Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA CSREES CFP 002544
Apply for USDA CSREES CFP 002544
- The CSREES in the agriculture community development food and nutrition sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.225 Community Food Projects.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 23, 2009 and posted on Sep 23, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 19, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Only private, nonprofit entities meeting specific requirements as listed in the Request for Applications (RFA). Please refer to eligibility in the RFA.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) is a federal grant opportunity run by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) to support community-driven efforts that strengthen local food systems and improve food access for people with low incomes. The program is designed to fund practical, on-the-ground projects that do more than provide short-term food assistance. Its bigger aim is to help communities build lasting capacity so they can meet their own food needs over time, while also addressing local farm, nutrition, and food security challenges in a coordinated way.
The opportunity is centered on four main goals. First, it aims to help meet the food needs of low-income individuals, which can include improving availability, affordability, and access to nutritious foods. Second, it focuses on increasing community self-reliance, meaning projects should help communities develop the tools, infrastructure, partnerships, and systems needed to sustain food access without ongoing emergency support. Third, it encourages comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues, pushing applicants to think beyond a single program or service and instead connect multiple parts of the local food system (such as production, processing, distribution, nutrition education, and market access). Fourth, it seeks to meet specific state, local, or neighborhood food and agricultural needs, particularly in areas like infrastructure improvement and development, planning for long-term solutions, or creating innovative marketing activities that benefit both agricultural producers and low-income consumers. In practice, that fourth goal points to projects that strengthen the "middle" of the food system, such as facilities, distribution networks, aggregation, or community-based market strategies that create win-win outcomes for farmers and residents.
This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number USDA CSREES CFP 002544; CFDA 10.225) was offered as a competitive grant program with mandatory funding, meaning the funding was authorized and made available through the program rather than being discretionary in nature. The total estimated funding for the competition was $5,000,000. Individual awards were expected to fall between $25,000 (award floor) and $300,000 (award ceiling), which signals support for both smaller pilot efforts and more developed multi-part projects that require a larger budget.
A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, so applicants were expected to contribute non-federal resources toward the project as specified in the Request for Applications (RFA). While the summary does not list the exact match percentage, this requirement typically means an organization must show it has committed partner support, cash contributions, in-kind contributions, or other eligible resources to help carry out the work and demonstrate local investment.
Eligibility was limited to private, nonprofit entities that meet the specific requirements described in the RFA. The public listing notes "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," but the definitive eligibility rules are in the RFA, which applicants would need to follow closely. In general terms, this means the program is geared toward nonprofit community organizations capable of managing federal grant funds and building partnerships with local stakeholders like growers, community groups, and service providers.
Key dates for this specific announcement were: posted and created on September 23, 2009, with an application deadline (closing date) of November 19, 2009. The announcement was archived on December 21, 2009, indicating that this particular cycle is closed, though the program itself may recur in future years under updated notices.
For applicants needing assistance accessing the full announcement or having technical issues, CSREES provided a help desk contact at 202-401-5048 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays). The full announcement and complete requirements were available through the program link labeled "Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program," and applicants were directed to consult the RFA for detailed instructions on eligibility, allowable activities, match requirements, and application content.
Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) FAQs
What is the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP)?
The Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) is a federal competitive grant opportunity run by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). It supports community-driven projects intended to strengthen local food systems and improve food access for people with low incomes.
What is the main purpose of this grant program?
The program is intended to fund practical, on-the-ground projects that go beyond short-term food assistance. Its broader purpose is to help communities build lasting capacity to meet local food needs over time while addressing food, farm, nutrition, and food security challenges in a coordinated way.
Who is the federal agency running this opportunity?
This opportunity is run by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES).
What are the four main goals of CFPCGP?
The opportunity centers on four main goals:
- Help meet the food needs of low-income individuals (including improving availability, affordability, and access to nutritious foods).
- Increase community self-reliance by building tools, infrastructure, partnerships, and systems that sustain food access over time.
- Encourage comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition issues by connecting multiple parts of the local food system (such as production, processing, distribution, nutrition education, and market access).
- Meet specific state, local, or neighborhood food and agricultural needs, including infrastructure improvement and development, long-term planning, or innovative marketing activities that benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers.
Does the program focus only on emergency food assistance?
No. The program is designed to fund projects that do more than provide short-term food assistance. The emphasis is on building longer-term community capacity and systems that reduce reliance on ongoing emergency support.
What kinds of activities does the fourth goal point toward?
The fourth goal highlights projects that strengthen the "middle" of the food system. Examples described in the opportunity include work related to facilities, distribution networks, aggregation, infrastructure development, and community-based market strategies that can benefit both agricultural producers and low-income residents.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is USDA CSREES CFP 002544, and the CFDA number is 10.225.
Is this a competitive grant program?
Yes. This was offered as a competitive grant program.
What does "mandatory funding" mean in this announcement?
The announcement describes the competition as having mandatory funding, meaning funds were authorized and made available through the program rather than being discretionary in nature.
How much total funding was estimated for this competition?
The total estimated funding for the competition was $5,000,000.
What is the expected award range for individual grants?
Individual awards were expected to range from $25,000 (award floor) to $300,000 (award ceiling).
Does CFPCGP require cost sharing or a match?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, and applicants were expected to contribute non-federal resources as specified in the Request for Applications (RFA).
Is the exact match percentage stated in the summary provided?
No. The summary notes that a matching requirement exists but does not provide the exact match percentage. Applicants were directed to the RFA for the specific requirement.
What kinds of resources can support the match requirement (based on the summary)?
The summary indicates that match typically involves demonstrating non-federal support such as partner support, cash contributions, in-kind contributions, or other eligible resources, as allowed by the RFA.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to private, nonprofit entities that meet the specific requirements described in the RFA.
The listing mentions "Others" for eligibility. What does that mean?
The public listing includes "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," but the controlling eligibility requirements are in the RFA. Applicants were expected to follow the RFA closely to confirm eligibility.
Where are the definitive eligibility rules and application requirements described?
The definitive eligibility rules, allowable activities, match requirements, and application content are described in the Request for Applications (RFA).
What were the key dates for this specific announcement?
The announcement was posted and created on September 23, 2009. The application deadline (closing date) was November 19, 2009. The announcement was archived on December 21, 2009.
Is this specific funding cycle still open?
No. Based on the provided dates and the fact that the announcement was archived on December 21, 2009, this specific cycle is closed.
Does the program recur in future years?
The information provided notes that this particular cycle is closed, while the program itself may recur in future years under updated notices.
Where could applicants find the full announcement?
The full announcement and complete requirements were available through the program link labeled "Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program," and applicants were directed to consult the RFA for detailed instructions.
Who should applicants contact for help accessing the announcement or for technical issues?
CSREES provided a help desk contact number: 202-401-5048.
What were the help desk hours?
The help desk was available Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (USDA CSREES CFP 002544) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program Apply for USDA NIFA CFP 003304 Funding Number: USDA NIFA CFP 003304 Agency: National Institute of Food and Agriculture Category: Agriculture Community Development Food and Nutrition Funding Amount: $300,000 |
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