY 2018

Changes from FY 2017 » Streamlines grant tracks

» All eligible entities may apply for planning and implementation tracks.

» Revises priority for Summer and CACFP operators » Accepted, but not prioritized. Still must be school-based sites for planning and

implementation grants. » Trainings for summer and CACF operators can extend beyond school-based

sites.

» Adds a policy for repeat grantees. » To diversity awardees, organizations that have received implementation,

support service, or training grant in FY 16 or FY 17 are ineligible.

» Updated scoresheet criteria (to be more specific)

FY 2018 Priorities » School districts (i.e. the school district is the lead applicant);

» schools or school districts will receive at least 50 percent of overall grant awards.

» Applications serving tribal communities; » State agencies (i.e. the state agency is the lead applicant).

» Projects that reach more than one school. » Projects that serve a high proportion of children (at least 40 percent

or more) who are eligible for free or reduced price meals.

How to Apply

Application Overview

Find Application Instructions here.

1. Obtain a DUNs Number 2. Register with System for Award

Management (SAM) 3. Create a grants.gov account 4. E-business Point of Contact (e-biz POC)

authorizes grants.gov roles 5. Complete & submit application

24/7 Grants.gov support available:

• support@grants.gov • 1-800-518-4726 • Grants.gov webpage

Step 1: Register with Dun & Bradstreet and SAM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdraD2HrAIA&index=1&list=PLNSNGxQE7NWlPcYxVJsglJbRc6cPcfC8X

If you do not already have a DUNS number, visit www.dnb.com to get one. Once you have your DUNS number, register at www.sam.gov. Have the following ready: • DUNS Number • Tax Identification Number (TIN) • E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC)* • Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN)*

• * E-Biz POC and MPIN are determined by your organization. • E-Biz POC is the single person responsible for the administration and management

of grant activities in his/her organization. • MPIN is a self-created access code that will be shared with authorized partner

applications. The MPIN is created in SAM and managed by the administrator or registration representative for your entity's registration in SAM.

Obtaining a DUNS number and completing your SAM registration

can take up to three weeks!

Step 2: Register with grants.gov

Watch the “how to register in grants.gov” video here.

Step 3: E-biz POC authorizes Grants.gov roles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg3Wk-iXOO8&index=3&list=PLNSNGxQE7NWlPcYxVJsglJbRc6cPcfC8X

During Registration, your E-biz POC will designate roles for users in grants.gov. • The Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is the primary role to be

assigned. The AOR submits your application to Grants.gov on behalf of your agency or organization.

AORs have the authority to sign grant applications and the required certifications and/or assurances that are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the application process. The AOR may be the same person as the E-Business POC. ** If you have applied for grants through grants.gov in the past, please make sure that the designated AOR for your organization is current in grants.gov

Step 4: Complete & Submit Application Can submit a grant application in two ways: 1. Traditional PDF Package upload

• Application is completed outside of grants.gov and then uploaded all at once. This is being phased out and will not be available after Dec. 31, 2017.

2. Workspace- online collaborative environment • Applicants can begin completing application, save it, and come back at a

later time to finish. Application is housed on grants.gov Workspace until submission.

Watch the Workspace overview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAh1P3vNhMY&list=PLNSNGxQE7NWlPcYxVJsglJbRc6cPcfC8X&index=6

Watch the Workspace tutorials here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNSNGxQE7NWlibdjPYGOsZaG-ol0pBsx3

Step 5: Verify Successful Submission and Acceptance

The acknowledgement email DOES NOT mean you have successfully submitted your application!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNLpT8eWZJ0&index=7&list=PLNSNGxQE7NWlPcYxVJsglJbRc6cPcfC8X

Grants.gov will send several emails once your application is submitted:

1. Acknowledgement Email States that your application is being validated

2. Validation or Rejection Email Validation states that your application is either error-free. Rejection states that your application has been rejected with errors; in this case, you will have the opportunity to correct the error(s) and resubmit.

3. Agency Retrieval States that FNS has your application

4. Agency Tracking Number You can use this number to track your status on grants.gov, or as a reference if you need to contact grants.gov for any reason.

