SNAP HFMI 2024 | USDA FNS SNAP HFMI 2024

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FNS SNAP HFMI 2024

SNAP HFMI 2024 is a competitive USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) grant opportunity offering funding for a single cooperative agreement to test and expand "Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives" for households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP, authorized under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 as amended, is the primary federal nutrition assistance program serving roughly 40 million low-income Americans, and it operates through a nationwide network of more than 250,000 authorized retailers. This funding opportunity focuses on using SNAP purchasing environments to encourage healthier choices by making qualifying milk more affordable and easier to purchase.

The grant is authorized by Section 4208 of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), which allows USDA to enter into cooperative agreements with governmental entities and nonprofit organizations to carry out HFMI projects. For fiscal year 2024, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 provides $2,583,428 for HFMI. Through this Request for Applications (RFA), FNS is making that full amount available and expects to make one award (an award ceiling is listed at $2,790,000). The instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which generally means the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant.

The core purpose of the HFMI project is to develop and test practical methods to increase both the purchase and consumption of qualifying fluid milk among SNAP households by offering an incentive tied to purchases at SNAP-authorized retailer locations. For this program, "qualifying fluid milk" is specifically defined as pasteurized cow's milk that is unflavored and contains no sweeteners, aligns with the most recent dietary recommendations, is packaged in liquid form, and contains vitamins A and D at levels consistent with FDA and applicable state and local standards. In other words, the incentives are meant to steer purchases toward plain, nutritionally appropriate milk products rather than flavored or sweetened options.

A major FY 2024 design constraint is that FNS will only consider proposals that deliver incentives in one of two automated ways. Applicants must propose either (1) an automatic discount applied at the point of purchase (at checkout), or (2) a model that integrates with a state Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system so that earned HFMI incentives are automatically deposited onto a SNAP household's EBT card. This requirement signals that FNS is prioritizing approaches that are seamless for participants and retailers, minimize administrative burden, and allow incentives to be delivered reliably at scale.

Eligibility is limited to domestic governmental entities and qualifying nonprofits. Governmental entities include state, local, territorial, or tribal agencies. Nonprofit applicants must be able to document their status (for example, by including an IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter), and nonprofit eligibility is described broadly enough to include institutions with IRS 501(c) status and accredited institutions of higher education, so long as no part of net earnings benefits a private shareholder or individual. All applicants must be owned, operated, and located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, and must demonstrate they meet these domestic-entity requirements in the application. Each eligible entity may submit only one application, and organizations that are suspended or debarred are not eligible to apply.

Beyond basic eligibility, applicants must show they have relevant background and the operational capability to carry out a complex incentive project. FNS requires applicants to have experience either with community efforts to reduce food insecurity (such as food distribution, improving access to services, or coordinating services and programs) or direct experience with SNAP. Applicants also need to demonstrate competency in project implementation, fiscal accountability, and data collection and reporting. Finally, FNS expects awardees to be willing to share information with researchers, evaluators, practitioners, and other stakeholders, including having a concrete dissemination plan for communicating results.

Key administrative details from the opportunity listing include: the opportunity is titled "SNAP HFMI 2024" (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA FNS SNAP HFMI 2024), categorized as discretionary funding in the Food and Nutrition activity area (CFDA/Assistance Listing: 10.551), and uses a cooperative agreement mechanism. The posting indicates an original application closing date of 2024-08-09, a creation/posting date of 2024-06-25, and an expectation of one total award funded from the approximately $2.58 million FY 2024 HFMI appropriation.

• The Food and Nutrition Service in the food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SNAP HFMI 2024" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.551.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,790,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for USDA FNS SNAP HFMI 2024

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