FY 2026 Mobile Payments Solution for SNAP Authorized Farmers - Cooperative Agreement
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service is seeking non-profit organizations and institutions of higher education to develop and implement a mobile payments solution that enables SNAP-authorized direct marketing farmers and farmers markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits through secure technology, including a mobile application or an eCommerce platform. The goal is to reduce financial and technological barriers for small-scale farmers, helping them evaluate the cost-benefit of integrating SNAP into their operations at little or no cost, while simultaneously expanding access to fresh, locally grown food for SNAP recipients through physical locations like farmers markets, roadside stands, and pick-your-own operations, as well as digital sales channels. The initiative aims to strengthen the connection between American agriculture and nutrition assistance programs by fostering a scalable, inclusive infrastructure that supports both farmer participation and increased utilization of benefits by low-income households. Up to $4 million in federal funding will be distributed over three years through up to three cooperative agreements, with applicants required to demonstrate a clear strategy for supporting farmer adoption, deploying secure transaction systems, and creating direct pathways between SNAP participants and local food providers. The solicitation is open only to non-profits and higher education entities, with proposals due by July 31, 2026, and the award process managed by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. Dawn Addison of the agency serves as the point of contact for inquiries, and the project’s performance is expected to span nationwide, supporting rural and urban food access equally through innovative, technology-driven solutions that prioritize affordability, security, and scalability.
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Full Description
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) works to nourish those in need through financially sound programs that promote health and work, as well as champion the productivity of American agriculture. FNA plans to award the Mobile Payments Solution for SNAP Authorized Farmers, Cooperative Agreement. The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to create new opportunities to connect America’s farmers to USDA’s nutrition assistance programs. Specifically, the cooperative agreement is intended to enable SNAP-authorized direct marketing farmers (DMFs) and farmers markets (FMs), as necessary, to determine, at no or little cost to them, whether adding SNAP to their business model has a positive cost-benefit value. It also aims to provide SNAP recipients with greater access to American agriculture by allowing them to use their benefits to purchase foods from DMFs operating at physical FM locations and via other direct marketing avenues (e.g., roadside stands, pick-your-own), or through eCommerce platforms. The cooperator will use resources from this cooperative agreement to facilitate the development of a shared vision and set of approaches for supporting DMFs and FMs in becoming SNAP authorized; enabling the processing of EBT transactions through technology resources that include a secure SNAP Mobile Transaction Processing Application (The App) or potentially a secure eCommerce platform; and assisting farmers with direct marketing opportunities that result in connections with SNAP households and participants in other Federal nutrition assistance programs. FNA announces, through this Request for Applications (RFA), the availability of a maximum of $4,000,000 to be used over a three-year period for up to three awards as cooperative agreements. Only non-profit organizations and institutes of higher education are eligible to participate in this competition.