Common Submission Errors to Avoid » Expired SAM » Incorrect AOR designation » Naming convention (do NOT use special characters) » Late submission » Submitting application on the due date (i.e., waiting until the

last minute)

• Budget Forms SF-424 Forms (SF-424, SF-424A and SF-424B) • Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) • Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire • Required for ONLY for profit and non-profit corporations (see form for

definitions) • Statement of Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent

Status (AD-3030) • 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service

(IRS) • Farm to School Coversheet

Please see the Application Checklist on page 4 and section 4.4 of the RFA

Required Forms

Required Format of Application • Table of contents • Narrative response

• Implementation – 10 page maximum • Planning – 5 page maximum • Training – 5 page maximum

• Paper size 8 ½ x 11, 12pt font, Times New Roman, numbered pages

Please see the Application Checklist on page 4 and section 4.4 of the RFA

Required Format

Farm to School grant applications MUST be submitted via grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EST, December 8, 2017

• Tip: Email us if you are having issues with the application process

• Tip: DUNS, SAM and Grants.gov all have helplines – see websites

• Tip: Follow the rules regarding file naming conventions • Tip: Submit your application 1 week early!

Budget & Budget Narrative

» Required form - Completed electronically on grants.gov » A hard copy can also be downloaded from the grants.gov website » Link to full instructions on the grant program webpage

SF-424A: Budget information (Completed online)

For each line item, provide full details, such as: » Salaries – By position, identify position title, percentage of time or hours

dedicated to the project, and job duties. » Travel – Identify number of trips, number of staff traveling, average cost

per trip, purpose of trip(s), mode of transportation. Be sure to provide an explanation as to how the line item amounts were derived; i.e. provide the calculations of the line item amount. Ex: Salary = $5000 ($50 per hour x 10 hours a week x 10 weeks). A sample budget narrative is available on the grant website.

Budget Narrative

Indirect costs are those costs benefiting more than the proposed grant project, such as utility costs for the project location, salary costs for the payroll clerk, etc.

» If claiming indirect costs, provide negotiated indirect cost rate approval letter

» An applicant may propose indirect costs within their budget proposal without an approved rate. However, if a proposal is recommended for funding, an indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted prior to the award.

Indirect Costs

MUST provide A 25% match of total project cost from non-federal sources

• Include a description in the budget narrative and identify the entity who will be providing the support

• Federal grant award + match • Leverage the USDA Match Calculator tool!

Sample Calculation Grant Request: $65,000 Match Amount: $25,000 Total Project Cost: $90,000 Match Percent: 28 % (match amount / total project cost) USDA Percent: 72 % (grant request / total project cost)

Matching Funds

Examples • Cash – salary paid to an employee of the partner organization for project

related activities • In-kind – value of loaned or donated equipment, based on fair market value

or value of volunteer time spent on project activities. • Hourly wages should be based on the current wage rate in the

community

Documentation of Matching Funds • Time sheets of volunteer hours worked • Documentation of the value of loaned or donated equipment, such as an

invoice, property records, etc.

Matching Funds

Application Review and Scoring Process

1. Eligibility Screening • Initial screening for eligibility and completion

2. Panel Review • Applications are reviewed by a three person panel comprised of

federal staff and content experts. • Rated on a scale 1-100

3. Scoring Criteria • We strongly recommend you review the scoring criteria

4. Selection Process • Final recommendation made by the selection official

Review Process

Writing Your Proposal

Building Your Team » We know that applying for federal grants take several steps and

requires collecting information from a variety of entities. » Think strategically about who you need to have at the table to put

together a strong application. » Even if someone is not directly writing the grant, can they offer a

perspective you should incorporate? » Be specific with your asks!

Telling Your Story • What makes your project special? • What is your unique role in ensuring that the project takes place?

• Connect to priority areas. • Weave your project into local context that paints a compelling picture of

why this project is essential. • DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS!

Use the USDA Farm to School Census www.farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov

Put yourself in the reviewer’s shoes!

Resources

www.usda.gov/farmtoschool

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Farm to School Resources Visit our website

www.usda.gov/farmtoschool

“New” Policy Memos

Regional Leads

Andrea Northup, MPRO

JuliAnna Arnett, WRO

Rachel Spencer, SWRO

Samantha Benjamin-Kirk, SERO

Tegan Hagy, MARO

Danielle Fleury, NERO

Jenna Segal, MWRO

THANK YOU!

Thank you! Questions?

Email: Farm to School