FY 2026 FDPIR NUTRITION EDUCATION

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service is seeking to award a cooperative agreement to an organization with demonstrated expertise in engaging Tribal communities to design and implement an innovative nutrition education project for participants and staff of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The project, funded with a maximum of $500,000, will run from September 2026 through September 2028 and must develop culturally appropriate educational tools and resources aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, to promote healthy food choices and support USDA’s broader goals for healthy families. Eligible applicants must be organizations with proven experience providing FDPIR-related nutrition education, food safety training, or food service instruction to Indian Tribal Organizations and State agencies administering the program. Applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management with a valid Unique Entity Identifier, possess a current 501(c)(3) determination letter if a nonprofit, and meet all federal compliance requirements including non-procurement debarment and suspension, drug-free workplace standards, lobbying restrictions, and equal opportunity provisions. All proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 31, 2026, and include required forms such as SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, FNS-906, along with a project narrative limited to 15 pages, a detailed budget narrative, resumés of key staff, two letters of support, a NICRA, and documentation of prior FDPIR experience. Evaluation of submissions will be competitive and based on six weighted criteria totaling 100 points, including project design and implementation, staff experience and management capability, organizational past performance, budget appropriateness, and evaluation methodology, with two optional bonus categories adding up to 20 additional points for demonstration of innovative methods in nutrition education with American Indian and Alaska Native adults and experience with specific community-based initiatives. Applicants must submit a comprehensive management plan including quality assurance, progress tracking, and a contingency strategy for loss of key personnel, and must ensure all team members understand and comply with privacy obligations under the Privacy Act and OMB guidelines regarding personally identifiable information. Award recipients will be required to report quarterly using the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) through the FNA Food Program Reporting System, and must access the system via login.gov and